Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the issue before us today is whether the U.S. Constitution will be followed by the President or not. That is the issue. That is why we have this unusual situation, where the House of Representatives, by this resolution, is joining in on a legal action to let that be resolved by the judiciary branch of government. It all started in November of 2014, when the Department of Homeland Security wrote out a memo and sent it out to the fruited plain and said that the Department of Homeland Security would no longer enforce U.S. immigration law. The Department of Homeland Security is a branch, a portion of the administration. This unprecedented, unilateral action by the executive branch was a nullification of immigration law of the United States. And it was not done by Congress. It was done by administrative edict that came from the White House. Article I, section 8, clause 4 states that Congress--that is us--has the power ``to establish an uniform rule of naturalization'' in the United States. So what value is the law or the Constitution if the executive, who is supposed to enforce the law--not make it, as we all learned in ninth grade civics--sends out a memo saying it will no longer enforce the law? The law of the land is repealed by the administrative pen because the President doesn't like the law, as written. Repealing a law is supposed to be a legislative action--that is Congress--and is not supposed to be an executive action; that is, if the Constitution is followed, which it is not under these circumstances. This illegal executive action will place a burden on the States that the action is taking place against, such as my home State of Texas, where the amnesty proclamation by the executive branch, through its memo, has been in effect. The Federal Government is not going to pay for the benefits of these 5 million-plus folks. The States will be forced, required, and obligated to pay for that. So the States will pay for the driver's licenses, government benefits, and health care benefits for these newly legalized individuals. All of the money the State spends will be taken away from the ability to provide services for U.S. citizens and residents who are already legally in the U.S. This action is in direct contravention of U.S. law. Texas, my State, will be one of the hardest-hit. That is why the Governor of the State of Texas was the first to file a lawsuit--this lawsuit--against the unconstitutional action by the executive branch of government. And that occurred in 2014. The Constitution, to me, is very simple. It lays out an outline for democracy. Congress makes the laws; the executive branch faithfully executes the laws; and the judiciary resolves disputes between government, other entities, and between the branches of government. So, if U.S. immigration law is going to be changed, the Constitution states that it should be changed by the U.S. Congress. That is us.

Mr. POE of Texas. Even if the Congress doesn't act, that doesn't give the executive branch Burger King authority. The Burger King philosophy is: the President wants it his way. He can't have it his way. He has got to follow the Constitution. He is a former constitutional law professor. He ought to know better. That is what this lawsuit is about. That is why it is a constitutional issue. And that is why we should join in with those other Governors in filing this lawsuit with an amicus brief to support the Constitution of the United States against executive memos from the executive branch. The executive branch should take care of the Constitution, not tear up the Constitution. That is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, it is my honor to pay tribute to an American hero and longtime Texan: J.H. Hicks. J.H. served his country bravely during World War II, receiving two Purple Hearts. He was born in Woodville, Oklahoma on January 10, 1922, but got to Texas as fast as he could--moving to Houston in 1927, at the age of 5, and settling in Spring Branch for the next 88 years. In 1941, J.H. graduated from Reagan High School, however, the months following his graduation would be anything but conventional. On December 8, 1941, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hicks bravely enlisted in the Marines at the age of 18. He was sent to basic training in California in 1942 and subsequently deployed to the Pacific, where he served with the United States Marine Corps aviation unit, MAG-1, over the next 4 years. During his time with MAG-1, Hicks was commissioned to a Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron or a VMTB Aircraft. Flying with this VMTB Aircraft, Hicks fought in the Solomon Island Campaign, on Munda Island, and in the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. While fighting in the Battle of Guadalcanal, Hicks's plane was intercepted by enemy combatants and attacked. The attack resulted in his plane crashing in the jungle near the Munda airstrip. This crash left him with a broken leg, 8 bullet wounds, and was labeled M.I.A. For two days, Hicks was missing in the jungle, wounded. After he was found, J.H. received a Purple Heart and a battlefield promotion to First Sergeant for his sacrifice. After four years with MAG-1, a Purple Heart, and a battlefield promotion to First Sergeant, Hicks moved back to Houston where he lived for two years. After two years of job hunting, he decided to reenlist. The Marines were naturally his first choice, given his history, but, when the Marines wouldn't recognize his rank of First Sergeant upon reenlistment, he opted for the Air Force. While with the Air Force in 1945, J.H. fought in one of the most important battles of WWII, the battle of Okinawa. As a result of the battle, Hicks received his second Purple Heart. It is heroes like J.H. Hicks who remind us freedom isn't free-- remind us that day in and day out brave men and women put their lives on the line, and often sacrifice all, to protect our freedoms. Hicks's loyalty, leadership, and patriotism is unparalleled and stands as a shining example to the type of people who call Texas home. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, March 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's one-time declaration of March 1986 as Hemophilia Awareness Month. The goal of Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month, as we now call it, is to augment awareness of hemophilia and all inheritable bleeding disorders, which unfortunately have no cure in sight. These incurable, hereditary disorders affect millions of Americans each day. Roughly 1 million Americans suffer from Von Willebrand disease (VMD), a genetic bleeding disorder which prevents blood from clotting properly due to a defective blood protein, and around 20,000 are affected by hemophilia, a rare genetic bleeding disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly--for people with hemophilia, a simple cut can be life-threatening. Consequently, treatment is costly; it involves life-long infusions of clotting factor therapies which serve as a replacement for missing or deficient blood clotting proteins. Although treatment for Americans affected by bleeding disorders can be costly, it has improved immensely. Given the tremendous advances in treating hemophilia, with proper treatment and self-care, most people with hemophilia can maintain an active, productive lifestyle. However, the costs of treatment for individuals with inherited bleeding disorders can still be improved with increased awareness, research, and education. For instance, the CDC Division of Blood Disorders conducts Hemophilia Treatment Center research and this research recently resulted in a more effective test for inhibitors, a complication of hemophilia. Medical innovations like this are made possible through extensive research and are an effective means to reduce treatment costs and increase diagnoses for individuals with hemophilia and related inherited blood issues. Awareness, research, and education are some of the most effective ways to improve care for Americans with inherited bleeding disorders and Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month helps elevate all three.