Ted Poe

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, the chief politicai expert and chief military expert for the U.S. before us in the FA committee. Despite the cynics, critics, and defeatists, who want there to be bad news, General Petraeus informed Congress that military progress is being made. Our job is not over in Iraq. It is in the best interest of America to finish our mission. War is hard, but retreat and a unilateral withdrawal is a plan for another Vietnam failure. Abandonment is what our enemy wants but not what we will give them. General Petraeus testified that substantial progress has been made by our forces and the Iraqi counterparts since the surge began in mid- June. According to the General, the security situation in Iraq is improving, while the Iraqi government continues to assume more responsibility in the political reconciliation of the country. Despite the progress being made, nay-sayers continue to undermine the momentum that is building in Iraq for a peaceful reconciliation. Of course there is more work to be done before we can see real success in Iraq. In fact, that is exactly why we can't walk away from this war. Iraq has become the most foremost front in the war against radical Islam. The strategy of Islamic militants assumes an American withdrawal. They believe we will grow weary of fighting for liberty and freedom abroad and that we will walk away from our commitments in Iraq. If success in Iraq is the goal, nay-sayers have to understand that giving up is simply not an option. Withdrawal will only embolden our enemies. We've got to fight them where they are and show them that we mean business. This is the time for America to stand strong and stay focused on our mission. The whole world is watching us. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 was truly one of America's darkest days. Terrorists using airplanes as weapons brought unimaginable horror to our homeland. Yet in the face of such tragedy, heroes emerged. Police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel and countless other American patriots helped their fellow countrymen survive that day and continue to make sure we never forget those lost that day. These American heroes brought out the best in human nature in response to an attack that brought out the worst in human nature. Since coming to Congress, I've had the great pleasure to work closely with two of these American heroes. Peter Gadiel and Joan Molinaro, united by the loss of their children who fell victim on that fateful day and the great anger over why this Nation couldn't stop it from happening, joined together and helped create an organization called 9/ 11 Families for a Secure America to help right the wrong that allowed terrorists to kill over 3,000 Americans 6 years ago. Peter and Joan carry with them the voice of their children everyday, in everything they do, to ensure another tragedy of this magnitude never happens again to another son, daughter, father, mother, husband, or wife. It is the purpose of 9/11 Families for a Secure America to inform and educate the American public, elected officials and legislators of the obvious and not so obvious shortcomings in our Nation's security. To focus their attention on the dangers of unsecured borders and lax immigration enforcement. They make sure the public understands that illegal immigration and terrorism are inseparable issues. The ultimate goal of 9/11 Families for a Secure America is to prevent future terrorist attacks and to secure our Nation for generations to come because terrorists cannot plan and carry out attacks in the United States if they are unable to enter the country. As we recognize and give remembrance to all those that lost their life on September 11, 2001, lets not forget the loved ones of these victims and the pain and sacrifice they've had to endure from their loss. Lets honor heroes like Peter Gadiel and Joan Molinaro who work tirelessly to ensure that another terrorist attack never happens again to another of America's children. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, apparently the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany, and the Frankfurt airport were targets last week of a foiled terrorist attack. German authorities arrested three outlaws as they were mixing chemicals to make explosives. And guess what, all three individuals were Islamic radicals belonging to a fringe group called Islamic Jihad Union linked to al Qaeda--yet another example of criminals who kill in the name of religion and hate. These Islamic radicals don't believe in building a better world, but believe in blowing it up. The war on terror is a global war whether we like it or not, and a fight between civilization and the uncivilized. It is a fight over life versus death. It is a fight over peace versus anarchy. It is a fight over the right to be left alone versus chaos. The international terrorists who wish to kill Americans must be tracked down wherever they are and dealt with as law and justice demands. Those Americans who fail to acknowledge who these criminals are and have us retreat from this world conflict know little about the way the world is and seemingly live blissfully ignorant in the world of never, never land. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago today, most Americans were going about their business, and then we woke up to the next day, September 11, 2001. I was not yet in Congress at that time, but I was a judge in Texas. And I was driving to the courthouse when I was listening to country western music, and it was interrupted about an airplane that crashed into the World Trade Center. And a few minutes later, a second airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. And about that time, as I was driving my jeep, I noticed that other folks on the road had pulled off to the side of the road, all doing the same thing, listening to the radio, hearing the news from New York. And then we heard more news. We heard about a third airplane, where some good folks in Pennsylvania took matters into their own hands. And later we learned why that plane crashed in Pennsylvania; it did not crash in Washington, D.C. at the White House or even this Capitol. And finally, we heard about a fourth airplane, a plane that crashed not far from here into the Pentagon. And at the end of that day, like many Americans, I was watching television and noticed all of the news reports about the World Trade Center and about the Pentagon, and followed that day, as most Americans, intensely observing and being concerned about our country. As I was watching television that afternoon, over the skies of Houston, Texas, where I'm from, the 147th Air National Guard were flying those F-16s on patrol over our skies and over our refineries, over our ports. But as I was watching television, I noticed that when those planes hit the World Trade Center, that there were thousands and thousands of people, good people, people of all races, all nationalities, both sexes and all ages, when those planes hit the World Trade Center, they were trying to get away from that terror in the sky as fast as they could. They were running as hard as they could. Nothing wrong with that, but that's what they were doing, fleeing that enemy that attacked us on our soil. But I also noticed that there was another group of people, not very many, but as soon as those planes hit the World Trade Center, they were running as hard as they could to get to that terror that had crashed into our buildings in New York City. Who were they? Emergency medical technicians, firefighters and police officers, because that's what they do; they respond first to terror, domestic or international. And while today, Mr. Speaker, it is very important that we remember the thousands of people who died on September 11, 2001, it's equally important that we remember the people who lived, that were allowed to live because our police officers, our firefighters and our emergency technical folks were on the job, saving those lives of those people who were in the World Trade Center. Amazing Americans, those individuals, many of whom lost friends that were trying to get into the World Trade Center, people that they had known all their lives, but they did it because it is their duty and because it was the right thing to do. Of course we have to remember and need to remember the plane that crashed into the Pentagon as well. And across the street from the Pentagon is Arlington National Cemetery, where we bury America's warriors from all wars since the war between the States. And on duty that day, when that plane came low across this land and crashed into the Pentagon, at Arlington National Cemetery, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, those soldiers were on duty. They did not leave their post. They stayed there throughout the entire episode. Amazing people, our military. So it's incumbent upon us not only to remember those that died, those that lived because of our first responders, but we need to remember that we did not ask for this war, and we must deal with it wherever it takes us throughout this world. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

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

