Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, millions of American teenagers walked across the stage in their cap and gown and received their diploma after four years of hard work. Their high school careers will officially come to an end and the next chapter will soon take off. High School Graduation is an exciting time meant for celebration with friends and family. But one Texas student did not get to cross the stage in his green cap and gown to receive his high school diploma. Omar Rodas from Houston, Texas was an 18 year old student at Klein Forest High School. He was a tenacious student. Constantly, he put in the extra effort to make his dream of graduation a reality. He stayed for after school hours and worked overtime to ensure that he would graduate. He spent his extra time bussing tables at a local restaurant, Babins. At first he did not think that he would be able to graduate, but Omar pulled it off. He worked tirelessly for that cap and gown and to make sure he was part of the big day in June. His friends said that he was so excited that the hours of extra time and effort made his dream of graduating a reality. Omar was on his way to his graduation ceremony early Saturday morning on June 6, 2015 with his good friend, who agreed to drive him that morning to ensure that he would make it to the ceremony on time. On the Houston highway, he was suddenly killed in a violent car accident involving two other cars. Omar was already wearing his cap and gown when rescue crews pulled him out of the wreck. Initial reports have suggested that Omar was driving on the freeway around 7 a.m. when he veered out of his lane and hit the back of a dump truck and SUV then veered in front of the truck and was struck. Omar was pronounced dead at the scene. Friends and family at the graduation ceremony were surprised and confused when Omar's name was called and he did not cross the stage. No one knew that a terrible highway accident took the life of the bright student. A candle vigil was held for Omar on June 7th at Klein Forest High School and student, parents, and friends are helping the family by setting up a GoFund account in order to help them raise money for the funeral so that the family may grieve properly without the worry of money. Many who attended the vigil wore Red, Omar's favorite color, and many of the Class of 2015 students wore their graduation caps in honor of him. Omar is survived by his parents, an older sister who previously graduated from Klein Forest High School and a younger brother. He had plans to continue working and hopefully attend Lone Star College after graduation. Even though Omar did not get to hear his name called and physically walk the stage to take his diploma, the community has not stopped cheering for him. Omar's memory will live on through his family, friends and classmates in Houston. He will always be a great example of how no matter the circumstances, hard work will always pay off. Our prayers are with the Rodas family and all of Omar's friends. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is really relatively simple. It takes $1 million from the Bureau of Land Management's management of lands account and inserts it right back into the account with the intent of identifying unused land for potential sale to Americans. The service charges, deposits, and forfeitures account already has the authority to dispose of land under the Bureau of Land Management, but is not specifically appropriated funds. Today, Mr. Chairman, the United States Government owns and controls 640 million acres of American land. This is 27 percent of the entire landmass in the United States. If you take all of the countries in Western Europe, the United States Government, Uncle Sam, owns that much land and more. In this poster to my left, the red portions of the poster identify land that is owned by Uncle Sam, the Federal Government. The white portions, of course, are land that is owned by private entities. Included in the red area is Alaska. The red area represents 27 percent of the landmass in the United States. A lot of this land is unused, and it is not even managed by the Federal Government. It is just sitting in these different parts of the country. This amendment is very simple. It tells the Bureau of Land Management to study the possibility of selling some of this land back to Americans. Let Americans own America, not all of it. We are not talking about the national parks, the national forests. We are not talking about Yosemite. We are talking about the unused abandoned land in the United States, but yet it is still owned by this Federal Government. That is what this amendment does; it is to require a study take place. Mr. Chairman, I ask that this amendment be adopted. