Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in a changing world full of danger, the greatest threat to the United States and the rest of the world remains the same--the Iranian regime. This was once again demonstrated through the words of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a speech recently, he said that the Iranians who wish to negotiate with the United States are committing treason. He made it clear that the jihad battle will continue endlessly until they ``get rid of the oppressors'' with ``America at the head of it.'' Mr. Speaker, the Iranian regime believes their battle will not be over until America is destroyed. The blissful, unrealistic, and naive hope to the contrary, Iran has no plans to stop its development of nukes. The Supreme Leader said: ``The accelerated scientific advancement of the last 12 years cannot stop under any circumstances.'' Iran has time and time again lied about its nuclear weapons capability and development. America should realize that the ruler of Iran wants to destroy us in the name of religion by any means necessary. The United States should tighten sanctions against Iran, not relax them. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), my friend, for this amendment and not only this, but his hard work on victims' issues, even before he came to Congress, in California, being the author of the concept of the three strikes and you are out rule that is in California and many other States. I want to congratulate him on this. Madam Chair, the VOCA fund, Victims of Crime Act fund, is a great idea. What it is is, when criminals are convicted in Federal court, Federal judges impose fees and fines on that criminal, and that money goes into a fund that is designed to go to victims of crime. Great idea, let those criminals pay the rent on the courthouse, pay for the system they have created. $10 billion is in that fund, but less than 10 percent of it gets spent every year. Why is that? Because more money keeps coming in; those Federal judges are nailing those criminals, and more money keeps coming into the fund every year. It is $10 billion. Now, we are only spending a little bit of it for victims services. The reason is--this is my opinion--fuzzy math in the accounting procedure. If more money is spent, for some reason, that is counted as an increase in spending, even though it is not taxpayer money. The money belongs to victims, funded by criminals; so, because of the accounting procedure, we are only able to spend a fraction of the money each year. We want to spend more of the money because more keeps coming in. Victims deserve it. As my friend said, it is immoral that this money is not spent for victims that is in this fund. We understand the problem with the point of order. We would like future possibility to have the bill that Mr. Costa and I have sponsored, to get it on the floor. To make it very simple, the money that goes in the fund goes to victims, and it is not used to pay offsets for other government projects. I thank the gentleman. I do want to thank Chairman Wolf for working with us--he understands the problem--working with us to try to spend more of the money that belongs to victims that criminals have donated, maybe unwillingly, to the system.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the United States is very quick to criticize other nations for human rights abuses, especially when those abuses are caused by foreign government employees. But while the U.S. is crusading against human rights abuses in other parts of the world, it should not ignore human rights abuses here in America. Allegations are coming to light that government employees of the Office of Refugee Resettlement are abusing--sexually--immigrant minors that are detained in Federal custody. According to the Houston Chronicle, over 100 incidents have been reported where U.S. Federal workers had improper sexual contact with foreign minors. That includes everything from inappropriate touching to forced sex with children. Some minors were threatened with deportation if they ever told the authorities. The reports also show that not one worker has been held accountable or prosecuted for such criminal conduct. If crimes have been committed, these criminals need to be locked up in a jailhouse. The United States cannot be the world leader for human rights when employees of our own government sexually abuse foreign minor children on American soil. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on Memorial Day, I was at Houston National Cemetery with Texas veterans and their families. They were irate about the allegations against the VA. They want to know what we plan to do about it. In a July 2012 speech, President Obama said: ``I promised to strengthen the VA, and that promise has been kept.'' Thanks to whistleblowers, we now know that statement is not accurate. The more we hear about the VA's treatment of veterans, the worse it gets. And over the past few weeks, we have learned that 26 VA facilities nationwide are being investigated for cooking the books, ensuring that the long wait times sick veterans have to endure are hidden from the public. Secret waiting lists, hidden agendas all driven by the greed of those at the highest level of the VA. Why greed? Why cook the books? Because if wait times are reported low, VA officials receive bonuses. VA workers have allegedly used different tactics and strategies to give the impression that they were meeting the Department's standard of seeing patients between 14 and 30 days. To promote this lie, the Phoenix VA hospital allegedly had a secret waiting list to conceal delays and wait times. Meanwhile, dozens of patients' conditions worsened, and many died waiting in line. It has been reported that between 1,400 and 1,600 sick veterans had to wait months to see a doctor. The Phoenix VA was not the only place where fraud took place. In my home State of Texas, it has been reported that the VA officials in San Antonio and Austin purposely manipulated appointment data to hide the long wait times. According to whistleblower reports, top level VA staff directed workers to ``ensure wait times were