Michael McCaul

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I'm always inspired by the fact that we begin our business here in the Congress with a prayer to God and a pledge to this great country. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great man, a man of God, a man of faith, a man who has devoted his entire career, indeed his entire life, to the service of his fellow man. Pastor Wayne Graumann, who offered this morning's prayer for the House of Representatives, is revered, admired, and loved by all in his congregation and by all those whose life he has touched. He is the voice and the shepherd of Salem Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas. Born in Granite, Oklahoma, Pastor Graumann became a pastor after completing his education at Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. He eventually accepted a calling from Salem Lutheran in Tomball, Texas, and has served and strengthened his flock there for the past three decades. Pastor Graumann has been married to his wife, Kathy, for more than 36 years. They have been blessed with two children and two beautiful grandchildren. Pastor Graumann also spends countless hours working on world missions for the health and well-being of others, particularly in Honduras, Kenya, and Mexico. Everyone who knows Pastor Graumann knows him as a true messenger of Christ. In his words and in his deeds and, above all, in his heart, his example is a beacon of light which draws us all closer to our Creator. His faith and devotion to the life of Christ is an inspiration to us all. I'm reminded of the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus said, ``Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'' May the peace of Christ be with you and may He hold you in the palm of his hand.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico for your great leadership on this very important issue and for having this debate tonight. I think we are denying democracy its voice by not allowing the Members who represent the American people the opportunity to vote on the Protect America Act and to make that act permanent. As the gentlewoman mentioned, I do have experience in the Justice Department in this area. I applied for FISA warrants while I was there. This statute was never intended to apply to overseas intelligence. It was solely intended to apply to agents of a foreign power who were in the United States. This is a very dangerous game, and it's probably the most important debate that I've seen since I have been elected to the Congress. By allowing the Protect America Act to expire, by walking away from this Chamber 10 days ago and doing nothing about that, we see what the consequences are. We have heard the letters from the Director of Intelligence, from the Attorney General, and the failure now to be able to capture critical intelligence overseas. In fact, some estimates are as high as 66 percent. In other words, we are going dark now in parts of the world where we should be paying attention. This is a dangerous game of politics; in my view it is partisan politics at its worst. We are literally putting Americans at risk. The most solemn obligation we have as Members of Congress is to protect the American people. And there is a reason why since September 11 we haven't seen a September 11. Intelligence is the best weapon we have, as the gentlewoman has mentioned, in this war on terror. And the idea that somehow when American soldiers are kidnapped in Iraq overseas by al Qaeda and yet we are denied the opportunity to listen in because we have to get lawyered up, and we have to go through the FISA Court to get that emergency warrant, and in the meantime one soldier is killed and two we have not heard from since, really saddens my heart as an American. And I believe, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania said, we are derelict in our responsibilities. I want to share with the gentlewoman an editorial, an op-ed that I wrote with Admiral Bobby Inman. Why is Admiral Inman important? He was the Director of National Intelligence, the Deputy Director of the CIA under both Democrat and Republican administrations. Admiral Inman was one of the principal authors of the FISA statute. And in this editorial he says, to apply FISA to monitoring foreign communications, a suspected terrorist operating overseas such as Osama bin Laden and other key al Qaeda leaders, turns the original intent of FISA on its head. Turns the original intent of FISA on its head. That is what a few key leaders on the other side of the aisle have done. By not allowing us to vote, they know that it would pass. It passed overwhelmingly in the Senate in a bipartisan way. And he goes on to say, contrary to some of the rhetoric coming from the Democrats, it is the members of al Qaeda, not American citizens, who are the target of these intelligence-gathering activities. I submit the question, don't you think that most Americans want us to be listening to what al Qaeda is saying overseas? Don't you think most Americans want to hear the conversations that we know they are having, because this is a long-term struggle, and we know that they are planning to attack us again? Don't the American people want us to be listening to that? And yet by failing to make this Protect America Act permanent, we are denying that opportunity. If I can just by saying that if, God forbid, something happens between now and the time we can finally get this body together to pass this act, and American blood is spilled, that blood will be on the hands of all Members of Congress. We need to get this act passed.