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, rough tough, real stuff, Texas A&M. The mantra of John David Crow. The man known by all three of his names, with a distinctive gaze and commanding presence is the first Aggie Heisman Winner who left the piney Louisiana Woods to play football at Texas A&M University--and the rest is history. Crow has been tough since birth. Born into the Great Depression in Marion, Louisiana on July 8, 1935, a midwife struggled to remove the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck, which resulted in nerve damage--preventing him from ever being able to shut his left eye. After almost dying from pneumonia at the age of two, Crow grew into his larger-than-life stature. At 6'2, 215 pounds he was made to be a football player. Crow arrived in College Station, Texas in 1954 to play under football legend Paul ``Bear'' Bryant, who he had never even heard of. The newly married freshman watched two buses take the football team to training camp in Junction and only one bus return--half empty. But he wasn't scared. Crow suited up to play anyways. A new husband and father, Crow helped lead the Aggies to a conference championship and bowl game after coming off a 1-9 season. In three seasons, he gained 1,455 yards rushing on 296 attempts, with 22 touchdowns. His stats may not have put him at the top of the leaderboard, but coach Bear Bryant came up with more appropriate and realistic statistics to showcase Crow, which he called ``Players Run Over.'' When Crow was told he was a Heisman candidate, he confessed that he had never heard of the award. Bryant rallied behind the football player saying, ``If he doesn't win the Heisman, they ought to stop giving it,'' the saying stuck. In 1957, in almost a landslide vote, John David Crow won the Heisman Trophy. The first Aggie to win and the only Heisman Trophy winner to ever play for Bryant. Crow went on to be a running back in the NFL for the Cardinals in Chicago and St. Louis as well as the San Francisco 49ers. After retiring in 1968, he joined Bryant on the field again as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama. He went back to the NFL as an assistant coach with Cleveland and San Diego. In 1983, he returned back to his maroon alma mater as the assistant athletic director under Jackie Sherrill. Crow was a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. For as much success as Crow knew, he has also knew deep sorrow. His son, John David Jr, born while his father was playing at Texas A&M and also played under Bear Bryant, was killed in 1994. John David Crow passed away on June 18th, joining his son. The statue of Crow outside the Bright Athletic Complex at Texas A&M University accurately portrays the man whose name is synonymous with Aggie Football. It depicts the strapping Louisiana paper mill teenager who showed up in Texas unintimidated, unafraid, and more than ready to bring pride to a small Texas town. They just don't make them like John David Crow anymore--rough tough, real stuff, Texas A&M. ``Gig--Em Aggies'' And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, according to news reports, ISIS is holding competitions at mosques to celebrate Ramadan. Here is the challenge: memorize the Koran. The prize--get this--is a young female sex slave. As a father and a grandfather, I am repulsed by the fact that young women--just kids--are being handed out like door prizes in a Koran contest. Second and third place apparently receive the same reward, kidnapped young teenage girls. This competition is advertised on flyers and marketed to young males. The arrogance, barbarity, and brutality of this terrorist enterprise has no limits. ISIS pillages, rapes, and kills their way across the Middle East. They brazenly broadcast decapitations, slowly drown people in cages, and burn captors alive. ISIS is an enemy of all states. Its terrorist reign of religious genocide threatens all humanity in a path of murderous anarchy. The world must ban together to destroy these subhuman radical jihadists. Justice demands these killers be held accountable for their crimes against all peoples of the world, including little girls. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, like most Americans, I store a lot on my computer and on my phone: family photographs, personal calendars, emails, schedules, and even weekend to-do lists, or, as my wife calls them, honey-do lists. But this information stored on a phone like the one I have here is not private from the prying, spying eyes of government. Most Americans have no idea that Big Brother can snoop on tweets, g- chats, texts, Instagrams, and even emails. Anything that is stored in the cloud is available to be spied on by government, as long as it is older than 180 days. Now, why is that? Well, it goes back to the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. That act protects the privacy of emails that are less than 6 months old. 1986, those were the days before the World Wide Web even existed. Many of us--I do--have staff that weren't even born before 1986. We stored letters in folders, filing cabinets, and desk drawers. No one knew what the cloud was because the cloud didn't even exist. There was not any broadband, no social media, no tablets, or smartphones. The relatively few people who used email--and I remember when email was invented--never imagined keeping emails longer than it took to send it or read it. So it was perfectly reasonable that, in 1986, lawmakers tried to protect emails, but only did so for 180 days. Who would keep anything online for longer than 6 months? Well, three decades later, we know. Everybody stores their emails. Under current law, every email and text, every Google doc and Facebook message, every photograph of our vacation, is subject to government inspection without a warrant, without probable cause, and without our knowledge if it is older than 6 months. That is an invasion of privacy. Constitutional