Ted Poe

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I was personally on hand January 4, 2006 to see one of the greatest college football games ever played; Texas vs USC in the granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl. Todav I rise to congratulate the victors, College Football's National Champion, the University of Texas Longhorns. In front of over 100,000 fans, an impressive portion of which were wearing burnt orange, the Longhorns triumphed with a stunning come from behind win that will be talked about for years to come. The State of Texas is immensely proud of the Longhorn's Head Coach Mack Brown, his entire staff, and the fine players that represent them. Those fine young men and the thousands of screaming Texas faithful taught the entire country the lesson that Sam Houston taught Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. You don't ever want to share the same field as a bunch of fired up Texans. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. I do not have the statistics either, but natural gas is even less of a pollutant than crude oil. Of course there is natural seepage with natural gas just as there is with crude oil from the bottom of the ocean. That is the way nature has been doing business for a long time. I do not have the statistics, but it would be interesting to find out what they are.

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time and the work of the gentleman on numerous issues, the first of course being the overriding issue of our Constitution, a document you keep in your pocket every day in case someone wants to question you on what it says and what it doesn't say. I commend you for your strong stand on the Constitution. And on the issue of border security being a national security issue, because it is a national security problem. It is unfortunate that so many Americans are oblivious or refuse to believe the problem that has been discussed tonight by our friend from Florida and yourself. And then there is the issue, of course, of offshore drilling. We have heard even tonight in this Chamber a discussion about the importance of having our country not be dependent on other countries for our energy. We are held hostage to some extent to Third World countries that really determine how we are to obtain much of our oil and natural gas. And there were some concerns mentioned tonight that folks in the Northeast are needing home heating oil and we can't depend on foreign countries. Well, we don't need to depend on foreign countries. We don't need to depend on the Middle East as much as we are. We hear the rhetoric in Venezuela from the president there, his anti- American comments and how he threatens every once in a while to cut off the oil supply to the United States; and Bolivia, with its new president, is talking about doing the same thing with natural gas to the United States. Once again, the United States appears to be held hostage by Third World countries on our energy. So what do we do about it? Well, the President mentioned last night several proposals of how we have to go to alternative energy sources, and we need to do that. But we need to take another look at where we drill, why we drill, and why we don't drill. We will start with the offshore drilling. I have here a chart that explains where we drill off the coast of the United States and where we don't drill. We drill in my home State of Texas, and we're glad to drill offshore. Texans know the importance of drilling offshore. We drill offshore from the State of Texas; we drill offshore from Louisiana and the State of Mississippi. This blue area is the only place we drill offshore, because the rest of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the entire east coast, and the sacred west coast, if I can use that phrase, we don't drill because there are prohibitions from drilling offshore. We need to lift the prohibitions in this entire red area. Not the environmental regulations, but the overall prohibitions from drilling in these entire areas. There is much oil in the Gulf of Mexico. There is much oil on the east coast and off the west coast, and we don't drill there for reasons that I think are a myth. The myth is we can't drill offshore safely, that it is an environmental problem. Mr. Speaker, that is a myth because we can drill offshore safely. Let us just go back recently to two hurricanes that hit this area, this blue area. Hurricane Katrina and then the forgotten hurricane, Hurricane Rita, that came right through this entire area. In this area we not only drill offshore but we have refineries. My home State, Texas, right here, this district I represent, southeast Texas, 23 percent of our gasoline is refined right here in this area where Hurricane Rita came through and shut down our refineries for a period of time. But during all of the conversations and discussion and moaning and groaning about the disaster of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we heard little, if any, talk about offshore drilling and the danger and the leakage from crude oil coming up from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico because of these two hurricanes. Because it didn't happen. There was very little environmental impact with the hurricanes that came through this area, because we do drill safely offshore. That should tell us a couple of things. First, these rigs offshore that shut down, and some were damaged, caused little or no economic or environmental impact in the gulf coast. Second, since this is the only place we drill offshore, someone should realize that maybe we should not depend on this entire blue area, hurricane alley as we call it, for our offshore drilling. With Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many of these rigs were shut down and some of our refineries were closed down. All of that takes place in this one blue area. We are dependent not only on foreign oil but in our own country we are dependent on this little area of offshore drilling. So we do need to expand. We need to use some common sense and drill offshore safely in this entire other region where there is much crude oil and much natural gas. We don't do it because people are concerned about the environmental impact. This is actually one of those myths that has convinced so many people in this House and many Americans who are afraid we can't drill offshore safely. Where do these offshore oil spills come from? Pollution from crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico? Well, 63 percent of the crude oil that comes to our shorelines in the Gulf of Mexico is from nature itself, as this chart shows. Sixty-three percent comes from the natural seepage of crude oil from the bottom of the ocean. That is where most of the pollution comes from. Second, 32 percent comes from those boats, the shipping industry that patrols the Gulf of Mexico. Three percent comes from those tankers that are bringing crude oil from other countries, like the Middle East. And only 2 percent of pollution, if we use that phrase, in the Gulf of Mexico from crude oil comes from, yes, that is right, offshore drilling. Now, most Americans are unaware of this. Most Americans think it is just the reverse. They think the crude oil drilling offshore causes most of the pollution, and that is not true. No one wants polluted beaches. No one wants an unsafe environment. I certainly do not. No one does that advocates offshore drilling. So the environmental impact is very small if we drill offshore. We can do so safely. They drill offshore in the roughest waters in the world, and that is the North Sea, and they do so safely. Most of those people that are drilling there are from Texas to begin with, and those folks that know how to drill offshore safely drill all over the world. Yet we have a mindset in this country that we shouldn't drill in these sacred areas because of the environmental impact. So that myth needs to be denounced as a myth and we need to take care of our own selves, be self-sufficient, because there is plenty of crude oil here, on the east coast, the rest of the Gulf of Mexico, and there is also much natural gas resources that we are not tapping into as well. Not to mention going up here to Alaska, to ANWR, another place where we ought to drill, because we can drill in that area safely. Hopefully, these two bodies will agree to drill in ANWR. Because gasoline prices continue to rise. Home heating oil prices continue to rise. Natural gas prices continue to rise. The answer is not to look to more foreign countries. The answer is to drill safely, environmentally correct, around the United States coastline. Just to mention one other thing, when an oil company goes out here into the Gulf of Mexico and wishes to set up a new rig, they obtain a lease from the Federal Government. They pay for that. Those leases bring in millions of dollars to the United States Treasury that we lease to oil companies for permission and the right and privilege to drill offshore. That is a source of revenue. So more leases bring more revenue to the national Treasury. We talk about the deficit and government spending. Revenue can be obtained from these oil companies that drill offshore. So it is a situation where I believe more Americans need to be aware that we can do so safely. We have seen hurricanes hit these oil rigs with minimal damage to the environment. We know there is oil and natural gas out here, and if we do not take care of ourselves and become more dependent on ourselves for our own energy, crude oil and natural gas, gas prices will rise, crude oil prices will rise, home heating oil prices will rise, and natural gas prices will continue to rise, and without doing so there is really no answer. We need to do both. We need to look for alternative sources such as nuclear energy, as the President mentioned last night. We also need to drill where we have oil and natural gas available. I appreciate the opportunity to make these comments. Hopefully working together we can solve our own energy and not be held hostage by other countries.

