Mike Pence

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that the members of the House of Representatives allow me to bring to their attention the good works of a man who has long been active in the rural electrification program in Indiana, and who is now approaching his well-deserved opportunity to step down from the pinnacle of his field. The end of his term will leave a void for rural electrics in Indiana that will not be easy to replace. Today's comments are meant to remind us all of the many people around our Nation whose unceasing efforts contribute to the betterment of our quality of life. Indiana's rural electric cooperatives have been enhanced over the past two years by the leadership and commitment of Mr. Roy Friedersdorf. In December, Mr. Friedersdorf will complete his term as president of Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., the service association for 37 of the State's electric cooperatives. His dedication to the betterment of rural Indiana, and his efforts to make a difference in the lives of those in his community and throughout the State, make him an example of the American virtues that we should extol in this august body. Mr. Friedersdorf, a Westport, Indiana native, is a second-generation electric cooperative leader. His father, Robert, was a member of the Decatur County REMC board of directors for 35 years, and he also served as board chairman from 1975 to 1981 and as the REMC's representative on the Hoosier Energy REC board. In 1994, Mr. Friedersdorf was elected by REMC members in a six-county area to join the Decatur County REMC board. Just a few years later, his fellow REMC board members elected him to the Indiana Statewide REC board. From 2002 to 2004, he served as vice president of Indiana Statewide. Mr. Friedersdorf juggles his administrative duties on the statewide level with his responsibilities as president of the Decatur County REMC board. Not only has Mr. Friedersdorf made his mark in the electric cooperative industry with his integrity and sense of purpose, he has been a leader in his community as well. A corn, soybean and wheat farmer and Pioneer sales representative, Mr. Friedersdorf is a former president of the county grain growers association. He supports the Westport Kiwanis and previously was a county fair board member. As active as he is in setting policies that impact thousands in rural and suburban Indiana, Mr. Friedersdorf maintains a down-to-earth and altruistic attitude. ``I don't have a desire just to build up my resume,'' he has said. ``I'm here to do the job . . . I like giving back and helping others.'' Mr. Friedersdorf keeps his perspective on the values that are important, as he devotes much of his time to his family roles. He and his wife Denise have been married for 24 years, and they keep busy actively raising their 3 sons, Anthony, Wyatt, and Jared, who are in college, middle school, and elementary school. Roy Friedersdorf is the type of person who works hard every day at improving the basic foundations of American life: family, business, and civic. His term of office as president of Indiana Statewide has been evidence of that, and for his devotion, I salute him today.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying bill and commend Chairman Barton for his exceptional and timely work on this legislation. But I also rise, Mr. Speaker, to say, while we respond to the energy crisis that was revealed by Hurricane Katrina, it is also vital that we respond to the fiscal crisis that was laid bare by the hurricane as well. For what began as a hurricane of nature very quickly became a hurricane of spending here on Capitol Hill: $60 billion appropriated in 6 days, paid for by simply adding to the national debt. Now, some of us thought we should pay for the big cost of Hurricane Katrina by cutting Big Government; and this week, with the leadership of President George W. Bush and the leadership of the Republican majority in Congress, we are beginning to do just that. Last night, Speaker Hastert unveiled a bold plan to cut billions of dollars from every branch of government to offset the extraordinary cost of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. And while the details take shape that would save tens of billions of dollars through an across- the-board spending cut; through additional entitlement savings; through a Presidential recision package, the first time in this administration; by reopening the Budget Act with a Budget Act amendment, the first time Congress has done that since 1977; and by ending nearly 100 outdated Federal programs, we are beginning that process as well. So I rise today to say on behalf of House conservatives we are pleased, but not content. We are encouraged, but not satisfied. For while the debate has been difficult at times, the work of cutting government spending to offset the extraordinary cost of Hurricane Katrina will be harder still. With more hurricane spending right around the corner, I rise humbly to challenge my colleagues in the House and, Mr. Speaker, I rise to challenge my colleagues in the United States Senate to be strong and courageous and do the work. Let us have the courage to make the tough choices, to find the means to pay for the cost of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath through reductions in government spending. Let us do the work of rebuilding our gulf coast with the compassion and the fiscal discipline that the American people expect from a Republican Congress.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I was detained this afternoon. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: Rollcall 520 (On Passage--H. Con. Res. 248)--``yea.''