as close to zero as possible,'' in other words, juggle the books. He went on: It's plain and simple common sense . . . If you have a patient who has a delay in diagnosis of any cancer, that cancer did not stop growing while they were waiting for the doctor to see them. Mr. Speaker, treating our veterans like cattle in line at the stockyards is unacceptable. Our warriors are dying in line. According to The Daily Beast, a whistleblower in the Texas VA described this as ``an organized crime syndicate . . . People up on top are suddenly afraid they may actually be prosecuted, and they're pressuring the little guys down below to cover it all up.'' According to the whistleblower, the problem comes from the higher- ups. ``If VA directors report long delays, they won't stay a director very long, and they certainly won't get promoted.'' ``No one is getting rewarded for honesty. They pretty much have to lie; if they don't, they don't go anywhere.'' ``If one person comes up with a way to cheat on a report to the government and profit from that lie, that's defrauding the government.'' ``If hundreds of people are defrauding the government, it's a conspiracy, and that's what you've got now, and it runs coast to coast and bottom to top.'' Mr. Speaker, it is time for the administration to stop claiming ignorance and blaming lower-level operatives for a scandal that has been driven from higher up. Secretary Shinseki has overseen a Department that has now been called a ``criminal syndicate.'' He should just be fired. Those money-hungry executives at the VA who engaged in secret illegal activity that has resulted in veterans dying should be treated for what they are--criminals. And those veterans who are still waiting in line should be given waivers to see the private doctor of their choice. Mr. Speaker, cancer does not wait for government bureaucracy, incompetence, and delay. American warriors have died in lands far, far away. But now, other American warriors are dying in the United States, in line, waiting for VA health care. Put those that committed crimes in line for the stockade, and fix the problem. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the NSA is out of control. It seizes massive amounts of data on Americans without their consent, without their knowledge. This action violates the Fourth Amendment and the PATRIOT Act. The USA FREEDOM Act is supposed to halt these literally unwarranted intrusions. The bill, in which I am a cosponsor, passed the Judiciary Committee unanimously. However, this bill that deals with secret surveillance and mischief by the NSA was recently changed at the Rules Committee. These changes appear to allow multiple interpretations as to what the NSA can and cannot do. The bill now confuses what it intended to make clear. It seems we are back where we started. The NSA has shown it will misinterpret the law in a manner most favorable to the seizure by the NSA, seizure of information without a warrant. These new changes, unfortunately, may not adequately solve the problems of spying, snooping, and surveillance by the NSA on Americans. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last month, over 200 Nigerian girls went to school and they never came home. They were stolen in the middle of the day by radical Islamic terrorists, the Boko Haram, and sold into sex slavery. What is the Boko Haram? Mr. Speaker, this is a foreign terrorist organization, and it reigns terror over parts of Nigeria, primarily in the north. They get their funds by forcing people in areas they control to pay a tax to them, like a protection racket. They also get money from al Qaeda. Boko Haram means ``western education is sinful.'' They kill, rape, and pillage in the name of radical religion. They are not only a threat to Nigeria, but the rest of us as well. This al Qaeda-affiliated group is a bunch of thugs, bandits, and outlaws, but they are to be reckoned with. Remember the name ``Boko Haram.'' They are not going away. Boko Haram is determined to continue their terrorist lifestyle and steal little girls. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Chair, first, I would like to thank Chairman McKeon for supporting my amendment and allowing it to come to the floor. The amendment is simple, it urges the Secretary of Defense to make a reasonable effort to make excess intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, night vision goggles, and tactical wheeled vehicles returning from abroad available to State, Federal, and local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of strengthening border security along the international border between the United States and Mexico. This amendment is common sense--why not allow excess military equipment to be used by state, local, and federal law enforcement for border security? Our border sheriffs say they are outmanned, outgunned and out- financed by the drug cartels. This is not a new idea. DOD already has a program for distribution of surplus DOD equipment. This program has transferred 6 used Humvees to Texas Border Sheriffs in 2010. The purpose of this amendment is to urge DOD to make more equipment available through this existing program. So let's put that veteran equipment to work on the border to help fight the drug cartels. America has done our part over the past 10 years to bring safety and security to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, and now it is time to bring that same safety and security to Americans living along our southern border.