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today Congress is engaged in an important debate, perhaps the most important debate certainly in recent years. Our most solemn obligation to this country is to protect the American citizenry. In my view our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are playing a dangerous political game, and the American people are the pawns in this game. I bring to the Congress a unique experience. I worked in the Justice Department under the FISA statute. I have worked on national security wiretaps, and I can tell you that the statute was never intended to cover foreign targets in a foreign country. And if Osama bin Laden is on the phone calling into the United States, I think the American people want us to pay attention to that and to listen to that conversation. Intelligence, good intelligence has stopped every threat to this country since 9/11. Intelligence is the first line of defense in the war on terror. Without that, we cannot prevail in this war on terror, and we need to protect the American companies who we ask to protect the United States and the American people. They stood up to the plate, and it is our time to stand up to the plate and now protect them. They were doing their patriotic duty in a time of war when America asked them. If we do not protect them, then what company, American or otherwise, will dare help the United States of America in its greatest time of need, in a time of peril, in a time of war. Yesterday, the Senate passed the FISA bill, which included this immunity and also protects Americans. I say we put that bill on the floor, let's pass that bill and let's make the Protect America Act permanent. Now is the time, not 21 days from now, not several months from now. For the American people, let's pass and protect the American people now.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we will be engaging today in an important debate, perhaps the most important debate certainly since I've been in the United States Congress, and that is how to protect the American people, how can we capture intelligence overseas to better protect the United States. I bring to this debate a unique experience. I worked in the Justice Department under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on FISA's national security wiretaps. This statute was never designed to prohibit us from capturing overseas intelligence from foreign targets. If Osama bin Laden is calling in to the United States, we, as Americans, have a right to know what he is saying. This is, again, one of the most important debates, and the Senate passed yesterday a version of this which I urge the House to pass today, and also one that protects companies, patriotic companies, who help out the United States Government when the United States Government asks and gives the call to duty to help the United States in capturing this overseas intelligence. The time to act is now, and extension in terms of intelligence is unacceptable. We cannot allow our intelligence to go dark in many parts of the world. We must pass the Senate version of the FISA bill.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Katy High School football team of Katy, Texas, on their Class 5A, Division II Texas State football championship on Saturday, December 22, 2007. Katy High School became the Class 5A, Division II State champions after defeating Pflugerville High School, 28 to 7, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Starting the season as the second-ranked team in Class 5A and ending the regular season as the top-ranked team, the Katy Tigers were a team expected to do great things, and they did. When the senior players were freshmen, they made it their goal to win a State championship game and with much hard work and determination this objective was accomplished. Always tough to live up to expectations, the Tigers did so and then some in claiming the Class 5A, Division II title in 2007 with a perfect 16-0 season record. Throughout the season, both the offense and defense were dominant. Offensively, the Tigers scored over 43 points per game. Defensively, Katy allowed an average of only 8 points per game. The Katy Tigers advanced to the championship game by easily defeating Strake Jesuit College Preparatory 51-18 in the bi-district playoff game, by defeating Houston Madison High School 42 to 8 in the Region 3 semi-finals, by defeating Pasadena Memorial High School 30 to 14 in the Region 3 championship, by defeating Fort Bend Clements High School 42 to 0 in the quarterfinal playoff game, and by defeating San Antonio Madison High School 66 to 21 in the State semi-final game. The Katy Tigers rose to the challenge during the championship game against the Pflugerville Panthers, in San Antonio at the Alamodome. Katy scored 28 unanswered points after being down 7 in the first half. A hail mary at the end of the first half changed the momentum for the Katy Tigers to finish out the State championship game with a final score of 28-7, a truly outstanding accomplishment. The win is Katy's fifth title all-time and fourth since 1997. More significantly, it is the first for head coach Gary Joseph, who ran his all-time win-loss record to 55-4 with the victory. It was not just a State title however, as the Tigers would find out about 30 minutes after the game's final whistle. Coach Joseph announced to a packed home locker room that the Tigers had been voted the No. 1 team in the Nation by ESPN. A roar of shouts, whistles and cheers filled the underground corridors of the Alamodome following that announcement as Katy returned to the top of the charts in Texas for the first time since 2003. In addition, Katy is ranked No. 4 in the USA Today Super 25 football rankings. The success of these fine young athletes of Katy High School serves as an inspiration for their school and community. I know from my own experience how high school football teaches you not only how to win on the field but also how to succeed in life. It teaches you that through hard work, discipline, dedication, and teamwork you can dream any dream and achieve any goal. I know that these fine athletes will apply their success on the football field to their lives after high school to accomplish great things. I officially recognize and honor the outstanding achievements and contributions by the 2007 Katy High School Varsity Football Team, coaches, school and loyal fans, for their exemplary representation of our community. Congratulations Katy Tigers. I commend you on a spectacular football year and wish you the best next season and beyond.