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, President Bush laid out a bold vision for answering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with generosity and fiscal discipline, saying as he did in the Rose Garden, ``We here in Washington have got a vital role to play in the recovery and reconstruction efforts on the gulf coast.'' The President said, ``I've made that clear.'' He went on to say, ``I've also made it clear we must do it in a fiscally responsible way. Congress needs to pay for as much of the hurricane relief as possible by cutting spending.'' The President added, ``I'll work with Members of Congress to identify offsets to free up money for the reconstruction efforts,'' and closed with the statement, ``The heart of America is big enough to be generous and responsible at the same time.'' Mr. Speaker, I agree. Let us heed the President's call for fiscal discipline and generosity. It is accurate to state that the President's call for reducing spending and finding offsets is of incalculable value to those of us fighting to respond to the needs of this disaster without raising taxes or adding to the national debt. Let us heed the President's call. Let us make the tough choices. Let us pay for the cost of Katrina by reducing the size and scope of government.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, a determined enemy abroad, catastrophe and political upheaval at home, these are times, as Thomas Paine wrote, that try men's souls. But adversity does not create character. Adversity reveals character; and like the great Nation we serve, the character of this Republican majority under Speaker Dennis Hastert is strong, courageous, and will do the work the American people sent us here to do. We will support the war on terror through to victory. We will rebuild our coastline with fiscal responsibility. We will close our borders and end our dependence on foreign oil. We will do this because the character of this Congress reflects the character of America, and that character is strong.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, Katrina breaks my heart. When I consider the tragic aftermath of this extraordinary storm, now 1 month hence, I cannot help but think of that person in the Bible who speaks of how the rains came down, the winds blew and beat against the house, the floodwaters rose, and the house fell with a great crash. Congress is now involved in a critical debate about relief and rebuilding and how we will pay for what could be hundreds of billions of dollars in recovery and reconstruction of the gulf coast. Last week, House conservatives offered their own plan, a series of budget cuts simply known as Operation Offset. It contained many good ideas, and it seems to have engendered, Mr. Speaker, an important debate here in Washington, DC, and all around the country. It seems that Members of Congress know and the American people know that raising taxes or raising the national debt is no way for this national government to respond to the extraordinary costs of Katrina. We must ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt for our children and grandchildren through introducing tough budget cuts like Operation Offset.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that the members of the House of Representatives allow me to bring to their attention the good works of a man who has long been active in the rural electrification program in Indiana and who is now approaching his well-deserved opportunity to retire from the field. While his retirement will leave a large void of experience, activity and judgment for rural electrics in Indiana, and for his community in Indiana, which will not be easy to replace, today's comments are meant to remind us all of the many people around our nation whose unceasing efforts contribute to the betterment of our quality of life. Mr. Elmer Stocker, currently the CEO of the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., will retire on December 31, 2005. He will end nearly 40 years of service in the electric industry. During that time Mr. Stocker has worked his way up through the ranks from entry-level position to industry leader. He began service with Whitley County REMC in 1966 in the dispatch and work order department of the cooperative. Over the years he also worked in the accounting, member services and marketing departments, developing a hands-on appreciation of all aspects of the electric utility business, and working with customers on their needs and expectations. In 1975 he became Assistant Manager, and in 1976 he began working as executive vice president/general manager of Whitley County REMC. During that time he not only ran the daily operations of his cooperative, but used his talents as a leader to serve as president of the REMC Managers Association in Indiana and as president of the Board of Directors of Wabash Valley Power Association, the generation and transmission cooperative that provides wholesale power to cooperatives throughout central and northern Indiana. In 1986 Mr. Stocker left Whitley County REMC to work for 11 years at Wabash Valley power, where he was vice president of member and corporate relations and vice president of marketing. During that time he also moved onto the regional stage, serving a term as vice president of the Great Lakes Electric Consumers Association. In 1997 the board of directors of Indiana Statewide, recognizing Mr. Stocker's knowledge of the program and respect among his peers at a time when the electric industry was facing tumultuous change, asked Mr. Stocker to serve as CEO of the trade group. He took up that leadership role from 1997 until this day. This impressive record of professional achievement is only a part of Mr. Stocker's role in the American community however. During this time of advancement in his employment, Mr. Stocker also engaged in numerous personal and civic activities that are even better representative of the qualities that are at the foundation of American communities. For example, Mr. Stocker pursued post-secondary education while holding a full time job, and received his bachelor degree from Indiana University in 1975. He served in the Army National Guard from 1964 to 1970. As a community leader, Mr. Stocker took on the role of Whitley County United Way Drive Chairman. He joined and rose through the ranks of the Masons and Scottish rite. He served as an officer of the Aboite Township Community Association and as president of the Times Comer Little League. He was a long time active member and volunteer in the Columbia City United Methodist Church, and was a member of the board for the Carmel Dad's Club. Among all these roles, he fit in time to join the Indianapolis Airport Rotary Club as well. As a family man, a community volunteer, and a professional member of the electric utility industry in Indiana, Elmer Stocker has exemplified the best values of American life for many years now. I wanted to share with the members today that this good man will soon enjoy the satisfaction of reaping the rewards of his long service through a well- deserved retirement, in which I am sure he will continue to volunteer good works. Thank you for indulging me in this time today, and especially thank you to Elmer Stocker for all he has given to our proud State of Indiana.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of both the Pence amendment and the Child Safety Act of 2005. I want to commend the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for his tireless advocacy of families and children. While this legislation today is very much about using the force of Federal law to confront child predators, we know that the fuel that fires the wicked hearts of child predators is child pornography; and my amendment, which is drawn from the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 2005, is designed to give law enforcement the tools to stop child pornography at the source. It will fix a glaring loophole in the current law by requiring pornographers to keep records of the names and ages of their subject, proof of identification. This requirement, we believe, will deter the use of underage children in pornography. Additionally, pornographers will be required to allow law enforcement to inspect their records. Failure to do so will be a criminal offense. We also in this legislation extend Federal jurisdiction to so-called ``home pornographers'' that use downloading on the Internet and digital and Polaroid photography to essentially create an at-home cottage industry for child pornography. It is time to protect our children. It is time to enact the Pence amendment, the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 2005 and make it a part of this truly landmark legislation, the Children's Safety Act of 2005.

Mr. PENCE. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. PENCE. I thank the chairman for his endorsement.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for his tireless efforts to see firsthand. This is a congressman from Iowa who, when there are controversies in the Federal courts, is on the steps of the courthouse. I know for a fact this weekend that he was in a Black Hawk helicopter flying over New Orleans and dining and supping with the people that are dealing with Hurricane Katrina. For him to be here tonight to add this critical, important dimension, as the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), whom I will yield to in a moment, and I were there focusing on the security in the Sunni Triangle, for him to come here and add to the record tonight that in realtime in the last several weeks the investment the American people are making in reconstructing this country is working. It is having its good effect. An Iraqi chamber of commerce is not something we are seeing on the CBS Evening News, but it is happening; and I am grateful to the gentleman from Iowa for bringing that perspective to bear and just for being who he is. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) for any closing remarks he might have.