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, it appears that in spite of Federal law that requires close inspection of vehicles and identification of people entering the United States, in the City of El Paso, Texas, border and Customs officials have been ordered to ignore some inspections. This Get-to-America-Quick plan requires that if pedestrian lines get too long, only 30 percent of them are to be questioned. If vehicular traffic waiting time is too long, then inspectors are to ignore some basic inspections for drugs and radioactive material. According to Sarah Carter of the Washington Times, in some cases only every fifth driver and his documents are verified, all this in the name of letting more foreign nationals into the United States faster. Why? Well, it seems some businesses are complaining the delays hurt their profits. So Federal bureaucrats are making border inspection officers ignore security, all in the name of the almighty dollar, or shall I say peso. This is yet another example of the incompetent attitude and lack of will on government bureaucrats to secure the American border. American border security should not be sacrificed on the altar of greed. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, last week I got to go down to the west Texas town of El Paso, that town that Marty Robbins sang that famous ballad about. It was one of my several trips to the Texas/Mexico border since I've been in Congress, now almost a dozen times down along the Rio Grande River. The Texas border with Mexico, the river border, is 1,248 miles long. That doesn't mean much, but it's the same distance from New York City to Kansas City. And I spent last week in two of those counties, the furthest west county, El Paso County, and the second county to the east, Hudspeth County. I met with the Sheriff's Department in El Paso County, and Sheriff Leo Samaniego and his chief deputy, Jimmy Apodaca and Public Information Officer Rick Clancy, all El Paso natives, took me around the area of El Paso city and the County of El Paso. I'd like to describe the scene that I saw there. In El Paso, El Paso is a community of about 500,000 people. Across the Rio Grande River is Juarez, Mexico, a community of over 2 million individuals. Juarez, unlike some border towns, is a thriving area. The economy is booming. And across the city of El Paso, on the Rio Grande River, there is an 18-mile fence. And let me describe that fence between Mexico and the United States. The Rio Grande River is to the south. The next thing you see is green space, it's primarily dirt, for about 200 yards. And then there is a fence, a fence that protects the canal that runs on the northern side of the Rio Grande River. You see, the canal has more water in it sometimes than the Rio Grande River does. And it's a manmade canal. It's full of water most of the time. So there's a fence on each side of the canal. Then there is a road that the Border Patrol patrols, and then there is yet one more fence before the highway there in the city of El Paso. And this fence has been there for some time. And along that 18-mile stretch in the city of El Paso about every quarter of a mile on the road, the Border Patrol road, there is a Border Patrol vehicle. And we saw numerous of those vehicles while I was there those several days. And it seems to me that area is very well protected, and no one crosses into the United States because of those three fences, the canal, and the presence of the Border Patrol. Before the fence was there, the border was basically wide open and people came right across into El Paso and dodged traffic there on the main streets. According to the sheriff's department, since the fence has been built in the city of El Paso, crime in El Paso has dropped 60 percent. So the Border Patrol, working with the local law enforcement, seems to do a good job of keeping people, especially criminals who want to come in and commit crime in El Paso city and flee back to Juarez, from coming into the town. The situation is somewhat different as you move on further down the river. Before I mention that, I would like to mention a couple of things that I did observe. In the mornings we went out to the several crossings into the United States, the legal crossings, and observed people coming in from Mexico to the United States. At about 6:15 in the morning, very early, was when these photographs were taken. Now, these photographs were taken by the Rio Grande River, and turning around, these photographs are taken of students going into El Paso city. And you will notice they have on school uniforms. This individual is even carrying a set of golf clubs that he brought from home, I suspect, to go to school. Here are some kids down here earlier in the morning, and they also have their backpacks, their school uniforms, and they are headed into the United States. How do we know they were school students? Well, many of them were wearing the T-shirts of the colors of the elementary school, purple and blue and green and red, or gray. And hundreds of these kids cross the border into the United States every day from Mexico to go to school in the United States. At the end of the day, all of these kids, some of them escorted by their parents, cross back over into Juarez, Mexico, to go home. And this is a daily occurrence when school is in session. It seems to me that the United States is funding the education of foreign nationals that not only don't live here; they live somewhere else and come to our schools all at the expense of taxpayers in the United States. People who pay their taxes, live here legally, whether citizens or not, fund the education system for people in some other nation on a daily basis. I went to some of the local high schools and noticed how some of the students would drive up in their vehicles and they would have Mexican license plates on their vehicles. Two apparently had crossed the border that morning, coming into the United States, going to American high schools, and turning around at the end of the day and going back home. It seems to me that this ought not to be. The sheriff's department tells me that about 40 percent of the El Paso school system is made up of citizens from Mexico that come across each day into the United States. Statistics are hard to find. The El Paso school district seems to disagree with that. And you will notice these aren't poor kids coming over. These are kids that are just basically middle-class kids coming to the United States. And we took numerous photographs of those kids. Here are some of those just for your benefit. But as we moved out of the city of El Paso, which, like I said, seemed to be a secure place for basically illegal traffic coming in except for maybe situations like where the ports of entry are not screened or protected very well by the border protectors, there seems to be no presence of the Border Patrol outside the city of El Paso throughout the rest of the county. Let me try to explain that area. This is a map of a partial area of the towns and locales that I went to last week as a guest of the sheriff's department. You will notice up here in the far western portion of Texas that borders Mexico is the city of El Paso, this yellow area here. The city of El Paso, like I said, has that 18-mile fence. As soon as you get out of the city of El Paso and go down to the county line of El Paso, things are a lot different and the presence of the Border Patrol was a lot different, in my opinion. First of all, of course, there is no fence that was built like the one that I just described. As soon as you get out of the city of El Paso, there's no fence of any type. So I traveled along with the sheriff's department of El Paso County to these different small little towns along the border, border towns. Fabens, Texas, we all heard about Fabens, Texas, where the Border Patrol officers got arrested and convicted for trying to apprehend a drug smuggler. That's a different story for another time. And these other small towns all along the border. The way the situation is on the border and how I will describe it is to make it clear on how easy it is to cross into the United States. Of course, there's the Rio Grande River. Depending on where you go, there is sometimes not even water in the Rio Grande River. And as soon as you cross the Rio Grande into the United States, there is a Texas highway, Highway 20, that runs the length of El Paso County and part of the next county, Hudspeth County. That road is about 3 miles from the border. And then you go an additional 2 miles along the border, this entire area here, and there is Interstate 10 that travels all the way from Florida through Texas to California. So it is about 5 miles from the border to Interstate Highway 10. The area is flat. The area has brush, and it's low brush and it's thick brush, very easy to hide in that area. And at night you can see above that brush for miles. You can see from the Rio Grande River all the way to the interstate where all of the vehicles are traveling up and down the interstate. So we visited these little small villages in El Paso County and talked to some of the individuals that were there, that lived there, that have lived there, their families, for generations. And this was probably the most, shall I say, expressive bunch of people that I have ever met. These farmers and ranchers that live on the Rio Grande River on the Texas side, the American side, and what they are going through and their property has been tampered with because the Federal Government doesn't secure the border. These