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Committee has spoken and the result is positive. I appreciate the words of the Committee in the Statement of the managers accompanying the Omnibus Appropriations legislation specifically regarding the USAID and hunting conservation programs in Africa and around the world. The initial problem that came to light earlier this year was language that denied USAID funding of recreational, sport and trophy hunting in its assistance programs in Africa. The language in the Statement of the Managers to accompany the Omnibus legislation offers out the opportunity for the USAID conservation projects to continue and states that they need to come before the Committee and explain these important conservation programs. I support this effort and commend the Committee on this language. These USAID projects are very important tools in the effort to promote conservation. Tourist hunting in foreign lands has proven to be vital and critical to community-based natural resource management programs such as the CAMPFIRE Program in Zimbabwe and the LIFE Plus Project in Namibia. The CAMPFIRE and the LIFE Plus Projects in Africa are just two examples of working conservation programs that involve controlled, regulated sport and trophy hunting. These programs literally support the entire tribal system in many areas of Africa. Without them, literally millions of acres that are properly managed now would fall prey to poachers and the land would prove to have no economic value. Animals in this environment would be killed for food, over- hunted and poached. None of us want that result. These programs provide conservation and social benefits like growth, revenue, poverty reduction, improved livelihoods and empowerment--all of which alleviate human suffering. The facts are in: in twenty-three African countries that allow licensed, regulated hunting, approximately 18,500 hunters generate over $200 million annually in remote rural areas. The USAID programs are extremely important to the survival of many species worldwide and I thank the Appropriations Committee for recognizing the flaw in the House Report language and speaking to it appropriately in the Statement of the Managers that accompanies the Omnibus legislation.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the most extraordinary towns in our country, Tomball, TX, and join them in celebrating their 100-year anniversary. This community began in the early 1800s as a farming community and has grown to be a town encompassing economic growth and core American values which makes our Nation a great place to live. Tomball was first known as Peck but at the turn of the century, in 1907, the town was officially named Tomball in honor of Mr. Thomas Henry Ball; a Congressman, a lawyer, a proud father, and an honorable man. Tomball saw their first boom in 1906 when the railroad came to town. The first freight train and the first passenger rail rolled through town in 1907. Today visitors can step back in time and enjoy the newly refurbished train depot, in the heart of downtown Tomball, as trains move through town as they did a century ago. Tomball was also known as ``Oil Town U.S.A.'' in the early 1930's when oil was discovered in a big Texas way with a ``gusher.'' The city was quick to realize the extraordinary asset before them and negotiated a deal with Humble Oil and Gas allowing the company drilling rights within the city in exchange for free oil and gas to Tomball residents for the next 50 years. Tomball has seen growth in all aspects of the community. Since the turn of the century, there has been the boom of the railroad, the great success of oil and gas, real estate growth, and road improvements all contributing to the strong economic base for this town. Tomball has always been a place with extraordinary schools, both public and private. The city possesses citizens with an eagerness to learn extending to higher education within the college system. Faith is important to this community and is the foundation that enables numerous churches to congregate within the area. Tomball is an amazing town within Harris County, TX. It is the continued dedication to this town by its residents which makes it one of the friendliest places to live, not only in Texas but in the United States. Although Tomball has endured many changes over the last century one thing remains the same, the people. As we celebrate the first 100 years of Tomball it is with great joy I say thank you for being a wonderful and compassionate community. The devotion for this community is contagious and I am honored to be your representative, in fact I proudly display a sign in my office that says, ``I Love Tomball.'' I wish this city all the best in the next 100 years. Happy Birthday, Tomball and congratulations on reaching this remarkable milestone.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the most extraordinary towns in our country, Tomball, Texas and join them in celebrating their 100 year anniversary. This community began in the early 1800's as a farming community and has grown to be a town encompassing economic growth and core American values which makes our nation a great place to live. Tomball is known for many things; it began as an agricultural community and has continued to grow expeditiously from day one. Originally this town was known as Peck, but at the turn of the century in 1907, the town was officially named Tomball in honor of Mr. Thomas Henry Ball; a Congressman, a lawyer, a proud father, and an honorable man. Tomball saw their first boom in 1906 when the railroad came to town. The first freight train and the first passenger rail rolled through town in 1907. Today visitors can step back in time and enjoy the newly refurbished train depot, in the heart of downtown Tomball, as trains move through town as they did a century ago. Tomball was also known as ``Oil Town U.S.A.'' in the early 1930's when oil was discovered in a big Texas way with a ``gusher.'' The