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for the opportunity to address the House this evening, really by way of reporting on a congressional delegation trip that I had the privilege of leading at the very turn of this month, the very last days of August, the very first days of September. Our journey took us on a diplomatic mission through Egypt. We met with military commanders at Central Command in Qatar. But clearly the most memorable and meaningful time of our trip, which included the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), who we will hear from in a few moments, and three of our Democratic colleagues, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis), the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case), and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), it took us for two full days into Iraq. I rise tonight anxious to hear my colleagues' reflections on this trip and trips that they have taken as the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) will join us. But I rise today to make a very simple assertion, that from what I saw on the ground, flying into Baghdad on C-130s, flying around to outpost bases far outside the Green Zone in Baghdad, far outside the safety net of the center of our operations in Iraq, what I herald from the soldiers, not just in official meetings but in informal interactions and what I heard from our commanders was a simple message: We are winning the war in Iraq. I know, Mr. Speaker, that that is a very different message than most of the American people, some of whom may be looking in tonight, are getting from national television and from the newsprint. The headlines today were resplendent with over 100 killed in a series of car bombs and suicide attacks in Iraq; but let me say emphatically again, from our meetings with General Abizaid at CENTCOM, to General Petraeus in Baghdad, our meetings with members of the 3rd Infantry Division and A Company of the 138th Signal Battalion from Indiana in Ramadi, I heard it again and again: we are winning the war in Iraq. That is not a slogan. It is an objective fact, based on a few simple observations, because as many who are strenuous critics of the war would assert, we have endured casualties, the precise number still less than 2,000, but every single loss, including the 10 heroes from my congressional district, is grievous to every single family. I will not for a moment trivialize a single American loss; but as we heard from one soldier after another, some with four stars, some with one, some with corporal bars sitting on top of amphibious assault vehicles in Ramadi, as I was with Lance Corporal Ty Cotton, but soldiers understand that you do not define victory in war by the absence of casualties. When the U.S. Marines went ashore in Okinawa in 1945, April, we lost 10,000 soldiers in that military engagement and we won. We won the battle on Okinawa. It remains one of the great military victories in American history, because as we lost 10,000 American soldiers, the Japanese lost 200,000 soldiers in the same engagement. Let us begin there in the definition of victory in Iraq. While we have lost somewhere shy of 2,000 soldiers in 4 years of fighting, and today we have 140,000-some-odd soldiers within Iraq, according to information we received, enemy casualties run from 20 to 30 to one American casualty; and more compellingly to me as we were informed, the number of Iraqi military personnel fighting on our side in uniform compared to our casualties is three to one. Three Iraqis in uniform, fighting for their own freedom, have died for every American fighting for their freedom in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Beginning with that large statistic, Mr. Speaker, it is undeniable: we are winning the war in Iraq. As I will discuss later, literally hours before the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and I and our colleagues touched down at the landing zone at the military base at Balad, there had been a mortar attack, a pretty typical engagement with the enemy, as near as was represented to us. Two mortars were fired into the American base. They were tracked through extraordinary technology and professionalism from literally moments after they were fired, several thousand yards from the base. The incoming mortars were determined to be landing in an area where they did not threaten a significant amount of American military personnel. They did destroy two trucks, I believe, both of which were still on fire as we were landing on the base; but when we went into the command center at the Balad Air Base and saw the full report on that engagement, we learned that within 3 minutes of the launch of the mortars, American military personnel had identified where the mortars were fired. Within minutes after that, American surveillance drones, known as Predators, flying overhead were able to surveil and identify up to 13 different insurgents who were making egress from the site where they had launched the mortar; and within 12 minutes from the time of the launch, all 13 of those insurgents were killed in a Hellfire missile attack on their location. The intelligence, the military precision, no American casualties, 13 Iraqi casualties. We are winning the war in Iraq. As we sat with General John Abizaid at Central Command in Qatar, pictured here in this photograph, we had a very intense and intimate hour with the four star general at Central Command; and before I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), my colleague, I want to share with my colleagues, without compromising any confidence, a conversation that I had with the general, which basically was derived from a recent stop that I made at the American Legion Hall in Selma, Indiana. Mr. Speaker, Selma, Indiana, probably has the population of this House of Representatives when it is filled, maybe 500, 600 people. I popped into the Legion Hall about a week before I went to visit Iraq. I walked into the Legion Hall, and there were several guys, a few of them bellied up to the bar, a few more sitting around tables and chairs and playing cards; and as I said to General Abizaid, the guys at the Legion in Selma, Indiana, were concerned about what they were seeing on television. They wanted to know what is going on, did the soldiers over there have a cause, are we in this for the right reasons. I took by their meaning how are we doing in Iraq. I told them I was leaving in about a week and I called the question and I had asked the brass and the regular soldiers. So I asked General Abizaid that very question. I said, General, what do I tell the guys in the Legion Hall in Selma, Indiana? Four Star General John Abizaid said in words that still ring in my ears, sitting at this table, he turned and looked at me, me here, him there, in his