ranchers, these villagers, they all live right on the Rio Grande River. They live between the river and Interstate 10. Some of them live south of Highway 20, right on the river. And I met with one of those locals, and he said that he felt like our own government has deserted the ranchers and farmers in the rural areas of our country. He said he waits sometimes a long time for the Border Patrol to show up when they are called. And here is the reason for that: it would seem to me the Border Patrol ought to patrol the border, which is the Rio Grande River. The Border Patrol, it seems to me, ought to be on the border to protect the border. But most of the time they are not on the border. They are on Interstate 10, which is 5 miles from the border, driving up and down that area. Well, if people get to Interstate 10, they are already in the United States. And if they can cross into the United States, it's very easy to get picked up on Interstate 10 or even Highway 20 here and dispersed into the United States. So what happens is, because of this policy of keeping the Border Patrol on Interstate 10 for the most part, you leave these ranchers, these farmers, and these people who live in these small villages and towns in no-man's land. And I visited in many of these small villages and these very small homes on the American side, and I was shocked to see the bars on the windows and how the people have tried to protect their property from just the criminal element that crosses into the United States because they are, in their opinion, without adequate protection. We need to enforce the border on the border, not have a policy that puts the Border Patrol 5 miles from the border on Interstate 10. And, of course, that is what the farmers and the ranchers said as well. It was interesting to hear from these farmers and ranchers, and they would talk to me. They all met together in one of their farmhouses and talked for several, several hours on this tremendous issue. And they said that they see everybody coming across, that the days and times have changed. It used to be that this border was basically fairly open. I mean by that there would be crossings on both sides, Americans into Mexico, Mexicans into the United States. There would be landowners on both sides who would do business with each other. But those days are over. The people coming over now, according to these farmers and ranchers, are criminals. Not all of them, but many of them are. And they destroy their property. They destroy the vehicles that they have. They steal their property. And we have heard much about a virtual fence. A virtual fence. What is a virtual fence? It means there is no fence, but there are cameras that watch the border. And I will give you an example of how the virtual fence works along this area. There are cameras, and some of those are maintained and monitored. And on three different occasions, I saw through a vision in heat sensor cameras illegals coming into the United States across the border. The Border Patrol was notified to come to those areas and pick up these people bringing in whatever, drugs, or just coming into the United States. In one instance the Border Patrol took 45 minutes to get to the location. They were being directed by the person watching the camera to where the illegals had crossed, and they were within 30 feet of them and still couldn't see them because, you see, that brush is so thick. And they were hiding 30 feet away, and finally the Border Patrol left that area. And those particular three individuals that were hiding in the brush had on baggy clothes, the kind that drug smugglers bring in when they pack their bodies with drugs to smuggle into the United States. Let me mention this about the Border Patrol. I think the Border Patrol agents that work on our border do as good a job as our government will let them do. They are fine people. But they have to follow the policies of somebody else, I think probably people here in Washington, DC, maybe folks that have never even been to the border. So they do what they are told to do, and they patrol the area they are told to patrol. It would seem to me that we ought to have our Border Patrol working more hand in hand with the locals, the sheriff's department, and patrolling closer to the border. But the virtual fence, it's virtual all right. People are still able to cross in through that virtual fence. It is interesting that the sheriffs and the deputy sheriffs that work out there, they are a little different than the Border Patrol. Like I said, nothing against the Border Patrol. We need them. We need more of them. We need more boots on the ground, probably more boots on the ground than we do other things. But the sheriffs' deputies and the sheriffs, they all grew up there. They all are from there. They know the people who ought to be there and the people who are from some other place. So we certainly need to use them as well. The farmers, what do they grow down there in southwest Texas anyway? They used to grow cotton. They don't do that anymore. But this whole area here has pecan orchards, and you will drive down by the Rio Grande River, once again south of Interstate 10, and you will see pecan orchards. Pecan orchards, that's what they grow. But they are orchards that have to be irrigated. And the problem the farmers have is that so many people are crossing across their orchards that they are tearing up their crops. They say on an average they have, each one of them, four to five groups of anywhere from 30 to 50 people a day crossing their farm orchards, in many cases tearing up the property. But let me tell you some of the experiences that they have had. One farmer noticed that there were some illegal people coming across his land. He goes out and he apprehends them, holds them for the Border Patrol. It turned out that these two individuals apparently were from Honduras. They are called OTMs in the vernacular, ``other than Mexicans,'' because, you see, everybody is crossing in. We shouldn't just say things about Mexico. It's not just illegals from Mexico; it's from many other countries, including Honduras. So he holds them for the Border Patrol. The Border Patrol comes and arrests these two individuals, takes them out of his custody, takes them over and turns them into the immigration services. One thing leads to another and they are released on their own recognizance to come back for an immigration hearing sometime later. You see, that's what happens to many OTMs. If you are ``other than Mexican,'' you're not held, detained and deported. You're held for a while, and because there are not enough detention facilities, they're released on their word to come back for their immigration hearing, deportation hearing, shall I say. It would not surprise us that most of those people never come back for that hearing. But anyway, these two individuals are apprehended; they're released from custody. And guess what? Two days later, this farmer had his pecan orchard burned to the ground. I wonder who did that? You see, it's ironic and silly to arrest these people from other countries, no matter where they are, hold them and release them back into the community, especially when they commit crimes, and most of them never appear back at that court hearing. There are farmers and ranchers down there that don't want to leave their land. But I will tell you this, they are mad, they are angry, and as many of them said, they are disappointed that, in their opinion, and I will quote one of them, that the American Government has written off the rural farmer along the border. Because of whatever reason, there is no security in their opinion. Rural America has been given away by outlawry by our government, and this ought not to be. So after we went through with the sheriff's deputies in El Paso County, wonderful people, we went over to Hudspeth County, which is the adjoining county. Most Americans have never heard of Hudspeth County. Let me describe it for you. It's 5,000 square miles. It's the size of Delaware and Rhode Island put together, and it's just one county in Texas. It has 100 miles that borders the Rio Grand River, so it has 100 miles of border. On patrol in Hudspeth County is Sheriff Arvin West, and what a right- thinking American he is. He has 12 deputies to patrol this whole area. In other words, on any given shift, any time of the day, there are three deputies that patrol the entire county that borders Mexico. Now, you notice, Mr. Speaker, part of Interstate 10 is very close to the border, 5 miles, along with Highway 20, which is 3 miles from the border. And then about halfway down at Sierra Blanca, the road changes and it goes on off through Houston to Florida. But this area here, of course, is an area that we went through. The sheriff's deputies, Sheriff Arvin West and his individuals that work for him, took me through that area. And we traveled right on the border. There is a dirt road on the American side. Let me mention this: you see this road over here, Highway 2, Mexican Highway 2. Of course you see it runs along the border as well on the other side. And so there's a dirt road right on the border. And we traveled down this dirt road, sandy road, the river is right next to us. And we traveled for 30 miles on this road, took about 3 hours, before we saw one Border Patrol agent. It surprises me that we weren't that quiet going down that area, and