protection for 6 months only? That is nonsense. What is worse, some government agencies don't want the law changed. The Securities and Exchange Commission is lobbying to keep the law on the books. Why does the SEC want to maintain this spying ability? Well, I suspect they want to be able to read our personal financial records and communications without the constitutional protection of a search warrant and without our knowledge. Spying on the citizens by government sounds like conduct reminiscent of the old Soviet Union, to me. The SEC is not the only government agency that has access to emails over 6 months old. Any government agency can go and confiscate emails older than 6 months, without a warrant, without probable cause, and without knowledge of the person. This is a clear violation of the Constitution, in my opinion. Mr. Speaker, if you go back to snail mail and you write a letter and you put a stamp on it and you put it in the mailbox, that letter floats around the fruited plain until it ends up in somebody's possession. Government generally cannot seize that letter without a warrant and go in and snoop around and look in there and see what it is. Email is a form of communication. Why should government have the ability to snoop around in our personal emails? They don't have that right, even though they have the ability. Whatever our political disagreements, on both sides, most Americans, I believe, share the conviction that privacy is protected by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: to protect us from unreasonable searches and seizures from government; protect us in our persons, houses, papers, and personal effects. Government agents can't raid homes or tap into phones or read mail without showing a judge they have probable cause that a crime was committed; then a search warrant must be obtained. Mr. Speaker, I was a judge for 22 years in Texas, and officers would come to me with search warrants, and I would read and see if they had probable cause. If they did, I would sign a warrant. That is what the Constitution requires before you can go snoop around and spy on Americans. Why should our possessions and communications be less private just because they are online? Well, they shouldn't be. That is why I have teamed up with Representative Zoe Lofgren, on the other side, and lots of other Members of Congress in both parties, to introduce legislation to update the outdated ECPA law. There is also a bill in the Senate that enjoys the same support. Our bills restore ECPA's original purpose, to protect privacy in the ways we live, communicate, learn, and transact business and recreate today. This legislation would protect the sacred right of privacy from the ever-increasing spying government trolls in America. Our mission is simple: extend constitutional protections to communications and records that Americans store online for any amount of time. There is no need to delay. The bill is written. The votes are there. Let's pass the legislation. Mr. Speaker, technology may change, but the Constitution remains the same. Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence: Government is created to protect our rights. It is about time we make government protect the right of privacy, rather than violate the right of privacy. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 375 (H.R. 160) Medical Innovation Act, had I been present, I would have voted yes.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Roman Empire was notorious in its massacre of Christians 2,000 years ago. Now Christians are once again facing deadly persecution. Barbaric terrorist groups like ISIS are stalking and attacking Christians wherever they find them. Christians are disappearing, and some are fleeing countries like Syria and Iraq, home to Christians since the days of early Christianity. ISIS boasts of brutally killing and enslaving thousands of Christians. There are more and more reports of ISIS sex-trafficking young girls that are stolen away from their Christian parents. ISIS even posts videos online of their barbaric beheading of Christians. Why the hate, kidnapping, and murder? Because Christians will not renounce their Christian faith. The world, and the United States in particular, needs to denounce the murder of people based on their religious beliefs, whether Christians, Jews, or Muslims. We cannot accept nor tolerate ISIS' genocide of Christians. Justice demands ISIS be held accountable for their crimes of religious cleansing. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on June 14, heavy rains poured down hammering the ground and streets of Georgia the Republic of Georgia. The River Vere, a small stream that cuts through the center of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, was transformed into a raging torrent. It caused flooding of an unprecedented scale. So far, 13 people have been killed. The flooding allowed animals to escape from the local zoo. Lions, bears, tigers, and jaguars remain on the loose. Homes, cars and roadways are destroyed. There are over 1 million residents in the capital, and it will take a long time before things get back to normal. I've been to Georgia--twice. Texans and Georgians are likeminded people; they know the spirit and importance of Independence. Still occupied by the Russians, Georgia sent troops to fight alongside ours in Afghanistan. They have been a strong and steadfast U.S. ally in an important and often turbulent part of the world. Americans must help our friends and allies; the Georgians, as they begin to rebuild their capital city after this historic flooding. From across the globe we keep the Georgians in our thoughts and prayers. We know our Georgian friends are resilient and will face this natural disaster with courage. We should stand by them in this effort. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I, like the author of this resolution, am concerned about our troops that have been in Iraq and Afghanistan for a long time. In my office, I have photographs of the 37 Texans with connections to my district who have been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, of all races, both sexes, and all branches of the service. Here we are, years later, and we are still there. I am also concerned about this group ISIS. The question is: Is ISIS a national security threat to the United States? I believe that it is. They are doing things to other people that we haven't seen in world history since the barbarians, and they are doing things much worse than even the barbarians did. ISIS wants to establish a caliphate in the Middle East. It wants to kill us in the United States. They have made that clear. If ISIS is a national security threat to the U.S., which I believe it is, then let's have a plan to defeat them, a plan now. Why are we waiting years to make this decision? Have the debate on the House floor: Are they a national security threat? If yes, go after them; if not, then do something else. Meanwhile, people of all nations are dying. I believe that ISIS will continue as long as there is not someone to stop them. It is in our national security interest to defeat them. The United States needs to have a plan. People of all nations are dying. We need to make a decision. We need to make a decision as soon as possible, and we need to pick a horse and ride it, and we need to do it now. This bill is not the answer to doing that. Passing this legislation weakens us and weakens our national security. I oppose it. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, terrorists' use of social media has exploded over the past several years. A recent study by The Brookings Institution found that ISIS had over 40,000 Twitter accounts. Terrorist groups from ISIS to the Taliban use social media platforms to recruit, to radicalize, to spread propaganda, and to raise money. I have seen fan pages for the Khorasan Group, an online press conference held on Twitter by the al Qaeda branch in Yemen, and we all remember al-Shabaab live tweeting the murder of 72 people in Kenya. All terrorist groups. The benefits of social media are clear. Social media is easy to use, it is free, and it reaches huge audiences across the world. We need to better understand why terrorists' use of social media is effective and what impact it is having on the world. This bipartisan amendment is cosponsored by the ranking member on our Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Mr. Keating from Massachusetts. This amendment requires the Director of National Intelligence to assess four parts of the social media problem: First, what role does social media play in radicalizing people in the United States and abroad? The rise of the lone wolf terrorism in recent years has been fueled, in part, by terrorists' use of social media. Just recently, in Garland, Texas, two individuals claiming ISIS connections were killed while they were attacking an assembly on free speech and peaceable assembly of religion. Evidence shows that they had some social connection, social media connection with ISIS. The Boston bombers made two pressure cooker bombs. The recipes for those bombs were published before the attack in al Qaeda's Inspire magazine. That magazine was released and promoted on social media. Second, how exactly are terrorists using social media? Social media is constantly evolving, just like terrorists' use of social media platforms. Following online trends is an essential element in putting resources where they have the most impact. We need to make fast-paced improvements in this area as new trends and platforms emerge. Third, what is the real intelligence value of terrorists' posts? In 2012, a number of my colleagues and I sent a letter to the FBI asking, What intelligence value is terrorists' use of social media? The FBI has not come up with an answer. We need a detailed understanding from the whole intelligence community on just how valuable the intelligence is that we are getting from terrorists' use of social media. Finally, how does online fundraising, radicalization, and recruitment by terrorists impact U.S. national security? We know social media is a valuable tool to the terrorists just by how often they use it. Unfortunately, the United States is way behind on countering terrorists' use of social media, so we should do more. Terrorists like ISIS are out to destroy us. We have to fight to defeat them on every battlefield, and that includes in social media. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment, cosponsored by the ranking member on the Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee, Mr. Keating from Massachusetts, requires the Director of National Intelligence to produce a report on wildlife trafficking, how terrorist organizations are involved, how they are making money off of wildlife trafficking, and the impact it has on U.S. national security. During our Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee hearing on this very issue in February, we learned that rhinos and elephants are on the path to extinction. For example, back in the seventies, there were approximately 65,000 rhinos in Africa. Since then, about 1,000 a year have been killed, and now, there are only 5,000 left in Africa. That is a 94 percent drop in those rhinos. There are only five white rhinos in the whole world. Elephants are not faring much better. From 2002 to 2010, the elephant population across Africa dropped 66 percent. Back in the thirties and forties, Mr. Chairman, there were approximately 5 million African elephants. Now there are about a half a million African elephants. One of the most famous was Satao in this photograph that was taken last year. He was, presumably, the oldest elephant that was in existence in Africa. He was killed last year for his tusks, which almost touched the ground. In fact, National Geographic, a year ago today, did an article on him and how he was killed for his tusks and how other elephants are being killed for their tusks. He was about 46 years old when he was killed for those tusks. The reason that poaching seems to be on the increase over the last few years is that there is a low risk of apprehension, and it is easy to commit these crimes. Also, even when someone is captured, penalties for wildlife trafficking are far less than for drug trafficking. Who uses these tusks? Who uses these rhino horns? The number one country in the world that is the consumer of the illegal ivory trade is China. Vietnam is the number one country in the world that uses the illegal trade of rhino horns. This is where these tusks and these rhino horns go, and it brings in a lot of money. For example, a kilogram of rhino horns--if I remember my math correctly, that is 2.2 pounds--sells for $60,000. So there is a lot more money involved in the sale of rhino horns and of elephant tusks than even of gold and platinum. Overall, the illegal wildlife trade is about $10 billion to $20 billion a year. It should come as no surprise that terrorist organizations are also involved in this criminal enterprise, like al Qaeda's affiliate al Shabaab and like Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army. They are cashing in on the illegal wildlife trafficking. It is getting so bad that the poachers have become very sophisticated in the sense that they no longer just shoot elephants, for example, because that makes a noise, that warns them. They are even being poisoned. An elephant is poisoned, and the elephant dies. Then, when people approach the elephant, they not only see the dead elephant, but they see other animals that were feeding on the carcass of the elephant, and they are all dead, too, so that the poachers can get those tusks. They have become very innovative. Local park rangers are underresourced; they are ill-equipped; and some of them are corrupt as well. So we can't fight what we don't know. There is a lot about this issue--and terrorist involvement in wildlife trafficking--that is murky, so we need to find out, for example: How much money do terrorists get from wildlife trafficking? Who are the key facilitators of the trade? What government officials are complicit? What impact does this have on the U.S. national security? This amendment requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress on these and other questions. The better we understand the threat, the better we understand what is happening and how terrorists are involved in the illegal killing of rhinos and elephants, the more effective we can be against fighting those terrorists. And that is just the way it is. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. I don't have anything to say, believe it or not, Mr. Chairman, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. POE of Texas. The amendment does state that the Director of National Intelligence will work with other appropriate agencies. Mr. Chairman, it is hard to fathom that this Nation does not have a plan to deal with ISIS. This amendment says Congress will move forward and expect and put into law that we will have a plan; we will have a strategy; and if the Director of National Intelligence is not an individual who is supposed to help form that plan, then I don't know who would be. I would ask that this amendment be adopted. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this amendment requires a strategy to defeat ISIS and other like-minded groups. It is incredible that after 4 years of the rise of ISIS, we still have to talk about needing a strategy, but here we are. Four years, Mr. Chairman, what is that? Well, in 4 years the United States mobilized the whole country and had to fight two wars--one in the Pacific and one in Europe--during World War II, and we were successful in protecting the United States, but here after 4 years of the rise of ISIS, we are not sure even what our strategy is. One thing we do know: controlling land is a top priority for ISIS. Its own credibility is wrapped up in the idea of establishing a caliphate. Without land, ISIS has no caliphate. Without a caliphate, ISIS loses its legitimacy