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Veterans Administration failed to contact thousands of veterans who submitted applications for health care. Apparently, those applications were incomplete, but the VA did not tell the vets to correct the applications and resubmit them; so the applications were left pending on a shelf with no action by the VA and no health care for the veterans. Reports state that nearly 300,000 veterans died waiting for a resolution from the VA. Of course, the VA blamed the veterans. This is a farce. The veterans never even received a follow-up call to finish their supposedly incomplete applications. These mistakes are that of the VA, not the veterans. The VA should be ashamed. Government bungling stood in the way of these warriors receiving health care and broke a promise the Nation gave to them. The VA's dysfunctional bureaucrats need to be removed, and veterans should be allowed to have a voucher that gives them the privilege to go to their own doctors, doctors who are more concerned about health care than paperwork. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in a secret court, the FBI quietly revised its privacy policy for searching through data that is collected on Americans by the NSA. The NSA, which I call the National Surveillance Agency, gives the FBI access to not only the data it collects but to the content of personal communications, like emails, texts, and phone calls. What the intelligence agencies have been doing is lawfully collecting information on foreign terrorists but, at the same time, creating large databases of information that also contains information on American citizens. This identifying information is then used for what the FBI calls routine searches that are unrelated to national security. Mr. Speaker, the FBI does not obtain a court-approved Fourth Amendment warrant for these searches. This leeway by the NSA and the FBI allows for a backdoor to spy on Americans. Thus, the FBI is ignoring the U.S. Constitution. The NSA and the FBI will continue to violate the constitutional protections that are guaranteed to all Americans unless Congress intervenes and protects and upholds the right of privacy of all Americans. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Iran once again has blatantly scoffed at the West by breaking its agreements. Just this last week, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps test- fired several ballistic missiles. The missiles were reportedly designed to hit our ally Israel and were inscribed in Hebrew, ``Israel must be wiped out.'' Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran is forbidden from undertaking any work on missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons. But the Iranians will do what suits them. The West--specifically, the United States--probably will do nothing about this test. The Ayatollah conveniently breaks international agreements. Under the same U.N. agreement, the Ayatollah is prohibited from buying conventional arms for the next 5 years, but the Ayatollah broke his word again. The U.N. agreement has not stopped Iran from negotiating an arms sale with the saber-rattling Russians. Mr. Speaker, the ink is barely dry on the so-called deal that the Obama administration made with Iran. Iran is a rogue nation determined to destroy the United States and Israel. Meanwhile, the United States sits blissfully by and just wrings its hands. Iran must be stopped. Sanctions must be enforced, and eventually the citizens of Iran must change their government. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, ISIS, this evil group, has been intentionally targeting Christians worldwide because of their religious belief. ISIS not only targets Christians, it targets any religious group, including some Muslims who disagree with them. As the previous speaker from New York mentioned, they are proud of the fact that they murder people, that they behead people, and that they put their murders on television for the world to see. These atrocities committed by this terrorist group in the name of a perverted jihad religion are the worst crimes we have seen in our lifetime. More than that, ISIS' massacres of religious and ethnic minorities fits the definition of genocide. The definition of genocide is clear. It is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial or cultural group. That is exactly what ISIS is doing. ISIS has already forced hundreds of thousands of Christians to leave their ancestral homes. For the first time since Jesus, there are almost no Christians left in this part of the world. There were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq in 2003--1.5 million. Since that time, terrorists have either killed or forced Christians to run for their lives. Today, 13 years later, there are 66 percent fewer Christians in this area. Some of those who could not get out before ISIS came in and took over their areas have been tortured, crucified, executed, and murdered in the most inhumane possible ways, tortured because of their belief. ISIS has not only targeted Christians, it has targeted other communities. The Yazidi community of Iraq has been tortured. ISIS slaughtered almost all of the men in one community on Mount Sinjar and then sold the women and the girls off into slavery, this demonic desire of theirs, and gave them to their fighters. It is just another example of tragic cases of genocide in world history. ISIS will not stop, Mr. Speaker, exterminating these people, until they bow down to their ideology, and their ideology is based on hate. ISIS does not just target those under its control. The terrorists seek to cleanse the world, the whole world, from all people who do not accept their belief, including other Muslims. It is time the United States and the rest of the world make it clear to all what ISIS is doing. We must denounce murder, this genocide, that is occurring because of people's religious belief. I am glad that this resolution is coming forward. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 75. Mr. Speaker, justice demands ISIS be held accountable for what it does. Justice must be done. After all, isn't justice what we do in the United States? And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, before I left Houston early this morning, I met with President Ma from Taiwan, and we had an interesting and wonderful discussion. Taiwan and the United States share a lot in common. Historically, during World War II, for example, all the way up until today, the United States has been a great partner with Taiwan so as to make sure that area of the world is free, that it is a democracy. It is a thriving democracy and the folks in Taiwan are proud of the fact of the relationship that they have with the United States. This is another way that we can help this thriving area, this thriving democracy, stay up to date on the world criminal gangs that are roaming throughout the world. Organized crime is an international crime now, Mr. Speaker, as you being a former judge would know. They are more sophisticated and they are more in-depth about how they promote their criminal syndicates throughout the world. Most importantly, it is international. Crime has now moved to sophistication beyond what it was when both the gentleman from Tennessee and I were practicing at the courthouse as judges. Why not help out this organization, this group of people--Taiwan, 20 million-plus individuals--so that it can keep up with the information and the intelligence about crime, which affects the whole world? It affects not only free societies, it affects societies that aren't so free. INTERPOL is the group. It is the organization that tracks international crime. Taiwan should have this information. It should have at least observer status to know what is going on with these criminal syndicates throughout the world. China doesn't want Taiwan to have INTERPOL access or even observer status. It is a political thing for China. As my friend from New Jersey mentioned, China, it would seem, would want Taiwan to have access to information about criminals-- or outlaws, as we call them. This is an important piece of legislation. As the ranking member pointed out so eloquently, it is such a good piece of legislation that the Senate just copied it, put its name on it, and sent it back to us because it wants us to vote on it twice. We will vote on it twice and we will show all concerned, especially the folks in Taiwan and the international community, that we support its right to know the information about criminals that lurk throughout the world. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, he was a son, a brother, and a soon- to-be groom. David Hofer's life was ripped from this world on March 1, 2 days ago, leaving behind his family and his fiancee. Officer Hofer was 29. He was from Fort Worth, Texas. He was shot and coldly murdered after a gunfire exchange with an outlaw in a nearby park. The criminal who gunned him down was a 22-year-old drug addict who had been released from prison that very day. Officer Hofer served with the Euless, Texas, Police Department. He had been serving there for 2 years. He had previously served with the NYPD for 5 years. He dedicated his life to protecting the rest of us. Mr. Speaker, hundreds of blue lights from patrol cars lit the way as Officer Hofer's body was transported from the hospital. Mr. Speaker, this is the 16th police officer killed this year. In fact, two officers now have been murdered in 2 days. Mr. Speaker, we must always honor and respect and mourn the life of such valiant men and women. The thin blue line stands strong in the face of evildoers that live among us. The men and women who wear the badge are America's best--men such as Officer David Hofer. They sacrifice their lives to keep the homefront safe from the dregs of society, misfits, and bandits who wish to do the rest of us harm. Back the blue, Mr. Speaker. Back the blue. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the cold-blooded, calculating terrorists sitting in Guantanamo murdered and plan to continue killing Americans. Since President Obama took office, he has released 150 terrorists back to their home countries. In fact, Spanish and Moroccan police just arrested four suspected members of a jihadi cell who recruited fighters for the Islamic State. One is described as a former Gitmo detainee who formerly fought with militants against Americans in Afghanistan. The 91 high-security prisoners remaining at Guantanamo committed some of the most repulsive crimes known to all of us. Severely lacking in detail, the plan to close Gitmo fails to describe where, under what authority, and at what cost the relocation of these terrorists will be. Mr. Speaker, it is against the law to transfer terrorist detainees to American soil without congressional approval. The United States should do everything it can to keep terrorists out of our country, not purposely bring them here. Closing Gitmo endangers our U.S. national security, and it is a bad idea. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we are of an independent mind, of an independent philosophy. March 2 is an important day for us because our ancestors and people we don't even know about decided that it was worth their lives to fight against tyranny--against a totalitarian government run by a dictator. They were volunteers. They were normal people who just had that flame of liberty in their souls, and they refused to have it taken away from them. So we remember those folks who created Texas, who fought for independence for Texas, those men at the Alamo--William Barret Travis, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, Jim Bonham, and 187 more individuals. The youngest was 15, Tapley Holland from Ohio. The oldest was 68--who fought and died for that liberty. When Texas became part of the United States, it had great depth because of the War of Independence. Part of the deal for Texas to be admitted to the Union, even by one vote, was this land that I mentioned to you that was all sold to the Federal Government, to the Union, to pay off the debts of the Republic of Texas. Thus, as we know now, Texas looks like this. All of these other areas became other States that were later admitted to the United States. When there was the agreement between Texas and the United States to join the Union, it was agreed--and it is still possible--that Texas may divide now the State of Texas into five different States. Now, that is not going to happen, because nobody is going to be able to agree on what should be called ``Texas''; but we can divide into five States, and that is the decision of the people who live in Texas. One of the other provisions of the joint resolution was that Texas may fly its flag, the Lone Star Flag--the flag of the one star, the Lone Star, the Lone Republic--even with the American flag. When you go to Texas, you will see a lot of American flags, and you will see a lot of Texas flags, but most of the Texas flags are flying level with the American flag. They can do that by law. Texas does that because of its agreement and admission into the Union. Our country has a great history, Mr. Speaker, with 50 States, with all of our territories. Our history is unique. No place on Earth is like the United States. It is because of our history, because of the diversity of the peoples and cultures in this country. The diversity of Texas, the diversity of the United States is what gives it strength. It is not a weakness. It is a strength. It is, I think, quite important that we as Members of the House of Representatives, who represent the 50 States of the United States, make sure that we talk about our history--how we are a unique Nation among peoples, how we have always been a unique Nation among peoples--and preserve what those folks at the Alamo fought for and what our folks fought for in the Colonies in wars since then, which are freedom and liberty. Those are not trite words. They are core words. The concept of liberty lives in every person ever born in history. Most people never see it. Most people in the world today aren't free, but there are a few, and those few--some of those few--are in what we call the United States of America. I thank all of those Texans back in Texas for honoring Texas Independence Day, March 2, 1836. Especially, we should always honor those people who lived in our history who gave their lives for the rest of us, because they were good folk. And that is just the way it is. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today is March 2, 2016. 180 years ago, on March 2, 1836, in a little place called Washington-on-the-Brazos down in Texas, people of what is now Texas declared their independence from the nation of Mexico--March 2, 1836. Tonight I am here to talk a little bit about those folks 180 years ago and the cause and the result of the Texas War of Independence against Mexico. We have to back up a little bit. For a long time, almost 300 years, what is now Texas was controlled by the Spanish. They claimed the land in Texas. It was sparsely populated: some Indian tribes, but not very many folks. At some point, Spain also controlled what is now Mexico. Mexico, the nation of Mexico, chose to declare independence from that European country of Spain and went to war with Spain to secure their independence back in 1820. That revolution--they called it the War of Independence--was successful. Mexico set up an independent nation, a democracy. They formed a government and a constitution very similar to the United States. Texas was a part of Mexico at that time and was part of a state called Coahuila. It was the Coahuila de Texas, two areas of northern Mexico that were one state in Mexico. Things were fine until Mexico elected a President by the name of Santa Anna. When he became President of Mexico, this particular President abolished the democracy, abolished the constitution of 1824 that set up the Government of Mexico, and declared himself the dictator of Mexico. In fact, he destroyed the Republic of Mexico, the democracy of Mexico, and put himself as dictator-in-charge. Throughout the history of the world, we know of a lot of dictators, but they all seem to have one thing in common: they take away the rights--the civil rights--of the people. Some people in Mexico didn't like this, and therefore they started their own secession movement, their own revolution, their own independence. Now, most Americans know that Texas was one of those areas in Mexico that declared its independence from Mexico, and that independence, that revolution, was successful. But there were other areas of northern Mexico--and here on this map I have some of those areas--that also declared their independence for the reason they wanted to be free. They wanted independence from the dictatorship. There was the Republic of the Yucatan, there was the Republic Coahuila, and there were three or four other republics, and the Republic of the Rio Grande. Several areas of population in Mexico declared their independence. So what happened? Santa Anna not only was the dictator, but he was the commander in chief, and he was the general. He was the guy. He moved his army from Mexico City into these areas of revolution, areas where people were fighting against the government, the republic, or the dictatorship of Santa Anna. He had squelched, really, all of these revolutionary movements; although, portions of these areas did declare independence and appeared to have independence for a period of time. So that brings us to 1835, several months before Texas declared independence. Here is what started the Texas War of Independence: While all of these other movements--some were going on, some would go on a few months later. But during this period, there was insurrection in northern Mexico because people were trying to seek independence. It started on October 2, 1835, at Gonzales, Texas, a small little community in Gonzales, Texas. Remember, Texas is a part of Mexico at this time. The Mexican Government, when it was a free government, had encouraged immigration into this part of Texas--not just from the United States, but from Mexico and from European countries. But this town of Gonzales, Texas, was in possession of a cannon. The cannon was to protect themselves from the people who lived in the area that were hostiles, as they were called in those days. Native Americans are who they were. And that cannon was for that purpose. The Mexican Government said: We want the cannon back. You cannot have the cannon in Gonzales, Texas. We don't want you having it. The Mexican Government made the demand on October 2 to the folks in Gonzales, Texas: Return the cannon to the Mexican military. The people, the settlers of Gonzales, said: No. We are not going to do it. We are not giving you back the cannon. We need it. So they resisted. They even made a flag. They called it the Come and Take It flag. You may have seen that recently. It is still popular with a lot of folks. It was a flag that said, ``Come and take it,'' with a cannon on it. They hoisted this, and they had a skirmish with the Mexican Army, who came to take the cannon. Shots were fired on both sides, multiple shots. Apparently, most of the people shooting weren't great marksmen. A couple of Mexican soldiers were wounded, and they retreated without the cannon. But that event started the actual shooting war in the War of Independence. Months before that, there had been complaints. There had been letters written to the Mexican Government. Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas, had been imprisoned in Mexico City trying to get some civil rights for people who lived in what is now Texas. But it all came to a head at this event in October of 1835. It is interesting what started the Texas War of Independence, the shooting war, is very similar to what started the shooting war between the colonists and Great Britain. You remember the British were in Boston. We have all heard about the march through Lexington and Concord. The purpose the British Army marched through Lexington and Concord in the 1770s was to take the firearms, the weapons, away from the colonists, out of the armories in Lexington and Concord. Of course, the colonists refused. They fired back, and it started the shooting war with the British Empire, later a successful War of Independence. It is interesting that both of them started when government showed up to take the weapons, the firearms, of the people who lived in that area. The shooting war started, and, quite frankly, it was successful up until about this time in 1836. An army of Texans had entered a place called the Alamo in February of 1836--February 23, 1836--because of the approaching army of Santa Anna that was coming north into Texas--Tejas, as it was called. The men that assembled at the Alamo to try to stop the invading army coming in were an interesting bunch. There were 100 to 187 of them. They came from almost all of the then-States of the United States. They came from several foreign countries, including Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, and Austria. Many of them were from what we call Mexico, and they had come into the Alamo. An interesting name that is unique to Texas history is that Texans of Spanish Mexican descent were called Tejanos, a unique name for Texans, Tejanos of Spanish Mexican or Hispanic descent. There