Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Interesting. I will yield back my time to Mr. Gohmert. Thank you.

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Appreciate his comments and Mr. Conaway's comments, especially with his background as a CPA, he understand numbers maybe a whole lot better than some of the others of us here. In less than 2 months, the stock market has dropped over 2,000 points. It's below 7,000. Many folks throughout the country who have invested in the stock market have lost somewhere between 25 percent and 50 percent of their investment. My parents are examples of that. They're both 83, and they had hoped that at the end of their existence on this earth that they would be able to live off of their investments. And they, like many other folks, not just senior citizens, are finding that difficulty. It's somewhat disturbing that the voice we hear from those in the administration, different people who work in the administration, take the position that it's almost irrelevant what the investor class thinks about what's going on. Well, it's not irrelevant. It's the investors who put their money into businesses to give those businesses capital so that those businesses can be a going concern. If investors don't invest in business, then that business may not have the capital. And so it is relevant what investors think. And the investor class is not just the rich and famous. It's just the average Americans; some of whom have just a few shares of stock in different businesses in this country. So it's very relevant. And to dismiss their input as irrelevant, I think, is very disturbing because the stock market has plummeted, really, at a record amount in just 4\1/ 2\, 6 weeks. It's interesting times we live in, Mr. Gohmert, that we are seeing right before our eyes the entire change in philosophy about America. America was founded upon the principles of individual liberty, capitalism. You know, that's a bad word, nowadays. It was not founded on the principle of government control of our lives, the government solving every problem that exists for everyone of us or every business. But yet, we have moved, in just a few short weeks, to government. Government is the solution, so sayeth some. And the way that the government has gotten involved with first, controlling the banking industry, the financial markets, the automobile industry, and of course, none of those entities are any better off today than they were before the government got involved. So the answer for government is, more control of those entities, more money to those entities, those failing entities. And now we hear about the fact that we want the government to provide universal health care for everybody. That sounds good. People should have health care, have a way to take care of themselves when they are medically disabled or when they need to go to the doctor. But the answer for universal health care is to have the government run this program. We don't use the word socialism anymore because that's a bad word. We just call it government control. And I have seen, as many people have, as you have in other countries, how government-controlled health care, first of all, does not provide better health care for the citizens. History proves that. You can look at Canada; you can look at France. I was in the former Soviet Union when it was the Soviet Union, and I went to a doctor's office to see how people got their universal health care in the Soviet Union. Well, first of all, there's a line down the street waiting to see the doctor. And the line starts early in the morning, but at 4:00 in the afternoon, the doctor goes home. People in the line, they've got to come back the next day and get in line again. That is what universal health care meant in the Soviet Union. It's never worked. It hasn't worked anywhere. History shows that. If we like universal health care, or socialized medicine--as I call it--like they have in France, it will have the efficiency of the post office and the confidence of FEMA and the compassion of the IRS and of other government-run programs. So, when we think about government programs, most of those really aren't as successful as the government claims them to be. I don't see how, when we're out of money, we can spend money we don't have and then prosper. That has not worked, Mr. Gohmert. The more we spend, the worse off it seems the country is--the government control of our lives, its the citizens, the government control of our money and the government control of our businesses. What has taken place is that the government makes decisions that this program or this special interest group will receive government funding for whatever reason. Then what the government does is it takes money from other people, from American citizens, because we're not smart enough to decide how to spend our own money, so the government decides and then gives it to these different special interest groups throughout the country with the idea that, well, it will help the economy, that it will help get us out of this recession. Well, that theory, so far, has not worked since the first bailout. The Congressional Budget Office, which is a group of people who are certainly not partisan, but they do numbers--all they do are numbers kind of like Mr. Conaway did numbers in his CPA business before he came to Congress. They say all of this spending is not going to help the economy. We haven't heard much about that because they're not giving a favorable report about the stimulus package, but that's what they say. We don't have the money. We're going to have to borrow it from people who, you know, preferably we shouldn't be borrowing it from. I was as embarrassed as you were, Judge, when our Secretary of State seemingly begged the Chinese to loan us more money. I don't think that's a position that the United States should ever be in, especially borrowing money from China of all places. We hear that we're going to tax folks who make over $250,000. The rich, you know, don't need all that money. They need to share it with everybody else, you know, sort of like redistributing wealth in this country. Well, of course, the people making over $250,000 pay most of the taxes, and 40 something percent of Americans don't pay any income tax, but the practical matter is we're not so sure those people are going to keep working. I have people in my district who are small business owners, who run a little shop of some kind, who employ seven or eight people, but they have a sole proprietorship of that business; therefore, they file an income tax. If they make more than $250,000, they're going to be hit by this. Small businesses are the core of this country in making new jobs, especially historically, and there are only a couple of ways they can pay those taxes. Since they're going to be in a higher tax bracket, they're going to have to have somebody laid off when they're in the higher tax bracket or they're going to have to take in less money. Either way, it doesn't help the business or it doesn't help the economy. They can do something else. I've gotten a few calls--we do have a few people who make over $250,000 in Humboldt, Texas--and they said they're going to cut back. They're just going to get themselves in the position where they're below $250,000. They don't think they should be working, when they're in that higher tax bracket, to pay for programs for other people. When they cut back, they cut back employees, but it also cuts back revenue into the Federal Treasury. So I don't know how many people are going to take the downsizing approach, because