city was quick to realize the extraordinary asset before them and negotiated a deal with Humble Oil and Gas allowing the company drilling rights within the city in exchange for free oil and gas to Tomball residents for the next 50 years. Tomball has seen growth in all aspects of the community. Since the turn of the century, there has been the boom of the railroad, the great success of oil and gas, real estate growth, and road improvements all contributing to the strong economic base for this town. Tomball has always been a place with extraordinary schools, both public and private. The city possesses citizens with an eagerness to learn extending to higher education within the college system. Faith is important to this community and is the foundation that enables numerous churches to congregate within the area. Tomball is an amazing town within Harris County, Texas. It is the residents continued dedication to this town which makes it one of the friendliest places to live not only in Texas but in the United States. Although Tomball has endured many changes over the last century one thing remains the same, the people. The people of this community have always been the most thoughtful and caring individuals a town could ever ask for. As we celebrate the first 100 years of Tomball it is with great joy I say thank you for being a wonderful and compassionate community. I wish this city all the best in the next 100 years, as I know only good things will come from such an amazing place. Happy Birthday Tomball and congratulations on reaching this remarkable milestone.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2074.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Members who introduced the bill. I want to thank Chairman Langevin, who I have worked with very closely on this. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of this resolution, which supports the goals and ideals of National Cyber Security Awareness Month. While I believe it is important to recognize the need for cybersecurity awareness, this is an issue that should not be limited to just one month. Cybersecurity should be on the minds of all of us throughout the entire year. Computers and the Internet have become an integral part of American business, government and lifestyle. Over 200 million Americans use the Internet on a regular basis. Companies, both large and small, rely on the Internet to manage their business, expand their customer reach and enhance their connection with their supply chain. Almost 90 percent of all youth use the Internet, and the vast majority of those use the Internet at school. It is important that these children are taught to use the Internet in a safe and secure manner. This will not only protect their own systems from attack, but will provide for their physical safety. Cybersecurity is also a critical part of our Nation's overall homeland security. The systems that control and monitor our dams, power grids, oil and gas supplies, as well as our transportation systems and other critical manufacturing processes, are connected to the Internet. Right now, a terrorist organization or a hostile nation-state could disrupt our critical infrastructure systems and do serious damage to our economy without even entering our country. Appropriate cybersecurity practices are essential to overall security. The dangers associated with online behavior are becoming more and more common. These threats range from spam, viruses and identity theft to complex computer attacks created by organized crime, terrorist organizations and possibly nation-states designed to steal sensitive information through espionage. Organizations, such as National Cyber Security Alliance, are making it their mission to increase awareness of cybersecurity and technologies to home users, students, teachers and small businesses. These organizations deserve to be recognized for their good work and be supported. While there is much to do, cybersecurity awareness is growing. The Congress has a role to play in encouraging the use of proper cybersecurity practices and technologies throughout our country. National Cyber Security Awareness Month provides a solid platform from which to improve cybersecurity awareness in our country, and I am pleased that this Congress is supporting its ideals and its goals. We have much more work to do, but being aware of the need for cybersecurity is a necessary first step.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I want to thank Congresswoman Hooley for introducing this amendment. I am proud to be a cosponsor to it. This study will be able to quantify the important benefits green schools provide by way of economic savings, environmental impact, and the health and academic performance of students. The building industry represents the largest economic sector in the United States, and school construction is the largest component of that sector. If all new school construction and school renovations went green starting today, energy savings alone would total about $20 billion over the next 10 years. It costs less than $3 extra per square foot to build a green school, but the payback occurs within 1 year based upon energy savings alone. With childhood asthma becoming more widespread in recent decades, this research is timely and necessary. According to the CDC, childhood asthma accounts for about 14 million missed school days per year. This amendment authorizes $1 million over 5 years to undertake this important area of research. It is endorsed by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Institute of Architects. I want to thank the Congresswoman again for introducing this amendment.