private office and he said, Congressman, you tell them we are winning the war in Iraq. Then he explained it. He talked about that ratio of, yes, there are Americans that are dying, but 20 to 30 enemy insurgent soldiers are dying for every American that has fallen. Then he went on to point out that at no time in 4 years of fighting have we ever lost a military engagement to this enemy, never. Every time the enemy has engaged our forces, we have defeated them and defeated them summarily. Another statistic that General Abizaid shared with me was the simple statement that we have never lost a full platoon in a military engagement with the enemy in this theater of combat. He conceded that being a combat soldier, being a military man, knowing the ruthless nature of the perhaps even 10,000 insurgents that we are dealing with in Iraq, that he had assumed that maybe at this point they would have figured out how to launch and ambush, as they had done many, many times and maybe catch us unawares. The Confederate Army caught the Union Army at Shiloh completely unawares. In war, people make mistakes, people end up exposed. The general basically said, in 4 years of fighting, I would have thought that they would have figured out a way to defeat a full platoon, but they have never done it. Every time they have engaged our forces, we have defeated the enemy. He went on to say that the answer here is not entirely military; but, rather, that as we went out to Camp Caldwell along the Iranian border, as we went up to Balad, as we went out to Ramadi, we saw these are soldiers that are not only engaging the enemy successfully and not only defeating the enemy in military engagements, one after another, with professionalism and courage and precision, but they are also training Iraqi soldiers. These are the two hands. The American soldier in Iraq today is doing the work of defeating the enemy, and at the same time, many of the same personnel are also training Iraqis to provide their own defense, and the statistics are rather overwhelming and impressive. In the last 12 months, we have stood up in uniform over 100,000 Iraqi soldiers for the defense of their own country. Literally, 100 battalions have been stood up, a little bit more than 100 battalions, but roughly 100,000. As the general told us and the men on the ground told us who are training these soldiers, they are on track to stand up another 100,000 Iraqis within 12 months, Iraqis who would be able to take over their own security of their nation, both internal and ultimately external security. Of the 100,000 Iraqis, roughly 30,000 of those are deploying every day with American soldiers. One full battalion, we were told, is fully independent and has to do with old tribal loyalties, and they can handle themselves and we let them handle themselves; but the balance of some nearly 29 battalions of nearly 1,000 men each are deploying either on point as we did along the Syrian border last week when literally Iraqi military personnel led the charge, defeating insurgents and killing insurgents along the Syrian border, or they are going right alongside with us. So for those who want to minimize that, it is an extraordinary thing. I will never forget it was Labor Day, the day that we were at the military base at Camp Caldwell near the Iranian border. So, of course, it is a military base, there was a Labor Day picnic going on. As the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis), who had an awful lot of Tennessee Volunteers there, National Guard from Tennessee, urged us, we went to the Labor Day picnic. What a sight it was to see the American military personnel letting off a little steam, of course playing blue grass music; but the most awesome thing was walking on to a volleyball court and half of the people playing volleyball in T- shirts and shorts were Iraqis. Here I am at a Labor Day picnic at a military installation, along the Iraq-Iran border, and half the people playing volleyball with the Americans were Iraqis, the people that we were training. In fact, we learned there at Camp Caldwell that in a matter of 3 to 6 months, when the Tennessee Volunteers, the National Guard, head back to Tennessee, they are not going to be replaced by American military personnel. They are going to be replaced by Iraqis, which is a statement of success. It affirms we are winning the war in Iraq. We are standing up an army, 100,000 now, and 12 months, 200,000 Iraqis in uniform. We are defeating the enemy. We have never lost a platoon or a military engagement. I say, Mr. Speaker, with great respect to my colleagues and anyone else listening in, we are winning the war in Iraq; and it is time the American people began to hear that and hear that consistently. We are winning the peace. As we prepare, we met with Prime Minister Jafari, we met with the ministers of interior and defense. October 15, the people of Iraq will vote to ratify, and it is my fondest hope and prayer that they will ratify, a constitution of their own making. This standing up of a legitimate government in Iraq, the standing up of an independent army of Iraqis in Iraq, and ultimately, the drawing down of American troops as Iraqis take responsibility for their political and security future is in the cards. It is happening. I know it is not making it on the evening news, Mr. Speaker; but I have seen it with my own eyes. I have heard it from our soldiers, not a one of which does not believe in the mission. I will yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) with this final thought. We must have talked to thousands of soldiers in the field, and I say that with absolute sincerity. We spoke to them in official meetings. We spoke to them on C-130s flying into the country. We talked to soldiers who knew where we were and who we were and soldiers who did not know who we were and knew that we would never see them again. I did not meet a single soldier anywhere in Iraq in the uniform of the United States of America who did not believe in this mission. Every single soldier with whom I spoke said variations of the theme: we need to be here, sir; everything I have seen, we are doing what needs to be done; we have got to stop these guys right here. We are winning the war in Iraq because of that kind of courage, that kind of determination. So allowing for my passion on this point, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), a colleague who journeyed with us on this trip; and if I may say without embarrassing him, at a time when his own family was dealing with the tragic circumstances around Katrina, his own father-in-law, grandfather of his children, out of communication in New Orleans, but he was still willing to go into harm's way to be among the soldiers, and I commend him. I commend his wife, Melissa, for their dedication to our country.