of the tax structure, but I can understand why people feel that way. As far as taxes go, I feel like we shouldn't be raising taxes during a recession. I don't know that economic theory that says that it works to raise taxes during a recession. History shows, if you raise taxes, you get less productivity because people have to turn more money over to the government. The stimulus bill, as my friend Mr. Conaway has talked about, and some of these programs that are in the stimulus bill are an effort to move the economy forward and get us out of this recession. Well, it has programs in there, and there are too many to mention. We would be here until next Monday talking about all of the different programs that have nothing to do with stimulating the economy. One of mine that comes to mind is that we're going to require Americans to give $30 million to the government so the government can give that $30 million to San Francisco to set up a wetland to save the salt marsh mouse in the San Francisco Bay. Now, I didn't know that San Francisco had a salt marsh mouse, but they have it, and they want to keep him, so we're giving them $30 million. Now, how is that going to stimulate the economy? I'm not so sure that the taxpayers would really want to spend their money to save a rat or--excuse me--a mouse in San Francisco. We prefer not to keep those where we're from in Texas, but anyway--and the stimulus bill is filled with programs like that. In my opinion, it's very disturbing. So maybe we should cut spending. One thing that we haven't talked about is cutting the spending that we give to foreign countries. You know, every year, we roll out the U.S. currency and give it to countries all over the world, many of whom, as you have pointed out in previous speeches, Mr. Gohmert, have voted against us in the United Nations. They hate us; they vilify us, but they take our money. Sometimes, of course, the money doesn't even get to the people; it's given to the dictators. So maybe we ought to start there. Let's go through the foreign countries that we give money to and decide whether or not we're going to give them any American money this year. We need to cut back instead of spend more money. There's another thing I'd like to mention in closing. I represent southeast Texas where there's a lot of blue-collar folks, a lot of rice farmers, and it includes part of suburban Houston. One of my friends there is a guy by the name of Sammy Mahan. I, like you all, talk to regular folks as much as I can to find out what they think. He runs a wrecker service in Baytown, Texas. He has five drivers and five wreckers that he uses. He and I were talking about the stimulus package, and he asked me: He said, ``Well, how are we going to pay for it?'' ``Well, Sammy, we really don't have the money. We're probably going to have to borrow the money from the Chinese and maybe have a tax increase down the road.'' Then he said, ``Well, how much is it going to cost?'' ``$790 billion,'' I said. He said, ``No. No, Ted. How much is it going to cost me?'' ``Well, the budget office has figured out it's about $10,000 per family in the United States.'' Then he said, ``Well, just opt me out.'' ``Well, what do you mean, `opt you out,' Sammy?'' ``Give me a form,'' he said. ``I want to sign my name. I want to opt out of that deal.'' ``Sammy,'' I said, ``I can't do that.'' ``You're my Congressman,'' he said. ``You can do that. Take care of that. Send me the form. You deduct $10,000 from the $790 billion. That's my portion. I don't want to pay for it,'' and he hung up on me. So I think many Americans, if they had a choice on these stimulus bills, on this wasteful spending that doesn't help the economy, would want to opt out. Maybe we should give them that choice. We might bring that stimulus spending down a little bit. I appreciate the time. I think maybe we ought to go back and look at some basics that have worked and where history in this country has proven that, when you tax something, you get less of it, and you get less productivity. So maybe we ought to cut taxes for all Americans who pay income tax. Then they can have more of their own, and they can spend it the way they want to rather than having us, as the government, deciding how to spend it. I appreciate that. I yield back the rest of my time. Thank you.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, 163 years ago this night, on March the 5th, 1836, would be the last night for a group of individuals who came from all over the United States. They were from most of the States. They were from numerous foreign countries. They were odd sorts of individuals. They were frontiersmen, landowners, lawyers, unemployed. They were of all races--black, white and brown--but they were all volunteers, and most of them knew that this would be their last night after spending 12 days defending an old, beat-up Spanish fort that had already been over 100 years old. It was now a mission but also a fortress, what we call the Alamo. You see, this odd bunch of individuals ended up there because all of them had ended up and had come to Texas from different parts of the country--from Mexico, from Europe--to seek a new life. Backing up in history a little bit, the country of Spain had claimed most of Central America and Mexico, which included Texas at the time. Mexico decided to revolt against Spain. That revolution was successful, and in 1824, the country of Mexico adopted a constitution drafted very similarly to ours, which gave civil liberties to all people in Mexico, which included Texas. But Mexico had a problem with a dictator. His name was Santa Anna, and when he became dictator of Mexico, he abolished the Constitution of 1824. He eliminated civil rights. He abolished the right to be tried by a jury, and he imposed dictator powers on Mexico. That offended people who lived in what is now Texas. It offended people of all races. So, in 1835, a revolution started in Texas. Then on March the 6th, 1836, which would be tomorrow morning, 13 days after defending the Alamo, these individuals were sieged by a force of military Mexican soldiers several times the size of the 187 defenders. Most of them knew that that would be their last night on Earth and that tomorrow they would see their fate because they were outnumbered. You have heard all of their names throughout history. Probably the most famous are a Tennessee Congressman by the name of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, famous from Louisiana, but there were others--Juan Sequin from Mexico, who was a scout, or William Barret Travis, the commander of the Alamo. Jim Bonham was a scout who was also a boyhood friend of William Barret Travis. In all, there were 187. William Barret Travis was a 27-year-old lawyer from South Carolina, then Alabama, and then he came to what is now Texas. All of these individuals called themselves, not Texans, but Texians. Even Hispanic defenders of the Alamo referred to themselves as Tehanos, or Texians. No one came to the help of the individuals who were at the Alamo, even though Travis had sent out numerous requests for aid, except for 32 men from the small town of Gonzales. They marched their way into the Alamo walls, and when they arrived, Travis made the comment, ``These men came to die.'' We all have heard about his famous letter that he has written, that is now in history, about how he had asked for aid and about how he was determined to sustain himself for as long as possible, which he did. Some historians say and tradition says that, before the last day took place on March the 5th, in the evening, William Barret Travis