were eleven of them at the Alamo. The 180 to 187 were from all walks of life. I told you they were from all different countries. They were not only Anglos and Tejanos, but there were two African Americans, two Blacks, at the Alamo, we understand. They were lawyers; they were frontiersmen; they were shopkeepers; they were young, and they were old. There was even a United States Congressman at the Alamo. His name was David Crockett. He was a former Congressman from the State of Tennessee. He had gone to Texas to help in the revolution and also to see the fortunes that he could make as an individual. There were a lot of reasons why people came to Texas, but 180 to 187 of them were in the Alamo to defend and to protect that concept of freedom. This is a painting of what the Alamo looked like at the time those men were in the Alamo. So they entered the Alamo--let's get the sequence of events correct-- February 23. They are in the Alamo on March 2 when Texas declared independence. They were in the Alamo for 13 days. The final battle at the Alamo was on March 6, 1836. While they were in the Alamo, they were led by the commander of the Alamo, who is really my most favorite person in all of history. He was a 27-year-old lawyer from South Carolina by way of Alabama. He had come to Texas to settle in the 1830s, and his name was William Barret Travis. He was placed in command of the Alamo, of all 180, 187 of the folks that were there. While he was in the Alamo--he entered on February 23--he realized that the enemy was going to be a superior force. In the cold, damp Alamo, a blue norther, as we called it in those days, had come. It was cold. The Alamo is near San Antonio, Texas. He wrote a letter asking for help. I have a copy of his letter on my wall in my office. Here is what it said. To me, it is one of the most passionate letters ever written about freedom. It is dated February 24, 1836, in Bexar. To the People of Texas and All Patriots and Fellow Citizens. I am besieged by a thousand or more of the enemy under Santa Anna. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to 3,000 or 4,000 in 4 or 5 days. The enemy has demanded surrender at its discretion. Otherwise, the fort will be put to the sword. I have answered that demand with a cannon shot, and the flag still waves proudly over the wall. I ask that you come to my aid with all dispatch. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due his own honor and his country-- victory or death. William Barret Travis, Commander. That is a portion of the letter that he wrote that he sent out throughout the area of Texas asking for help. The courier was Jim Bonham, another South Carolinian that had come to Texas. He was William Barret Travis' boyhood friend. He would take this letter to different areas of Texas asking for help. Only one group of folks answered that letter, and it was the men in Gonzales, Texas, where this all started. They decided that they would leave Gonzales, which is near San Antonio, march to the Alamo and help defend the Alamo. There were 32 of them. When they arrived at the Alamo--some historians have said as they walked into the Alamo--Travis said they came here to die. That brought the total up to about 180 to 187. If you will, Mr. Speaker, think about what those 32 men left behind. This is a rough area of the world in Texas, just the weather. But the people they left behind were their wives and their kids because the men had gone to defend the Alamo. After the Alamo fell and all of those men were killed, it was then left up to those wives and children to make an existence in frontier Texas. They, in their own right, were amazing people that went ahead and forged an existence after Texas independence was declared. So they are in the Alamo. On March 2, Texas declares independence. Probably the men in the Alamo never knew that Texas declared independence. Finally, on March 6, after 13 days, Santa Anna and his superior army stormed the Alamo. All 187 Texans were killed. If any surrendered, they were executed. The Mexican casualties, according to Santa Anna, were about 1,000 casualties on the Mexican side. The Tejanos that were in the Alamo, all 11, were also killed in the attack. Travis made the comment in a later letter that was sent out of the Alamo before this March 6 attack that defeat will cost the enemy more than victory. It turns out he was right. Anyway, the Alamo fell. The flag that flew over the Alamo--I don't know if you can see it, Mr. Speaker--was not the Lone Star flag. A lot of people think it was the Lone Star flag, which is our Texas State flag. It is the flag of Mexico with the Mexican eagle removed from the flag. And the date of 1824 was placed on that flag. Most historians think that was the flag that flew over the Alamo. What is the significance of this? 1824 was the year that the constitution was written for the Republic of Mexico. The defenders of the Alamo wanted a constitutional government. That is why they flew this flag, the 1824 constitution flag, to let the world know that is why they were defending the concept of liberty, freedom, and a constitutional government as opposed to a dictatorship. But the Alamo fell. Santa Anna then started moving northeast through Texas. The Alamo is in San Antonio, Bexar County. It was just called Bexar in those days. Meanwhile, an individual by the name of Sam Houston, who was the commander of all Texas armies, the few that there were, had been preparing an army while the men in the Alamo were at the Alamo. He was assembling more volunteers--everybody was a volunteer--not only from Texas, but other Tejanos. Other folks from other States formed an army to defeat or to take on Santa Anna. Santa Anna had actually split his army into three different columns. He was moving his three columns up through northeast Texas from Mexico. Sam Houston and his army weren't ready; so, he didn't attack Santa Anna. In fact, he moved east. It is called the Runaway Scrape. Not only was the army moving east away from Santa Anna's invaders, but the people who lived there were leaving, too, because they were afraid of the Mexican Army. They were afraid of Santa Anna, is who they were afraid of. So you have the army, you have the settlers, and you have everybody moving northeast, called the Runaway Scrape. Sam Houston continued to move. He would not engage the Mexican Army. In fact, some Texas folks--politicians--were irritated with Sam Houston because he wouldn't go to battle. They kept moving east. They went through San Antonio, what is now Interstate 10 between San Antonio and Houston. They went right through that area, right through what is now Houston. The Mexican Army is following him. Santa Anna is following him. They go to a place called Harrisburg, which is just east of Houston, on the marshes of the San Jacinto River, a marshy area, to a peninsula, and Sam Houston stopped on April 20, 1836. Santa Anna continued to march and came on the peninsula. Both armies are on the peninsula. On April 21, here is what happened. As you know, Mr. Speaker, most battles throughout history, no matter where they are, no matter who they are--the Greeks, the Romans, everybody--start at sunup or right before sunup. But that didn't happen on April 21, 1836. The Texans went to battle in the middle of the afternoon. They weren't going to wait until the next day. The soldiers were ready to do battle. Sam Houston