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Chair, I would like to thank Chairman McKeon for supporting my amendment and allowing it to come to the floor. This Amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to get an independent assessment of U.S. efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and other associated groups. Al-Qaeda continues to threaten the security of the U.S. and our allies, both at home and abroad. Our intelligence services and our military have scored some real gains against al-Qaeda, but al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is still able to provide tactical and ideological direction to its affiliates around the world. Al-Qaeda has gone from ``on the verge of strategic defeat'' to a serious and growing threat, depending on who you ask in the Administration or intelligence services. Today al-Qaeda controls more territory than ever. The fight against al-Qaeda is far from over. This amendment is necessary so we can have outside experts evaluate this Administration's efforts against alQaeda and what we should do about it.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for yielding me this time and also for his support and work on this legislation, and I thank the ranking member as well. Also, I want to thank my friend across the aisle, Carolyn Maloney from New York, for being the chief cosponsor of this legislation on the Democrat side. Madam Speaker, Cheryl Briggs is one of many American children that got caught in the slave trade. When she was 12 years of age, she ran away from home because she was being assaulted by her father. Not long after that, she was picked up as a hitchhiker by a trucker, and then soon after that, she was put in the slave trade where she was forced to have sex with men several times a day. She also was forced to work at a strip club during the daytime, sold at night, and also was forced to do that work in the daytime. She was able to escape that trafficker because a patron at one of the clubs figured out she was a mere child and called the police. Sex trafficking of minor children happens all over the world. It happens in America. Recently, I was in South America. I went to a shelter in Peru, and I met several girls. One of them was named Lilly. At 10 years of age--she was 10--she was sold by her mother for a cell phone to a sex trafficker. Lilly gave me this bracelet when I was there, and she asked me to remember her and the other girls that were at the rescue shelter. Madam Speaker, as the chairman and the ranking member pointed out, in the United States, there is not much help for minor sex traffic victims. There are approximately 300 beds--or less--in the whole country for children victims of sex trafficking. Compare that to animal shelters. We have over 3,000 animal shelters. America needs to do better, and this bill will help America do better, so we can proclaim not only to the traffickers and the buyers of sex slaves that the victims of crime, the children, just aren't for sale. They are not for sale here in America or anywhere because they are children. Children--the greatest resource any nation has are our children; no matter whether they are runaways, throwaways, or stowaways, they are not for sale. This legislation enforces the law against the trafficker, the slave trader that buys and sells these children. It makes sure that they go to the penitentiary, and the law is very clear. On the other end, it treats these victims of crime as victims of crime. They are not criminals. They are not child prostitutes. There is no such thing as a child prostitute. Children cannot consent to sex. They are rape victims. Society and the law are going to start treating them that way, rescuing them and giving resources to children assessment centers, to the police to recognize these children that have been captured and stolen--their youth stolen and they are in the slave trade. Most importantly, this bill goes after the demand, those people in this country who buy these children for sex. The days of boys being boys are going to be over in this country because those people in the middle--they are not johns; they are child rapists. They are going to be held accountable for their actions against these girls. The law is clear. It is clear that the law will prosecute those individuals. They will go to the same penitentiaries as the traffickers for stealing the soul of the youth of America's greatest resource, our children. I am glad to see that this bill has so much bipartisan support that it came out of the Judiciary Committee unanimously. It is one of several bills that are coming to the House floor today to proclaim to the country and to victims of crime and to criminals that the days of the slave trade are going to end in the United States. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, American warriors have died in lands far, far away. We honor them this Memorial Day. But now, other American warriors are dying in the United States waiting for VA health care. They are ``dying in line.'' According to whistleblowers, at least 40, maybe more, have died before they could see VA medical personnel. And it gets worse. Allegations are the VA then secretly hid the long delays and told employees to ``cook the books'' so it looked like there were no delays at all. Incompetence, secrecy, death. Reports indicate the VA may have known about the ``death line'' for years. Rather than fix the problem, the death line scandal has grown to include Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and Wyoming. Immediately, Mr. Speaker, give veterans the option through a voucher to see a private doctor. Fire the people that caused this. Put others that committed crimes in the line for the stockade, and fix the problem. Mr. Speaker, American veterans should not wait in line just to die. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Ms. Sonia Clayton for her tremendous accomplishments with her business, numerous awards she has received and for being featured on the cover of Small Business Today magazine. Sonia is a perfect example of the American Dream. Sonia was born in Colombia, where she spent the first part of her childhood, before moving to Venezuela and eventually the United States. Growing up, Sonia said life was not easy. She had no father figure, and grew up poor in an underdeveloped country. She said that living without a paternal figure, she had to figure things out on her own and learn how to survive. It is during this time that Sonia learned how to ``think outside the box,'' as she put it. She said that she learned to get creative and embrace the challenge, tackle it and overcome it. As she explained, when there is someone there to prevent chaos in your life, you learn nothing, but when you have to figure it out on your own, you learn