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, our most solemn duty in the United States Congress is to protect the American people; and while this bill may be well intentioned, it fails to do that. In fact, just the opposite. It puts the American people in great danger. Before running for Congress, I worked in the Justice Department. I worked on national security, wiretaps or FISAs. The intention of the FISA Act was never to apply to agents of a foreign power in a foreign country. It was to apply to agents of a foreign power in this country. This bill does just the opposite. It expands it to bar a collection of foreign intelligence on foreign targets in foreign countries. FISA is a cumbersome and time-consuming process. I am concerned that if we cannot collect intelligence overseas that we cannot protect our war fighter in the battlefield. We put them in danger, and we put the citizens of this country in danger. We all know that al Qaeda is looking at hitting us again. It may be very soon. And with the anniversary of 9/11 approaching, we must do everything we can to protect her.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the chairman and ranking member for their bipartisan spirit on this bill. It was an honor and I was proud to be a conferee to this report. This is not a perfect bill. We raised concerns at the conference regarding the 100 percent screening for cargo containers, and I don't believe that's a realistic assessment. However, there were enough exceptions to give the Secretary flexibility that I felt comfortable. Also, the Visa Waiver Program which the terrorists have exploited. However, under this bill, those provisions will be strengthened. But nearly 6 years after the attacks of September 11, I believe it is now time to implement the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, but I want to focus my remarks at this moment on a unique opportunity we had with this bill and with the conference to address a gaping loophole in our national security, and that is regarding the FISA statute and FISA reform bill. When I worked in the Justice Department, I worked on national security wiretaps, or FISAs as they were referred to. I believe that intelligence is our first line of defense in this war on terror, and the 9/11 Commission recognized this when they said there were systematic problems with covering communications of potential terrorists. Just recently, Director McConnell wrote a letter to Chairman Reyes of the Intelligence Committee, and I think it's important to know what he said. He said: ``Our Nation faces an intelligence `gap,' a situation in which our intelligence community everyday is `missing a significant portion of what we should be getting' in order to protect the American people. ``Under FISA today, `we are significantly burdened in capturing overseas communications of foreign terrorists planning to conduct attacks inside the United States.' '' As the head of the Nation's intelligence community, he says that, ``I am obligated to provide warning of threats of terrorist activity and I have deep concern of the current threat situation.'' Indeed, the National Intelligence Estimate, recently published, concluded that our Nation faces a determined al Qaeda. ``If we are to stay a step ahead of the terrorists and protect the American people,'' he says, ``I firmly believe that we need to be able to use our capabilities to collect foreign intelligence about foreign targets overseas without the requirements imposed by an out-of-date FISA statute. ``Simply put,'' he says, ``in a significant number of cases,'' this is the Director of National Intelligence, ``we are in the unfortunate position of having to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence about foreign targets located overseas.'' He says, ``It is essential that the administration and Congress work together and without delay to close the current intelligence gap by amending the FISA statute.'' I will say that every day we waste by not amending the statute and closing this gaping loophole in our national intelligence law, every day we take a risk of another attack on the United States, and I call upon my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with us to get this done before we go home for the August recess.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary leader, public servant and person, Mr. Phlemon Thomas Wright, known to his friends as ``P.T.'' After 34 years of outstanding service to the American people, P.T., currently the acting deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) US-VISIT program, is retiring from the Federal Government. P.T.'s retirement is a great loss to DHS. At the same time, his many years of dedicated service are a true testament to his commitment to protecting our country. His most recent work with the US-VISIT program has made this initiative one of the great successes in our efforts to strengthen American homeland security. It is now the world's most innovative and integrated biometrics-based program. This is in no small part due to leaders like Mr. Wright. Through his oversight and management of day- to-day operations, the program remained focused on accomplishing its overall mission objectives and successfully deployed biometric screening capabilities to all U.S. air, sea and land border ports of entry. US-VISIT's operational success has depended in large part on the program's ability to educate international travelers. When the program began, there was great concern about the potential effects that this biometric screening would have on the flow of travel into our country. Now, because of the program's success and the outreach of leaders like P.T., many who were early critics are now ardent supports of the program. Mr. Wright understood that active engagement with border stakeholders was critical in creating a foundation of trust and familiarity upon which to build positive long-term relationships. He tirelessly traveled Southwest border communities, including many in the Lone Star State, to inform and educate border constituents as US-VISIT expanded to cover a wide array of border management developments and initiatives. P.T.'s in-depth knowledge of the land border environment made him a credible voice. His candor and conviction won him respect with border community leaders. And most importantly, P.T. gave border communities a voice in Washington as US-VISIT rolled out. In addition to his outreach efforts along our