really had no choice but to lead them into battle. And so he did. In the middle of the afternoon, just one column--there were only a handful of them, more than at the Alamo--a single column, single file, was led by an individual playing a flute, another person carrying the flag, and a third individual beating the drums. The flutist didn't know any songs. So he played an old--we would call it a house of ill repute song, ``Come to the Bower.'' I don't know the lyrics of it, Mr. Speaker, but you can look it up. He played on his flute ``Come to the Bower,'' which was the song they marched into battle with, carrying a flag of Lady Liberty, a semi- clothed individual on the flag. Then you had the drummer. Then you had all of these really scary-looking folks going into battle, the Texas Army. Most of them didn't have any kind of uniforms. They dressed like frontiersmen. They had a shotgun, a long rifle, a tomahawk, knives, well-armed individuals. Also with them was Juan Seguin. Juan Seguin was a captain in the Texas Army. He was a Tejano. He led this cavalry of Tejanos to protect one of the flanks when the Texans were marching down. He, like the rest of the Texas Army, did not have uniforms. They wore their normal clothes. Sam Houston wanted to make sure that the Texans and the foot soldiers didn't mix up the Mexican Army with the Tejanos that were in the cavalry. So he had all of the Tejanos put a playing card in their sombrero. In those days, apparently, the cards weren't small like they are today. They were big. They stuck this 4x6 card--or something like that--in their hats, their sombreros, so that everybody would know that they were on the side of liberty, not part of the Mexican Army, a unique part of Texas history. So, in the middle of the day, what had happened was Santa Anna was taking a nap. It was siesta time. Now, some say historically--modern revisionists--that this isn't exactly true, but I believe it because I want to believe it. Santa Anna was preoccupied with an individual that was loyal to the Republic of Texas, an individual that we fondly call the Yellow Rose of Texas now. Therefore, he wasn't prepared to go into battle when the Texans were coming down this small hill. In any event, they were caught by surprise. This battle lasted 18 minutes. Eleven Texans were killed, 600 of the enemy were killed, and the rest were captured. In fact, more were captured later than in the Texas Army. The battle lasted 18 minutes. Military historians studied this battle because of its decisiveness. So General Houston led one battle. It was successful. Santa Anna was captured. Texas claims independence from Mexico--that was April 21, 1836--and goes ahead and forms a government, forms a republic and, in September of the same year, elects a president and a vice president. From October of 1835 to September of 1836 was the War of Independence. Declaration of independence was on March 2. April 21 the battle was successful. Texas is a free and independent country and remains so for 9 years. The battle cry at the Battle of San Jacinto, as you have heard in history, was ``Remember the Alamo.'' ``Remember Goliad.'' That was another place where Texans were massacred that fought Santa Anna's army. This is what Texas looked like when Texas declared independence from Mexico. Maybe you can see it, Mr. Speaker. I don't know. You see what is now Texas over here, but you see a lot of other land. You see Oklahoma, part of Kansas, part of New Mexico, part of Colorado. It even goes up to part of Idaho, almost to the Canadian border. All of this area here, Texas claimed all of--that is the Republic of Texas-- and claimed it for 9 years. Texas periodically would try to join the United States as the 28th State. Two times Texas tried to join the Union, and two times Congress rejected Texas' approval into the Union. On the third time, rather than have a treaty with Texas--because Texas was an independent country--a joint resolution was filed. It passed the House of Representatives and it passed the Senate, because you didn't need two-thirds vote then. We still have those discussions today, don't we? A joint resolution. By one vote, Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845 and, in 1846, actually came into the United States as the 28th State. It was a republic once. A lot of people in Texas still think we are a republic, and we seem to act like it sometimes. But we have a unique history. The history of Texas, why I like it so much, is because everybody wanted to live in Texas, wanted to come to Texas, of all races, of all nationalities, from all States. They fought in a war against another nation, a dictator, for the same reason that the 13 colonies fought for independence against Great Britain: for freedom and for liberty. There is an independent streak that runs through all Texans. It is a state of mind for Texas. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the definition of genocide is clear: it is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial or cultural group. ISIS has been specifically and intentionally targeting Christians and other minorities for extermination for the past five years. Genocide is exactly what ISIS is doing. ISIS is trying to destroy all those that do not conform to its beliefs. ISIS has already forced hundreds of thousands of Christians to leave their ancestral homes. For the first time since the time of Christ, there are almost no Christians left in some of these areas. Some of those who could not get out before ISIS came in have been tortured, crucified, and executed. ISIS has also targeted the Yezidi community of Iraq. It slaughtered almost all the men of one community on Mount Sinjar and sold the women and girls to satisfy the evil desires of their fighters. ISIS is proud of these horrible atrocities. ISIS fighters post videos and pictures online of their barbaric beheadings of Christians and others who refuse to bow to their ideology. They hate, kidnap, and murder because Christians and other ancient minority communities will not renounce their faith. The world, including the United States, needs to be clear about what ISIS is doing. America must denounce murder because of a person's religious belief. I am a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 75 and support its passage. Justice demands that ISIS be held accountable and justice is what must be done because justice is what we do in America. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Ashley Guindon was 28 years old when she reported for duty after being sworn in to the Prince William County Police Department the day before. On her first call, she responded to a domestic violence disturbance. She and her fellow officers rushed to the scene and, upon arrival, multiple gunshots came from the house. Officer Guindon was shot and murdered. Yet another one of America's finest killed in the line of duty. Here she is, a photograph of her, taken the day she was sworn in. The next day, she was murdered. Officers David McKeown, 33, and Jesse Hempen, 31, were also shot, but did survive. Inside the house, the shooter's wife had also been murdered by the outlaw. Before having her life coldly ripped from her, Guindon served in United States Marine Corps for 6 years. Officers who answer and respond to domestic violence calls respond to some of the most dangerous situations in America. Those who wear the badge protect the rest of us from the evil that lives among us. In the first 2 months of 2016, 14 police officers have been killed in the United States. Mr. Speaker, as her body was transported, over a hundred of Guindon's fellow officers somberly lined the streets to pay tribute to one of their own. Death is the harsh reality that these remarkable men and women face every day. Officer Guindon risked her life responding to a domestic violence call. Her life was stolen from her while on duty, her 1 day of service and career as a police officer. Officers like her are a cut above the rest of us, Mr. Speaker. They are a rare and remarkable breed of Americans. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Peace Corps volunteers are America's angels abroad. These unique volunteers are some of our best diplomats. They travel to the ends of the Earth to spread the message of democracy in lands far, far away. Sometimes they work alone, and they help in remote regions of the world, areas where most of us could not even locate with Google Maps. They help small villages with sanitation and lack of water, for instance, and they do it all with great passion. These volunteers are called to serve. However, we must serve and protect these volunteers as well. Sometimes bad things happen to Peace Corps volunteers overseas. If so, America must help with medical services. We must help with care and counseling if they are assaulted in a foreign country. That is why Congress passed the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011. But Congress must continue to advocate for victims in the Peace Corps. We need to make sure that our volunteers with service-related medical conditions and injuries are cared for and compensated both in the field and when they return home to America. We must protect these angels abroad. After all, Mr. Speaker, they are ambassadors to the world from America. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the court system, courtroom reporters make sure that the system works efficiently. Tasked with keeping complete, accurate and secure records, courtroom reporters handle verbatim documentation of criminal, civil or other court proceedings. These individuals are highly skilled and trained in court reporting, which usually involves stenography. Reporting for the courts involves taking records of court proceedings, depositions, and administrative hearings, among other things. They record everything that is being said in the courtroom by judges, witnesses, attorneys or other parties, as well as gestures and emotional reactions that accompany any statements. While taking shorthand notes, they must accurately capture the spoken word. This does not mean paraphrasing or capturing every other word. Reporters must capture each word verbatim, with correct spelling and punctuation, despite the speed in which individuals are talking. After the hearing is over, they then must transcribe their notes into a readable, workable format for the public record. Sometimes, a court reporter's work benefits those with special needs, such as the deaf or hard of hearing. Court reporters can even provide closed captioning or a real-time translation of spoken words. During my 22 years as a judge in Texas, I had many court reporters who capably kept records of every word said in the courtroom. Being a court reporter is no easy feat, stressors come from every direction including security issues and daily deadlines. In the House of Representatives, we have clerks who help us and our staff every day. These individuals serve as the congressional stenographers, working diligently, day in and day out. These individuals take notes on congressional hearings and floor debate, speeches and statements. They then work extremely fast to enter all the statements into the Congressional Record. Every single entry must be completely correct. Each statement made goes on the record in congressional history. These individuals' work ensures that history is written correctly. Without their diligence we would not be able to do our jobs as efficiently. These highly trained and talented men and women work tenaciously to record correctly the proceedings of the court system as well as Congress. Court reporters and floor clerks are truly a vital asset to judges and Members of Congress. We thank them for getting the words right. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I celebrate and congratulate my friend Mr. Parvathaneni Harish, Indian Consul General in Houston. I celebrate his efforts on behalf of the Indian community in Houston and congratulate him on his new assignment as Ambassador to Vietnam. I have met with Mr. Harish on many occasions and he is a thoughtful and caring representative of India. We agree that the United States and India have a unique and special bond, both founded on the importance of democracy and that our two nations have the utmost mutual respect for one another. We are both strongly engaged with trade and intellectual property projects. I recently attended the Republic Day in India, celebrating the adoption of the Indian Constitution. Both the US and India are proud to celebrate unity in diversity. We recognized our two countries' work for many years for peace and prosperity, true patriotism, and independence. Mr. Harish's efforts have strengthened relationships on the city, state, and federal levels. He has promoted visits to India and ways to benefit the US and Indian economy. I wish him the very best on his new assignment. He will be greatly missed in Houston and all of Southeast Texas. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Israel is the United States' most important ally in the Middle East. But the President made a bad nuclear deal with Iran that brought a whole host of new security threats to Israel. H. Res. 551 is about bringing the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship back into focus. While security is the cornerstone of our relationship, many do not realize that we have very strong economic ties to Israel. Bilateral trade and investment has strengthened our partnership in the past and will continue to do so in the future. I look forward to exploring new agreements with Israel in energy, medicine, technology, and security. Fostering deeper economic dialogue will more firmly cement the bond between the U.S. and Israel. I support H. Res. 551 because it recognizes the importance of a strong U.S.-Israel alliance. Together with our Israeli allies we can initiate new areas of cooperation. It's time this Administration shows Israel how much the U.S. values our partnership. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the court system, courtroom reporters make sure that the system works efficiently. Tasked with keeping complete, accurate and secure records, courtroom reporters handle verbatim documentation of criminal, civil or other court proceedings. These individuals are highly skilled and trained in court reporting, which usually involves stenography. Reporting for the courts involves taking records of court proceedings, depositions, and administrative hearings, among other things. They record everything that is being said in the courtroom by judges, witnesses, attorneys or other parties, as well as gestures and emotional reactions that accompany any statements. While taking shorthand notes, they must accurately capture the spoken word. This does not mean paraphrasing or capturing every other word. Reporters must capture each word verbatim, with correct spelling and punctuation, despite the speed in which individuals are talking. After the hearing is over, they then must transcribe their notes into a readable, workable format for the public record. Sometimes, a court reporters work benefits those with special needs, such as the deaf or hard of hearing. Court reporters can even provide closed captioning or a real-time translation of spoken words. During my 22 years as a judge in Texas, I had many court reporters who capably kept records of every word said in the courtroom. Being a court reporter is no easy feat, stressors come from every direction including security issues and daily deadlines. In the House of Representatives, we have clerks who help us and our staff every day. These individuals serve as the congressional stenographers, working diligently, day in and day out. These individuals take notes on congressional hearings and floor debate, speeches and statements. They then work extremely fast to enter all the statements into the Congressional Record. Every single entry must be completely correct. Each statement made goes on the record in congressional history. These individuals work becomes ensures that history is written correctly. Without their diligence we would not be able to do our jobs as efficiently. These highly trained and talented men and women work tenaciously to record correctly the proceedings of courts and . Court Reporters and Floor Clerks are truly a vital asset to Judges and Members of Congress. We thank them for getting the words right. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, when I was in law school, if a person did not turn in a term paper, they flunked. But the former constitutional law professor has missed a deadline required by law. Under the bipartisan 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the President is required to send Congress a real, comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIS. He signed this law. The due date was February 15. The paper is overdue. Confronting terrorism and emphasizing the safety and security of the United States is critical. Why hasn't the President complied with the law he signed? Where is the plan? Where is the strategy? People are being killed by ISIS. The Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Stewart, stated that ISIS ``will probably attempt to conduct additional attacks in Europe, and attempt to direct attacks on the U.S. homeland in 2016.'' Mr. Speaker, this is not law school. This is the real world where terrorists kill the innocent. The President should spend more time developing a plan to defeat ISIS than planning to close the jailhouse for terrorists in Guantanamo Bay. I wonder what grade the President, the constitutional law professor, would give himself, the Commander in Chief, for ignoring this legal requirement to turn in his paper. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week my home state of Texas joined the rest of the country in celebration of Future Farmers of America's annual National FFA Week: recognizing the importance of and advocating for agricultural education and FFA. The tradition was started back in 1947 when the National FFA Board of Directors designated the week of George Washington's birthday as National FFA Week in recognition of his legacy as an agriculturalist and farmer. Today, thousands of chapters around the country and hundreds of thousands of members celebrate National FFA Week and advocate for increased agricultural education and FFA membership. The Future Farmers of America organization is a staple of our countries agricultural education; it cultivates young men and women into competent leaders who possess an intimate knowledge of agriculture. The organization is rich in history with its foundation dating back to 1928 when 33 students from 18 states congregated in Kansas City, Missouri and constructed the organization. Today, the organization is 629,367 members strong with 7,757 chapters, at least one in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although FFA membership nationwide is something to celebrate, I want to highlight the state with the largest FFA membership in the country: my home state of Texas. Currently, Texas leads the country in FFA membership with 1021 chapters and 103,379 members. Texas FFA serves as a shining example to the rest of the country as to what membership and participation in FFA should be. Texans understand the great importance of agricultural education and cultivating the next generation into competent leaders; no organization does that better than FFA and no state does FFA better than Texas. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in 2010, we saw a similar dip in Boko Haram's capability. Its founder was killed and many of its fighters wiped out. Boko Haram went into hiding and all was quiet, but that quiet did not last. Boko Haram regrouped, appointed a new leader even more radical than its founder, and came back deadlier than ever. We can't let that happen again. Boko Haram is still capable of launching deadly asymmetric attacks throughout the Lake Chad Basin. My staff has been tracking their attacks. There is hardly a day that goes by when there is not some sort of Boko Haram attack that kills innocents. Over the past few years, relations between Nigeria and the U.S. have been strained. Joint military trainings were cancelled and the U.S. hesitated to supply weapons to Nigeria's military citing concerns about human rights abuses. It took the United States 11 years to designate Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization. Finally on November 12, 2013, the night before this Subcommittee and the Africa Subcommittee held a joint hearing on why Boko Haram was not on the FTO list, State Department called to say it was designating the group. That was an important step but there are questions about the implementation of the designation. It does not seem that all the tools that a designation carries are being brought to bear on the group, especially when it comes to stopping its financing. The U.S. has started to do more to help Nigeria combat Boko Haram since the election of Nigerian President Buhari in late May of 2015. Infantry training has been restarted and we are seeing an increased level of cooperation between AFRICOM and the Nigerian military. In October, the Administration announced that it was sending troops and drones to Cameroon as well as surveillance aircraft to Niger. But like the FTO designation these are steps that should have been taken years ago, before Boko Haram was allowed to become more lethal than ISIS. Now we must do more to support our African partners to stamp out this Islamist menace once and for all. The fight against Boko Haram is essential to U.S. national security interests. In ISIS, we have already seen what happens when we underestimate a terrorist group. While Boko Haram may not have the capability to attack the United States today, neither did al Qaeda in the years prior to 9/11. We cannot wait for an attack to happen on American soil before getting serious about destroying those who want to destroy us. Now is the time, when it costs far less blood and treasure, to stamp out Boko Haram. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

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