Mr. POE. Certainly. We bring in liquefied natural gas from the Middle East. It is converted and used in the United States. We need that process as well, but it makes a lot more common sense to use the resources we have, our own natural resources, to satisfy the need for energy in the United States and continue to develop other alternative energy sources as well. To me it defies common sense that we do not drill offshore. We can do so safely. We have proven that. The best experts in the world on drilling offshore from the United States, they go to other countries and contract out and drill for other countries. Hopefully we can change the mindset in this country.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, today I want to congratulate Steven Robert Sollee on his recent offer of appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Steven sought a nomination to West Point through my office, competing with a group of highly qualified applicants. He passed the evaluation process, and I am proud to give him a Congressional nomination. Steven is currently a senior at Kingwood High School in Kingwood, Texas. He has dreamed of becoming an officer in the United States Army. Steven possesses many qualities that will make him an excellent cadet at West Point and upon graduation, an excellent officer in the United States Army. He has always shown a dedication to public service as an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts' Honor Society. Steven is a Christian with a deep faith in God that he demonstrates with his service to his church. He has a stellar academic background with 3.89 GPA and a class rank of 54 out of 980. He won the K-Award in Chemistry at Kingwood High School, which recognizes the best student of the class. Steven has achieved all these honors while participating in a demanding schedule of extracurricular activities, including varsity tennis, the high school band, the language club, the National Honor Society and the National French Honor Society. The interview by my Service Academy Nomination Board was the real clincher for Steven. Nothing can replace a personal encounter to establish credibility and character. His interviewers said that Steven was a first class candidate, well qualified and highly motivated to attend West Point. They were impressed by his professed dream and knew Steven understood the gravity of the commitment to the Academy. They recommended him for a nomination without hesitation. I believe that Steven is a fine Texan who will serve his country with distinction and I wish him good fortune in this new chapter of his life.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, today I want to congratulate Charles Warren Ciliske on his recent offer of appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Charles sought a nomination to West Point through my office, competing with a group of highly qualified applicants. He was selected for a nomination and West Point has offered him an appointment to their celebrated institution. I am proud to give him a Congressional nomination. Charles is currently a senior at Kingwood High School in Kingwood, Texas and he possesses many qualities that will make him an excellent cadet at West Point, and an excellent officer in the United States Army. He has shown the ability to dedicate himself to a goal over the long-term, and to succeed with this dedication. Charles is a 4-year varsity swimmer on the Kingwood High School Swim Team and was Captain of the team this season. He is a 5-time High School All-American, 2003 Rookie of the Year and 2005 District Swimmer of the Year. Also in 2005, he was on the Team 5A Texas State Champs and was a National Runner-Up. Charles has proven himself academically as well, earning the AP Scholar Award. He is a member of the USA Swimming Academic All-American Team and a member of the National Honor Society. The clincher for Charles was the interview by my Service Academy Nomination Board. Nothing can replace a personal encounter to establish credibility and repute. His interviewers said that he was an exceptional candidate, with excellent character and strong moral values. They were impressed by Charles's professed dream to attend the U.S. Military Academy, and knew he understood the gravity of the commitment to the Academy and of becoming an officer in the U.S. Army. They recommended him to me without reservation. Mr. Speaker, I believe that Charles is a fine Texan who will serve his country with distinction and I wish him good fortune in this new chapter of his life.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, today I want to congratulate Rachel Dunn on her recent offer of appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Rachel sought a nomination to West Point through my office, competing with a group of highly qualified applicants. Rachel was selected for a nomination and West Point has offered her an appointment to their celebrated institution. I am proud to have given her a Congressional nomination. Rachel is currently a senior at Humble High School in Humble, Texas. She possesses many qualities that will make her an excellent cadet at West Point, and an excellent officer in the United States Army. She has shown an unwavering sense of dedication to long-term goals, as she has played on the Humble Lady Wildcats volleyball team for her full four year career at Humble High. Rachel's hard work paid off during her senior year when her teammates voted her captain of the team. She has earned various awards: Volleyball JV Squad MVP in 2003, Offensive Player of the Year in 2004 and 1st Team All-District in 2004. Not only has Rachel excelled in the sports arena, she also has excelled in the classroom. She has a 4.9 GPA on a 5.0 scale and was ranked 27th in a class of 887. She acted courageously to save someone's life, showing tremendous fortitude under intense pressure. In addition Rachel interviewed with poise and intelligence with my Service Academy Nomination Board. The Board recommended her to me without hesitation. Mr. Speaker, I believe Rachel is a fine Texan who will serve her country with distinction and I wish her good fortune in this new chapter of her life.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, our border is being held hostage by the lawless that roam the murky river banks of the Rio Grande. Just last week along the Texas-Mexico border, about 50 miles east of El Paso, Texas lawmen faced off with outlaws dressed as Mexican army soldiers. These criminals attempted to flee Texas State authorities. U.S. law enforcement authorities were met with camouflaged military- style Humvees with .50-caliber machine guns, forcing an armed standoff along these dangerous banks of the rugged Rio Grande. The Mexican government has claimed that these so-called soldiers were actually drug smugglers. Fortunately, whoever they were, their criminal intent was foiled because U.S. border officials, even though they were outgunned, tracked the smugglers and the outlaws until they quickly fled back into Mexico after the initial standoff. These outlaws left behind nearly a ton of marijuana after they set one of their own vehicles ablaze. Mexican officials are denying that these men were members of the Mexican army, claiming it is quite easy to buy Mexican military uniforms in local stores. But, of course, Mr. Speaker, we do not know the truth about that statement. This incident is not the first either. In November the U.S. border patrol chased criminals in a dump truck full of marijuana in the same area until it got stuck in the Rio Grande River on its way back to Mexico. As Border Patrol agents sought to unload the three tons of marijuana from the truck, the driver, who had initially fled, returned with an army of heavily armed men wearing, yes, that is correct, Mexican military uniforms carrying military-style weapons. The army of thugs backed the agents away and then bulldozed their own truck back into Mexico, this safe haven for drug dealers. And the war for the border is not just taking place above ground. This month in California officials have stumbled upon four underground tunnels that lead from Mexico into the United States. Just last Thursday authorities spent the day removing an estimated two tons of marijuana from a tunnel that began inside a warehouse in Tijuana, Mexico near their airport and ended up in a vacant industrial building on the American side. The 2,400-foot tunnel was about 5 feet wide and high enough for an adult to stand. The floor was cement and there was electricity and ventilation. Customs officials have described the tunnel as longer and much more massive than the other smuggling tunnels discovered since September 11, 2001. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue of national security. If these drug cartels are so boldly bringing drugs across our borders through these tunnels, what is to prevent them from using these same tunnels to smuggle terrorists and humans as well? We cannot ignore this issue. In early January, Customs and Border Protection border patrol agents of Brewster County, Texas seized over $2 million worth of cocaine from three Mexican nationals carrying the drugs in backpacks into the United States. These narcoterrorists make money because of the lack of border security in the United States. And, Mr. Speaker, these drug dealers are serious. Federal officials have recently warned U.S. border patrol agents that they could be the targets of assassins hired by immigrant smugglers. According to a memo from Homeland Security, ``Unidentified Mexican alien smugglers are angry about the border security along the U.S.-Mexico border and have agreed that the best way to deal with U.S. border patrol agents is to hire a group of contract killers.'' Well, it is time for us to get angry as well and come up with the best way to deal with them. We are fighting a serious insurgency along our borders, and we must stop this lawless out-of-control invasion. Our border is critically and visibly vulnerable. What is it going to take for us to figure this out? It is chilling to think what may be next. Will it be a shootout on the Rio Grande River? We must win this battle for our borders. We must win the battle for American sovereignty. We must win the battle against the lawlessness that has invaded our country before Americans pay for this lawless behavior of others. That is just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, one week from today is Christmas, and on Christmas in 1776, Americans were at war for freedom. General Washington and his colonials crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey and defeated the British who were caught celebrating. This Christmas Americans are at war for freedom in lands far, far away. They, like Washington's men, will not be home for Christmas. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, they say. The price is also counted in the cost of human sacrifice. Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan that will never return for another Christmas gave their lives for the same ideas that Washington's men gave their lives for. We call it freedom. Mr. Speaker, you notice I say gave their lives, not lost their lives, because their lives were voluntarily sacrificed on the altar of liberty. In the War of Independence, 4,600 Americans died, and in all wars for freedom, over 1.5 million Americans have died. They gave their youth for freedom's future. So, as the church bells ring this Sunday before Christmas, let us be reminded of the ring of the Liberty Bell that tolls the words: ``Let freedom ring throughout the land.'' That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, history has shown that free peoples are willing to give up civil liberties or freedom in the name of security. Our forefathers knew this, so our Constitution protects us from government taking rights in the name of security. Mr. Speaker, people have rights. Government has no rights. Government has power and it obtains it when we forfeit our rights to the government. In this time of terrorism, our government uses high-tech surveillance to capture them. This is good. But the fourth amendment states: ``The right of people to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated.'' It is the duty of the judiciary, not this body, not even the executive branch, to protect those rights and review searches. When I was a judge in Texas, I signed hundreds of warrants. I was even the State wiretap judge, and I found that warrants make better police officers and they make better criminal cases. In this post-9/11 era, we cannot allow our zeal to be safe to get in the way of judicial review of search warrants and wiretaps while continuing to provide tools for law enforcement to capture those terrorists. You see, Mr. Speaker, we can have it both ways. We can be safe and secure and maintain our civil rights as a free people. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, over the past year I have addressed many issues I have with the judgments handed down by the highest court of our country, the Supreme Court, right across the street. Recent rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States, particularly pertaining to the separation of church and State, property rights, the right to say the pledge of allegiance, and the use of foreign law by our Supreme Court in interpreting the American Constitution, have prompted an outcry by the American people and a growing interest, or better yet, confusion, confusion on how those decisions are made. The decisions made by the Supreme Court have a direct impact on the lives of Americans and every American in the future. With that said, I believe it is past time that every American be afforded the opportunity to see how those decisions are made in this Court. I filed legislation that would allow cameras to broadcast Supreme Court proceedings so that we can all see the arguments made before the Supreme Court and how they make those decisions that affect our lives from now on. I am no stranger to cameras in the courtroom. I was one of the first Texas judges to allow cameras in the courtroom. In addition, I was the first judge in Texas to oversee a capital murder trial broadcast in its entirety on television. Our sense of justice says the more open and public a trial, the more likely justice will occur. I found that cameras only enhanced this concept. As a criminal court judge for 20 years, I have had countless cases covered by the media from all over the world. Critics argue that attorneys play to the cameras; but the truth is, they play to the jury. They always have played to the jury. Juries are the ones that make the decisions, not the audience. Courts have the ability to prevent filming of the jurors, child witnesses, assault victims while letting the community see the public trial. Cameras make the ability of the people to view justice as it is in progress. In the case of cameras broadcasting the Supreme Court hearings, there is no jury, just nine Justices who have the final say on the American Constitution. Because of the magnitude of the rulings handed down by this Court, these proceedings above all others should be as open to the public as possible. While the