among its hardcore fighters. Controlling land is also how ISIS makes a lot of its money. See, ISIS extorts the people that it controls. It also taxes them. ISIS is still bringing in millions of dollars a day by other illegal activities. The only way to stop that source of money is by taking back land that ISIS controls. Because ISIS is embedded in civilian populations, U.S. airstrikes are not enough to take the land back. The Iraqi Army is still too unprofessional to show that they are up to the job, and we have all seen ourselves how the Iraqis have dropped American weapons and run. We have yet to give the Kurds the weapons they need to fight for themselves, and we don't expect the dictator Assad to get the job done. The problem of ISIS is only getting bigger. Thousands of foreign fighters are still streaming into Iraq and Syria from other countries. Outside of Iraq and Syria, ISIS still has 10 networks, not including Iraq and Syria. There are three in Libya, two in Saudi Arabia, and one each in the Sinai, Nigeria, Yemen, Algeria, and one in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia is known for its strong government control, but the ISIS affiliate in Saudi Arabia recently pulled off two successful suicide attack bombings in 2 weeks. Its affiliate in Yemen has taken advantage of the fall of the government to take over more land. The ISIS affiliate in Libya is running free in a lawless area throughout the same country that killed our Ambassador and three other Americans. All of ISIS' 10 networks are growing stronger, not weaker, by the day. The President said last year that the United States would defeat and dismantle ISIS. Well, here we are a year later; we still do not have that strategy. That is at least according to the President himself last week when he was meeting with the world leaders at the G7 summit. He said: We do not yet have a complete strategy against ISIS. This amendment requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress within 6 months a complete strategy to defeat ISIS and other groups like it. The same amendment did pass unanimously last year with this committee's support. So I ask Members to support it once again this year and make it become the law of the land. Today's terrorists control more land than they have at anytime since World War II. We need a strategy; we need a plan; and we need it soon. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I spent a recent hot, sunny day in my district visiting a real life ``Field of Dreams.'' SpringSpirit Baseball near Houston, Texas in Spring Branch is providing opportunities for youth to realize their dreams through sports and mentoring. SpringSpirit's mission is to provide safe pathways for youth to realize life opportunities through sports, education, and mentoring programs based on Christian principles. They create positive mentoring relationships between the education system and families through baseball, softball, soccer, and community programs. It is a place that values integrity, patience, perseverance and respect for the individual. SpringSpirit provides programs combined with the teaching of the gospel designed to grow the mind, body and soul, and they have a first- class sports training and education complex in the heart of the North Spring Branch community. They pair compassionate and caring mentors with local youth, and find life opportunities that can help participants contribute to their community and society and act as stewards for others. Recently, I toured the facility with Executive Director John Meredith, Coach Ben Vigil and a man I like to call the ``Mayor'' of Spring Branch, Mr. Victor Alvarez. I cannot express how impressed I was not only with the facility, but the passion each of these men brings to SpringSpirit Baseball. SpringSpirit grew from humble beginnings at the local Boys and Girls Club to a more than three acre state-of-the-art facility. SpringSpirit was founded by Kenny Baldwin who after playing college baseball at Rice University and professional baseball spent many successful years in the oil and gas industry. He credits his success to strong coaches, loving mentors and faith leaders and wanted to create these same opportunities and relationships for underserved youth. Fostering partnerships with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Camp Ozark, Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Cornerstone Family Ministries, Baseball USA and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston among others, SpringSpirit can offer afterschool programs, summer camps, and baseball and soccer tournaments. Among SpringSpirit's biggest fans are baseball greats Lance Berkman and Andy Pettitte. Berkman and Pettitte support SpringSpirit by serving as chairs of their annual fundraiser and if you drop by SpringSpirit at just the right time . . . you might be able to catch Lance mentoring some of the kids! Kenny, John, and the entire staff at SpringSpirit Baseball should be commended for their selfless service to the community. Their vision to build a superb facility, offer it to the youth of Spring Branch, and lead by example truly enriches our community and our city. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the unrestricted and unconstitutional bulk data collection program started by the NSA represents the worst of the Washington Machine. A recent poll shows that a majority of Americans agree. The government should not have the authority to collect information without first obtaining a warrant. Period. Our Founders feared a government powerful enough to commit unreasonable searches and seizures, so they crafted the Fourth Amendment to protect our right to privacy. Though technology has evolved and continues to do so, the Constitution remains the same. Gone are the days where Americans use their cellphones exclusively for phone calls and text messages. Many people also use their phones for daily activities from tracking their steps to logging their finances or inputting what they ate that day. The Fourth Amendment protects our phone conversations, our emails, our texts, our Internet history, our bank statements and more. The NSA bulk-collection program tramples our rights. Recently, the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals deemed this bulk collection of data illegal. Now, some members of Congress are trying to pass a law that allows this illegal surveillance to continue, and I will not stand for it. The House of Representatives recently passed the USA Freedom Act, which makes some steps to limit data collection under Section 215 of the Patriot Act; however, the bill does nothing to limit government spying under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act. Contrary to claims that the House bill would ``end bulk surveillance,'' the truth is it would not. The NSA uses Section 702 as a means to gather not only data, but actual content of communications--content of your phone calls, texts and emails. Section 702 is more intrusive than Section 215. In the course of this collection, the content of American citizens, many of whom have done nothing wrong or illegal, is also collected. Current law allows law enforcement to then search through this data for information and they can do so without a warrant. Reverse-targeting of American citizens is inconsistent with the Constitution and must stop now. Opponents of civil liberties will argue that these mass invasions of privacy will make us safer. Americans should not have to give up their constitutional rights for national security. Casting too wide of a collection net for intelligence can be a distraction from the analysis necessary to stop plots and--to counter terrorism. Let's be clear: The NSA should keep close watch on suspected terrorists to keep our country safe. But before invading the privacy of American citizens, a warrant must and can be obtained in a timely manner. Programs that permit due process and are held accountable by an open court will serve as a just way to collect intelligence. The sacrifice of our personal liberty for security is and will forever be a false choice. I have introduced several pieces of legislation that would restrain the federal government: This legislation includes H.R. 2233, the End Warrantless Surveillance of Americans Act. H.R. 2233 would prohibit warrantless searches of government databases for information that pertains to U.S. citizens. It would also forbid government agencies from mandating or requesting ``back doors'' into commercial products that can be used for surveillance. This legislation mirrors an amendment that was offered to the USA Freedom Act, which was backed by a broad bipartisan coalition, including members of Congress and outside groups across the political spectrum. The fight for NSA reform is ongoing, and I will continue to stand up and defend the Bill of Rights. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, chained to a bed in a warehouse, branded like cattle, these are just some of the horrific stories that I have heard from young girls who suffered as victims of human trafficking in my home State of Texas. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Sadly, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, Texas has the second highest number of reported instances of human trafficking in the country. My hometown of Houston is the hub for domestic trafficking of minor children. While this dastardly underground industry has been hidden for years in plain sight, the good news is there are efforts to fight this scourge of human trafficking throughout the Nation. Earlier this week Senator Cornyn and I had the opportunity to visit the Letot Center in Dallas, Texas, where we saw firsthand what can happen when government, law enforcement, nonprofits, concerned citizens, and religious groups join together in a community to restore the lives of human trafficking victims. We were joined by advocates from the nonprofit New Friends New Life, an organization that provides job training, financial assistance, life skills coaching, and special programs to address the challenges of survivors and their families. With the addition of a brand-new all- female facility, the Letot Center and groups like New Friends New Life not only provide a safe home for trafficking victims, but help arm them with the resources to rebuild their lives. One remarkable young lady that we met--I will call her Amanda because that is her name--became a victim of human trafficking after she was kidnapped in Dallas at the age of 15. For 9 years she lived in slavery, in terror, as she was repeatedly sold every day for sex. Through New Friends New Life's approach, one that addresses