the first time we saw a Border Patrol agent was 30 miles down river where we had been traveling. But let me tell you about Arvin West. Arvin West, sheriff of this county, makes $36,000 a year. His 12 deputies, who are all patriots, who most of them are Hispanic, make $26,000 a year. But to a person, they are determined to secure their border because of the crime problem in the United States for failure to secure the border. You see, they have to patrol all these little towns here, Fort Hancock and McNary and Sierra Blanca. These are all their little small towns that are in their county. And these towns have crime problems because of that crime coming from Mexico. So they want the border secure. And let me say this at this point: this is an issue about border security, this is not an issue of immigration. That's a totally different issue. Border security is the issue, and we must, as a Nation, secure our border. And these sheriffs that live along here, the border sheriffs, each one of them believes the border should be secure because of the crime that is being committed. But we traveled down this area. And I'd like to show you or mention a couple of things that I observed. Going down the river, we stopped. This is at night, in the middle of no place. And we came across a trolley that was built across the river; now that's what I call it. It had a steel cable running from one side of the river to the other with a bucket in it, or a trolley. And apparently people can go back and forth across that trolley into one country or the other. And that disturbed me to some extent. But we then traveled down and saw something else that I think was a little more disturbing. This photograph here, Mr. Speaker, is a foot bridge taken on the American side, obviously, over into Mexico. You notice it's a steel foot bridge. It has rails on it. It probably would meet OSHA standards. And the only thing that goes across there are people. But you notice, of course, Mr. Speaker, how the land is trampled down on the Mexican side, how there is trash over here, and on this side there is land trampled down as well. There is in Hudspeth County. And there are 10 of these in the area. Who built them? They're still trying to find that out. Is it guarded? It is patrolled? Are people there watching to see if people come into the United States? No. These foot bridges exist for the sole purpose of letting people, apparently, cross into the United States. If they serve some other purpose, I don't know what that is. But that disturbs me to some extent. Here we have in El Paso basically three fences and a canal trying to protect the United States from people coming in illegally. And we just moved to the county next to it and we see these things that are built to allow foot traffic to come into the United States. This ought not to be. And of course once they come into the United States, they can see the interstate, which is just 5 miles away, and make their way up to the interstate, get picked up by someone flashing their lights at them, and move on down wherever they wish to go into the far most areas of the United States. This is a bridge that is a convenience for people who wish to cross into the United States illegally. On down the river and up the river there are many places where the river is low and there are washouts, where water has come from either Mexico or the United States to go into the Rio Grande River. And these are perfect places that are used by drug smugglers to smuggle drugs into the United States from Mexico. Once again, once they cross into the United States, they make their way, under routes that they have planned, to the interstate and move those drugs east, west and north. But it was interesting to see that there were places where the roadbed, or shall I say the riverbed looked like it had been filled in, where some vehicle had come in, Caterpillar tractor, and had smoothed down the river so that vehicles crossing into the United States wouldn't get stuck in the mud. Now, I asked the sheriff's department about that, and they said, well, sure, every once in a while there would be a Caterpillar tractor parked on the Mexican side just sitting there. And they're sitting near these areas where drug smugglers come in, and the next day that Caterpillar bulldozer has come down there to the river bank, made a road for drug smugglers to bring drugs into the United States. And I asked Sheriff West, well, what do you do about that? He said, as soon as we see those, of course we're not down there 24 hours a day, neither is the Border Patrol, we tear up the river way so that those vehicles can't come into the United States. But a few days later, once again some bulldozer has come in and laid the river smoother and drier so that vehicles can come into the United States, sitting there waiting to move the illegal narcotics into our country. You know, drug trafficking is a major reason we ought to secure the border. Those people who come here to do us harm is another reason to secure the border, whether those are just basic outlaws or whether those are people who wish to set up cells at the right time to do this nation damage. And in little area here that I'm talking about, well, it's a big area that I'm talking about, makes it easy for them to come into the United States. Now, Sheriff West doesn't have much of a budget. In fact, he has such a small budget that he really doesn't have any vehicles. It's hard for me to understand how a sheriff's department can operate without vehicles, but here's what he does and many of the other sheriffs along the Texas-Mexico border. When they capture a drug dealer, they confiscate his vehicle, and by law they're allowed to keep that vehicle after they go through the proper channels to seize it. So most of his vehicles have come to the sheriff's department with the behest of the drug dealers. And so they're driving drug dealer vehicles, SUVs, very nice vehicles that they have confiscated from drug dealers. And those are the vehicles, the patrol vehicles, most of them trucks, pick-up trucks or SUVs so they can patrol up and down this entire county. They've even seized an 18-wheeler and put the sheriff's logo on it. You know, I admire people like Sheriff West, the sheriffs along the border who will do what they need to do to secure the dignity of the United States. The sheriff's department also mentioned to me about something we've heard about here in Congress, I've never seen it myself, but we hear reports about the Mexican military coming into the United States for different reasons, all those reasons are probably no good, and whether that's true or not. On this road, on Interstate 10, there is basically nothing on Interstate 10 except vehicles, mostly trucks, but there is a massive truck stop on Interstate 10. And it is not uncommon, according to the sheriff's department here in Hudspeth County, to see the Mexican military wearing their uniforms going into this truck stop for whatever purpose they have. It's interesting that they say, of course, that it's not unusual for drugs to be accompanied by the Mexican military into portions of the United States. So if we have the military from another country coming across our borders without our permission, I would hope that that would disturb Homeland Security to some extent, that they would prevent that from happening, or at least quit denying that it occurs. So apparently to me it seems we have moved the U.S. border from the Rio Grande River to Interstate 10, 5 miles inward. We have left all this area as no-man's land. You live there at your own risk of drug dealers and criminals coming across, and this ought not to be. It's unfortunate that this situation occurs, but it is the duty of our country, of course, to make sure it doesn't occur any longer. The failure of the Federal Government to secure the border allows everybody to come in here. We get the good, we get the bad, and we get the ugly, and we're getting a lot of bad and ugly because this border is not secure. So we secure our border. We do what we need to do. We have to have the moral will to secure the border. If we did, the border would be secure. We secure the borders of other nations. We secure the Korean border. Why don't we secure the American border? We secure the borders of other nations throughout the world. Why don't we secure the American border? Third World countries protect their borders better than we do. Why? Because of all of those political reasons and all of those people that have political agendas keep our government from doing what it ought to do, and the first duty of government is to secure the nation. And I would hope Homeland Security would go down to the border and see it the way it really is. Mr. Speaker, we hear about violence on the border. I heard a lot about it down there. We don't get too many news reports about the violence on the Texas-Mexico border or anywhere else along the southern border with Mexico, but I would like to read a dispatch from the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office on September 5, which was 2 days ago. This dispatch reads: At approximately 9:56 a.m., the U.S. Border Patrol at Fort Hancock Station, there's Fort Hancock, that's a little bitty place with just a handful of people living there, the U.S. Border Patrol at Fort Hancock Station called the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office