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his powerful reflections on an extraordinary trip. Before I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), who led his own delegation in August to Operation Iraqi Freedom, I wanted to reflect for just a few minutes, Mr. Speaker, on a few of the soldiers I met from Indiana, the kind of people the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) was just talking about. In fact, a very detailed version of this appears on my Web site, MikePence.House.gov on our Web log, or blog as it has come to be known. I literally sat down on the airplane flying back from Iraq and typed up my reflections and remembrances while they were still fresh, and I want to excerpt them for just a second, if I can. This first photograph is my conversations with Sergeant Matt Wright, an extraordinary young man from Muncie, Indiana, and part of A Company of the 138th Signal Battalion stationed in Ramadi. To speak about the kind of dedication that my colleague just reflected on, as I talked to Sergeant Wright, he said, with the same kind of smile you see in this photograph, he said, ``Yes, sir, it is good to have you here. Yesterday was supposed to be my wedding day.'' And I said, ``Did you put it off?'' He said, ``No, sir. We moved it up 9 months so we could be married a couple of months before I deployed for 18 months to serve my country in Iraq.'' I mean, here was a man's dedication to his beautiful wife and his dedication to his country on full display. Sergeant Matt Wright. We began making our way to the mess hall that evening, Mr. Speaker, in Ramadi. And Ramadi is principally the location of an enormous division of Marines who engage every night in the very dangerous patrols of this provincial capital of the west, of Iraq. In fact, many of the military commanders with whom we spoke said, even more than Baghdad, in the months ahead as we make that steady, to use my colleague's term, sometimes halting progress towards democracy and stability, much of the future fighting will take place in Ramadi, and it will be done by these brave Marines. So we stopped on our way to the mess hall, and these five politicians started reaching up and shaking hands on these enormous amphibious vehicles, and suddenly I heard a voice say, Are you not going to say hello to the only Hoosiers here? I stopped and looked up and saw this bright, freckled red head, a huge, strapping Marine named Ty Cotton from Anderson, Indiana. Ty leaned down and helped me climb up on that vehicle where we had a chance to visit for just a few minutes. As I talked to Ty about his mom, Marla, back in Anderson, I promised to look in on her and give her a report on how well he looked. We heard the commander in the background yell, 5 minutes. I asked if there was anything we could do, if he had everything that he needed. And he said shyly, Sir, we have everything we need. I am with a great unit. Then I heard a shout, 2 minutes. As I started to move toward the edge, I said, Ty, I want you to know the people back in Anderson are praying for you, and he looked at me with that shy smile, and he said, Glad to do it, sir. We made our way to the mess hall to meet with the balance of the 138 Signal Battalion. I do not know what I expected when we went there. I sure did not expect to see this bright, good-looking group of men and women, faces shining like the morning, morale high, proud to be where they are, even though they are 8,000 miles away from their families. I sure did not expect to hear the optimism in their voices. One of the soldiers said it got way better in Ramadi in the last year. To hear soldiers say it has got way better, the people on the ground living it, was very encouraging to me. I was profoundly moved when one soldier after another asked about the families and communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. These soldiers are 8,000 miles away from their families, moms and dads, wives and kids, in 110 degree heat, and they are asking about New Orleans. They are Americans. They are an extraordinary lot. As our Black Hawk helicopter lifted off from Ramadi, I watched the front lines on the war on terror, and I felt humbled by the men and women of the 138th that you see in this picture; and I felt more confident than ever in the justness of our cause and the war against terror and the belief it is vital to provide these men and women the resources to succeed. That begins by understanding that they are winning the war now, based on their professionalism, their commitment, their courage and the faith I encouraged in them, faith in God, faith in the country, and I say again, their faith in this mission. I am going to go home this weekend and spend time with people at home, but I know the most bone-jarring thing that I have said to my constituents and colleagues, in two 20-plus hour days in Iraq, I did not meet a soldier who did not believe in the mission. General Mark O'Neill of the 3rd ID, I looked at him and said we appreciate your leadership. He said to me, Sir, it is a privilege to be here, but we have to stop these guys right here. General Abizaid said to us, I think the most unreported story in America is how dangerous these guys are. If they get hold of this country the way they want to and become a petroleum power, these guys are the Nazis from the 1920s. To understand that in this environment, as tough as it is, these soldiers are winning the war in Iraq. They are winning it because we have never lost a military tactical engagement. We have never so much as lost a platoon. They are winning it because we have stood up 100,000 Iraqis in uniform in the last 12 months and are on track to stand up another 100,000 in the next 12. And they are winning it because democracy is steadily advancing in a nation conditioned by thousands of years of authoritarianism, but it is advancing nonetheless with a constitutional referendum around the corner. We are winning the war in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), who has been a tireless advocate of our soldiers in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has just returned from leading his own delegation there, and I thought it altogether fitting that he and other colleagues associated with his travels might seize the opportunity of this Special Order to reinforce our firsthand account of what is really happening in Iraq, because what is happening is we are winning in Iraq.