the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of victims, Amanda was rescued, and she and her daughter are now living proof that there is hope for trafficking survivors fighting abuse, addiction, and poverty. After talking to her and hearing her story and she making her story public, Mr. Speaker, she is a remarkable person--a survivor, a fighter against the scourge of slavery. As a former judge, as you are, Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe in not only punishing people who commit crimes, but also helping victims rebuild their lives. As a father of 4, grandfather of 11, I call upon all other fathers in the United States to refuse to sit back while America's children are being sold in the marketplace of sex. We have a responsibility, not just as Members of the House or the Senate, but as fathers, to fight this scourge that is taking place in our country. That is why, in the Senate, Senator Cornyn and, in the House, Carolyn Maloney and I authored the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act: to provide law enforcement with new tools to apprehend those who commit these crimes and to provide resources for restoration for the survivors. It is very encouraging that the House of Representatives and the United States Senate recently passed the Victims of Trafficking Act. It passed the Senate 99-0. It passed the House overwhelmingly, with only three voting against it. That very seldom happens in my experience in Congress, where one piece of legislation is so overwhelmingly supported by both sides of the aisle and in both the Senate and the House. This bipartisan bill has been signed into law by the President now. Under this legislation, a special fund will be created to help these victims like Amanda get the shelter and services they need and provide them a fresh start. The law also ensures those who have been sold into slavery are treated as victims and not treated as criminals. Moreover, the legislation will strengthen law enforcement to give them tools to take down all human traffickers and organized criminal networks supporting them. Finally, the law targets the buyers, those predators who purchase children in the marketplace. The days of boys being boys in this country are going to end, and the law and law enforcement and the long arm of the law will go after these buyers. Partnerships on the Federal, State, and local level will be instrumental in stopping these crimes and rescuing victims. So we must do everything possible to support survivors like Amanda-- to break the cycle of sexual exploitation--overcome the pain of their experiences and help them to start a new life. We can achieve this if organizations like New Friends New Life and facilities like the Letot Center have the tools and resources they need to serve every victim. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act will help do this. America must send the word that our children are not for sale, not in our town and not in our country. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment is very simple. It makes it so the Secretary of Defense cannot waive the conditions that are in the bill on giving money to Pakistan. Since 2010, Congress has put conditions on our aid to Pakistan because Pakistan, frankly, can't be trusted. In 2011, Pakistan tipped off terrorists who had IED factories that the U.S. Government knew where they were. Pakistan tipped off the Haqqani network before the Pakistan military went to the tribal areas last year. We didn't tell Pakistan before we launched the raid that killed Osama bin Laden because, according to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, ``We just can't trust them.'' This bill puts seven conditions on our aid to Pakistan. They are good conditions. Earlier this evening, about an hour ago, the ranking member mentioned these conditions for aid to Pakistan. They are commonsense things like, if Pakistan wants our money, it shouldn't support terrorist activity against the United States--imagine that--or the Pakistan Government should dismantle the IED factories run by terrorists in Pakistan. These IED factories have killed many of our troops. Here is the problem. Each year, we put conditions on our aid. The bill also gives the Secretary of Defense the authority to give the money to Pakistan even if Pakistan doesn't meet those conditions, and this year is no exception. Once again, in this bill, we give the Secretary of Defense the authority to waive the conditions Congress puts in the bill. Four of the last 5 years, Pakistan has failed to meet the conditions Congress has imposed on this type of legislation, and then the Secretary of Defense went ahead and gave the waiver, thus giving the money to Pakistan anyway. The administration has never not given Pakistan money because it failed to meet our conditions--conditions set by Congress--normal, commonsense conditions like: you don't get this money unless you meet these conditions. This amendment does one simple thing. It says: you meet the conditions, or you get no money from the United States; you don't give money to terrorists, or you get no money from the United States. It does not allow the Secretary of Defense to waive Congress' conditions and give the money anyway. That is what this legislation does. I would ask that the House support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.