Patrick Murphy

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, education is the foundation of a strong nation, and I strongly believe that by investing in education and supporting our teachers, we can maintain American competitiveness in an increasingly global economy. That is why I am honored to rise today in recognition of Ms. Pamela Sime, a science teacher at Unami Middle School in Chalfont, Pennsylvania. Today, Ms. Sime is here in Washington as one of five finalists nominated for the National Education Association Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence. Madam Speaker, as a teacher in the Central Bucks School District, Ms. Sime has inspired students for the better part of a decade, and the people of the Eighth Congressional District are lucky to have her. Ms. Sime teaches students a very modem curriculum, emphasizing ecology, energy, and the use of technology. She employs a hands-on, interactive approach to learning. Ms. Sime's students recently released their own science publication and after studying oil, they wrote letters to soldiers stationed overseas. Every year, her students look forward to investigating the disappearance of Skully, the classroom skeleton. In this exercise, students use modern forensic techniques, incorporating real-life applications in their study of science. I believe that great science teachers like Ms. Sime are a big part of why innovation exemplifies the American spirit. Were Ms. Sime's excellence limited only to the classroom, we would still be proud, but her activities outside of the classroom are equally impressive. She is involved in all aspects of students' lives, and is always available for extra help. This dedication to her students is one of the most inspiring things about Ms. Sime. In a field where our professionals regularly demonstrate uncommon compassion and dedication, the rarefied few that go beyond set a new standard of excellence. That is why it comes as no surprise, Madam Speaker, that Ms. Sime entered the contest not for her own recognition, but in order to secure a grant to further enrich the educational experience of her students. For these reasons, Madam Speaker, I am delighted to honor Ms. Sime's achievements. I wish her luck today regardless of the outcome of the competition's final decision, the people of Bucks County are proud of her accomplishments and grateful for her years of service.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor and personal gratitude that I recognize the remarkable work of Mike and Marie Farley who, along with Rodney Van Pelt and other members of the Quakertown Moose Lodge No. 1622, took bold initiative to provide our soldiers with life-saving equipment. Marie Farley of Nockamixon, Pennsylvania was shocked to learn that antiquated gear was being issued to U.S. soldiers--including to her 23- year-old son Michael, a Marine stationed in Anbar Province, Iraq. She learned that with an upgrade kit, her son's helmet could do more to protect him. If Michael was knocked down by an explosion, the shock- absorbing pad and new strap system could save his life. But Mrs. Farley and her husband Mike discovered that if they wanted their son and his unit to have this simple safety feature, they would have to raise the money themselves. The Farleys were not alone in their desire to provide U.S. soldiers with proper equipment. A national initiative--Operation Helmet--was underway and the Farleys quickly sought to localize the effort. Mrs. Farley made up signs asking for donations and put one of those signs at the Quakertown Moose Lodge. That is where the project took off. After learning about the need for the protective pads, Rodney Van Pelt of the Moose Club joined the Farleys to aggressively pursue the goal of equipping Michael's entire unit with the upgrade. The Moose Club and the rest of the community rallied around the family and raised enough to take care of Michael's entire company, not just his unit. As of today, the Farleys and the Quakertown Moose Club have raised $35,000, enough for almost 500 upgrade kits. The kits have been shipped out and came as early Christmas presents for soldiers overseas. This accomplishment is inspiring and is a telling example of true patriotism and respect. Having led convoys in a Humvee without doors while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad, I understand what it means to fight a war without proper equipment. So I speak from experience when I say that this kind of support from home is whole-heartedly appreciated and serves as a tremendous morale boost. But Madam Speaker, family members should not be forced to pay for their loved ones' military equipment. The Farleys were able to gather tremendous community support but despite their best efforts they couldn't supply all U.S. forces, and many families are paying out-of-pocket. This is unfair and I urge you all to support the Helmet Pad Reimbursement Act of 2007. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill because at the very least, these families should have the opportunity to request a reimbursement. This is an issue of critical importance to our troops and I commend all who have brought it to light. On behalf of the men and women with whom I served, Mr. and Mrs. Farley, Mr. Van Pelt, the Quakertown Moose Lodge and most importantly, Michael and all the soldiers who continue to risk their lives for this country, I urge Congress to support this bill.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original co-sponsor and in strong support of House Resolution 51, ``Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools.'' As a product of Saint Anselm and Archbishop Ryan, I know the vital role that Catholic schools, students, parents, and teachers play towards building a stronger nation. I know that I would not be here today without the guidance of Sister McFadden, the assistance of Ms. Erwin, or the countless other teachers, priests and nuns who helped shaped me into the man I am today. Our Catholic schools instill a strong sense of community and service in their students: service to our God, to our families, to our towns and cities. And it is this spirit of service that leads so many to strengthen our communities: in our hospitals, schools, businesses and even in these halls of Congress. President John F. Kennedy, the first and only Catholic President--and one of my political heroes--said: ``With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.'' Mr. Speaker, though I have not been in this Chamber long, I have relied on the lessons I learned in the classrooms of St. Anselm and Archbishop Ryan to do what I believe is right. And I am honored that in the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress we have passed bills to lift millions out of poverty by raising the minimum wage and to protect our environment by investing in alternative energy. But Mr. Speaker, the commitment to justice, peace and service taught in Catholic schools resonates far outside this chamber and is felt in countless, yet tangible ways in every comer of the nation. And it is only through everyday men and women simply trying, as President Kennedy so eloquently stated, to make God's work their own, is America the nation it is today. That is why Mr. Speaker, as a proud former student of Catholic schools, I urge my fellow representatives to support this resolution honoring the contributions of these fine institutions to our communities and Nation.

Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for this opportunity and for allowing me to serve on that task force that we formed to present this bill this week, this Operation Iraqi Freedom cost accountability resolution. As I was seeking to prepare my remarks, I could not help but think about Mr. Scott from the great State of Georgia when he talked about that Constitution. That is the Constitution that every soldier, every airmen, every marine takes note to support and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I appreciate that. That is the Constitution I had the great opportunity to talk about and teach about every single day at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and talking about those first three articles of our Constitution that lays out the framework, that separation of powers that we talk about. There is a reason why Article I was the Congress and Article II was the President and Article III was the judiciary. Those two main goals of the U.S. Congress is to, one, declare war; but two is the purse strings, that budget that you talked so eloquently about. So I appreciate you bringing that up, and I hope we can make this happen this week. I do believe that we will get many of our colleagues, not just on our side of the aisle, but also on the other side of the Chamber as well. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the war in Iraq, and I want to talk today because the Blue Dogs, the Blue Dog Democrats, the fiscally conservative Democrats, stay focused on two things: one, fiscal responsibility; and, two, a strong national defense. The legislation that we are discussing this week, which I will have the opportunity to introduce, tackles both of these issues. Mr. Speaker, we have spent over $360 billion in Iraq over the course of the last 4 years. Along with the casualty reports and the terrible news on the ground, we are getting reports about money lost and weapons missing. Last week, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, we heard from Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraqi reconstruction. He told those of us at the hearing that as much as 15 percent of the billions of dollars that we were spending in Iraq has vanished, and as many as 14,000 weapons sent to the Iraqis have gone missing because of mismanagement and fraud. That is enough weaponry to arm an entire division of the al Sadr militia. This isn't just about money; it is about the safety of our troops as well. Mr. Speaker, it is long past time that we kept track of the money and the weapons that we are giving to the Iraqis and to replace the fraud, waste and abuse with proper oversight, responsibility and accountability. The legislation that the Blue Dogs are introducing this week addresses the glaring lack of oversight and accountability in Iraq and addresses how our taxpayer dollars are spent on the war. It puts forward commonsense proposals that ensure fewer resources are wasted and more resources get to the troops in the field. This bill contains measures everyone can agree on, regardless of their political party. American families are frustrated with the war in Iraq, and this legislation will go a long way toward providing some meaningful solutions. Another thing that this legislation does is urge the establishment of a Truman Committee-type commission to track and curb the waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq. In the 1940s, then-Senator Harry Truman established a committee that wasn't very popular at the time. Senator Truman's work reportedly saved $11 billion, and eventually landed him on the cover of Time magazine. Now, Mr. Speaker, none of us here, none of us Blue Dogs here, are looking to be on the front of a magazine cover; but we are looking for an end to the mismanagement in Iraq and in the war. As you know, this issue hits very close to home for me. I served in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003 to 2004 as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, Second Brigade Combat Team. On our team, we lost 19 men, men that made the ultimate sacrifice. Part of what we did in Iraq was to train the Iraqi National Defense Corps. At the time that we were training them back in that summer of 2003, they didn't have uniforms, so we took the initiative to give them hats, Chicago White Sox hats, so that we could identify them as a unit. They didn't have uniforms. There was no oversight. There was no thought process. But our soldiers on the ground took the initiative to at least give them something that would distinguish them. At our hearing, Special Inspector Bowen revealed one example of $75 million so grossly mismanaged by the Iraqi Police Academy that it had to be knocked down before it was even put to use. That is $75 million in American taxpayer money that is just thrown to the wayside. Mr. Speaker, it is time for answers, and it is time for accountability.

