Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following letter: Col. William Barrett Travis Letter February 24, 1836 There are those in history that paid for our freedoms with their lives. In 1836 Texas was fighting for its independence from the dictator of Mexico, Santa Anna. A small band of 180 patriots from numerous nations and states, of several races, stood defiant at the Alamo (in now San Antonio,) from Santa Anna's enormous invading army. The leader of the Texian patriots was a 27 year old lawyer from South Carolina by the name of William Barrett Travis. Surrounded by the enemy, Travis penned his famous letter seeking aid for the defense of liberty. It was 180 years ago: Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836 Commandancy of The Alamo, To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World--Fellow Citizens & compatriots--I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man--The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken--I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls--I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country-- Victory or Death. William Barrett Travis, Lt. Col. Comdt, The Alamo. Mr. Speaker, Col. Travis and his Texians all died defending our freedom at the Alamo. Sixty days later General Sam Houston and his Texians defeated Santa Anna in the marshy plains of San Jacinto, winning independence from Mexico, once and for all. Travis's letter is a remarkable and inspirational statement for freedom and the spirit of liberty. Col. Travis is one reason my oldest grandson is named ``Barrett Houston.'' And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to also reiterate the bipartisanship in which this legislation has been brought to the floor through the work of the chairman and the ranking member, who are experts in foreign affairs and especially countries like North Korea. Mr. Speaker, when I had a chance last year to visit with the Pacific Command, I talked to the four-star Admiral in Pacific Command and asked him this question: Of the five entities that are threats to the United States--Russia, China, Iran, ISIS, and North Korea--which of those concerns you the most? He quickly said: North Korea. Because they are an unstable regime. This legislation will help, hopefully, have that unstable dictator, who murders his own people, is trigger happy, and is developing all types of weapons and puts them on the open market to sell them to other nations that want to cause mischief in the world, stop this conduct in North Korea. Yes, North Korea has nuclear weapons. They are developing missiles to deliver those nuclear weapons. About a year or a year and a half ago, the dictator of North Korea said he wanted that first intercontinental ballistic missile to go to Austin, Texas. I take that a little personal, Mr. Speaker. I don't know why he picked Austin. Anyway, they are working on their delivery capability. They have no intention of stopping. So, the international community must tell the dictator of North Korea: You can't do this. You can't be a menace to not only your own people, or the people in South Korea and the entire region, but the world. This legislation is an important step in stopping the mischief-making and trigger-happy dictator of North Korea. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, five police officers in the United States this week have been gunned down: one in North Dakota, one in Georgia, one in Colorado, and two in Maryland. I am going to talk about the two in Maryland. On February 10, on a bitter winter day, two sheriff's deputies were called to a disturbance at a shopping center in Abingdon, Maryland. As the deputies were attempting to speak with a disruptive individual, he held a gun to 52-year-old Deputy Patrick Dailey's head and fired, killing him. Deputy Mark Logsdon pursued the assassin, but Logsdon was also killed by the criminal's gunfire during this chase. Later, the outlaw was shot and killed. Dailey was a life member of the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company and spent 30 years defending the public as a sheriff's deputy. He was a hero to his two now fatherless children. Forty-three-year-old Deputy Mark Logsdon was a 16-year veteran of the force, leaving behind three children and a wife. Both men had been honored for valor during their careers of protecting and serving the community. Patrick and Mark's lives were coldly and maliciously stolen, ripped away from this world and their families. These men behind the badge are a special breed, a rare breed. They work selflessly, maintaining and restoring order in our neighborhoods. They are the best of our Nation. They protect us from evil, cold, calculated criminals who wish to do harm to the rest of us. Mr. Speaker, we mourn the passing of these two lawmen who are cut above the rest of us. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the NSA is using a loophole in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to spy on Americans without a warrant. Under section 702 of FISA, government agents may seize information from databases on suspected foreign terrorists. While seizing the information on these terrorists, NSA also seizes data on Americans without a warrant, data that includes emails, texts, and voice communication. This is an unlawful interpretation of FISA. It was never the intent of Congress that section 702 would be used to create databases of information that would later be searched for information on American citizens without a search warrant and without that individual's knowledge. I have introduced legislation that would prohibit warrantless searches of government databases for information that pertains to U.S. citizens. The NSA has and will continue to violate the constitutional protections guaranteed to every American unless Congress acts. Until we fix this and make the law clear, citizens will never be sure or safe that their private conversations are secure from the eyes and spies of government. The Bill of Rights cannot be trampled upon in the name of national security, whether the NSA likes it or not. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it was a routine exercise, sailing from Kuwait to Bahrain through the Persian Gulf, until, allegedly, the navigation system failed on one of the two U.S. gunboats. Mysteriously, the boats lost communication. Next, 10 American sailors surrendered and were captured by Iran. They were led off the boat at gunpoint and held hostage. Iran, unsurprisingly, violated Article 13 of the Geneva Convention by failing to protect our sailors from ``insults and public curiosity.'' Here is a poster of our sailors surrendering to the small boat of Iranians. The bottom photograph apparently shows arms taken off the two American boats. I assume the Iranians kept those. Iran's Supreme Leader has awarded victory medals to its navy commanders for capturing the Americans. International law states that anyone can have innocent passage through a state's territorial waters, as long as it is nonthreatening, continuous, and expeditious. Iran claimed the Americans were sent to spy. These claims turned out to be delusional. Iran acted without consequences, and the U.S. did not act at all. Many questions remain. Where was the effective air cover for the Navy? Why did the sailors ``give up the ship''? Who gave the order to surrender? The Navy needs to let the American public know how two American boats were confiscated by the Iranians and why it happened. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos celebrated their Super Bowl win, around 8:27 California time, a North Korean satellite passed in space over the stadium. What is next? Before long, it could be an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead headed for some American city. Mr. Speaker, this is not some wacky idea out of a Hollywood movie. On January 6, the North Koreans tested a more advanced nuclear bomb that could kill even more people than the nuclear bomb they already have. Last Saturday, North Korea conducted a rocket launch to try to develop a ballistic missile that could hit the United States. The North Koreans also support Hezbollah, work with Iran on missile development, hacked Sony Entertainment, kidnapped an American college student and put him in jail, and there is much more. Mr. Speaker, North Korea is a rogue state lusting for international mischief. It is time to put them back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list before Super Bowl LI takes place in my hometown of Houston, Texas. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during the summer months of 2016, TEXAS 4000, a University of Texas non-profit organization, will host their annual summer bike ride: the longest charity bicycle ride in the world (as they say, everything's bigger in Texas). The ride starts in Austin, TX and stretches 4,000 miles across the country to Anchorage, Alaska. Participating in this ride are 75, carefully selected, University of Texas college students. These 75 UT students will commit 70 days of their summer to complete the 4,000-mile ride, utilizing each day to raise awareness about cancer prevention, detection, and research in the communities they visit along the way. One of the 75 UT students, Jeffery Saeling, happens to be a constituent of mine. Jeffery attended Kingwood High School in Texas from 2008 to 2012. During his senior year, in 2012, he was nominated as the Kingwood High School student of character for exhibiting responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, fairness, caring and citizenship; consequently, I, along with Dr. Guy Sconzo, the superintendent of Humble ISD, and Texas State Representative, Dan Huberty had the pleasure of meeting Jeffery, where we experienced firsthand the quality of his character. Four years later, in 2016, Jeffery's continued display of character is one of the reasons he was selected to participate in the TEXAS 4000's summer ride. However, selection for the ride is only the beginning. Once selected to participate, each rider is expected to raise $4,500 and volunteer at least 50 hours in their community. On top of this, riders must commit to dedicate time and effort in the planning, preparation, and execution of the summer ride. These lofty expectations coupled with the physicality of the ride work in tandem to cultivate volunteers and philanthropists dedicated to eradicating cancer. However, this wouldn't be possible without TEXAS 4000, the non-profit organization responsible for the 4000-mile ride. Their mission: to share ``hope, knowledge, and charity through leadership development, grant making, and their 4,000 plus mile bike ride from Austin to Anchorage: They share hope by letting those affected by cancer know that they are riding for them and fighting for a world without cancer; they share knowledge by bringing life-saving information about cancer prevention to communities and providing leadership development training to tomorrow's leaders; and they share charity by contributing to cancer research and cancer support services while developing the next generation of volunteers and philanthropists.'' To date, TEXAS 4000 has raised over $5 million for distribution to various organizations such as M.D. Anderson and the American Cancer Society. Their impact and influence is not contained by the boundaries of the community they operate within, it spans nationwide. Organizations, like TEXAS 4000, and people, like Jeffery Saeling, represent some of the best my district and Texas has to offer. Their selflessness, dedication, and volunteerism stand as a shining example of the type of quality Americans who call Texas home. Their mission is honorable and their hearts huge. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Kingwood High School Debate team has been invited to compete at the Pan American Schools Debate Championships in Vancouver, Canada on March 16th, 2016. The competition is organized by the Pan-American Debate Organization (PADO) and aims ``to promote debate in the Americas, and to encourage high school students to participate in international competitions.'' Members of Team Kingwood include Morgan Lee, junior; Reese Grayson, senior; Colette Faulkner, junior--also the designated alternate to Team USA; Connor Smith, junior; Gaurav Gawankar, junior. The team is coached by Audra and Jason Langston. These students will not only be representing their high school, but the state of Texas as well. As they enter the competition, the Texas students will face competitors representing Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, USA and Venezuela. The Kingwood team will be the only team that will represent a high school, rather than a country. The principles of open debate have long been a lifeblood to our democracy. Society is shaped every day by open conversation, public opinion and debate. The great debaters, men like Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun shaped American society, bringing democracy to a new born nation. Debaters like Margaret Thatcher broke barriers, improved economies, and shaped their countries' policies for an entire generation. Great Debaters are leaders who have had an impact on our society. These students have taken the first step towards becoming future leaders. Debate teaches students how to speak both powerfully and persuasively, fosters critical thinking, and how to defend their point of view. As a former debater, Judge and Congressman, I know that it's important to learn how to make a point. Congratulations to the Kingwood Debate team. Good luck at the Pan American Championships. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Brooke was a victim of human trafficking and child pornography at the age of 7. The nanny was selling Brooke on the marketplace of sex slavery in the United States. A small child sold for sex in the United States is shameful. Brooke was scared, feeling alone, and didn't tell anyone about her plight. No one spoke about sex trafficking then. But sex slavery has been going on in the United States for a long time, women and children forced into this scourge. Brooke, with the help of her mother, has spoken out against this evil. Congress has also spoken out. Congress passed a law last year that will change the way we address human trafficking in the United States. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act will provide and ensure that America provides grants to rescue and restore survivors like Brooke, grants to educate the public, law enforcement, doctors, and educators to identify, prevent, and prosecute human trafficking. Monsters that hurt victims will be prosecuted, the sellers and the buyers. Most importantly, the victims of slavery will be rescued, restored, and treated as victims of crime. Mr. Speaker, Congress has said that our children are not for sale. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Constitution is clear: Congress shall make the law, the judiciary interprets the law, and the executive enforces the law. The President, however, seems to think he can make and interpret the law. Last year, Congress passed the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act. It requires foreign nationals from certain countries to obtain a visa before they come to the United States. Now the administration has decided to waive this new requirement. The President plans to allow dual citizens and people who have traveled to places like Syria, the Sudan, Iraq, and Iran to waltz back into the United States without a visa. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 5,000 Westerners have made the journey to Iraq and Syria to fight with militant groups like ISIS. Allowing this new executive edict will only weaken U.S. national security. The Founders implemented the separation of powers to protect the people from an all-powerful--omnipotent--government. The administration's executive overreach violates the Constitution and puts Americans and our security at risk. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the American People have spoken and they do not want Obama's high-cost, job-killing, conscience-violating healthcare law. But the President refuses to listen. He vetoed Obamacare Reconciliation passed by both the House and Senate to dismantle Obamacare. Americans have lost their insurance plans and their doctors. Their insurance premiums have skyrocketed and some have even lost their jobs because of Obamacare. Yet the Administration just sits by and watches while the American people suffer. Today, the House continues to stand up for the people with this veto override. We will continue to fight for our constituents to defeat Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this important measure to show the President and the America people that we will not stop until Obamacare is defeated. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on Christmas Day 2014, 7-year-old Jonny was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer. On January 2nd, 2016, young Jonny's family laid him to rest. Roughly 1 in every 300 children in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of cancer before their 20th birthday. Jonny always said: ``I don't want any other kid to have cancer.'' Jonny's family, with the help of their Representative Rodney Davis, are making sure Congress hears this message. They have also been joined by Texas State Representative Patrick Fallon. He recently raised money for pediatric cancer by running the World Marathon Challenge, consisting of 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, and he had never run a marathon before. During the races, Fallon carried a photo of Jonny and his brother Jacky in his shoe. In fact, Jacky even ran with him in the U.S. race in Miami, Florida. I can't think of a better reason to run a marathon. Together, we can beat childhood cancer into the shadows with each step. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the brutal trench hand-to-hand combat of World War I claimed more American lives than Vietnam and Korea combined. The war to end all wars between European monarchies was at a standstill until the United States entered the war. Texas boys like Corporal Samuel Sampler stood up and fought over there across the sea to successfully break the deadlocked war. On October 18, 1918, in France, this young Army corporal became the third Texan in World War I to be awarded the Medal of Honor. When his company suffered severe, devastating casualties during an advance, Sampler took action. Grenades in hand, he left the line and rushed in through enemy machinegun fire until he engaged the enemy directly. His grenades hit the target, killing two and silencing all the machineguns. Twenty-eight other Germans surrendered, allowing the American doughboys to resume their advance. The 100-year anniversary of the great war is upon us. We remember Texans like Sampler and all Americans who proudly served our country in lands far away 100 years ago and won the ultimate victory in World War I. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, while patrolling the blue South Pacific seas, two American Stallion helicopters collided off the coast of Hawaii. It was January 14, 2016. Twelve U.S. marines on board perished. Despite rescue efforts by air and sea, the marines were never found. Their watery graves are only known to God. Major Shawn Campbell, 41, and Corporal Matthew Drown, 23, were Texas' own. They were graduates of two neighboring high schools--Klein and Klein Oak--in my Texas congressional district. Major Campbell, over here with two of his children, was a hardcore marine. A graduate of Texas A&M in microbiology, he served three tours of duty in combat in the Middle East. Recently, he was ordered to the States as an instructor pilot. Major Campbell left behind a wife and four kids. Corporal Matthew Drown joined the Marines right out of Klein Oak High School in 2011. He was on the debate team and was a friend everyone wanted to have. He was planning on reenlisting in the Marine Corps. These volunteers lived and died protecting America. They are the best that we have. Mr. Speaker, there is nothing like a marine. Ronald Reagan said: ``Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference . . . The Marines don't have that problem.'' These men of Texas--Major Campbell and Corporal Drown--are two of those marines. Now there are two more marines guarding Heaven's pearly gates. We pray for their families. Semper Fi, Marines. Semper Fi. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time and for his work on this legislation. I do want to comment that the ranking member, Mr. Engel, I value his wisdom on the issue of Iran, and especially in defense of Israel. We happen to disagree on this specific legislation. Mr. Speaker, the nuclear agreement that the administration made with Iran was still a bad deal for America. As a former judge down in Texas, I know that when the bad guys do bad things, you don't reward bad conduct. At a time when the administration needs to be strong and firm, it seems to be showing wobbly knees on this deal. Now we are left with a deal where the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism is only a few small steps away from a nuclear bomb. The administration's continued leniency with Iran is conceding even more than what is required in the deal. The administration is making this bad deal even worse. The President promised the American people that this bad deal still allows nonnuclear-related sanctions on Iran. Good for the President. Great promise. Iran, not to the shock of any of us, has violated some of the rules that they are to abide by. They violated two U.N. resolutions restricting ballistic missile tests last month. The Treasury Department told Congress it would levy new sanctions on Iran, primarily financial sanctions. That would support the President's promise to America. But at the last minute, the State Department got involved and said, whoa, no sanctions, not so fast--and no sanctions. More shaky