how to survive, because you have to. In 1984, Sonia moved to the United States. In order to support herself, she had three jobs. She first worked as a caretaker for an elderly couple close to death. She then worked in a rest home and from that job, created a crew who cleaned houses around the Salt Lake City area. It was during this job that Sonia learned English. Sonia also worked as an interpreter; she is fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. In 1990, Sonia came to Texas. She first worked for Air France and from there went on to work for Continental Airlines. She started out doing transit operations and later went on to work in corporate security. Sonia pioneered a team that put together Continental Airlines first security group. It is during this time that Sonia began working with different databases and programs for training purposes, and first got into IT. Shortly after 9/11, Sonia created Virtual Intelligence Providers, L.L.C (VIP). VIP is an information technology company that focuses on oil and gas. It first started out as a way to help her friends find jobs that had been lost due to the events on September 11th. She began reaching out to different companies and as Sonia put it, she didn't just start with the little guy, she reached out to huge corporations and Shell Oil became her first client. VIP grew very quickly, making $300,000 in its first year and hitting the million dollar mark in its second. VIP has been in business for 13 years. In all her success, Sonia always remembers to give back and promotes this spirit throughout VIP and its employees. She has started three nonprofits: The VIP Education Foundation, The Angels for Soldiers Foundation and The Cancer Foundation. Sonia also continues to support the Mormon Church. It is through Mormonism that she grew to become familiar and be involved with Christian and American values, which she witnessed growing up through the works of missionaries and Red Cross workers. Sonia said that Americans are very generous people and America is the only country in the world that worries about its neighbors and helps maintain their freedoms and liberties. She also knows that it takes genuine people who are willing to sacrifice that make this country great. She raised her children with the principle that they can either serve God or their Country. Her son is an officer in the US Navy and her daughter is a returned missionary in the Mormon Church. Sonia believes all these works are a way to give back to America so that someone is able to benefit from her and her family's generosity, the same generosity that she once benefited from. Sonia is a remarkable, successful woman, gracious and giving citizen and a cancer survivor. Her exceptional story reminds us that even in times of great adversity, we can succeed if we work with tireless determination. She teaches people everywhere the importance of giving back and I am thankful to have her as one of my many neighbors in Houston, Texas. Sonia embodies the character of a Texan through and through. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we are in the middle of an American energy revolution, but the U.S. government is getting in the way. Until recently, U.S. crude production had been on a steady decline. In 1970, domestic production peaked at 9.6 million barrels a day. By 2008, we were almost half that with a mere 5 million barrels being pumped per day. Then, America did what America does best: innovate. New technologies of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing that no one else in the world could do has increased U.S. crude production 56 percent since 2008. By next year, according to the International Energy Agency, the U.S. will become the largest crude producer in the world. More than Saudi Arabia, more than Venezuela, and yes, more than Mr. Putin's Russia. But it is not all so rosy. The oil we drill here is what is characterized as light and sweet crude oil. However, the oil that our refiners can process in order to make crude into refined products, like vehicle gasoline, is heavy and sour. That's because these refineries were built before our energy revolution to process crude oil from places like Venezuela and North Africa. These refineries can process this heavy crude better than any other refineries in the world, but they cannot help us much when it comes to refining the oil that we are drilling right here at home. We need new refineries to be built to process this light crude, but that will take years. In the meantime, we should sell our light crude abroad instead of just letting it waste away here. That would bring billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to our economy. It is an obvious solution for a simple problem, but we cannot do it. Why? Because of outdated legislation. In 1975, Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, making it illegal to export U.S. crude. It was the height of the Arab oil embargo, and Congress wanted to insulate Americans from global price shocks. The problem is that domestic gasoline prices are largely set by the global crude price--not the domestic price--since crude is a globally traded commodity. Of the crude oil we consume, 46% is imported. These imports are subject to market uncertainty just like every other traded good. Our energy revolution is actually not going to change that number much either. Our domestic refiners were made to process the heavy crude oil imported from such places like Venezuela and North Africa. But the oil that is coming out of the ground right here in the United States is light crude. Currently, refiners can mix a little of our light domestic crude with imported heavy crude to process it, but they cannot handle all of our domestic production. Not being able to export our extra domestic crude has caused the price to artificially drop. Economists predict that if the ban is not overturned, domestic crude production companies will not be able to make a profit and will have to decrease drilling in the next 18 to 36 months. If they are forced to cut back on drilling, they are going to also be forced to lay off hard working Americans. Refiners, who