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for his comments. I cannot add to that closing, but will simply repeat, Mr. Speaker, we are winning the war in Iraq. And, Mr. Speaker, to anyone who is listening in tonight to hear the passion of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), to hear the progress on the ground on civil society that the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) described and to hear about these soldiers and our effectiveness, we have never lost a military engagement in 4 years with this enemy. We have never lost so much as a platoon. We are taking the enemy down at a rate of 30 to one that they are taking down our military personnel. That all spells victory. We are winning in Iraq. But let me leave with one image. As we flew over Baghdad and over Ramadi, 150 feet off the deck, Black Hawk helicopters flanked by Apache helicopters, really scary-looking aircraft, I lost count of the number of men and women and little boys and little girls running from their homes and waving at our helicopter as we sped by. And then what broke my heart was to see the helmeted soldier take one hand off that enormous 50 caliber machine gun and extend a gloved hand hurriedly out of the helicopter to wave back to those children and men and women. They were running towards the American helicopters. They were waving at the American soldier. This was not a put-up job for some politicians flying through Baghdad. It was hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people in Baghdad and Balad and Ramadi throughout the Sunni Triangle who were giving the thumbs up in a wave of friendship to their liberators, to the people who are fighting and sacrificing and succeeding in bringing them freedom and stability, which they so richly deserve. With that I thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) for joining me tonight. And I close with the thought we are winning the war in Iraq. Never doubt that. Two Days in Iraq (By Representative Mike Pence) Sept. 6, 2005.--Our two days in Iraq began with a prayer and a brief reading from Psalm 91. After a short delay caused by an engine failure, we lifted off in the cargo hold of a C- 130 aircraft filled with soldiers and materials returning to Operation Iraqi Freedom. On the faces of the soldiers we met aboard the aircraft, most of whom were returning from leave, was the evident anxiety of men returning to battle and sober determination. I overheard one soldier tell a colleague, ``I'm here for my family, my kids and my grandkids . . . so they don't have to deal with these guys.'' Upon arriving at Baghdad airport, we donned the helmets and body armor that would be our wardrobe for the duration of our stay and climbed aboard a Blackhawk helicopter, destination Phoenix Base, Green Zone, Baghdad. The copters moved fast and low across the landscape of this city of several million. Different from my visit to Baghdad in 2004 when the streets were barren, the city sweeping past me below our helicopter was filled with people bustling about and large roads filled with traffic. The city of Baghdad is no longer the deserted war zone I saw before. Despite the violence of insurgents, Baghdad is alive again. We landed at Phoenix Base in the Green Zone and attended meetings with the American Commander and the American Ambassador for situation reports. In our previous meetings in Qatar, the diplomatic and military authorities spoke of steady progress and a determined enemy, but there was no hint of defeatism or pessimism. As we learned of over 100 Iraqi Battalions deployed with American forces, schools, basic services, agriculture, one is left with the sense that our folks in Baghdad have a plan and are working the plan 24/7. As one soldier told me, ``defeat the enemy, rebuild the country and give it back to the Iraqis.'' From our meetings with American leaders, we boarded our motorcade for meetings with the Prime Minister of Iraq and the Ministers of Defense and Interior, three of the most important leaders to the present and future of Iraq. Prime Minister Jaafari greeted us in a formal setting and spent the first 15 minutes expressing the heartfelt condolences of the people of Iraq for the loss of life in Hurricane Katrina. He seemed most determined to convey that the insurgents engaged in violence do not represent the feelings of the people of Iraq. I asked him, ``Who is the enemy?'' and he replied with a litany referring to Beirut in 1983, 9-11, Sharm El Sheik, as all the work of ``the terrorists.'' He actually seemed slightly indignant about the question . . . as though anyone, with any common sense, would see that the enemy in Iraq is simply ``terrorists.'' In our meetings with two government leaders, two moments stood out. The Minister of Interior, a studious, bearded man, said the greatest challenge he faced was ``changing the culture of authoritarianism'' that followed the repressive history of Iraq. As we walked out, he and I spoke further about this point and I was moved by his ambition for his people to live under a just system of law and not of men. The other moment came when another Congressman asked the Minister of Defense, ``what neighboring nation represents the greatest challenge to peace within Iraq'' to which he replied, ``all of them'' then added, ``Kuwait is ok.'' It was an illuminating moment. I will never forget that this new Iraq is, with one exception, floating in a sea of authoritarian regimes with long histories of association with terror among their people and their governments. Our helicopters set us down at ground zero for American forces in Baghdad: Camp Liberty-home of the legendary 3rd Infantry Division under the Command of General Mark O'Neill. As we learned earlier, most of the terrorist violence in Iraq is taking place in 4 of the 18 provinces . . . a1l 4 are in the area under the control of the 3rd ID. But Gen. O'Neill, a thick-necked warrior with the mind of a CEO, said, ``Hey, it's what we do sir and we're glad to do it . . . we gotta stop these guys right here.'' After getting an update on action and progress, we headed to dinner with the troops including Evansville native Sgt. Dave Newland. Dave is part of force protection for the 3rd ID and is approaching 20 years and retirement but, from what he told me, there is no place he'd rather be. When I asked about the mission, he replied with a smile, ``We need to be here sir.'' We spoke of home, of his plans to move to Washington, Indiana and work for Crane. We spoke of the White Steamer, a diner in Washington, which turned out to be his Dad's favorite stop and one of mine. For that time we were not what we are doing (soldier/congressman), we were just a couple of Hoosiers swappin' stories from home. I told him everybody back home was praying and was proud and he said quietly, ``I know that, sir.'' As our C-130 took off from Baghdad airport, I thought of the men of the 3rd ID. I thought of the mission. And I thought of Sgt. Dave Newland. By God's grace does this nation still produces men like that. Day two began at 3:30 a.m. as we headed for a day that would take us to four American bases in some of the most violent sectors of the ``Sunni Triangle.'' First stop, Camp Caldwell, near the Syrian border which is home to the 278th of Tennessee. We were the first delegation of elected officials to ever visit this base and the soldiers seemed delighted to see us...especially Tennessee