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original cosponsor of this legislation and a strong supporter of the medical miracle of embryonic stem cell research. Mr. Speaker, there is a woman named Shelbie Oppenheimer who is watching today in my district of New Hope, Pennsylvania, who simply wants to see her 8-year-old daughter Isabella go to her senior prom in 10 years. Shelbie lives with her husband Jeff and their 8-year-old daughter, and over a decade ago, Shelbie was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. She was 28 years old. Shelbie vowed to fight the disease and looked at embryonic stem cell research as her best and perhaps only hope to fill her dream of seeing her daughter grow up. Now confined to a hospital bed in her own living room, Shelbie continues to fight on. Though forced to speak through a respirator, she told me, ``Patrick, my voice is too soft to be heard, so please tell my story.'' There are countless stories of heartache and hope across America just like Shelbie's. Mr. Speaker, I know Shelbie is watching us today, and I hope we make her proud.

Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity to speak here tonight amongst my colleagues here in the Blue Dogs. When you come down to Washington, you align yourself with people that are just like you, people that represent not just you personally, but your district back at home and your interests in your district back at home. When Congresswoman Bean talked about Thomas Jefferson and the future generations, I couldn't help but think that I kissed this morning when I came to work my baby daughter goodbye for the day, Maggie Murphy. I mentioned earlier she was born 6 weeks ago. When you look at that bottom number there that the Blue Dogs fight for, that $29,000, every newborn in America is born into that debt, that $29,000 apiece, they are born into that debt, and this Congress previously just let it keep rolling and rolling and growing and growing. Finally the Blue Dogs have arrived now, and the Blue Dogs are saying, listen, we are not going to take it anymore. We are putting our foot down. We are going to be disciplined. That discipline is something I learned personally in the military, that families in my district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, know about, because in my district we have Washington's Crossing, where those soldiers that started the Revolution, that really earned our independence, showed the discipline when they didn't have the best uniforms. They didn't have the best equipment, but they had a belief, and they stood by their beliefs. That is exactly what the Blue Dogs do, and they keep it simple. They say we stand for two things: Fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility; and, number two, a strong national defense. That is why it is an honor that the families in the Eighth Congressional District, they know that their congressman, in myself, in Patrick Murphy, and our colleagues of the Blue Dogs, that we stand for something, and that we will fight every single day to bring down that number, so that when people like Maggie Murphy and other newborns in Lower Bucks Hospital and all over America, when they are born into our great country, and it is a great country, they are not born $29,000 in debt.

Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania

Mr. PATRICK MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original cosponsor of this vital measure. Mr. Speaker, this vote is about one of the most important issues facing America today, fiscal responsibility. PAYGO is straightforward. If Congress is going to buy something, we need to figure out how we are going to pay for it. That is what the small business owners, farmers, and families in the Eighth Congressional District of Pennsylvania do every single day. If the Mignonis in Bristol want to expand their store, they have to roll up their sleeves and figure out how they are going to pay for it. When the Russos of Fairless Hills started saving for their daughters' college tuition, they had to figure out how they were going to pay for that. Mr. Speaker, this is exactly what we are voting on here today. If you or I have a good idea, we are going to have to roll up our sleeves, just like the Mignonis and the Russos, and figure out how we are going to pay for it first. As most of you know, I have a 6-week-old daughter, Maggie. Maggie and every other newborn born in America are saddled with $28,000 in debt. That is immoral. Voting ``yes'' to implementing PAYGO is the first step toward getting our fiscal house in order.