drew a line in the sand with his sword, and he told those individuals who wanted to fight, and yet die for the Republic of Texas, to cross the line. Historians say the first person to cross the line was a 26-year-old kid from Ohio. All walked over except an individual by the name of Moses Rose. Moses Rose was an individual from France, and he decided not to stay at the Alamo, and left over the Alamo wall. He later became one of the biggest sources for what took place at the Alamo. That next morning, Santa Anna assaulted the troops, assaulted the fort, and after several hours of fighting, the fort was taken. What few defenders were captured after they surrendered were summarily executed, and the bodies were burned. William Barret Travis made the comment that victory would be more costly to the enemy than defeat. He was right. Ten times the number of Santa Anna's military and army were defeated and killed at that battle. Mr. Speaker, it's important that we remember the men of the Alamo who fought for victory in the Republic of Texas. It's important that we always remember anybody anywhere in the world who fights for liberty, and we honor those people tonight. And that's just the way it is. Defenders of the Alamo That Died March 6, 1836, by Mary Ann Noonon Guerra, historian Abamillo, Juan, San Antonio (Mexico); Allen, Robert, Virginia; Andross, Miles Deforest, 21, Vermont; Autry, Micajah, 42, North Carolina; Badillo, Juan Antonio, San Antonio (Mexico); Bailey, Peter James III, Kentucky; Baker, Isaac G., 22, Arkansas; Baker, William Charles M., Missouri; Ballentine, John J., Pennsylvania; Ballentine, Richard W., 22, Scotland; Baugh, John J., 33, Virginia; Bayliss, Joseph, 28, Tennessee; Blair, John, Tennessee; Blair, Samuel C., 33, Tennessee; Blazeby, William, 41, England; Bonham, James Butler, 29, South Carolina; Bourne, Daniel, 26, England; Bowie, James, 40, Kentucky; Bowman, Jesse B., 51, Tennessee; Brown, George, 35, England; Brown, James Murry, 36, Pennsylvania; Brown, Robert, 18, Unknown; Buchanan, James, 23, Alabama; Burns, Samuel E., 26, Ireland; Butler, George D., 23, Missouri; Cain (Cane), John, 34, Pennsylvania; Campbell, James (Robert), 26, Tennessee; Carey, William R., 30, Virginia; Clark, Charles Henry, Missouri; Clark, M.B., Mississippi; Cloud, Daniel William, 24, Kentucky; Cochran, Robert E., 26, New Hampshire; Cottle, George Washington, 27, Missouri; Courtman, Henry, 28, Germany; Crawford, Lemuel, 22, South Carolina; Crockett, David, 50, Tennessee; Crossman, Robert, 26, Pennsylvania; Cummings, David P., 29, Pennsylvania; Cunningham, Robert W., 34, New York; Darst, Jacob C., Kentucky; Davis, John, Kentucky; Day, Freeman H.K., Unknown; Day, Jerry C., Missouri; Daymon, Squire, Tennessee; Dearduff, William, Tennessee; Dennison, Stephen (or Ireland), England; Despallier, Charles, Louisiana; Dickerson (Dickinson), Almeron, 36, Tennessee; Dimpkins, James R., England; Duvalt, Andrew, Ireland; Espalier, Carlos, San Antonio (Mexico); Esparza, Gregorio (Jose Maria), San Antonio (Mexico); Evans, Robert, Ireland; Evans, Samuel B., New York; Ewing, James L., Tennessee; Fishbaugh, William, Alabama; Flanders, John, Massachusetts; Floyd, Dolphin Ward, North Carolina; Forsyth, John Hubbard, 39, New York; Fuentes, Antonio, San Antonio (Mexico); Fuqua, Galba, Alabama; Garnett, William, Virginia; Garrand, James W., Louisiana; Garrett, James Girard, Tennessee; Garvin, John E., Unknown; Gaston, John E., 17, Kentucky; George, James, Unknown; Goodrich, John Camp, Virginia; Grimes, Albert (Alfred) Calvin, Georgia; Gwynne, James C., England; Hannum, James, Pennsylvania; Harris, John, Kentucky; Harrison, Andrew Jackson, Tennessee; Harrison, William B., Ohio; Haskell, Charles M., Tennessee; Hawkins, Joseph M., Ireland; Hays, John M., Tennessee; Herndon, Patrick Henry, Virginia; Hersee, William Daniel, England; Holland, Tapely, 26, Ohio; Holloway, Samuel, Pennsylvania; Howell, William D., Massachusetts; Jackson, Thomas, Ireland; Jackson, William Daniel, Kentucky; Jameson, Green B., Kentucky; Jennings, Gordon C., Connecticut; Jimenez, Damacio, San Antonio (Mexico); Johnson, Lewis, Wales; Jones, John, New York; Kellogg, John Benjamin, Kentucky; Kenny, James, Virginia; Kent, Andrew, Kentucky; Kerr, Joseph, Louisiana; Kimble (Kimbell), George C., Pennsylvania; King, William Phillip, 15, San Antonio (Mexico); Lewis, William Irvine, San Antonio (Mexico); Lightfoot, William J., San Antonio (Mexico); Lindley, Jonathan L., Illinois; Linn, William, Massachusetts; Losoya, Jose Toribio, San Antonio (Mexico); Main, George Washington, Virginia; Malone, William T., Virginia; Marshall, William, Tennessee; Martin, Albert, Rhode Island; McCafferty, Edward, Unknown; McCoy, Jesse, Tennessee; McDowell, William, Pennsylvania; McGee, James, Ireland; McGregor, John, Scotland; McKinney, Robert, Tennessee; Melton, Elice (Eliel), 38, Georgia; Miller, Thomas R., Tennessee; Millsaps, Isaac, 41, Mississippi; Mills, William, Tennessee; Mitchasson, Edward F., Virginia; Mitchell, Napoleon B., Unknown; Moore, Robert B., Virginia; Moore, Willis A., Mississippi; Musselman, Robert, 31, Ohio; Nava, Andres, San Antonio (Mexico); Neggan, George, South Carolina; Nelson, Andrew M., Tennessee; Nelson, Edward, South Carolina; Nelson, George, South Carolina; Northcross, James, Virginia; Nowlan, James, England, Pagan, George, Mississippi; Parker, Christopher Adams, Mississippi; Parks, William, North Carolina; Perry, Richardson, San Antonio (Mexico); Pollard, Amos, 33, Massachusetts; Reynolds, John Purdy, Pennsylvania; Robertson, James Waters, Tennessee; Roberts, Thomas H., Unknown; Robinson, Isaac, Scotland; Rose, James M., Ohio; Rusk, Jackson J., Ireland; Rutherford, Joseph, Kentucky; Ryan, Isaac, Louisiana; Scurlock, Mial; North Carolina; Sewell, Marcus L., England; Shied, Manson, Georgia; Simmons, Cleveland Kinloch, 21, South Carolina; Smith, Andrew H., Tennessee; Smith, Charles S., Maryland; Smith, Joshua G., North Carolina; Smith, William H., Unknown; Starr, Richard, England; Stewart James E., England; Stockton, Richard Lucius, New Jersey; Summerlin, A. Spain, Tennessee; Summers, William E., Tennessee; Sutherland, William Depriest, 18, Alabama; Taylor, Edward, Tennessee; Taylor, George, Tennessee; Taylor, James, Tennessee; Taylor, William, Tennessee; Thomas, B. Archer M., Kentucky; Thomas, Henry, Germany; Thompson, Jesse G., Arkansas; Thomson, John W., North Carolina; Thurston, John M., Pennsylvania; Trammel Burke, Ireland; Travis, William Barret, 27, South Carolina; Tumlinson, George W., Missouri; Tylee, James, New York; Walker, Asa, Tennessee; Walker, Jacob, 37, Tennessee; Ward, William B., 30, Ireland; Warnell, Henry, 24, Arkansas; Washington, Joseph G., Kentucky; Waters, Thomas, England; Wells, William, Georgia; White, Isaac, Alabama; White, Robert, Unknown; Williamson, Hiram James, Pennsylvania; Wills, William, Georgia; Wilson, David L., Scotland; Wilson, John, 32, Pennsylvania; Wolfe, Anthony (Avram), England; Wright, Claiborne, North Carolina; Zanco, Charles, Denmark; and John (last name unknown), Unknown.