have no such ban on exporting the crude oil once they refine it, are reaping the benefits, buying our crude oil at these artificially low prices while selling their refined products abroad at the going global market rate. We do not prohibit the export of iPhones to keep the prices of iPhones artificially low here in the United States. Nor should we do the same when it comes to banning the export of our crude oil to subsidize our refineries. If refineries are allowed to export, so should producers. We should have no interest in subsidizing one part of the industry over another. If we lift the ban we would actually make domestic consumers less susceptible to global price shocks. Allowing our producers to export crude oil and add U.S. crude to the world market would lessen the market share of bad actors like Iran and Venezuela and unstable ones like Algeria and Libya. More U.S. crude on the market grows the pie and our share of it, making these countries' portions less impactful. The presence of U.S. crude could also drive down the global price of oil and thus the price Americans pay at the pump. The math is simple: more supply with the same amount of demand means a lower price. In a Congressional hearing last week, Elizabeth Rosenberg from the Center for a New American Security cited a study that showed domestic gasoline prices could drop between three to seven cents per gallon if the ban were lifted. More studies are expected to be released in the next few weeks. It is time to revisit the crude oil export ban. Last week, my Subcommittee held a hearing on this issue, bringing together representatives from both aspects of the industry, as well as Senator Lisa Murkowski and a renowned energy economist. We live in a completely different world today than we did when the ban was passed in 1975. Back then, U.S. troops were coming home from Vietnam, the Soviet Union still occupied East Germany, and Osama bin Laden just turned 18. America has changed considerably since those days. It's time for our energy policy to do the same. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2012, terrorists stormed the American consulate in Benghazi. Four Americans were murdered. Nineteen months later, the killers are still running loose. One killer was even interviewed on CNN, but this country cannot capture him and his fellow outlaws. Why? What has been the problem? Today there are more questions than answers. Americans are still not really sure what happened that night and the days following the attack. Several House committees launched investigations but were stonewalled. Subpoenas were issued but ignored. And last week, a White House email was disclosed that indicated there may have been coordination to purposely deceive Congress about what really happened. Did the administration deceive America? If so, why? Let's find out. We have no choice but to establish this select committee to ensure that the full story is told, even if the evidence reveals an inconvenient truth, to shine light on what happened when Americans overseas were murdered in the darkness of the night. And to those who oppose this bill, I ask the question, Mr. Speaker: Why don't they want to know all of the facts? Let's find the truth--the good, the bad, and the ugly truth. Justice demands it, and justice is what we do in this country. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. This is about real people. One of those is my friend and constituent down in Houston, Texas, by the name of Catherine Engelbrecht. She is the founder of True the Vote and King Street Patriots in Houston, Texas, and she became intimidated and harassed by our very own government, all because she dared to speak her mind and engage in politics, a right that she is guaranteed under the Constitution. It all began when Catherine Engelbrecht, a businesswoman, applied for nonprofit status in 2010 for True the Vote, which is a voter integrity group, and King Street Patriots; and so began the tidal wave of government inquiries and harassment. She said it best in her testimony before Congress: We applied for nonprofit status in 2010. Since then, the IRS has run us through a gauntlet of analysts and hundreds of questions over and over and over again. They've requested to see each and every tweet I've ever tweeted and each and every Facebook post I've ever posted. They've asked to know every place I've ever spoken since our inception, who was in the audience, and everywhere I intend to speak in the future. This is our government--our government oppressing someone--at its worst. There is even more. We have learned that the IRS even asked her group and others for their donor lists. This level of detail goes well beyond the business of the IRS. It didn't stop there. All of a sudden, the Federal Government's snooping included six visits by the FBI, where they would sit in the auditoriums when she was speaking. Two of those visits, apparently, were by the terrorist inspection--or investigation--division of the FBI. They had numerous and multiple unannounced visits from OSHA, from the ATF, and even from the Texas equivalent of the EPA. Now, was this just a coincidence that all of these groups were investigating True the Vote and also investigating King Street Patriots? Or was it collusion? We really don't know. Unfortunately, our Justice Department has lost credibility with the American public on investigating the IRS. We need things to be right, and things need to look right. We need to have a special counsel. I would like to conclude with a statement that was made during the Abramoff investigation by Senators in 2006 about having a special counsel: The highly political context of the allegations and charges may lead some to surmise that political influence may compromise the investigation . . . because this investigation is vital to restoring the public's faith in its government. Any appearance of bias, special favor, or political consideration would be a further blow to democracy. The appointment of a special counsel would ensure that the investigation and the prosecution will proceed without fear or favor and provide the public with full confidence that no one is above the law. Signed, Barack Obama, 2006. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it has been 19 months since terrorists stormed the American consulate in Benghazi. Four Americans were murdered. Today, their killers still roam free somewhere in Libya. Why have none of them been apprehended? Meanwhile, back in the United States, more questions than answers remain for this administration. Who is responsible for failing to rescue those victims? Who is responsible for the massive secrecy campaign of hiding what actually happened? Where was the administration during the time of the attack? Why did Ambassador Rice mislead the world on national television as to the facts? A new email has surfaced from the White House entitled, ``PREP CALL with Susan,'' where the administration created a goal ``to underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy.'' Why didn't the administration just tell America the truth about what happened? I applaud Speaker Boehner for establishing a select committee on Benghazi to find out the truth. People in government that concealed and botched the Benghazi murders and the terrorists who killed Americans should be held accountable. Justice requires it--and justice is what we do. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, $12. In Nigeria, $12 is the cost of a bride slave. Recently, around 200 girls went to school and never came home. They were kidnapped and, for $12 apiece, sold to the Islamic militant terrorist group Boko Haram. They were forced into marriage and raped--modern sex slavery. This inhuman human trafficking crime is a world problem that needs action. Today, the United States took a huge step forward in the battle against this scourge. The Judiciary Committee passed three bills fighting this growing problem here in America. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act that I sponsored, along with Carolyn Maloney of New York, was passed and supports and protects victims of this horrible crime. It punishes the sex trafficker and now punishes the buyer, the child rapist. It helps rescue child victims and treats them as victims, rather than child prostitutes. No life deserves to be stolen and sold for $12. Children should not be for sale anywhere, at any time, for any reason. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last week I traveled with a bipartisan delegation to see firsthand the situation on the ground in ``Putin's Ukraine.'' The Napoleon of Siberia has driven his tanks over the administration's ``reset'' button. He launched a blitzkrieg-style aggression, stole Crimea, and he doesn't appear to be through. The West's timid response to Putin's aggression has failed to stop his crusade to restore the former Soviet empire. He does not fear the United States. With our response so far, why should he? Instead of retreating, Putin has brought back his imperialistic tactics from the old Soviet playbook. The consensus on the ground is that the worst is yet to come. It is time for the administration to stand up against Putin. We must implement sanctions that actually work where it will hurt Russia's economy the most--and start with the financial and energy sectors. We must expedite the approval of U.S. natural gas export permits so Ukraine and other European countries can buy American instead. And we can end Russia's monopoly and stranglehold over Europe when it comes to energy. We need to put the Russian bear back in the cage. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, to live to be 100 years old is in and of itself a remarkable accomplishment. But, to do what Colonel George McDowell has done in his life is truly impressive. His patriotic legacy of military service is one of the best examples of a founding member of the Greatest Generation. Born in Detroit, Texas on August 27, 1913, McDowell grew up like most rural Texas children. At the age of 17, he enrolled in North Texas Agricultural College (now the University of Texas at Arlington). In the 1930s, this college served primarily as a military academy. In less than two years, McDowell graduated and decided to attend a third year to command D Company. This decision proved to be life-changing: in 1933, he earned a competitive appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he eventually served as president of his class. He graduated four years later, in 1937, as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. McDowell started his military career at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the 18th Field Artillery, a horse-drawn artillery unit. There, he trained with new long range guns, participated in the development of bomb handling equipment and worked with specialized vehicles that would be used during World War II. He learned the fundamentals of how to support the U.S. Infantry with close fire support. In Oklahoma, McDowell's friend from West Point, Lt. William Westmoreland (Class of 1936), later the Vietnam Commander, set him up on a blind date with Rae Woods. Rae, an Army ``brat'' of an Artillery Officer also stationed at Fort Sill, would soon become Mrs. McDowell. Two years later, with the mechanization of the Army, McDowell was transferred to the Ordnance Department for duty with the Air Corps. He attended the Aviation Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland and at Langley Field in Virginia. There, he served as an instructor and participated in developing bomb-handling equipment and specialized vehicles that were used in World War II. With the Germans invading across Europe and the Japanese seeking to gain ground in Asia, the U.S. Army and Air Corps were expanding quickly. Under this expansion, McDowell was assigned positions at Ordnance Officer at Bowman Field, Kentucky, Ireland Task Force, New Orleans Air Base and at Birmingham Air Base in Alabama as Ordnance Officer, Third Support Command. By the summer of 1942, McDowell was ordered to Washington D.C. to serve in the re-designated 12th Air Support Command of the Western Task Force to prepare for the North African campaign under the command of General Patton. McDowell was in charge of logistical planning, including movement of