hearings are, in fact, open to the public, not everyone has the ability to travel to Washington, D.C. and view these proceedings. This is why it is precisely time to come to the reality to open the Supreme Court to public hearings and allow their proceedings to be filmed by cameras. Cameras can be unobtrusive. There are no big lights. There are no big cameras. In fact, many people do not even realize there are cameras in this Chamber. So it is time to film these proceedings. Opening these proceedings to the American public is much more important than seeing the child molestation trial of the King of Pop or the murder trial of some ex-football player. Yet there was no concern over viewing these proceedings on television. Why should there be concern over a Court that has the final say on how our Constitution is interpreted? This year the Iraqi country, the Iraqi people have formed a new democracy, and part of that is a new judiciary. And yet they are already filming their trials, because the tyrant of the area, Saddam Hussein, his trial is on international television. This is their democracy and their courts seem to be somewhat more open than even ours. Those judges and critics who do not want the public to view what they are doing in those courtrooms, Mr. Speaker, maybe should not be doing what they are doing behind those closed doors. It is time to open the Supreme Court to public viewing of their proceedings on television.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, a National Guard unit is coming back to Texas, because tomorrow, Saturday, December 17, the First Battalion, 133rd field artillery will be welcomed back to Beaumont, Texas, after serving the past year in Iraq. In August 2004, the Texas Army National Guard deployed the 56th Brigade Combat Team of the 36th Infantry Division to go to Iraq. They trained for 4 months in Ft. Hood, Texas, and got to Iraq in December of 2004. The 133rd Field Artillery has a longstanding history in this country. This was the first and famous Texas Army National Guard that served in France in World War I. General John J. Pershing, the commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I made this comment about those Texans in World War I: He said, the bearing of the division in this its very first experience in battle showed the mettle of the officers and men and gave promise of what it would become. Members of this division who returned home can be proud of the record of their services. Mr. Speaker, this was the first American combat unit to land in Europe in World War II. They landed on the beaches of Italy during World War II. They liberated Rome, then they went and landed on the beaches of France, went on to free the hostages of the concentration camps of Dachau, Germany. Probably the most famous member of the 36th Texas is a person by the name of Audie Murphy. You may remember him, Mr. Speaker; he is from Hunt, Texas. And when he was a youngster, he joined the Army, the Army National Guard of Texas and became the first decorated soldier in the history of the American Army, winning among many other things the Congressional Medal of Honor. And yet, the Texas 36th has continued that longstanding tradition in Iraq where they conducted offensive operations, deny and destroy operations, combat logistic patrols and civil military affair operations. They built schools and hospitals and won the hearts of the Iraqi kids that they met along the way. They operated in the Sunni Triangle, Tikrit, Tillal, on the Jordanian border and in Bagdad. It is my pleasure to welcome them back when they come back home tomorrow. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the members of the 133rd, the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. They honor us with their commitment to Texas and the Nation, and the citizens of America and Iraq owe them a debt of gratitude. They are America's best. They are the sons and daughters of liberty. They are freedom fighters, and they make us proud. I join the citizens of Texas Congressional District number two in paying the utmost respect for the 1st Battalion, 133rd Field Artillery. Through their service, Iraq has become a free democracy, and America remains the land of the free and the home of the brave. Mr. Speaker, I had the chance in January of this year to go to Iraq to visit the very first elections, and I, with our military, and saw firsthand the accomplishments in their fight for freedom. You know, Mr. Speaker, freedom does have a price. Our troops are paying that sacrificial price for the Iraqi people and for world freedom. Unfortunately, the 133rd lost six members during their fight for freedom, and I extend my prayers and our condolences to the family and friends. They were making a difference in the world when they gave their lives. Their bravery and dedication and patriotism shall not be forgotten. That success is evident with the successful election of a new government in Iraq yesterday. President John Kennedy once said: The cost of freedom is always high. But Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. Mr. Speaker, we have chosen the right path. The hard path. The freedom path. We will persevere with the freedom-loving people of Iraq until the journey down this path is successfully completed. The citizen soldiers of America, the Texas Army National Guard, have been warriors on the long hard sacrificial path of liberty. The world should never underestimate the resolve of America, the resolve and determination and will of the American soldier. Regardless of their mission for freedom, they always get it done. That is just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, in less than 24 hours, the Iraqi people will elect a permanent parliament that will govern their free nation for the next 4 years. They will stand tall against tyranny and watch democracy unfold before their eyes. Mr. Speaker, I went to Iraq for the first historical elections in January and saw firsthand the birth of democracy in this land far, far away. We will not cut and run on freedom and on Iraq. Otherwise, the terrorists will have won the day, and the Iraqi hope for freedom will disappear into the dismal abyss of lost causes. Freedom has a price. Our troops are paying that sacrificial price for the Iraqi people and world freedom. We will continue to support these sons and daughters of liberty. On the eve of the elections, we pay tribute to our freedom fighters. President Kennedy once said, ``The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it, and one path we shall never choose and that is the path of surrender or submission.'' Mr. Speaker, we have chosen the right path, the hard path, the freedom path. We will persevere with the freedom-loving people of Iraq until the journey down this path is successfully completed. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, a National Guard unit is coming back home to Texas. On Saturday, December 17, 2005, the 1st Battalion 133rd Field Artillery will be welcomed back home to the Beaumont Armory, in Beaumont, Texas after bravely serving the past year in Iraq. In August 2004 the Texas Army National Guard deployed the 56th Brigade Combat Team of the 36th Infantry Division, to go to Iraq. They trained for four months in Ft. Hood, and got to Iraq in December of 2004. The 133rd Field Artillery has a long-standing history. This was the same famous Texas Army National Guard Division that landed on the beaches of Anzio, Italy during WWII, liberated Rome and freed hostages in Dachau, Germany. They continued this long-standing tradition in Iraq where they conducted offensive operations, deny and destroy operations, combat logistic patrols and civil military affairs operations. They built schools, hospitals, and won the hearts of the Iraqis they met along the way. In January, I had the privilege of going to Iraq to witness the first elections. I met with our military and saw firsthand their accomplishments in their fight for Iraqi freedom. Mr. Speaker, freedom has a price. Our troops are paying that sacrificial price for the Iraqi people and world freedom. Unfortunately, the 133rd lost 6 members during their fight for freedom and I would like to extend my prayers and our condolences to their family and friends. They were making a difference in the world when they gave their life. Their bravery, dedication and patriotism will never be forgotten. President John Kennedy once said, ``The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.'' We have chosen the right path, the hard path, the freedom path. We will persevere with the freedom loving people of Iraq until the journey down this path is successfully completed. The 133rd operated in the Sunni Triangle, Tikrit, Tillal, on the Jordanian Border and in Baghdad and it is my pleasure to welcome them back to Beaumont, Texas today. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the members of the 133rd and all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. They have honored us with their commitment to Texas and the Nation, and the citizens of America and Iraq owe them a debt of gratitude. They are America's best. They are the sons and daughters of liberty, they are freedom fighters. They make us proud. I join the citizens of Texas's 2nd Congressional District in paying the utmost respect to the 1st Battalion 133rd Field Artillery. Through their service, Iraq is a free democracy, and America remains the land of the free and the home of the brave. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, on this day 2 years ago, United States soldiers found the king of tyranny, Saddam Hussein, hiding in a hole like a rat near Tikrit, Iraq. His trial recently started, and it is more public than some American trials because it is carried on international television. He pontificates about how he is unjustly treated. He tries to portray himself as an honorable person. This is the same dreadful demon dictator that tortured and murdered his own citizens and caused years of chaos and calamity in his own country. Witnesses in the trial have described rapes, beatings, and electric shock torture carried out by his relentless regime. But the news stories focus on his outrageous court behavior instead of his years of vicious violence and mayhem. The people of the world deserve a record of his atrocities, not the senseless stories of his bad courtroom attitude, his disruptions, and his disrespectful and disgraceful demeanor. The caged rodent known as Saddam Hussein can protest all he wants, but even the likes of him now receives a fair trial. Justice will soon be served, and he will be punished like the rat that he is. We call this justice system democracy. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the 9/11 Commission report concluded: ``Americans should not be exempt from carrying passports when they enter the United States, nor should Canadians or Mexicans. The 9/11 experience shows that terrorists study and exploit America's vulnerabilities.'' Exempting anyone from carrying a passport when crossing into the United States is blatantly ignoring the commission's suggestions and is posing yet another serious vulnerability in our country's border security. Neither Mexican nor Canadian visitors are required to show a passport to enter the United States, despite the fact that they rank number one and number four respectively as the largest sources of illegal immigration in the United States. Small wonder the governments of those nations oppose passports to enter America. We need to do what is best for the United States, not what is best for Canada or Mexico. The 9/11 Commission stated that the United States is still at risk by not requiring passports to enter this country. Our border is seriously vulnerable. What is it going to take for us to figure this out? Congress must make serious changes in our immigration policy before we lose the sovereignty of this Nation and become a Nation illegally colonized by other nations. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I want to make a few comments regarding our situation in Iraq. You and numerous other Members of this body have been to Iraq to see firsthand exactly the situation, see the finest military that has ever existed from any country; and I met with those young men and women and all branches of the service, and to a person they were proud not only to be Americans but they were proud to serve in Iraq to free the Iraqi people from the tyranny that they have had for years, numerous years. I think it is important that we remember our own history and how it is necessary to be eternally vigilant because of the issue and concept of liberty. Our own American Revolution took at least 7 years before this country became a free and independent Nation. Back then there were the naysayers and the quitters and the cut-and-run folks who wanted to give up and surrender and not fight for that liberty. It is good our history reflects those people were not listened to by the vast majority of those people who lived in the colonies and gained freedom and an independent Nation as well. In many wars since then, the same was true. Including back during World War II that we mentioned yesterday on this House floor that all started with another terrorist attack against this country, and the war was not going well for the United States at the beginning of World War II. Both the Japanese and the Germans had the upper hand. It is good that our history does not reflect that that greatest generation got tired of the war, quit and left that engagement but finished the job, finished the job for freedom as well. The country has a plan. I think the plan is very simple. We are going to win the war, finish the job, and bring our troops home as soon as liberty is established in that democracy, that democracy that many people said would never exist, that does exist. I was proud to be one of two Members of this body on January 30, 2005, when Iraq started that democracy with that parliament that occurred. People voted that day, and of course there are those who said they will never vote; they do not understand democracy. They will never come out and vote. And yet they did, even though there were over 50 Iraqis murdered because they chose to vote. Over 400 were wounded because they chose to vote, and they did it anyway because freedom is that important. But it all occurred because we are there. Our troops are there. Our young men and women are there doing what they can to have democracy in this part of the world that many years ago did not even understand the concept of it. I appreciate the opportunity to make these comments. The last 2 days I have stood on this House floor and mentioned two people in my district, one a marine and one a soldier, who gave their lives for this country in Iraq, gave their lives for the Iraqi people, and gave their lives for freedom. Both of them and their families have reiterated to me personally how they believed in what they were doing because they were doing the right thing. I appreciate the chance to make these comments. It is important that the American people focus, finish the job, win the war, and bring the troops home as soon as we can, but not until freedom is established.