borders, P.T. has traveled across the world to demonstrate the advantages of biometrics as a powerful tool to improve the integrity of our immigration and border management system, to make us safer, and to facilitate legitimate travel and trade. Thanks to leaders like P.T., US-VISIT is on a path to continue to be a world leader in the innovative use of biometrics for identity management, transforming the world into a place in which legitimate international travel is convenient, predictable and secure, and frankly difficult, unpredictable and intimidating for those traveling for the wrong reasons. P.T. Wright began his career with the former U.S. Customs Service in 1973, and he has served with distinction in a number of key positions at the Departments of the Treasury and Homeland Security. In his management roles with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; El Paso, Texas; Nogales, Arizona; and Washington, DC, P.T. was intricately involved in the development of customs policies for cargo examination and processing, drug interdiction and traveler processing. It is fitting that P.T.'s accomplishments and leadership were recognized last year with the prestigious Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive for his extraordinary contributions to our Nation's welfare and security during his extensive U.S. border management career. Mr. Wright has done more than manage government operations successfully; he has become beloved by his colleagues within US-VISIT and throughout the Federal Government. His sincerity, infectious sense of humor, and leadership will be missed. He leaves some big, Texas- sized shoes behind to be filled. I commend P.T for his commitment to excellence and his dedication to our country, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first I'd like to say, as a former Justice Department official who worked on national security, wiretaps or FISAs, I can think of no more important issues facing this country and this Congress than the modernization of the FISA statute. And I hope and I plead with my colleagues to support this measure. I rise today to bring to the House's attention an issue dealing with changes to NASA's account structure required by H.R. 3093 and the challenges this provision will impose on NASA. Title III of this bill increases the number of appropriations accounts that fund NASA from three to seven, and it requires conversion to this new structure in fiscal year 2008. Implementing this change will impose a tremendous burden on NASA's accounting system, at an unknown cost, and it's unclear what the net advantage of such a structural change, what that would be. The current structure with three accounts coupled with customary congressional direction contained in the committee report language provides the agency unambiguous guidance regarding spending levels of the program, project, and in some cases at the activity level. Since 2001, NASA has been implementing a new software package to standardize its accounting and financial software across all 11 of its centers, and at the same time NASA has been putting in place a new means of allocating overhead costs. These efforts have not yet been completed, and to now direct the agency to reformat its basic accounting system is especially burdensome and complex. It may also force the agency to reevaluate the manner in which it calculates overhead rates. In a letter addressed to the House Appropriations leadership last month on the account structure change, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin stated that ``it would have a severe and extensive impact upon NASA's financial system'' and ``would make maintaining NASA's ability to execute in full cost exceedingly complex.'' H.R. 3093 also directs NASA to implement the account structure change in 2008, a task that NASA says it simply cannot do in the time permitted. So I strongly urge the committee leadership to reflect carefully on the concerns raised by Administrator Griffin and to work with NASA in the weeks ahead to reach an agreement on a budget structure that allows for greater transparency without undermining NASA's current accounting system. I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee for their hard work and for the resources provided to NASA in this bill.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment in support of teacher training for deaf and blind children. Madam Chair, the Department of Education has provided funding from within its special education national activities account aimed at children who are both deaf and blind, commonly referred to as ``deafblindness.'' This money trains teachers who have such children in their classes on how to educate and include them in daily classroom activities. This modest $12 million program has not received an increase in nearly two decades. Today over 110,000 people rely on this important program. Expanding this program will allow us to identify more children in need and increase the number of on-site technical assistance personnel. This amendment simply increases the Special Education National Activities Account to provide the DeafBlindness program with a modest but necessary increase. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. That's an offer I would be remiss to refuse, and I will accept the offer.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I thank the chairman.