units and equipment, in the invasion of French Morocco called Operation Torch. General Patton and his troops, along with McDowell, arrived in Morocco at the port of Casablanca aboard the USS Augusta in the fall of 1942. Within three days, Casablanca fell, providing the U.S. a strong military port. This Campaign built up the power of the U.S. Armed Forces leading into World War II by eventually pushing the German forces out of North Africa. McDowell then spent two years overseas in North Africa and Italy. There he was responsible for the logistics for arms and equipment necessary for both the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Tactical Air Support for the Fifth and Eighth Army Operations. In 1944, two years after deploying, McDowell was assigned to the War Department general staff where he was responsible for standardizing and approving procurement of newly developed small arms, ammunition, and specialized vehicles for the Army and Air Corps units. Upon returning home from World War II, part of America's Greatest Generation, McDowell wanted to do more with his life. He took his experience and knowledge from West Point and his military service and enrolled at Harvard Business School where he earned an MBA degree in 1948. After Harvard, McDowell was then transferred from the Army to the Air Force, and he served at the Air Force's Headquarters at the Pentagon and at Wright Patterson Air Force Base from 1948-1955. He signed the procurement order and oversaw the installment of the first four UNIVAC computers for the Air Force, the Navy, the Bureau of Census, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base. McDowell then studied for one year at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and reassigned from 1958-1960 to the Air Force's ballistic missile program, first in California and then as a project officer and commander of the Thor Missile Force in England. In England, McDowell contributed to training the Royal Air Force crews, who manned the Thor Missile Force of 60 missiles with atomic warheads--a mission that helped counter the Soviet Union's missile threats. He was later assigned to the Pentagon in the Office of Secretary of Defense's Weapons System Evaluation Group. In 1961, Colonel McDowell retired from the Air Force and a 24 year career as a commissioned officer in both the Army and Air Force. For his distinguished service, Colonel McDowell received the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. After retirement, McDowell moved home to Houston, Texas with his wife, Rae. There, he became a successful real estate entrepreneur and formed Clark McDowell & Kic, Inc., which has grown to become one of the leading residential property management firms in the Houston area. He and his wife, Rae, raised two children in Houston--Larry and Linda. Regrettably, in 2006, his wife, Rae, passed away at the age of 90. They were married for 70 years. After an admirable career in the military and a successful business, Colonel McDowell still wanted to give back: he served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Continuing Education School for nine years, as the first president of the Houston Chapter of the Military Officers Association of North America and as president of the West Point Society of Greater Houston. True patriot and citizen, Colonel McDowell has also served on three grand juries. Colonel McDowell is currently the fifth oldest, living graduate of West Point. Our nation is indebted to Colonel McDowell for his service, and our local community is privileged and grateful to call him a fellow Houstonian and hero. At 100 years old, he continues the good fight. It is with great pleasure that I recognize and honor Colonel George McDowell, for his service to our country and for continuing to give back to our community through a lifetime of service. Without his service, we would not be the greatest country the world has ever known. George McDowell's 7 Rules to Live By: Rule 1: Stay Mentally Challenged Every Day Rule 2: After age 70, associate only with younger people Rule 3: Forget any rocking chair concept of retirement--stay active, exercise, walk Rule 4: Get at least 7 hours sleep each night Rule 5: Schedule an hour's nap each afternoon Rule 6: On getting up from a nap, mix a good bourbon Old Fashioned to drink before dinner Rule 7: When leaving the doctor's office, if he does not shout ``whatever you are doing, keep doing it'', get a new doctor and a second opinion And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 30th Anniversary of the passage of the Crime Victims' Rights Act, and we celebrated that great achievement during National Crime Victims' Rights Week with our 2014 Victims' Rights Caucus Awards. We honored 6 amazing individuals and organizations who are changing the lives of victims of crime. Fellow Houstonian Sheriff Adrian Garcia of Harris County, Texas, received the Suzanne McDaniel Memorial Award for Public Awareness. For the past 6 years, Sheriff Garcia has headed the largest sheriff's department in the state of Texas and the third largest department in the nation. He has been on the forefront of using social media to help fight crime. His department has created an app that allows residents to report crime immediately and anonymously, if necessary. This has been especially beneficial in the fight against human trafficking. Sheriff Garcia has made cracking down on human trafficking a top priority within his department. Under his leadership, the Sheriff's Department works hard to close illegitimate businesses and to arrest those exploiting the vulnerable. The impact of Sheriff Garcia's work is far reaching. He truly is a hero whose efforts are felt in our community and homes each and every day. Congressman Scott Perry honored Mrs. Jane Tucker, the co-founder of ACCESS York with the Eva Murillo Unsung Hero Award. As a survivor, Jane Tucker knew more services were needed for victims in York, Pennsylvania, so together with likeminded individuals, ACCESS-York was created. ACCESS-York is a program for victims of domestic violence that continues to provide free and confidential emergency shelter, transitional