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, under the new tax proposal, those that make over $250,000 are going to have a massive tax increase so the government can redistribute that money to special groups. Those in this high tax group already pay most of the taxes and create most of the new jobs in small busines. But we have got a problem. These same folks are considering cutting back their work productivity so they make less than $250,000. According to ABC News, some individuals who own business also are going to downsize because of the tax increase. A lawyer in Louisiana says, ``Why kill yourself working if it is given away to people who aren't working as hard?'' A dentist in Colorado said she is going to work fewer days, see fewer patients and eliminate employees so she can be underneath the tax increase. She says, ``If I am going to be working just to give it back to the government, it is demoralizing.'' Mr. Speaker, this cannot be. What are we to do if all these small business owners start following this downsizing plan, lay off employees and don't send more money to Washington? Don't they know they can't do that? Don't they know that they need to pay more taxes to take care of the rest of us? Mr. Speaker, all citizens pay enough income tax already. It is absurd to raise taxes on anybody during this recession. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I should inform you that the Red Coats are coming! The Red Coats are coming! The United States Capitol once again has been invaded by the Red Coats. I am not talking about Prime Minister Gordon Brown who spoke to this assembly this morning. I am not talking about the fact that the British came and burned this building in 1814. No, not at all. But the Nation's Capitol is simply being taken away from the American people. The new Capitol Visitors Center, the CVC as they call themselves, opened its doors in December of 2008, and since that day many new bureaucratic rules have been decreed. These new regulations infringe on the American people's right to visit this Capitol. It is their building. It doesn't belong to us or to the Red Coats. Mr. Speaker, there once was a time when a family would come from my district. They would show up at my office and they would ask to see the Capitol. Myself or a staffer would bring them over to the Capitol, take them through these mighty halls by showing them the statues of the two famous people from Texas, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, giving them a peak at the old Supreme Court Chamber, and they could spend as much time in this building as they wanted to. But no more. Apparently the good old times have been replaced by censored, controlled tours which can only be given by the CVC staff, the Red Coats. Now, before a staff member can even help on a tour of this Capitol, that person must attend a 6-hour or 2-day-long propaganda school given by the CVC Red Coats. The actual tour that everybody must see before they come into this building starts with an opening video given by the Red Coats. It is a controlled and censored video and a controlled and censored trip through this building. The theme opens in the video by saying that the national motto of the United States is ``E Pluribus Unum'', which means, according to the video, ``Out of Many, One.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, I must have missed something. I thought that the United States motto was directly above your head, which says ``In God We Trust.'' But not according to the Red Coats. They just changed the national motto on their own. There is, in fact, no mention of those words or religious history of our country in the entire CVC complex. This includes their exhibit halls, which are supposed to chronicle the real history of America. But the Red Coats have rewritten the history of the United States and omit religion or any reference to God. Once citizens watch the video, they are allowed into this building to go on their tour, as long as they do it on time and they are not late. You can't wander around and get away from the Red Coat tour guide like the old days. They get to spend a few minutes in the rotunda, a few minutes in Statuary Hall and a couple of minutes in the crypt. But that is it. There is no looking around at the paintings by Brumidi in the hallways. And if your State statue is not on the controlled tour, you are out of luck. You don't get to see it. Unfortunately, now one of Texas' statues is off the approved route. I guess my constituents will just have to become a Member of Congress before they will ever get to see it. Mr. Speaker, I believe that we should make visiting our Capitol a safe and pleasurable experience for all constituents and all Americans everywhere, and these politically correct positions by the Red Coats are not the way to do it. I recently signed a letter that is being sponsored by Mr. Kirk and Mr. Loebsack that outlines just a few of these ridiculous regulations. This letter, bipartisan, of course, goes to Mr. Ayers, the acting Architect of the Capitol, who is the chief Red Coat. Member offices have little control over scheduling tours. Once in awhile somebody will just show up in my office and they want to go see this building. It is their first and only trip to Washington. You can't do that anymore. You have got to get on a list and you have got to make that request a month ahead of time at least before you can come into this building. Those ``dropin'' days are over, unfortunately, because the Red Coat police are in charge, and if they walk through the building and they get off the tour, the Red Coat police dress them down. Late groups are often turned away. If a family misses their tour by a few minutes or the security lines are too long and they don't get there on time, they may be out of luck and not even get in this building. They are sent home to come back another time. Unless they are trained by the CVC, congressional staff members are no longer allowed to even give tours. And don't forget those ``reeducation sessions'' last between 6 hours and 2 days. According to a letter I just received from the CEO of the Visitor Center, things are going pretty good, according to them. They say thousands of people are making reservations. Well, apparently that is true, because my staff assistant is having an impossible time booking tours for our constituents during the first week of April, spring break, when most of them are coming up here. And the Capitol, unfortunately, is not friendly anymore. Mr. Speaker, the United States Capitol belongs to the American people. It doesn't belong to us. It doesn't belong to the Red Coats. It belongs to the American people. And I am disappointed in the new regulations from the CVC and the disrespect that has been shown to the American people and Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, the Red Coats have arrived and they are stealing the people's Capitol away from America. That ought not to be, but that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I support this resolution. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration (Mr. King of Iowa).

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee (Mr. Smith of Texas).