knees, Mr. Speaker. Why does the administration waffle on calling Iran out for violations? America's national security interests seem to take a backseat to confronting Iran politically. I support H.R. 3662. This is an important bill to ensure the President can't lift sanctions on those institutions and individuals who are involved in terrorism. Remember, Mr. Speaker, Iran is still the number one world state sponsor of terrorism, and they are continuing their mischief throughout the world. We don't need to make it easier for Iran's terrorist proxies to get even more money than the $150 billion that they are getting in the deal. With this bill, the President must prove to Congress that a person or entity has not given financial or materiel support to a terrorist organization before removing them from the sanctions list. Sounds logical to me, Mr. Speaker. Sanctions unrelated to the nuclear deal must remain in place. The national security of the United States is at stake. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in his State of the Union message, President Obama claimed that America's standing as a world power is greater than when he first took office. Let's see, Mr. Speaker. Iran just took 10 of our sailors hostage for 24 hours. Iran props up a dictator in Syria who has killed millions of his own citizens. Iran is the world's number one sponsor of terrorism. Iran is currently developing ICBMs and eventually will have nuclear weapons. Russia invaded Ukraine, a country hungry for freedom. The Ukrainians looked to the United States for leadership, and the United States watched and basically did nothing. The Russians are still in Ukraine. North Korea has nuclear weapons and ICBMs that can now reach the United States. ISIS and other terrorist groups control more territory and have more money than ever before in history. Last year was one of the deadliest years of terrorist violence on record. The fact is the world is not safer today. It is not a more stable place than it was 8 years ago. The world is full of dangerous, rogue nations seeking to do harm. Our friends don't trust us, and our enemies scoff at us. The administration's foreign policy is based on wobbly knees, not strength. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ``loving'', ``witty'', ``thoughtful'', ``prankster'', ``mama's boy''. These are a few words that came to mind instantly by those who knew and loved Tamon Arence Willis. Eighteen years old, Tamon had just completed his first semester at the University of Houston. He was working two part time jobs to help ease the financial burden from his parents. Born in The Woodlands, Texas, Tamon graduated from New Caney High School at the top of the Class of 2015. He was proud of his Texas roots, and he held on to them. He lived in a small town, New Caney, just outside of Houston. As a big brother, Tamon loved his four younger siblings. He was their protector. He was also a self-described prankster whose pranks were usually targeted at his younger brothers and sisters. With the love and support of his family, at the start of his college career, Tamon had a bright future ahead of him. The world was his oyster. It was until this past Saturday morning, just five days before his 19th birthday. Tamon had woken up early to go to work when sadly and tragically, his life was cut short in a hit and run motorcycle crash. Like a cold hearted coward, the driver who hit Tamon fled the scene. He had no remorse or compassion for what he did. He just left Tamon in the middle of the road. Another vehicle then came and hit Tamon again, causing the driver to lose control, where he crashed and ended up in the ditch. Tamon died at the scene. Word spread fast in the small community; tragic events and loss have a way of bringing people together. The Willis family soon found themselves surrounded by friends and family members, while authorities released a surveillance video from the convenience store of the vehicle in question. The search for the cowardly driver was on. The photo and video of the suspect's vehicle was quickly circulated to news media and shared via social media. By Sunday night, Texas DPS troopers arrested Eric Brian Ellison, an ex-con from nearby Crosby, Texas, and charged him with Accident Involving Death. May justice be swift for this heinous crime. On Thursday, January 14, Tamon will be laid to rest on what would have been his 19th birthday. Tamon's parents have made the decision to have his funeral on his birthday as a way to celebrate his life. Although they mourn the loss of their son, they wish to celebrate his brilliant life and cherish their loving son. On behalf of the constituents of the Second Congressional District, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Willis family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them during this most difficult time. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Baylor Bears football team entered into this season with lofty expectations to go along with a pre-season top-5 ranking in the polls. The coach, the players, and the fans all expected the Bears to vie for a national championship or a berth in the College Football Playoff. However, it wasn't meant to be. Despite an 8- 0 start, the Bears went on to drop 3 of their remaining 5 games, finishing with a record of 10-3. At the start of the season, a 10-win season would have been a huge disappointment for the Bears. But given what happened in the last couple of months, 10 wins ain't so bad. With an 8-0 record, one of the best offenses in recent memory, and perhaps the nation's best quarterback-receiver tandem, this team was looking more and more like a shoo-in for the Playoffs. But, that 8th win came with a price. Baylor's quarterback, Seth Russell, left the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a strained back. As it turned out, Russell broke a bone in his neck, and would soon be ruled out for the rest of the season. The team now had to turn to a true freshman quarterback in Jarrett Stidham. Stidham--though a highly touted prospect with loads of talent--was still only a teenager and had never played in a meaningful college football game in his young career. His first start came on the road against Kansas State. Stidham would go on to have one of the best performances by a true freshman quarterback in NCAA history, going 23-33 for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns. As a reward for that performance, Stidham got to play top-10 Oklahoma the following week. In his second career start, Stidham wasn't nearly as fortunate as he was in his first. He threw two interceptions in the game and was punished by the Sooner defense, often seen limping. Baylor would go on to lose on their home turf, 44-34. The season could still be salvaged, especially with a trip to Oklahoma State coming up, ranked sixth in the nation. Stidham was only able to play a half as he left the game in the third quarter, but the Bears would wind up with a win on the road against the undefeated Cowboys, obliterating them 45-35, though the game was never as close as the final score indicated. After leaving the Oklahoma State game early with an injury, Stidham was soon also ruled out for the rest of the season, meaning the Bears would have to turn to third-string quarterback, Chris Johnson, for the remainder of the season. Given how he played in relief of Stidham against Oklahoma State, the Bears felt pretty confident in Johnson's abilities. But in Johnson's first career start on the road against an equally battered and bruised TCU, he faced an additional opponent--the weather. Near freezing temperatures coupled with nonstop rain and gale- force winds messed up with both offenses, as the typically high-scoring Baylor Bears and TCU Horned Frogs were held to just 14 points each through 4 quarters. TCU would end up pulling off the win in double overtime, 28-21. In the regular season finale, Baylor played an old rival at home, the Texas Longhorns. After Johnson, Baylor's third-string--and only remaining--quarterback left the game in the first quarter, Baylor was forced to play the remaining game with a receiver at quarterback, almost solely running the football. Baylor went on to lose that game 23-17, though it wasn't for a lack of effort. After falling behind 20-0 in the third quarter, the Bears came storming back with 17 unanswered points. After a Texas field goal made the score 23-17, Baylor would get the ball back with a chance to win the game in the closing minutes, though not having the ability to throw the ball competently made this prospect all the more daunting. After a failed Hail Mary attempt in the closing seconds--which was thrown by the team's third-string running back--the Bears fell to the Longhorns 23-17. There they were, sitting at 9-3, after coming into the season hoping for a 12-0 record and a berth in the College Football Playoffs. As disappointing as 9-3 might have seemed, the team and its fans had to be proud of the way this team overcame the many obstacles put in front of it. Coach Briles and his team never gave up, despite all of their setbacks. Riddled with injuries, the Bears were now looking forward to playing the top-10 ranked, 11-2 North Carolina Tar Heels in the Russell Athletic Bowl, fresh off a close loss to number 1 ranked Clemson in the ACC championship game. About a week before kickoff, the Bears learned that not only would they be without their first- and second-string quarterbacks, but that they would also be without their first-string running back and their best receiver, Bilitnekoff winner and NFL-bound Corey Coleman. Nobody in the world of college football would have batted an eye if the Bears lost, as they were expected to. But, much to the chagrin of the number 10 team in the land, the Bears tossed out the script and wrote their own version of the game. The Bears put together one of the best performances of the season, amassing a record-breaking 645 rushing yards against a previously stout defense. The Bears, known for their prolific pass offense, only threw for 111 yards. But with the way the team was running the ball they didn't need to throw it. The Tar Heels were no match for Baylor's quick running backs and powerful offensive line. The Bears' physicality and Coach Art Briles' ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances led to the team's 49-38 victory in the Russell Athletic Bowl, but once again the game was never as close as the final score indicated. With the win, the Bears finished the season at 10-3, their third-straight 10-win season and fourth in the past five years. This is a far cry from where the program was 10 years ago. Though the Bears came into the season with national title hopes, this team should be proud of what it accomplished. Given the hand it was dealt, nobody would have blamed the Bears if they finished at 8-4 or 8- 5. But this team pushed through the pain and battled, defeating two top-10 teams in their last four games of the season, despite missing several of its best players. I'd like to congratulate the Baylor Bears for their successful 2015 season and exhilarating win over the number 10 North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl. They made the state of Texas proud. I look forward to watching the team play next season. If the Bears got the injury curse out of the way in 2015, then watch out. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I wouldn't bet against a healthy Bears squad in 2016. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, recently the Harris County, Texas, Precinct 4 Constable's Office received a phone call from Alaska. The Anchorage Police Department was looking for a missing teenage girl. They knew that she had met some bad people on social media and believed she was in Houston. They were correct. Human sex traffickers targeted her on social media because slave traders are on the prowl for young, impressionable girls at the mall and online. They act like a friend or a boyfriend until they trap the victim. Then they enslave and force these young girls to sell their bodies over and over again. Mr. Speaker, our kids are sold at the marketplace of sex slavery. Why was this teenager trafficked from Alaska to Texas? Because of demand. People, sex deviants are willing to buy and force other humans into bondage. We cannot end human trafficking without ending demand. As we recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Americans must fight for our kids and combat this modern-day slavery. That includes sending the sellers and the buyers of kidnapped young girls to prison and rescuing the victims. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the great World War II was at its peak. So, on September 11, 1943, 28-year-old Sandy Thompson left her teaching job and volunteered for the Women Airforce Service Pilots, better known as the WASP. As a pilot, she towed targets for live antiaircraft practice, helped deliver planes to overseas bases, and tested new aircraft. Of the 1,000 women who were WASPs, 38 were killed during their missions. Sixteen of these unsung heroes still live in Texas, and these pilots are part of the Greatest Generation. WASPs were considered civilians until 1977. Then Congress granted them veteran status. In 2002, the WASPs were allowed to be cremated and have their ashes placed in Arlington National Cemetery, but now bureaucrats have decided that these veterans are not worthy of having a proper military burial and have revoked burial rights in Arlington. The reason they say is a lack of space. This is disgraceful. A lack of space is a sorry excuse to dishonor these veterans. Mr. Speaker, the government owns 23 percent of the land mass in the United States. Find space to permanently honor these female veterans. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this piece of legislation up to the House floor. Mr. Speaker, North Korea is a world threat, a nuclear world threat. Its leaders are outlaws with no redeeming social character in their souls, and we need to operate with them knowing this. Last week, North Korea tested another nuclear weapon. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, I held a hearing in October and predicted that this test would happen again. With Iran about to receive hundreds of billions of dollars for its illegal nuclear program, we shouldn't be surprised that North Korea wants a piece of the pie, too. Illegal nuclear programs and material can bring a lot of money to a regime. In the hearing that we had in October, we learned of deep connections between Iran and North Korea. Both nations, among other things, sponsor worldwide terror. They have a history of working together on missile development. There is mounting evidence that they have worked together on their nuclear weapons programs as well. We should expect Iran to keep working with North Korea to advance its own nuclear weapons program. We have sanctions on North Korea, but all those sanctions have not been fully implemented. The administration's policy of strategic patience is not working because this barbaric regime continues to develop nuclear weapons and ICBMs. I say our patience has run out in dealing with them. This bill is Congress showing North Korea that there are consequences for their testing of nuclear weapons. We cannot let North Korea develop its nuclear program even more. North Korea already has submarines with missiles on them that can reach the United States, over 10 nuclear bombs, and for some reason has Austin on its hit list. I take that personally, Mr. Speaker, that Austin is their number one target in the United States. North Korea is a state that imprisons Christians for their faith, starves its citizens, controls the Internet and the media, tortures anyone in its domain who dares to disagree with the regime, and is engaged in cyberterrorism. Dangerous actions by a ruthless dictator must be met by forceful responses. I am glad to be an original cosponsor of this bill. I urge its passage. It is time for them to pay the price for going rogue. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, terror has come to my hometown of Houston, Texas. Yesterday, the FBI arrested 24-year-old Omar Saeed Al Hardan, a Palestinian born in Iraq who came to the U.S. as a refugee. He has been indicted for providing support to ISIS, a terrorist organization. Al Hardan applied for full citizenship, and when he did, he lied on his application, saying he wasn't associated with terrorist organizations. The evidence shows that he is a troll for ISIS. Prior to coming to America, he had been trained to operate machine guns. The administration says that the 31 State Governors who want to turn away unvetted refugees have no right to refuse them. That is why Senator Cruz and I have introduced the State Refugee Security Act of 2015. This legislation will give State Governors the right, under the 10th Amendment, to deny the entrance of unvetted refugees to their State. Congress must take immediate action to support those States that have refused to participate in the refugee resettlement program because of serious security concerns. This case shows that the FBI Director was right. America cannot properly vet refugees. The interest of foreign refugees should not be more important than the safety of citizens in the United States. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the administration blames the violence in America on gun dealers and Congress. So the administration is going to issue some more executive memos and unilaterally ignore the Second Amendment. Never mind that the administration's illegal action would not have prevented any of the tragic mass shootings in recent years. The administration should be prosecuting criminals who use guns, not vetoing the Second Amendment. The administration's executive action on gun control is just the latest example of the White House attempting to bypass the Constitution and the legislative branch to implement a political agenda. The Constitution does not have a Burger King provision for the executive branch. The President cannot have it his way. Laws are written by Congress. The executive is to enforce the law, and the former constitutional professor should know better than to dictate new law, regardless of whether he thinks it is a good idea or not. The administration's edict granting of executive amnesty has already been ruled unconstitutional by lower courts, but it seems that the administration won't let the Constitution get in the way of political expediency. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, right now there is probably a group of folks down the street at a large oak table in a marble palace, nibbling on their $16 Federal muffins, drinking their lattes, typing on their new iPads regulations. They are the regulators. The very term brings fear and trepidation into the hearts of people who work for a living. Meanwhile, 14 million Americans are sitting at their old kitchen table, drinking coffee from their Mr. Coffee pot with no job on the horizon. Small-business owners constantly say that complying with government regulations is the biggest economic problem they face, even more so than the Federal income tax. Bear in mind that we have the highest corporate income tax in the world. Some businesses pack up their bags and even move to places like China. Meanwhile, the U.S. regulators are putting businesses out of business. Now, Congress created the regulators, so Congress needs to fix the problem with the regulators. H.R. 712, the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015, takes a number of commonsense approaches and puts a check on the regulators. Mr. Chairman, there are 175,000 pages of regulations. Do you really think we need that many regulations? One of the most important provisions of this bill is it will require the executive branch to make semiannual and annual disclosures about planned regulations. A lot of times, the regulators don't have any idea of the economic costs of their decisions and what they will have on the American economy. Many of them have never worked in private industry. They have never been to the States that they are trying to regulate. This bill will force the regulators to determine the cost of their actions before they take action. These disclosures will help American job creators so they can plan for the impacts of the new regulations on their budgets, hiring, and operations. I urge support of this logical piece of legislation. Congress needs to rein in and regulate the regulators. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago I spoke on the House floor about the brilliant season the Houston Cougars and their coach, Tom Herman, experienced this year. In that speech I mentioned how the Cougars had a huge fight coming up on New Year's Eve against the traditional blue-blood, powerhouse Florida State Seminoles. Well, December 31st and 2015 have come and gone, and the Houston Cougars finished the year 13-1 with a 38-24 victory over the Seminoles in the Peach Bowl. Coach Tom Herman may be known as an offensive innovator, but this team fought hard on both sides of the ball. The Cougars' fast-moving and hard-hitting defense rattled Florida State's offense, while their quick-paced and prolific offense sped past the Seminoles' defense. Folks, this game was one for the ages and solidified this season as one of the greatest in Cougar history. There can't be enough said about the resiliency and fight this team showed all year. I'm proud to call myself an alumnus and a Houston Cougar for life. The Houston Cougars woke up for the first time in 2016 as Peach Bowl champions and proved to the doubters that they could play with anybody in the country. 2015 started in uncertainty for the program: they were breaking in a new coach, a new system, and in their second year of a new football stadium. But as 2016 gets rolling, the only uncertainty for the Cougars now is where to place all the trophies they collected this year. And that's just the way it is.