Congressman Lincoln Davis. When Lincoln presented the command group with a coin bearing the US Capitol and spoke of the time when these Tennessee Vols would ``be a 'comin home,'' there wasn't a dry eye in the room. It being Labor Day, the base had a picnic going on for soldiers off duty, so we made our way over to throw horseshoes and listen to blue grass music. I asked one soldier after another, ``What would Labor Day be without havin' a bunch of politicians show up to spoil your picnic?!'' While the atmosphere was festive, when I would ask ``How ya doin?'' or ``How's everybody back home holdin' up?'' one soldier after another would pause and get that far away look that you would expect from any soldier on a distant frontier. This unit has lost 12 men but defeated the enemy in every engagement. Their effort in training Iraqis has been so successful that their unit actually will not be replaced by American forces when they head home in a few months. Iraqis will take over Camp Caldwell. Mission Accomplished Tennessee. Our Blackhawk helicopters and their Apache helicopter gunship escorts lifted off from Camp Caldwell at midday for the American airbase at Balad, another region of recent and intense insurgent activity. As we approached the base by air, I took note of a large column of black smoke billowing from the far end of the base. As we learned upon our arrival, at approximately 6 a.m. the base came under mortar attack by insurgents. While some equipment was damaged, as we learned later in the command center from a videotape replay, the enemy fared much worse. Using our battlefield technology and real time intelligence, our forces identified where the mortar was fired and tracked 10 insurgents evacuating the area. With incredible precision, a hellfire missile scored a direct hit on the enemy as the eerie infrared video replay showed. The professionalism of these forces, young men and women who had to make split second decisions to save American lives, left most of us speechless. We spent lunch with American soldiers in Balad at a huge mess hall while our colleague from Hawaii, Rep. Ed Case, held his own townhall meeting with the 29th National Guard out of Hawaii. Our last stop of the day was Ramadi, the new home of the Anderson, Indiana based 138th Signal Battalion under the command of Captain Keith Paris of Marion, Indiana. Capt. Paris and Sgt. Matt Wright of Muncie met us at the landing zone and escorted us to the long, sand colored two-story building that these Hoosiers will call home for the next year. Capt. Paris is a determined professional whose patriotism, love of family and God exude from every pore of his body. In a short briefing in his modest 12x12 headquarters office, he explained how A Company was actually supplying all the real time communications for the ongoing battle in Ramadi, a city of some 500,000, that is the provincial capital of the west and a Sunni elite dominated area. Their sandbag reinforced and camouflaged operations are smack dab in the middle of a bustling base filled with moving tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers . . . and they all depend with confidence on the 138th. Sgt. Matt Wright of Muncie was an impressive young married man who actually told me that his wedding was to have occurred the day before I arrived, but when word came of his deployment to Iraq, he and his fiancee decided to move it up nine months to accommodate their devotion to each other and our nation. On the way to the mess hall, we encountered a Marine unit of armored vehicles headed out for maneuvers. As we reached up and shook hands with one soldier after another, I heard a voice from atop a tank yell, ``Hey, aren't you gonna say hi to a fellow Hoosier?!'' I looked up to see the broad smile of redheaded Cpl. Ty Cotton of Anderson, Indiana. He reached down and shook my hand as a voice cried out, ``5 minutes!''. . . the time the unit would roll to its duties in Ramadi. I climbed up the side of the vehicle so we could talk over the din of engines and troop movements. He told me to say hello to his mom, Marla, back in Anderson and I told him I'd look in on her and tell her how good he looked. As the commanding officer yelled, ``2 minutes!'' I told him the folks back home were praying for him, proud and grateful for his service. As I climbed down the side of the combat vehicle, Ty smiled and said modestly, ``Glad to do it, sir.'' In the mess hall, the young men and women of the 138th joined me for dinner. I don't know what I expected to find among these troops but what I did find was good spirits, high morale, fitness and a matter of fact attitude about the work ahead. I asked about the war and many spoke of steady progress, even in Ramadi. One soldier who had already seen a year in theatre said, ``It's gotten way better here in Ramadi from a year ago.'' They were confident Americans doing a hard job in a hard place, but no complaints. Mostly they wanted to ask about home. We talked about Indiana's response to Hurricane Katrina. They were concerned about how the country was holding up after such a tragedy. In a war zone, working in 110-degree heat, sleeping behind sandbags and 8,000 miles from Mom, Dad, wife and kids . . . and they were worried about us. Where do we get men and women like these? As our Blackhawk helicopters lifted off from Ramadi, I watched the sun set over this desert encampment on the front lines of the war on terror and I felt humbled by the men and women I saw, especially the Hoosiers of the 138th. I scribbled the names of the men and women I met and purposed to pray for them and their families until they return home . . . victorious, safe and sound. And I felt more confident than ever that this war is just, the battle against terror is vital and the enemy can and will be defeated here and now. I believe that not because of the armor, the firepower or the technology that swept beneath me as we passed over one base after another. I believe that because I have looked into the eyes of the men and women fighting this war at every level, and their faith and courage has never and will never be defeated.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, tomorrow the House will consider a very important bill to safeguard the children of this Nation from sexual predators and sexual violence: the Children's Safety Act of 2005. Yesterday, I introduced the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 2005, with its intention to protect children from pornographers who seek to exploit both their youth and vulnerability. The purpose of my legislation, the Child Pornography Prevention Act, is to ensure that children are not exploited in the production and distribution of pornography. Additionally, the bill provides increased protection to the victims of child pornography and strengthens the hand of law enforcement in investigating and bringing charges of obscenity in child pornography cases. We specifically in my bill close a loophole that exists in Federal law today that allows pornographers who produce child pornography at home with digital cameras, Polaroid cameras, or video cameras downloaded on their home computers to actually escape prosecution. The Pence legislation makes clear that these activities are within the purview of Federal law enforcement so that prosecutions of these so- called home child pornographers may move forward in district courts. It is time to protect the kids. It is time to move the Children's Safety Act, and it is time to pass the Child Pornography Prevention Act as part of it tomorrow.