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the gentlelady from California for introducing this very important legislation, this commonsense legislation, to help the medical community but, more importantly, to help those who are medically ill throughout the United States and the rest of the world. So I support H.R. 1127, which reauthorizes two deserving programs through the end of this fiscal year. Foreign citizens who participate in medical residencies in the United States on what is called the ``J'' visa exchange program must generally leave the United States at the conclusion of their residencies and reside abroad for 2 years before they can be allowed to return to this country. The intent is to encourage American-trained foreign doctors to go home to improve health conditions and advance the medical profession in their native countries. In 1994, Congress created a waiver of this 2-year foreign residence requirement, and this waiver was available, if requested, by the State departments of public health for foreign doctors who are committed to practicing medicine for 3 years in areas having a shortage of health care professionals. This program has been very successful, and Congress has extended the waiver on multiple occasions. This waiver's current authorization expires this Friday. The gentlelady from California, with this legislation, reauthorizes the waiver until September 30, 2009, the end of the fiscal year. This bill also extends the authorization for certain religious worker immigrant visas. The Immigration and Nationality Act makes available green cards each year to special immigrant religious workers. This program allows religious denominations in the United States to bring in needed religious workers--both ministers and those working in religious occupations or vocations--so long as the workers have been performing those functions for at least 2 previous years. The non-minister categories were added by the 1990 immigration bill, and Congress has extended their authorization several times since then. However, the authorization also expires this Friday. This bill extends the program through September 30, 2009, the end of the fiscal year. These visas assist many American religious denominations to meet the needs of their followers. Because this bill reauthorizes two worthy immigration programs, I urge my colleagues to support this. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, according to the Bureau of Justice statistics, 35 percent of Americans have little or no confidence in our criminal justice system. It is unfortunate that one-third of the people in this country feel that way. And we shouldn't be surprised because that's all that they hear when they turn on their local news at night is crime and violence. It's mostly bad news about crimes being committed in their communities and across the Nation. But the reality is that crime rates have dropped dramatically since the 1990s. However, because of what people hear and see on the news, most Americans believe the crime rate is actually increasing. It is important to recognize the gains we have made in combating crime across the country, and Americans should have more confidence in this criminal justice system. Mr. Speaker, I've traveled to multiple countries and observed the way their criminal justice system operates. I've been in China, and back in the 1980s I was in the former Soviet Union. I would say that neither one of those countries has a justice system. They just have a system. And our criminal justice system is the best in the world. Not only is it unmatched in its ability to determine the guilt of an individual, but also in the way it assures the rights of defendants and victims in a court of law. This resolution will encourage people across America to talk about the ways to prevent and respond to criminal conduct. And in doing that, it will help restore people's faith in the best justice system in the world, and that's the one that we have in this country because, Mr. Speaker, justice is what we do in this country. And that's just the way it is. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of this resolution, House Resolution 45. The goal of this resolution is to raise awareness and promote education of our criminal justice system by establishing March 2009 as National Criminal Justice Month. It's important to educate Americans about our criminal justice system and encourage discussion on how to prevent and respond to criminal conduct. That's why this legislation has been introduced. As a former prosecutor and judge, I've been involved in the criminal justice system for a long time, 8 years as a prosecutor and 22 years as a criminal court judge in Houston, Texas. And this resolution will encourage communities to discuss the causes, consequences and long-term effects of criminal conduct in our country. It is important for us to talk about why guilty defendants should receive appropriate punishment for their acts, but we should also do everything in our power to make sure victims receive the assistance that they need. After all, long after the crime is committed, a victim still has to face devastating consequences. Sometimes victims are sentenced to a life of misery because of the crime that was committed against them. We have the responsibility to protect the lives of the innocent, and to advocate on behalf of crime victims. That is why I've established the bipartisan Victims' Rights Caucus, along with my friend, Jim Costa from California. The mission of the Caucus is to ensure that victims and law enforcement have a voice in Congress. Every year, millions of Americans become victims of crime. Those crimes range from robbery to homicide. Unfortunately, these people don't choose to become victims of crime, but they are picked by someone else in our community as prey. And suddenly they are thrust into the criminal justice system without having a say. Victims of crime have no high-dollar lobbyist in Washington, D.C. They look to Members of Congress to advocate on their behalf. And the purpose of the system is to provide justice for victims and defendants, because the same Constitution that protects defendants of crime protects crime victims as well. People who commit crimes against the rule of law, which is our society's rule of law, should be held accountable for their actions. In addition, by establishing March 2009 as National Criminal Justice Month, this resolution will also recognize and applaud the efforts of law enforcement officials, judges, court staff, and the many probation officers throughout the country who work with offenders to help them reintegrate into our community. Throughout my years of service, I've been impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the public servants who work in the criminal justice system. These brave and dedicated Americans work every day to make our communities a better and safer community, and they work with defendants to help them turn their lives around. I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, history shows that if you tax something, you get less of it; if you subsidize something, you're going to get more of it. This budget raises taxes. We shouldn't raise taxes during a recession on anyone that pays taxes. Tax increase will do several things. Small businesses that pay most of the taxes, they will have a tax increase. So to pay for these new taxes, they're going to have to cut jobs to pay for those taxes. It raises the utility rates on people that use energy. Now, that hurts those folks, the working poor, who have a fixed income, in essence, a tax increase on the poor. It cuts deductions for home mortgages and charitable contributions; that, in essence, hurts people who try to live in a home and contribute to charities. And the budget redistributes wealth. Abraham Lincoln said, ``You don't make the poor rich by making the rich poor and you don't make the weak strong by making the strong weak.'' The budget is flawed with more government spending, more government control, and it raises taxes. Taxes will create less prosperity, not more prosperity. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I bring you news from the second front. As reported by Sara Carter, the enemy has more than 100,000 foot soldiers. And I'm not talking about al Qaeda and I'm not talking about the Taliban in Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm talking about the drug cartels south of the border in Mexico. The Mexican army isn't much larger than 100,000; so the drug cartels have almost as many foot soldiers as the Mexican military. And the Mexican military, we understand, has been infiltrated by the drug cartels. And these drug cartels are violent. There are two major ones. The Sinaloa cartel, also known as the Federation, and the Zetas cartel, which is known in America as the Gulf cartel. And they both operate down Mexico way. There are four commodities that are being sold and traded across the U.S./Mexico border. Two commodities go north and two of them go south. Going north, operated by the drug cartels, of course, are drugs. Also, the drug cartels working with the coyotes are bringing people into the United States, both illegally done. Going south are guns that the drug cartels end up using and, of course, that money, that filthy lucre that funds all of this process. Right here, Madam Speaker, I have a photograph that was taken this past weekend in Juarez, Mexico, right across the border from El Paso, Texas. It's a population of about four times the size of El Paso. And the Mexican government has tried to do something about it. You see here federal police officers, a convoy, that goes for a mile, going into Juarez to try to control the drug cartels. Here you have peace officers or federal peace officers or military with M-16 rifles. Madam Speaker, it's a war zone. It's a border war. And I commend the President of the Mexico for trying to stop the violence on his side of the border. But we are naive to think it's not going to come to the United States because eventually it will. It is a national security issue, Madam Speaker. Some say that Mexico will be a failed state because of the drug cartels' influence, and it's certainly a tough situation for Mexican nationals that live along the border. I've been on both sides of the border, and I've seen it's a tough situation for people who live there because they live in fear because the drug cartels are fearless and they would do anything to bring those drugs into the United States. Our own State Department has issued a spring break advisory: Don't go to Mexico. It's not safe to go down there. There are beheadings of local and law enforcement officers. There are kidnappings of not only Mexican nationals but Americans that are being kidnapped now on our side of the border. It's a violent place, Madam Speaker. The United States now says that only Pakistan and Iran are more of a national security concern than Mexico. That's serious, and we should be concerned about it. We now understand, of course, about the corruption in the Mexican Government. Even though President Calderon is trying to do what he can, you see, those drug cartels pay their criminals a whole lot more money than these federal peace officers get paid, and they switch sides and some of them even work for the federal government in Mexico. So he's put troops on the border. I'm talking about the President of the Mexico. He's put several thousands of troops on the border. Several thousand went into Juarez to try to stop the drug cartels from operating there. More importantly, Madam Speaker, this is a national security issue for the United States. Both sides of the border are violent, and we need to do everything we can to deal with this problem. The first thing we need to do is realize it's going on. In last year's election, neither person running for President ever mentioned the border problem. They didn't want to talk about that. It wasn't politically correct. We have to deal with this issue. We have to help the Border Patrol. We need to change the rules of engagement. The Border Patrol, right now they can't shoot anybody unless they're shot at. They have got to take the first bullet; so they back off. We need to help the sheriffs. One of the sheriffs down in Texas told me that the drug cartels outgun them, out-finance them and out-man them. They've got better equipment, more money, and more people. A deputy sheriff in South Texas makes about $12,000 a year. A guy running drugs or guns across the border will make that much in 2 weeks. It's important that we help them. And, of course, I think that we ought to put our troops on the border. If we put our troops, the National Guard, on the border, people will quit crossing. Mexico is doing what it can with its military, but we won't do that because we might offend somebody. Down the road the United States has to deal with the real problem, and that's the tremendous addiction Americans have for illicit drugs. We have to deal with that or this is all going to continue. But until we fix that problem, we need to stop the crime from coming into the United States. It is time, Madam Speaker, that we realize the truth because the first duty of government is not building roads and bridges and sending money to museums and foreign aid. The first duty of government is to protect the people. That's the people of the United States. And our government needs to get with the program and send the National Guard to the border. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in February this House passed two bills that are well over $1 trillion: the illusive Stimulus Bill that rewards special interest groups, and the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Both were passed. There are even more high-dollar government programs being planned in back rooms of this Capitol. So how much is $1 trillion? Well, it's 1 with 12 zeros behind it. It will buy you 36 million Chevrolet Malibus. It's spending $1,000 a day at the mall for 2.5 million years. Or it will pay the college education for every high school graduate for the next 10 years. Mr. Speaker, the problem with this spending is we don't have the money, so we're going have to borrow it or raise taxes. Both of those are bad ideas. This big government spending spree agenda is not helping our economy. The stock market keeps going down. Congress is forcibly taking money from Americans to spend on programs that don't work, and also acquiring debt that Americans yet to be born will have to pay for. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding time. This bill is about history, American history. And sometimes we forget our own history, no matter what it is. But if you recall, it all started in 1861, the War Between the States. And after the smoke cleared, there were 600,000 Americans from the North and from the South killed--250,000 from the South, 350,000 from the North, and many more died years later from wounds that they had received. Many of those battles that took place took place in Virginia. One such battle was the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5-7 of 1864. In that battle, 145,000 troops from the Union and the South fought each other. Madam Speaker, that's the number of troops we have in all of Iraq. They assembled together in Orange County, near Fredericksburg, to do battle. After that battle was over with, between 18,000 and 20,000 died in those 3 days of battle. And that is one of the areas that this bill would affect. It would help preserve the surrounding community to sellers that would willfully sell their land to help preserve the battlefield. One such location near Fredericksburg is a location where the profit motive is moving in. None other than Wal-Mart wants to build a Wal-Mart on the very spot where Union troops assembled before that battle started. And this bill would help protect and preserve that location. This bill is especially important to me and this battle is especially important to me because, although the casualties were great on both sides, the State of Vermont lost a great percentage of the soldiers from Vermont that fought in that battle. And being from Texas, Texas had the same result on the south; 86 percent of the Texans that went to battle in those 3 days were killed or wounded. And it would be important that battles such as the Battle of the Wilderness and all the other battles from the War Between the States be preserved for our heritage because history, Madam Speaker, is what we do in this country.