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee for yielding me this time. Here we are once again. I feel like we have done this before. Once again, I rise in opposition to the Democratic leadership's latest attempt to politicize the war, and I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote against defeat in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, the debate in this Chamber over the future of Iraq and the best course of action has been passionate and divisive, and each Member of this House has their own opinion. Yet the one thing we should be united on is our end goal and result. That should be the same: a democratic and stable Iraq. The Democratic majority has chosen to use this month of July, as they have attempted several times already this year, to hold a series of votes to withdrawal our troops and force a premature end to Iraq's pursuit of freedom and democracy. We have to ask: What would happen if we withdrawal immediately? When we talk to the experts in the region, the leaders in these governments and key stakeholders in the region, they will tell you it will be a fireball in the Middle East. It will create a vacuum, a safe haven for al Qaeda. Iran will swoop in and take over. They, the key nations in the region, are quite frankly terrified of this action, and they tell us that privately. I believe that we can cannot afford that course of action. The Democrats have chosen this course not because it is in the national interest of this country but rather because they believe it provides them with good talking points to use back home. I submit they are mistaken. In my view, Americans are tired and frustrated with the partisan squabbling over the war which has done nothing to improve the situation in Iraq. Putting politics above our national interest while the men and women of our military are fighting overseas is simply unacceptable. In a time of war, politics should end at the water's edge. There is another way forward. I and others have introduced the Iraq Study Group recommendations Implementation Act of 2007. This legislation is bipartisan. It is a comprehensive set of recommendations, a plan of action to succeed in Iraq, a plan which matches our military might with political solutions, with economic solutions and with a diplomatic surge which can bring peace and stability to the troubled nation. This bill has gained strength by those who recognize that moving forward in a unified way still exists in the Congress. The Iraq Study Group report offers a consensus policy that the vast majority of Americans support. The sponsors of the Democrat withdrawal bill that we are debating here today, however, have decided that even though the surge only came into effect 3 weeks ago, that it's already failed and we need to question it and throw it out. They further decided that we should declare defeat immediately and not wait for General Petraeus to come to Congress and give us his firsthand report. This rush to judgment, this rush to action on their part makes it clear that they have not reached an informed decision but, rather, a political one. Throughout the course of our American history, we've answered the call for freedom, and we, Mr. Speaker, I submit are at our greatest when we are united as a Nation; at our worst when we are divided. We should unite behind the ideals which helped achieve victory against the threats to our very way of life, such as the victories against the Third Reich, such as the threats by the Soviet empire and the victory against the Soviet Union. Today, the greatest threat is the threat of terrorism, and the conflict in Iraq poses one of the greatest challenges to the American experience. We must unite, or we will surely fail.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, with those assurances, I will withdraw my amendment.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I will consider withdrawing the amendment. I would like to get a few assurances from the gentlelady, if I may, and that is that this funding would be directed primarily, would be targeted towards the problem at the U.S.-Mexico border with the drug cartels who have controlled these corridors that I mentioned. If I could just add, my subcommittee on Homeland Security issued this report on the border last conference confirming the threat. This was given to President Calderon by Secretary Chertoff. He understands this. I have met with the Mexican Congress. They understand it. Our State Department actually does understand this. While they may not ask overtly, they really could use these funds to confront this threat. I would ask, in exchange for withdrawing, that we try to come as close as possible to the number I have requested and that that money be directed towards the threat that Mr. Cuellar and I see so often down in a border State.

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this amendment offered by Mr. Wolf of Virginia to restore $158 million to this bill for democracy, governance, rule of law and human rights programs. In addition, it will fund nonproliferation and anti-terrorist programs. Mr. Chairman, the debate in this Chamber over the future of Iraq and the best course of action has been passionate and divisive. Each Member of this House has their own opinion, yet the one thing we should be united on is that our end goal should be the same, a secure and stable Iraq. Unfortunately, this bill predetermines failure by cutting off all funds to important democracy-building programs in Iraq. The majority has chosen to use this bill, as they have attempted several times already this year, to force a premature end to Iraq's pursuit of freedom and democracy. This will only lead to chaos and instability in the region. As a consultant to the Iraq Study Group, along with Mr. Wolf of Virginia, we introduced a bipartisan bill, the Iraq Study Group Recommendations Implementation Act of 2007 which provides a comprehensive set of recommendations and a plan of action to succeed in Iraq. Included in these recommendations are suggestions for funding democracy, governance and rule of law, all the items that are funded by this amendment. This bill has garnered 52 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, who have recognized the potential we have by implementing these recommendations together and moving forward as a united Congress. If we allow this bill to pass without the money for building an Iraq democracy, we condemn our mission to failure and declare that the sacrifices we made over the past several years were in vain. It will also squander any opportunity we have to give the Iraq Study Group recommendations a chance to succeed. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the Wolf amendment.