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, Katrina breaks my heart. When I consider its tragic aftermath, the ancient parable comes to mind: ``And the rains descended and the flood came and the winds blew and beat against the house and it fell with a great crash.'' For most American families, when a tree falls on your house, you tend to the wounded, rebuild, and then figure out how you are going to pay for it. Later today Congress will continue funding the work of relief and recovery for Hurricane Katrina, and well we should, by speeding more than $50 billion to FEMA and other agencies. But as we tend to the wounded, as we begin to rebuild, let us also do what every other American family would do in like circumstances and expects this Congress to do: let us figure out how we are going to pay for it. Congress must ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, the State of Indiana lost a giant of the medical community last week. On Friday, September 2, Dr. William Nasser passed away at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, where he started a cardiology program 32 years earlier. Bill Nasser's own battle with heart problems led him to launch a cardiology network in Indiana so that Hoosiers would no longer have to travel hundreds of miles just to receive basic care. As Bill graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1961, a bacterial infection made him an open-heart surgery patient at a time when the procedure was performed at great risk with low survival rates. His heart valve was replaced three times over the next 18 years. Bill's condition undoubtedly connected him with the very patients he served at the Care Group, a partnership with St. Vincent Hospital that runs the Heart Center of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the State of Indiana, I extend heartfelt sympathies to the family of Dr. Bill Nasser, specifically his wife Wanda; his sons Thomas and Tony Nasser; his daughter Teresa Carlock; his sisters Beverly Radez and Dolores Polifroni; and his five beloved grandchildren. Bill Nasser embodied the allegiance to a community that every town in America wishes of its citizens. The State of Indiana was fortunate to call him one of its own. Indiana will miss Dr. William Nasser.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, the State of Indiana lost a pillar of the political community last month. On Saturday, August 13, J. Roberts Dailey passed away at Westminster Village, a retirement home in Muncie, Indiana. J. Roberts Dailey was a leader of unparalleled reputation in public service. His tenure in the Indiana General Assembly where he served as Speaker of the House was marked by the consistent pursuit of principle and the interests of the people of Indiana. Bob Dailey entered politics in 1952, serving 2 years on the Delaware County Council. He was a precinct committeeman between 1958 and 1978 and was Delaware County's GOP finance chairman between 1963 and 1978. He had been a delegate to every Republican state convention since 1954. Dailey, a real estate agent, was first elected to the Legislature in 1976 before being elevated to Speaker in 1980. In 1992, Dailey received one of Ball State University's highest honors, the Medal of Distinction for leadership and service to the state and university. Six years later, he was named chairman of the Christian Coalition of Indiana, a state affiliate of the national organization that was a trailblazer in conservative Christian politics. As he was to an entire generation of aspiring Hoosier leaders, Bob Dailey was my friend, a mentor and a true role model. He will be missed by our community and our state, but his example of integrity, faith and conservative leadership will continue to challenge and inspire future leaders for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the entire State of Indiana, I extend heartfelt sympathies over the loss of J. Roberts Dailey. Indiana will never forget Speaker Dailey.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, the Caribbean and Central America were inflamed with a virus that we called communism. It was in its ascendancy. Thanks to the courageous vision and leadership of President Ronald Reagan and many on both sides of the aisle in this Congress, the people of the United States of America invested in freedom. Now, 20 years hence, we see fledgling democracies, even democracies that have sent soldiers to stand with our soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is that nightmare turned into a dream of democracy that is at stake today in the vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Having stood with those who stood for freedom 20 years ago, let us not in this Congress and in this Nation turn our backs today on those same fledgling democracies that are embracing our principles of free market economics and freedom. Say yes to freedom in Central America. Vote ``yes'' on CAFTA, and keep the dream of ever- expanding democracy and American ideals in our hemisphere alive.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the members of the committee, especially the author of this bill, for their sincerity of purpose and civility in this debate. I also thank my colleagues who have risen in support of the Pence amendment, which, again, simply removes the provision of H.R. 22 that requires that the first vacant slot on the Board of Governors be filled by an individual with unanimous backing by all labor organizations. The Pence amendment is supported by National Right to Work, by Americans For Tax Reform. We already have fairness on the board, Mr. Chairman: five members of one political party, the party in power in the White House, and four members appointed by the other political party. We do not need a tie-breaker member that is selected by the unanimous consent of all the labor unions. If we are going to achieve the labor and workforce reforms necessary to restore efficiency to the Postal Service and ensure its vitality in the 21st century, we must ensure that those reforms are not stymied by a reserved seat for labor unions on the postal board. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. PENCE

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I have always believed that trade means jobs, and that is especially true on the Indiana farm. As we consider the Central America Free Trade Agreement, think of this. Today U.S. agricultural goods exported to that region of the world face tariffs and barriers of 15 to 35 percent. By ending the one-way street, CAFTA will essentially result in my State seeing up to $41 million a year in additional agricultural exports. Trade means jobs. Not that this is a new idea. Adam Smith wrote in A Wealth of Nations in 1776, ``All for ourselves and nothing for other people seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.'' Even Benjamin Franklin said, ``No nation was ever ruined by trade.'' And Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his personal journal, We rail at trade, but the historian of the world will see that it was the principle of liberty; that it settled America, destroyed feudalism, made peace and keeps peace, and abolished slavery. All of those great American Founders and thinkers were right. Trade means jobs. I urge my colleagues to support CAFTA in that spirit.