Mr. POE. No question about it. It was a very moving experience.

Mr. POE. We started out in Fallujah that day. I was there with Mr. Shays. When the sun came up, we were wondering whether people would come to the polls. The whole nation was shut down to vehicular traffic. The only vehicles on the roads were Iraqi security forces and our military. Nobody else could be driving, so everybody had to walk to the polls that day, sometimes up to 2 hours. After the sun came up, people started going to the polls. They walked. Not only did they walk, they took their families and their in- laws. They stood in line to vote. They voted. It was a very simple process. To mark the ballot, they put their finger in that ink that stayed on their finger for about 5 days. It was a mark. It was a sign not just that they voted, but it was a sign to the terrorists that if we see anybody with those purple fingers we are going to do harm to you. Yet the Iraqis when they finished voting, many of them, especially women who had never had the right to vote in their history, walked defiantly down the street holding up their hand and finger to show the world, especially the terrorists, that they were not going to be intimidated because freedom is that important. So we traveled all over the country that day. Late that night we visited with the interim president of Iraq. And he said to us about midnight in a very somber, emotional way, but serious, that this day in Iraq would never have taken place if it were not for the American youth who were there. He was serious. He and the Iraqi people are grateful for this concept of freedom. That is what the United States does. We did that in World War II. We set up those democracies in Germany and Japan. People said that would never happen because of those totalitarian countries; yet those countries are democracies today. They are world powers, and they are our allies. Who is to say that in a few years the same thing may not happen in Afghanistan and Iraq. I would not trade anything for being there on election day.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the three words from the official seal of the United States Army states: ``This we'll defend.'' Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen was a member of the Army and he died carrying out this motto, defending the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen. He was truly a remarkable person. Bill was born in Mount Vernon, Washington, on February 10, 1981, and when he was 10 years old, he and his family found their way to southeast Texas and moved to Kingwood, Texas. He attended Kingwood High School, one of the finest high schools in this country, and he graduated in 1999. He went on to Texas A&M University, and he and some of his friends enlisted in the United States Army as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001. His father Mike said ``Bill strongly believed that we all share a responsibility to serve on behalf of God and country, to protect freedoms we all cherish so deeply.'' It was that sense of patriotism that led him to enter the United States Army. Bill was initially deployed with the renowned Band of Brothers to Camp Giant, near the Korean demilitarized zone in March of 2003. A year later, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It was there he married his wife, Lauren Lynn, on August 18, this year, 2005. She was the daughter of a Colonel who was also serving in Iraq. Bill was then deployed to Iraq just 3 months later, in October of 2005. Two months after that, on the day before Thanksgiving this year, Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen was one of two soldiers killed in action when his unit came under direct fire near Baghdad. He was the 186th Texan killed in Iraq since the war began. One out of every ten people serving in the United States military today is from the State of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Bill is remembered as a person who loved his friends and family. He enjoyed playing basketball with his buddies, and he had compassion for animals. When he was growing up, he used to hide animals in his home. His friends and family will never forget his friendly and ever-present smile. He had a great sense of humor and a way of making anyone around him feel comfortable. His father, Mike, spoke of his sense of adventure and interest in exploring other countries and cultures, which he was doing by fulfilling his Army experience. While in Iraq, Bill spoke with his wife, Lauren, and parents, Mike and Thresa frequently. In one of his most recent conversations, he was upbeat and excited about his unit's recent success in the field in Iraq. He felt strongly they were accomplishing their mission and goal, making a difference in Iraq for those people. A week before he died, he sent home this photograph of him taking a break in Iraq enjoying tea in the Iraqi custom. Mr. Speaker, here is a photograph of Bill shortly before he was killed in active duty in Iraq. It shows this big man, this big son of America, taking a break while on duty in Iraq for his country and for the people of Iraq. During another conversation with his mother Thresa, she was crying when she spoke with her son because Bill's platoon had recently suffered four casualties, and she was worried how he was handling this. But Bill was very clear in his response to his mother. He told his mother, ``Mom, you do not need to cry for the soldiers who were killed. They are all in heaven. They were good men. They died doing what they wanted to do. Cry for their families.'' Wise words from one of America's sons. His clear and matter-of-fact responses have been a tremendous source of comfort to his wife and to his parents since his death. While Bill was stationed in Korea before he went to Iraq, he met a man named Ahn. Ahn was a sergeant in the South Korean Army. He and Bill made quick friends. They made an odd pair since Ahn was relatively short and Bill was 6 foot 4 inches tall. On numerous weekends the two of them would catch the train to Seoul, South Korea, where they explored the city, and Ahn helped Bill learn the customs of the Korean people. Bill even got to go to Ahn's parents' home. After he learned of Bill's passage, Ahn sent a heartfelt letter in broken English to the Meeuwsen family in Texas. It reads in part: ``There is an old Korean saying that `too nice and good person tends to be taken by God earlier than usual.' I strongly sure that Holy Father have special plan to brighten the heaven with Mr. Meeuwsen.'' Mr. Speaker, I am sure that heaven is already brighter with Bill up there, and