requesting assistance from the sheriff's office and highway patrol with a vehicle that was being pursued on Interstate 10. It was westbound at the 68 mile marker. So the vehicle was going this direction, headed west. The vehicle had crossed into the United States from Mexico and was loaded with approximately 800 pounds of marijuana. The vehicle was a 2005 GMC Yukon, light gold in color. The pursuit went into El Paso County, the next county over, and then turned back eastbound toward Tornillo, Texas. Hudspeth County Deputy Keith Hughes, stationed in Fort Hancock, Texas, joined in the pursuit. Deputy Hughes was able to negotiate his way to the front of the pursuing law enforcement vehicles. The driver of the Yukon exited Interstate 10 and drove south on Acala Road toward the United States and Mexican border. Right in here, this little road. The United States Border Patrol set up road spikes on Acala Road. The driver of the Yukon hit the spikes, but continued traveling through Acala Road and Texas 20 in Hudspeth County. Upon crossing Texas 20, the driver of the Yukon exited the vehicle and ran south to the United States and Mexican border. Deputy Hughes and the U.S. Border Patrol began a foot pursuit. The driver was captured by pursuing officers. During the foot pursuit, automatic gunfire was heard from the direction of the United States and Mexican border. Sheriff Arvin West ordered the area south of the capture site to be cleared of any persons in danger, and to seek out and find the person or persons responsible for the gunfire. Once there were sufficient sheriff deputies on the scene, Chief Deputy Mike Doyle organized and led the deputies to the border area for the search. After a thorough search of the border area south of the capture site, it was determined that the automatic gunfire came from the Mexican side of the United States-Mexico border. The Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office conducted a search of the border area alone because the agents of the United States Border Patrol were ordered not to engage at the border. And that is a dispatch that I didn't see printed in any newspaper in the United States about the violence, the drug dealers and the drug cartels along our southern border. Mr. Speaker, it is a serious situation on the Rio Grande River. Like I said earlier, this is not an immigration issue at all. This is an issue about whether this country will secure its borders. I wonder whether a Nation that won't secure its borders deserves to exist as a Nation. It is the duty of our government to enforce the existing law. We have pontificated in this House ever since I have been in Congress about more laws on immigration, border security, comprehensive immigration reform. Why don't we just enforce the laws we already have? It is still against the law to come into the United States without permission, regardless of the reason. People from other countries don't believe we will enforce the rule of law in this country. Otherwise, they wouldn't keep coming in the United States. And many times when they are captured, nothing happens. Our government has the duty to protect the people in this country from violence of criminals coming from other nations. Our country has the duty to protect citizens throughout the country from criminals coming from other places who we call terrorists. The next terrorist who is going to come to the United States probably is not going to fly over here and get off the airplane here at Reagan, and look around and see what damage they are going to do. They don't have to do that. They don't have to go through TSA screening. All they have to do is come across either our northern or southern border. Mr. Speaker, our Federal Government has the duty to keep the Mexican military out of our Nation. It has no business being here for any purpose. Mr. Speaker, many years ago, Marty Robbins wrote a song, a ballad about the west Texas town of El Paso and about how a cowboy lost his life because he was seeking the love of a Mexican lady by the name of Feleena. That ballad basically talks about the Wild West along the border and how it was violent at a time. Some things have changed along the Texas-Mexico border. There is some security. There are prosperous cities on both sides of the border. But there are other communities. These are small communities. These are small villages where real people live, too. Many live in fear of their life because our border is open. Times have changed because the type of people coming into the United States have changed. They are not all coming over here looking for work. Some of them are coming over here looking for mischief. They find that mischief. Much of that mischief is down there on the border where Americans live and legal immigrants live that are persecuted by criminals who come in to the United States. So violence does continue on our border. It is imperative that we understand that and admit it so we can do something about it. Denying the truth is not a solution, but being openminded and realizing that, Mr. Speaker, I have only talked about two counties along the Texas- Mexico border, El Paso County and Hudspeth County. This border, like I said, is 1,250 miles long from El Paso all the way down to Brownsville. I have traveled almost the entire length of it as a guest of the sheriffs along the border. The situation is bad along that entire area. As you travel west through Arizona and through California, you find the same problems along the border, according to those sheriffs who live there and who grew up there. So the obligation of our government is to do something to protect the dignity and the sovereignty of the United States and make folks understand that our government will protect them, their families and their property and keep them safe from intruders who come into the United States no matter what the reason, because, you see, it is still against the law to enter the United States without the permission of the United States. We need to mean it. We need to do something about it. We need to put more Border Patrol agents on the border. We need to use the National Guard, and if necessary, a fence in appropriate areas. It won't work everywhere. But it will work in some places. Where it is erected, it has worked. We need to do whatever it takes to make sure that the United States is a sovereign Nation and we do not lose this country to other folks who come over here and are trying to take it away from Americans and legal immigrants. With that, Mr. Speaker, that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. ``Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes that he will encounter. The statesman must realize that once the signal is given, there are unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.'' Winston Churchill's statement many years from the past indicates the truism of war. It is hard. It is always hard. Next week, General Petraeus will be reporting to this Congress what progress has been made in achieving security and stability in Iraq. No doubt the report will offer mixed results, signs of progress and probably setbacks. In the midst of all of this review, Mr. Speaker, the question is: Now what? Regardless of what anybody thought about going into Iraq, we are there. Right now our military personnel are risking their lives every day in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect our interests at home and abroad. In my opinion, there are far too many people focusing on where we have been and how we got there rather than making decisions about the future and our involvement in Iraq. The way I see it, Mr. Speaker, we just have two options. We can stay in Iraq and keep fighting for the American interest and what we believe is right, or we can turn our back and leave. There is not a third option. To those who think we ought to leave Iraq and bring our troops home, what will happen if we withdraw before the job is done? The answer is chaos and more bloodshed. Without a stable Iraq, the power vacuum will inevitably entice more civil war like we haven't begun to imagine and, most likely, a regional conflict that will lead to serious security risks for those nations and the United States. Congress is making the outcome of this war the same as the planned failure in Vietnam. That war lasted 10 years. The media didn't like the war. The American public got war weary and Congress then cut the funding and started bringing troops home. The results: We left before the mission was accomplished. We abandoned our friends, and when the communists gained control, they killed thousands of people because we lost our way. Our enemies today believe we will abandon Iraq in the same way, and they hope we do. They feel we don't have the stomach for war. Our enemies believe they are more committed to their cause of killing in the name of religion than we are for our cause of life and liberty. Abandonment and retreat is not a strategy. We stay because it is in America's best interest to stay and secure a victory before we turn the country over to the Iraqis. We stay because there are men and women laying down their lives for the cause of America. Twenty-one courageous men and women from my area in southeast Texas have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. What would the retreat crowd tell those families about their kids who died on the altar of freedom? War got too hard so we left? We don't quit because war is hard. War is always hard. We stay, Mr. Speaker, because we know that we are fighting a global enemy who doesn't intend to stop war. They want to destroy us. Success, Mr. Speaker, has never come from withdrawal; it never will. General George Patton in World War II told his troops in 1944, he said, ``Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to get the ones who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. You must always do your finest and win.'' That is the only option. And yes, Mr. Speaker, Patton and his boys successfully finished that war. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Congress talks about feeling the pain of Americans. Well, raising taxes on them doesn't ease their financial pain. Working families are already burdened with high gasoline prices and increased expenses every day of their lives. Working Americans deserve to keep more of their money. It should be their responsibility how to spend it, not a bunch of tax-and-spend bureaucrats in Washington, DC. We talk a lot about helping American families. Well, let them keep more of their money, instead of taxing them more. More government spending is not a strategy for helping Americans. More taxes on Americans, so special interest groups get more Federal money, is not a strategy for helping Americans. President Kennedy and President Reagan both proved tax cuts work. Tax cuts, not tax increases, are the fundamental way to move our economy forward. We need to make permanent the tax cuts. And who benefits from tax cuts? Anybody that pays taxes benefits. And those that live off the taxpayer should not expect everybody else to pay more taxes for them. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, due to other congressional business, I unfortunately missed recorded votes on the House floor on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. Had I been able to vote that day, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 847 and ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 848 and ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 849.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, outside of Houston in 1969 a group of developers set out to create a suburban paradise hidden amongst the trees. From these humble beginnings, Kingwood has grown into a viable economic and residential force in southeast Texas. Now known as the ``livable forest,'' locals work together daily so they may progress successfully into the future while at the same time preserving their unique surroundings. Spearheading this progress is the Kingwood Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 2003, this group strives to meet the needs of the local community and encourage local trade. Since its inception, these fine Texans have participated in numerous business and community service projects. Sparky Nolan currently serves as the president of this organization, and has been an inspirational community leader from the start. Kingwood Chamber members recognize the importance of their consumer's quality of life in correlation with economic growth. Last January the group organized ``Travis McCormick Kleenwood Day.'' Members of the chamber worked together in teams with other local residents to help make their community more visually appealing. At the end of the event, hundreds of pounds of litter near sidewalks, greenbelt trails, and curbs were properly disposed of. The Kingwood Chamber of Commerce also supports projects such as the Wildflower Project 2007, another demonstration of their commitment to bettering surrounding neighborhoods. In April the chamber organized the planting of wildflowers throughout the Kingwood area. The pride these Kingwood residents take in their community is certainly commendable, and is demonstrated not only in sponsorships like the Wildflower Project but in their support for local business and community organizations. In addition to business growth, the Kingwood Chamber supports the entire community and stands for patriotism at its finest. Their support of local organizations like the Blue Star Mothers shows the chamber's concern and support for families with children who have served in the United States Armed Forces. It gives me great pride to recognize the Kingwood Chamber for all they do. By working to better the community, Kingwood Chamber members understand the fundamental aspects of being Texan and I congratulate them on a job well done. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, small towns and rural America are historically notable and courageous for sending their young sons and daughters off to fight the wars of America. When volunteers are called for duty, it is these close, small communities that seem to always answer America's call to arms. When one of their number is killed in war, the entire community is emotionally affected. In southeast Texas, the small town of Vidor has lost one of its daughters of democracy. Army Specialist Kamisha Block was killed in Baghdad August 16, 2007, in the hot war for Iraq. Kamisha Block became the first female from southeast Texas to die in this war. She enlisted in 2005 at the age of 18 in the United States Army. Mr. Speaker, Kamisha volunteered for the Army when this country was at war, and she probably expected to be sent to the desert of the gun and the valley of the sun. She joined the Army right out of high school. Specialist Block was a military police officer, and eventually wanted to be in law enforcement with a career in the FBI or the CIA. She was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion and 89th Military Police Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas. Kamisha and her best friend, Amanda Buck, grew up together. As Amanda says, we rode the school bus together from kindergarten all the way up through high school. Amanda said Kamisha knew where she was headed in life, had a big heart and genuinely wanted to help people. Specialist Block's death hit her family hard, and the whole community mourns for her. Her loss has not gone unnoticed. Let me explain. Local newspapers, the Examiner and the Beaumont Enterprise, carried numerous front-page stories about Block and her life. In this small town of Vidor, Texas, almost every business had posted a message for Block and words of support for her family on signs and placards. When Specialist Block was returned to Texas draped in the cloth of the red, white and blue, the funeral procession traveled through rural areas and small towns. The Patriot Guard led the procession with their 75 motorcycles, many carrying large American flags. Next were the numerous police vehicles from the nearby communities. As the funeral proceeded, hundreds of teary-eyed people lined the streets of Beaumont, Texas and Vidor, Texas, removing their hats, placing their hands over their hearts, and waving American flags. Cars even pulled off the road and drivers stood out of their vehicles to pay honor and respect to this warrior. People came out of their homes and stood on their porches in honor of the dead. According to a local paper, The Examiner, Jamie Reynolds, a friend and coworker of Block's at the Waffle House in Vidor, said, ``It was so amazing. I had chills all up and down my arms. It was overwhelming.'' Mr. Speaker, showing silent respect and tribute is what people do in southeast Texas when one of their kids is killed in war. People who knew Block from the Waffle House said that she was always happy with her bright eyes and endearing smile as she served waffles, eggs, and grits and a happy spirit. While Jerry and Jane Block, the parents of Kamisha, mourn the death and absence of their daughter, America owes them our gratitude and our patriotic appreciation. Specialist Kamisha Block while serving in Korea and Iraq was awarded several commendations. She was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom Service Ribbon, and the Bronze Star. Here is a photograph of Kamisha Block, not yet 21 years of age. She died at the age of 20. It has been said ``that how we yet live will echo throughout eternity.'' Specialist Block showed in a mere 20 years the example of compassion, duty, determination, love of country, and love of God that will echo in her small town of Texas throughout eternity. Rare breed these women warriors who go to war for the rest of us. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, ``Wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico. Mexico does not end at our borders.'' To the roar of a standing ovation, the arrogant saber-rattling words are from Mexico's President Calderon in his first state of the union message. It seems clear to me that these aggressive words are a renewed call by Mexico to colonize the United States. Does El Presidente Calderon claim that the southwest United States is really part of Mexico since many illegals have colonized that area? Sounds like it to me. Is Leader Calderon calling for a continued stealth invasion into the United States by its citizens? Sounds like it to me. Does clever calculating Calderon want the United States to become a union with Mexico? Time will tell. Meanwhile, I wonder if anyone in charge of protecting our homeland is aware of and disturbed by these indignant words. In the history of nations, it appears that when one country invades, colonizes, infiltrates or occupies another without permission, the invaded country either resists invasion at the border or just loses its existence. Time will tell what the United States will do. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, when I was elected to Congress, I had an idea of how things worked in Washington. But after just a short while, I realized commonsense thinking wasn't exactly the ``norm.'' In fact, it was going to take some creative thinking to get things done. For over a year now, I have been one of the ones leading the charge to free Border Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. I think our Government prosecuted them for doing their job and gave a drug smuggler a free pass. After trying things the old way--I decided it was time for some Poetic Justice, time to turn the tables and put a new twist on an old idea. Last week, I, along with Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter, sponsored an amendment to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill to withhold funding from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to incarcerate Ramos and Compean. This effort to free these American heroes was supported across party lines and passed overwhelmingly by a voice vote. Since repeated efforts to have them pardoned or their sentences commuted have gone unrecognized, I set out to find other ways for justice to prevail. By withholding funding to the Prison System specifically for the incarceration of Ramos and Compean, we have ``tied the hands that fund them.'' This does not change the outcome of their sentence, but it will allow them to remain free while their case makes its way through the appeals process. As anyone knows that has followed this case, the administration has been less than supportive of the idea of a pardon or commutation. The idea of attaching this onto an appropriations bill is that the President isn't likely to veto the entire spending bill funding Federal law enforcement agencies because of this one amendment. Sometimes a little creative thinking allows you to beat them at their own game and save taxpayer money in the process. As a former judge, I believe that it is important to uphold the law and I rarely argue with a jury's decision. However, the jury in this case wasn't privy to all of the facts and these two men were found guilty based on a partial presentation of the whole truth. You see, the prosecution's star witness was an illegal drug dealer who was fleeing Ramos and Compean after he brought in a million dollars worth of dope. The jury knew that, but what they didn't know was that he was given full immunity for that crime and an unlimited-use visa to come and go across the border unchecked anytime he pleased. And most important, another fact the U.S. attorney's office fought to keep the jury from hearing, was that during the trial he used that ``get-out-of-jail-free- card'' to bring in another load of dope. This is all information that the jury needed to know to judge the credibility of the witness. This was the first time in history that Congress has intervened in such a way in a criminal case and it was not something that any Member of Congress took lightly. The precedent we are setting in Congress is that we stand for justice and I don't believe that this is something that we are likely to see happen again. Both Houses of Congress have investigated every aspect of this case and leaders from both parties have appealed to the President to take action--that alone is a unique occurrence. If the President can spare Scooter Libby from prison, I think it is only appropriate to extend the same consideration to our lawmen fighting to secure our borders. Until then, we in Congress will continue to do our part to see that we right this wrong any way we can. After all, justice is the one thing we should always find. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, the State of Texas and the Nation recognizes the need for renewable and clean diesel fuel and other high valued synthetic fuels to meet the needs of the energy consumption in the United States. The current problem existing with ethanol and other alternative synthetic fuels is that they depend on the weather and crops available to produce ethanol and other additives and cannot meet the current demand that is needed by the United States. In addition to opening up drilling off the coast of the United States, our nation should determine new ways to address the ever growing demand for energy. I applaud local businesses in my district who have taken the lead in addressing this issue by introducing technologies for production of bio-diesel products from vegetable oil, animal fat, by-products and waste. The Southeast Texas region is home to some of the major refineries in the United States. Companies who take waste from these refineries (currently being disposed of in land fills) and old tires and converts them through their technology into non-toxic renewable ultra clean diesel fuel and other high valued synthetic fuels should be commended. This process allows for the taking of the refinery waste, which is an environmental problem, and converting it into a renewable diesel fuel that addresses our energy problem directly. Congress can help make alternative fuel facilities financially feasible by: Encouraging low interest private capital financing and investment for alternative fuel and ultra clean diesel facilities Supporting the use of tax-exempt bond financing for activities associated with the development of alternative fuel projects Exempting alternative fuel projects from the Bond Cap provisions of the IRS Code Permitting accelerated depreciation schedules when structuring bond financing for alternative fuel ultra clean diesel facilities Providing tax credit incentives to investors who purchase bonds to fund alternative fuel ultra clean diesel facilities Considering a way to assist with funding the upfront start up costs associated with these alternative fuel ultra clean diesel projects, which would include the engineering and developmental research that needs to be performed prior to seeking commercial funding for the project. This could be done in the form of grants or low interest loans. We need to take a course of action now to encourage these alternative fuel programs or we are just becoming more dependent on foreign oil products and will not grow or have the freedom to expand and meet our public's energy needs in an environmental friendly fashion. Southeast Texas is the energy capital of our nation. We will continue to lead the nation's energy needs by utilizing off shore drilling, nuclear power and new technologies such as bio-diesel and other alternative fuel programs. It is important we support local government and local businesses to forge ahead for our nation's energy program. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, slightly before midnight last night, the House of Representatives had a replay of the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich. Here's what I recall happened: A vote was being conducted on a Republican motion to recommit that would allow no Federal aid, such as food stamps, to be given to illegals in this country. This was hotly debated and then the votes started being recorded. The vote was close-- most Republicans and a few Democrats supported the motion denying taxpayer dollars to illegals. Most Democrats opposed the motion. With the vote tied at 214-214, the Speaker called the vote and denied the motion. (A tie means the motion failed.) But the official electronic board on the House Floor that records the votes read 215-213--FINAL VOTE--meaning the motion passed--no benefits for illegals. But, the official vote was disallowed more time put on the clock and the Speaker announced the real final vote to be 212-216, after some Members changed their vote after the Final Tally. In my opinion, this illegal action gave some illegals Federal benefits that only Americans and legals should receive. In 1972, Team USA was playing the Soviets for the Gold Medal in Olympic Basketball. When the buzzer sounded, Team USA had won the game 50-49. But the timekeeper put 3 seconds back on the clock; gave the ball to the Soviets; who scored a basket, and the new final score was 51-50. The Soviets were declared the winners even though they cheated-- Team USA refused their Silver Medals and walked off the stage in disgust. Last night, I and over 100 Republicans walked out of the House because of the illegal vote giving illegals Federal benefits that only American citizens and lawful immigrants deserve. Both the Soviet Basketball Team and those that want illegals to receive taxpayer benefits will do just anything to win--by any means necessary, whether legal or not. In both cases, Americans were not defeated, but cheated. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, many of my colleagues here today would have you believe that the war in Iraq, our foremost front in the fight against radical Islam, is lost. They will tell you, Madam Speaker, that the causes for which we fight, causes upon which our own Nation was founded, like the freedom, the worth of the individual and human rights, are not worth fighting for in Iraq. They will tell you that game is over and that the best that the American people can do is turn around and walk away in defeat. This defeat by retreat lacks wisdom of what war is about. America does not fight wars, so we can lose them by quitting. This is the time for the United States to stand firm in its commitment to freedom abroad. Now is the time for the United States to build up this sprouting democracy, rather than let it be torn down by those who would seek to destroy all of us who believe in liberty. Surrender has never been the American way, Madam Speaker. Since our Nation's inception, we have stood for what is right, even when all odds were against us. Let us follow in the footsteps of those who came before us, those who risked everything in order to preserve freedom for all. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, the State of Virginia has had it with illegals feeding off of their State and want them sent back to their homeland. So, Virginia is asking the Federal Government for help. Seeking funds and training available for States under the 287(g) program. This Federal program trains local and State law enforcement in immigration laws. Virginia aims to train every staffer at jails across the State on how to check immigration statuses and deport illegals. But when the State asked the Federal Government for help, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, said no. The reason: ICE says it lacks resources, including funding and personnel, to make that commitment to Virginia. Currently, there are 22 State and local agencies that have entered into agreements with ICE to be trained on the 287(g) programs; 65 more are waiting for approval. But because the Federal Government is not providing ICE with the necessary funds, law enforcement won't get trained and illegals won't get deported. Maybe some of the pork earmarks going to study the lifecycles of fish should be used in this immigration battle. Madam Speaker, this is absurd. Once again, illegals are getting a free pass to the U.S. due to the ineptitude of the Federal Government and its inability to cooperate with local cities that want to help stem the flow of illegals into our homeland. Madam Speaker, this ought not to be. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, when they send their son or daughter off to college this fall, millions of parents will be counting on these educational institutions to take the reasonable steps to keep them safe. After reading an editorial, ``Campus security is a crime'', in USA Today, I'm afraid that trust may be misplaced. Last December, Eastern Michigan University, EMU, student Laura Dickinson was raped and murdered in her own residence hall room. The campus police immediately opened a homicide investigation and called in the State police for help. Campus officials, however, issued a press release saying there was no reason to suspect foul play. In an especially unconscionable act, they even led the young woman's parents to believe she had died from a preexisting heart condition. This cover-up was not exposed until more than 2 months later when police arrested another student, apparently unknown to the victim, and charged him in connection with the crimes. For more than 2 months, students were not told that a rapist and murderer was free amongst them lulling them into a false sense of security. When they found out they were outraged and I share their outrage. We owe America's college students and their families better. As horrific as this is it isn't a new problem. After the chillingly similar rape and murder of Jeanne Clery at Lehigh University in 1986, Congress examined the scope of campus crime and found that cover-ups and violations of victims' rights were rampant. In response, the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 was adopted to require colleges to be up-front about their crime and respect victims' rights. In 1998 it was renamed the Jeanne Clery Act in memory of the student who had inspired it. The problem, however, as USA Today points out, is that this law isn't being properly enforced. Even though there are more than 6,000 institutions of postsecondary education between 1994 and 2006 only 17 Clery Act specific reviews were conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, the agency charged with enforcing the Act. An even smaller number, three, were fined for violations. This has led to widespread violations of the Act. Only about a third of all institutions properly comply with the Act according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in December of 2005. Simply put, their chances of getting caught are very small and the chances of being punished are virtually nonexistent. As a former judge, let me tell you, when there are no consequences for wrongdoing it won't stop. In an investigation called for by Security On Campus, Inc., a national non-profit victims' rights group co-founded by Jeanne Clery's parents Connie and Howard, the Education Department found that EMU had not only violated the Clery Act by failing to warn their students about the murder, but also had an extensive history of violations. They should face significant fines for these violations and other schools need to know that they too will face a penalty if they lie about campus violence. Once the U.S. Department of Education finally begins taking the Clery Act seriously colleges and universities will too. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, our path to energy independence is anything but that. We have become more energy dependent on foreign governments, and our own government continues to find new ways to control our lives regarding energy use. The government is in the toilet bowl control business. Now toilets must meet strict Federal regulations, but these expensive toilets must be flushed more than once to be effective. The government now polices our washing machines. But new regulations that limit water usage are so ineffective with these new gizmos that Consumer Reports states the government machines don't get dirty clothes clean unless they're washed multiple times. So much for saving energy. And now the government is in the light bulb police business, requiring expensive new bulbs to be used that are only made, ironically, in China. Instead of finding new ways to punish and police Americans for using energy, we should find new efficient sources of more energy. I doubt if our forefathers fought for independence at Valley Forge just to give us an all-controlling government that demands how citizens use washing machines, light bulbs and toilet bowls. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to congratulate the chairman, Mr. Oberstar, and Ranking Member Mica for their work on getting this long-delayed bill to the House floor, and I certainly support it. Both the ranking member and the chairman have said, as long as I have been on this committee, that this is the most cooperative committee even though it is the largest committee in Congress. And it is true. It is a bipartisan committee that gets things done. We disagree, but we do it in a civil manner. I am also impressed with Mr. Oberstar's knowledge of transportation history. He knows more about transportation that has occurred in the United States probably than all of us put together. I do want to thank the committee for including in this WRDA bill the expedited completion of the study for the Sabine-Neches Waterway Project. I have been frustrated for the lack of progress by the Army Corps of Engineers to finalize this completion study. The study report was started by the Corps in the year 2000, with a completion date of 2004. It was supposed to cost $6 million. And now it is 2007, and this project study is still not completed, and estimates on final cost of the project have now risen to $13 million. I appreciate the chairman's support for this study to be completed as soon as possible. The Sabine-Neches Waterway is the riverway that separates Texas from Louisiana and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Sabine-Neches is vital to not only southeast Texas, but it is essential for the national security needs of our Nation. It is the home of America's largest commercial military port and the Port of Beaumont, and it is second largest in the world. It is crucial for shipping military cargo to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and is America's largest importer of crude oil by tonnage. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of the Nation's jet fuel is produced by refineries on this waterway, including 80 percent of the jet fuel used by our military. This riverway supplies petrochemical and energy needs for southeast Texas and the rest of the Nation. Section 508 requires the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite completion of this study whether or not to expand, widen, and deepen the riverway for the Sabine-Neches Waterway, and the joint statement further directs that this would be done as soon as possible. I hope this study is finished this year so that it will be included in next year's full WRDA bill and we can start moving dirt to widen, deepen, and make this riverway important not only for southeast Texas but for national security reasons as well. It is important for our economy, it is important for our recovering economy after Rita in southeast Texas, and I look forward to working on the next WRDA bill after this one is passed to have it completed. Once again, I want to thank the ranking member and the chairman for their full support.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

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