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, this day, March the 2nd, 1836, marks the day Texas declared independence from Mexico and its dictator, Santa Anna. Texas became a free, independent nation for 9 years. March 2 also marks the birth of the person who led Texas to independence, Sam Houston. Born in Virginia in 1793, he fought the Creeks with Andy Jackson, became a Congressman and a Governor from Tennessee. He went to Texas to champion the cause of Texas liberty, and was the commander of the outnumbered Army of Texas that defeated Santa Anna. General Sam became President of the Republic of Texas and, later, Governor and U.S. Senator when Texas was a State. When the War Between the States broke out--ironically, on Sam's birthday and on the 25th anniversary of Texas independence, March the 2nd, 1861--Texas left the Union and joined the Confederacy. Houston refused to take the oath to support the South, so the Texas legislature removed Governor Houston from office. Houston is the only person to have served in Congress from different States, as Governor of two States and as president of a nation. His last words were ``Texas, Texas.'' And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, today is March the 2nd; and on March 2, 1836, my native State, Texas, declared independence from Mexico. It all started back when Texas was a part of Mexico. Mexico revolted from the Spanish empire, won that revolution, and then Texas became a part of northern Mexico. And there was a constitutional republic in Mexico, it was the Constitution of 1824, drafted somewhat after the American Constitution. But things turned sour when a guy by the name of Santa Anna became dictator of Mexico, abolished the constitution, and eliminated civil rights. And people who lived in Texas, both white, brown and black, were offended by that, and so in 1835 revolution started in Texas, or northern Mexico. And on March 2, 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico. It was an interesting time of the year because, you see, on March the second, there were already 187 volunteers in a beat-up old Spanish church not far from where Texas independence was declared, that being Washington on the Brazos. In that beat-up old Spanish church, a mission, it was called the Alamo. And those 187 volunteers from every State in the Union, from 13 foreign countries, including Mexico, of all races stood defiant against Santa Anna's invading Army of about 6,000 that came in to quell the revolution. We all know what happened at the Battle of the Alamo. For 13 days those 187 volunteers withheld the onslaught, and finally on March 6, 4 days hence, the Alamo fell. The Alamo was commanded by my favorite person in all of history, William Barrett Travis. He was a 27-year-old lawyer from South Carolina, then Alabama, and then came to Texas. And one of his last letters from the Alamo pleading for other Texans to come to his help and help Texas' independence was written on February 24, 1836. It goes like this, Madam Speaker: ``To the people of the world and all of Texas, I am besieged by a thousand or more of the enemy under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual bombardment and cannon fire for over 24 hours, but I have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded surrender at its discretion. Otherwise, the fort will be put to the sword. I have answered that demand with a cannon shot. And the flag still waves proudly over the wall. ``I shall never surrender or retreat. I call upon you, in the name of liberty and everything dear to our character, to come to my aid with all dispatch. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself for as long as possible and do what is necessary for my honor and my country. Victory or death. ``God and Texas, William Barrett Travis.'' That was one of the last letters he wrote, and except for 32 men from the small town of Gonzales, no one came to Travis's aid, and the Alamo fell on March 6, 1836. All 187 Texans were killed and about 10 times that number from the Mexican army fell as well. Texans started fleeing to the east to get away from the invading armies, and General Sam Houston was elected as the commander in chief to try to rally what Texans were left to do battle. And on April 21, 1836, where Buffalo Bayou meets the San Jacinto River in what is now Houston, Texas, they did battle with Santa Anna's invading army. It took place in the afternoon on April 21. Madam Speaker, we all know that battles take place in the morning, but yet this battle took place in the afternoon. The outnumbered Texans caught Santa Anna's army sleeping, and in 18 minutes it was complete victory and Texas won its independence. It became a republic. It claimed not only Texas but part of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, all the way to the Canadian border. Texas remained an independent nation for 9 years. Then in 1845, it was allowed into the Union by one vote. Some wished the vote had gone the other way. But be that as it may, Texas was an independent republic for 9 years. And on this day, March the 2nd, we from Texas celebrate the Republic of Texas and Texas' independence and that spirit that gave all Americans what we have today: a free and independent Nation. And we also honor the likes of William Barrett Travis, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Jim Bonham, and Jim Bowie. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Chicago-based bank Northern Trust took $1.6 billion in bailout money. But last week the bank threw a high-dollar party in Los Angeles. The celebration included flying in guests and employees to stay at the Ritz and the Beverly Hills Wilshire. The bank hosted a $6.3 million fancy golf tournament. Northern Trust partied all week by entertaining the rich and famous. Nightly concerts were held that included the groups Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago, and even singer Sheryl Crow. One night, the bank rented the entire establishment of the House of Blues for $50,000 to enjoy the necessities of life. When it was all over, the party animals received Tiffany gift bags. A good time was had by all. Mr. Speaker, corporations can do what they want with their own money, but when banks take taxpayer money, they are responsible to the taxpayers. The bank says they didn't ask for the money. Well, if that's so, the bank should do the right thing. Northern Trust, give us back our $1.6 billion because you can't be trusted with our money. The bank blunder bailout loan has come due. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, one element lost throughout the fight to free Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean is the weakened morale it brought throughout the entire ranks of the Border Patrol and its possible detrimental effects on border security. Everyone in the agency knows it could have been them standing guard along the border in Fabens, TX that February day in 2005. Faced with a similar situation, would they have made the same call as Ramos and Compean? The question is an important one because when placed in future similar situations, agents will pause and hesitate and will think long and hard about what course of action to take and if they take a certain course of action, will their government back them up or will they face scrutiny and prosecution? The border is a dangerous place full of dangerous bad guys who don't contemplate these things. Their job is to get their drugs across the border and will fight with everything they have to accomplish that task. Agents are taught to use their training to help them in the face of danger but even the most trained agent is human and most if not all will pause long and hard with thoughts of Ramos & Compean. Officers who hesitate to act not only risk safety to themselves but they risk losing control of our border to the bad guys. The problem is, the other side knows this and their behavior has been growing ever more hostile and ever more assaultive to see the length they can take. Agents who take aggressive action to hold their border line and protect themselves and their fellow colleagues are constantly looking over their shoulder. The Mexican government has aided in that fear. They constantly are directing pressure from their consulates to local and national offices of the U.S. Attorney's office and FBI to stomp out what they consider are aggressive Border Patrol actions against their citizens, even if they know those citizens are there to commit crimes against the United States. Our government needs to be on the right side of this border war. Our government needs to defend our agents who face hostility from a violent enemy. Our government needs to be less concerned with protecting criminals and more concerned with how agents actions will prevent further crime. Enemies throughout time respect only one thing and that is action and defiance. If we allow our agents to show that force and take it to the enemy instead of being gun shy, perhaps we will once again restore order on the border.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to pay tribute to the Julie Rogers ``Gift of Life'' Program and the recipients of their ``Spirit of Love'' awards for their commitment to the fight against cancer and dedication to assisting the medically underserved in Southeast Texas. The Julie Rogers ``Gift of Life'' Program, established in 1994 by Regina Rogers, began as a tribute to her mother, a breast cancer survivor. Originally providing free mammograms to women, shortly afterwards they expanded to prostate screenings for men and cancer education outreach. Since then, they have provided over 13,500 mammograms and over 4,500 prostate screenings while conducting over 450 educational presentations. The Program has helped extend the lives of more than 135 people who found cancer after one of their screenings. They grew from their humble beginnings into one of the largest cancer screening and awareness organizations of its type in Texas. Each year at their annual board meeting, the ``Gift of Life'' Program presents both an individual and corporate ``Spirit of Love'' Awards to honor those that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help fight cancer and spread awareness. This year, the late Todd Christopher was awarded the Julie Rogers ``Spirit of Love'' Award, while the TOTAL Port Arthur Refinery was presented with the Corporate ``Spirit of Love'' Award. Both deserve the recognition for their dedication and commitment to the community. Todd Christopher was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. After graduating from Texas A&M University, Todd moved back home with an entrepreneur spirit and co-founded four businesses, bringing hundreds of jobs to the area. He served on a number of boards across the area and as co-chairman of the Julie and Ben Rogers Cancer Foundation Drive. He somehow found enough time to dedicate a large part of his life to his wife Gerry and children Clayton and Gary. He has coached their sports teams and supported their scholastic endeavors. Cancer tragically cut Todd's life short in 2008 but his spirit lives on. The work he did for Southeast Texas will last forever. The TOTAL Port Arthur Refinery was recognized for exhibiting outstanding community leadership and reducing health disparities among Southeast Texans. The refinery, built in 1936 and acquired by the French company TOTAL in 1973, has taken a proactive role in fighting cancer. Through their annual sponsorship of ``Gift of Life'' breast and prostate cancer initiatives, they have provided over 600 women and more than 1,800 men with free mammograms and prostate screenings. They alone have helped extend the lives of seven women and nine men whose cancer was detected at ``Gift of Life'' screenings. They have also made a commitment to Southeast Texas by embarking on a $2.2 billion dollar expansion of their refinery, increasing their refining capacity and adding 60 new full time jobs. On behalf of the Second Congressional District of Texas I would like to thank the Julie Rogers ``Gift of Life'' Program, the family of Todd Christopher, and the TOTAL Port Arthur Refinery for all their work in fighting cancer and spreading awareness. Their efforts have made Southeast Texas a better place to live and work.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Flying Tigers of Klein Collins High School in Klein, Texas. I want to thank the AFJROTC Flying Tigers for their service to second district of Texas and to congratulate them on their many accomplishments that led them to be chosen to perform in this year's presidential inaugural parade. Their selection to this high honor is a testament to their mission statement ``to develop the best Air Force leaders and citizens of character, dedicated to serving the Nation.'' I am proud that a well- qualified group of cadets from Klein--Collins will be representing the state of Texas on Pennsylvania Avenue. The KCHS AFJROTC has a history of success in their nationally acclaimed armed and unarmed drill team competitions. Under the direction of Colonel Daniel Crum and Sergeant Ray Watson, the cadets do much more than drill competitions and marching in parades. They are involved in serving their school and community through many different service projects and duties performed throughout the year. The cadets have participated in numerous community projects that have respectfully earned them as many as 3,200 ``man hours'' in the 2007/ 2008 school year. I want to recognize several projects that the JROTC participated in this year. They have provided color guard presentations at many events around town. At Christmas time, the cadets sent care packages to our soldiers overseas. Locally, they sponsored as many as eighteen ``angels'' during the holidays to help provide impoverished families with presents. They have collected canned food for several needy families. They have participated in a local fall festival held at one of the Klein Elementary schools. Many of the cadets have served on individual service projects at their local churches, animal shelters and the YMCA. There are countless other service projects this group participates in throughout the community, all of which testifies to the quality of students in the great state of Texas. The cadet's service and patriotism to our nation sets them apart as role models to other students. I know that the residents of the Spring Klein area are proud of their many accomplishments and happy that the Flying Tigers were chosen, out of thousands of applicants, to march in the 56th inaugural parade. It will be a momentous occasion for the students, school district and the patriotic communities in the second district of Texas. I applaud them for their tremendous achievement and wish them the best of luck in the future.