I would like to extend my prayers and our condolences to his parents, Mike and Thresa, to his relatives, his friends, the community of Kingwood, Texas, his wife, Laura Lynn. Sergeant Meeuwsen touched so many lives in his 24 years. He was a freedom fighter, he was an Aggie, a son of proud parents, a member of the band of brothers, an American warrior, and an inspiration to all patriots. His patriotism and heroism and his life will not be forgotten. He paid for freedom with his life. He paid for our safety with his blood, and he paid for our future years with his youth. When I talked to Sergeant Meeuwsen's father, Mike, about what his son believed in and his reasons for his personal involvement in Iraq, he said this: ``I am here for God, country, and freedom.'' Mr. Speaker, that says it all. God bless Bill and God bless our troops and God bless America. That is just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Kenneth Lee Boyd committed a violent and vicious crime on the evening of March 4, 1988, in North Carolina. On that night, Boyd armed himself with a .357 Magnum pistol and committed cold-blooded murder against members of his very own family. On that evening, Boyd picked up his children from his father-in-law's home and told the boys they were going for pizza. But that was a lie. With the pistol sitting in the seat of the car between Boyd and his children, he went back to his father-in-law's home, a place where his estranged wife was staying. His 13-year-old son, Christopher, sensing something was up, tried to hide that pistol. And when Boyd pulled up to his father-in-law's driveway, Christopher, frightened, jumped from the car and ran to warn his grandparents and his mother. Boyd then approached the house and began his shocking shooting spree. He first shot and killed his father-in-law, Thomas Curry, through the door. He then found his estranged wife in the doorway of her bedroom. He shot her several times and then went outside and reloaded his murder weapon, came back and shot her some more. In the end, it was decided Julie Boyd was shot a total of eight times. Boyd went back outside, shot some more, and this time at his brother- in-law, Craig Curry, who was moving Boyd's children and a nephew to a wooded area to safety. The bullet missed Craig, who was trying to hide in the woods. Boyd then returned to the home, called 911, informed the operator he had just killed his wife and father-in-law and told them to come get him. When the police arrived, he surrendered. Last week, finally, Kenneth Boyd became the 1,000th execution to take place in the United States since the Supreme Court allowed the death penalty to resume in 1976. Last week, Kenneth Boyd was finally punished for his sins and crimes that he committed over 17 years ago. Last week, when justice was served, the weak-kneed do-gooders and media had a heyday. Headlines surfaced and everyone focused on the number 1,000. Boyd was portrayed as a martyr. If the media was so gung ho keeping score, why did very few of them also report the number 558,000? Mr. Speaker, this higher number is the total number of murder victims since the ruling in 1976. That is 558,000 people murdered by killers here in the United States. And who is carrying the torch for their cause? We continuously hear about the murderers, but we hear very little about the victims of crime. Mr. Speaker, as a former judge and prosecutor, I have witnessed firsthand how victims are being treated in the justice system. Being a victim is a terrifying and unforgettable nightmare; then to become a victim at the hands of the criminal justice system is shameful, especially in a system that claims to have justice for all. The first duty of government must be to protect its citizens and victims, and victims should never be ignored to the benefit of criminals. A Federal judge in Houston is now playing his role in overlooking the victims of crime as well. In June 1994, Charles Raby was sentenced to death for the 1992 slaying of 72-year-old Edna Franklin. Her throat was slit twice, her ribs were broken, and her body was stabbed numerous times with a knife. Charles Raby is currently on death row waiting to be executed, but he has filed another lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of lethal injection on the grounds it is cruel and unusual punishment. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes recently denied a motion by the State Attorney General to dismiss Raby's ridiculous claim, and now he will be given access to State documents and employees to try to prove this worthless claim. This man brutally killed a 72-year-old woman with a knife and Judge Hughes is concerned his execution may be painful. Where was this Federal judge when Edna Franklin was brutally executed? This ought not to be. Mr. Speaker, victims deserve to be treated better than this. We as a culture must not stand by and do nothing while those 558,000 were murdered and others hurt in our country. We must support victims of crime, and we must make sure the criminals who commit crimes against them pay for those acts of violence. There are too many victims who cannot stand up for their own rights, and so it is up to us as concerned citizens, justice officials, public policymakers, and Members of this Congress to stand up for the rights of every homicide victim in this Nation to honor their memories through action. By continuing our commitment to helping the families and friends of murdered victims, and promoting a crime policy that ensures a place at the table of justice for them, we honor those lives that were stolen by senseless violence. The theme of the 2005 National Crime Victims Week put it best: Justice is not served until crime victims are. That is just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, around breakfast time on a stunning Sunday sunrise, Luke Trahin, a 22-year-old sailor from Texas, noticed large formations of aircraft darkening the glistening sky. He kept watching it until suddenly bombs from the Japanese invaders started dropping on Pearl Harbor Naval Base. It was December 7, 1941. After the smoke cleared that morning of madness, the American battleships, the ships of the line were destroyed. 188 planes were destroyed. 2,471 Americans, servicemen and civilians were killed by this unwarranted terror from the skies. Luke and his buddies in Hawaii quickly got organized and for 2 days, waited for the Japanese landing, but it did not occur. Luke Trahin stayed in the Navy a total of 6 years until World War II was won by his greatest generation. He is now 86 years of age and he lives in southeast Texas. He still wears his Navy blues and medals on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and, of course, the 4th of July. He is a proud Pearl Harbor survivor. To my friend, Luke Trahin, and all those who served the cause of freedom, and the 400,000 Americans who died in World War II, December 7, as FDR said, is a day that will and has lived in infamy. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, when the American Revolution arrived, Thomas Paine published these words in ``The Crisis.'' In 1776 he talked about the Americans who go to war, the causes for which they fight, the conditions under which they wage war. He exhorted the soldiers and all Americans with these words: ``These are the times that try men's souls: the summer soldier, the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of this country. But he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. Heaven knows how to set a proper price on its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.'' So to America, we must have this unwavering resolve to finish the task before us. And to our troops, stand firm. Stand tall. Stand for freedom. Because we over here support you over there. And come home victorious for freedom when it's over over there. That's just the way it is.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the great General Douglas MacArthur of World War II once commented, ``I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world.'' Lance Corporal Robert ``Robbie'' Alexander Martinez was a member of this fine fighting organization. He was killed December 1 while fighting and serving our Nation in Iraq. He was a member of the Second Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, based at Marine Corps Air Ground and Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California. Mr. Speaker, to date, there have been 185 Texans killed since the war began in March 2003. Lance Corporal Martinez was just 20 years of age. He was on his second Iraqi tour. He had already spent 7 months on the Syrian border in 2004. He went to Iraq and into Fallujah this past June. He and nine other Marines were killed last Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded next to them in the deadliest attack against American troops in Iraq in 4 months. Martinez was scheduled to come home this past Monday but at the last minute his tour was extended for a month and a half. Just a week ago, Robbie Martinez had just called his mother and asked her to buy a diamond because he was coming home. He had planned to propose to his ``love at first sight'' girlfriend, Taylor Wilkenson, as soon as he got back. Robbie Martinez graduated from Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Texas, in 2003. While in high school, he was known as the peacemaker. By the time he started his senior year, he had already signed up for the Marines. He pre-enlisted at the age of 17 so he could be activated as soon as he graduated from high school. Martinez was a baseball pitcher at Cleveland High and dreamed of getting his degree in education and becoming a baseball coach. He put his dreams on hold to join the elite fighting forces of the United States Marine Corps. He left for basic training 2 days after he graduated from high school. Lance Corporal Martinez's stepfather, Jeremy Hunt, called Robbie his ``diamond in the rough'' and one of the greatest things that had ever come into his life. He said Robbie loved being in the Corps and was proud of it. He was proud of being a Marine. He knew he was there for a reason and he was resolving the situation in Iraq and looking forward to coming home. He had requested lots of candy in his care packages from Texas. This candy was not for him because he would hand it out to the Iraqi children that he would see. He is remembered for his infectious smile and someone who loved spending time with his family and friends, barbecuing and making people smile. Robbie's mother, Kelly Hunt, said that her 14-year-old son Mikie wants to join the military, just like his brother. President Ronald Reagan once said, ``Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don't have that problem.'' Lance Corporal Martinez was working to make a difference in the world when he gave his life. His bravery, his dedication, his patriotism will not be forgotten by his friends, his family and freedom-loving peoples throughout the world. Lance Corporal Martinez died for this country, the Iraqi people and for that word freedom. His Nation made the call and he responded without hesitation with his unwavering courage and his commitment. He served his country with honor and distinction. He wanted to be in the Marines since he was 12 years of age. Mr. Speaker, as we extend our prayers and our condolences to his parents, his relatives, his friends and his fellow students at Cleveland High School in Texas, we take time to reflect on this American hero's devotion to country and to the people of Iraq. He is a heroic representative of the State of Texas and an honorable defender of liberty and freedom. Country music singer Brad Cotter wrote the following in his tribute to American soldiers and it is fitting right now: ``Thank God for Americans in uniform. Those who fight to keep our freedom every day. Thank God for Americans in uniform. Those who fight to keep us safe along our way.'' Semper Fi, Lance Corporal Martinez. Semper Fi.

Mr. POE

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Officer Brian Jackson loved his job. He had been a member of the Dallas Police Department since 2001. He moved to Dallas from his hometown in Rhode Island because he wanted to ``be a big city cop.'' But in the early morning hours of last Sunday, the last 15 minutes of his shift, Officer Brian Jackson, 28, responded to one last call. His shift was basically over, but he agreed to answer one more emergency. It was not only his last call of the night, but it was his last call ever. Officer Jackson was responding to a domestic disturbance call when he was murdered, allegedly by an illegal alien from Mexico named Juan Lizcano. But this crime could have been avoided. This illegal alien had been arrested twice in the last year, but because of safe haven sanctuary laws in Dallas, he was never deported. Because of these preposterous laws, a dedicated police officer, husband, and friend lost his life. Officer Jackson and his newlywed wife had just returned from a delayed honeymoon in Hawaii. Americans are dying because the government does not protect our borders. This is yet another example of our Nation's flawed immigration policy. This ought not to be.