housing, medical and legal advocacy, individual and group counseling, life skills training, and a 24-hour hotline for all victims seeking help. Ms. Tucker has served ACCESS-York for thirty years, and continues to volunteer to this day. She has used her story and her work with other victims to advocate on behalf of programming for domestic violence survivors. Congressman John Lewis honored Ms. Jessalyn Dorsey, Victims' Advocate at The Crime Victims Advocacy Council (CVAC) with the Eva Murillo Unsung Hero Award. In 1999, Ms. Dorsey's only son Terrence Green was shot and killed by teens after a neighborhood party. She was devastated by the crime and eventually attended CVAC's support group for homicide survivors. As she began to heal, she started to help co-facilitate the groups. Now she runs support groups as a professional victims advocate for CVAC. She served as CVAC's President for three years and won the award for CJCC's Volunteer of the year. During her tenure, she and her team have helped over 7500 crime victims. Ms. Dorsey used what she learned from her personal tragedy to help others in similar circumstances. The Ed Stout Memorial Award for Outstanding Victim Advocacy was awarded to Community Action Partnership of Madera County, Victim Service Center (CAPMC) by VRC co-founder and co-chair, Rep. Jim Costa. CAPMC operates a multi-program victim service center for Madera County, California that addresses the needs of domestic violence victims, sexual assault victims, child abuse victims, homicide victims, and victims of all types of crime. CAPMC's broad range of services greatly benefits the population that they serve. CAPMC's programs are all in one center, which reduces the barriers that can prevent victims from accessing services. In addition, CAPMC is the only agency in Madera County that provides 24 hour crisis intervention to crime victims. Congresswoman Ann Wagner awarded Mrs. Kimberly Ritter, Director of Development of the Exchange Initiative, with the Allied Professional Award. Ms. Ritter has used her involvement with the conference and hospitality industry to raise awareness of the role that this industry can play in combatting human trafficking. She is a resource for law enforcement and hotels in the St. Louis area and around the country for training and awareness purposes, and has been the driving force behind many large hotels signing of the ECPAT Code of Conduct. She brought together the knowledge from her career with her knowledge of human trafficking to make a real difference in stopping this crime and saving victims. Rep. Eric Swalwell awarded District Attorney Nancy E. O'Malley of Alameda County, California with the Lois Haight Award for Innovation and Excellence. D.A. O'Malley is a leader in fighting for victims of crime throughout her career. As District Attorney, she created the first unit in the country to focus exclusively on rescuing child victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those who exploit these children, called the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) unit. From this work, she has created a blueprint, so other communities can create similar programs. In addition, she created a diversion program for sexually exploited girls in the juvenile justice system. DA O'Malley has lead efforts for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She is a true champion for victims at the local, state, and federal level. These wonderful survivors and advocates stand up for victims and make life better for them every day. They cannot be commended enough. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the United States State Department is on an art spending spree. First, it spent $1 million for a granite statue at the London Embassy. It is modern art. It looks like a stack of bricks. Now it has spent $400,000 for a statue of a camel that will be sent to the Embassy in Pakistan. Is this really necessary? I mean, a camel? This is an example of spending somebody else's money. This ought to be embarrassing to the State Department. Mr. Speaker, there is more. This is the same State Department that the inspector general has recently said has lost or misplaced $6 billion. The State Department cannot account for this money. Where, oh, where has the taxpayer money gone? If any business lost $6 billion its shareholders would be mad and want answers. But the government gives no answers, and what money it has it wastes on camel statues. Congress should pass my bipartisan bill with Mr. Connolly, the Foreign Aid Accountability Act, and make the State Department account for the money it spends, otherwise more lost money, more camel statues, more art spending sprees. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time, and I thank him for having this Special Order regarding the dastardly crime of sexual assault. I also want to thank my friend Mr. Costa from California for his work. We serve as cochairs on the Victims' Rights Caucus, and it is a caucus that does exactly what it says. We promote and advocate on behalf of crime victims throughout in the country here legislatively. Mr. Costa, as some of you may know his history from California and he was the author of the Three Strikes, You're Out law that many States now have adopted. It is good law, and I want to commend him for his work on the caucus and also his comments. Madam Speaker, I spent all my career before I came to Congress at the criminal courts building in Houston, first as a prosecutor and then about 22 years as a criminal court judge. I heard about 25,000 cases as a judge. I heard a lot as a prosecutor. All of those cases dealt with people, not just the defendant, but the victims of crime as well. I would like to talk about just one person. It happened a long time ago in a case I prosecuted. I am going to change the names to protect the privacy of the family of the victim. This young student went to one of our schools in Houston, Texas. She is working in the daytime, went to night school to get a second degree. She is driving home on one of our freeways at night. She had car trouble. She pulled over to a service station, looking for some help because all the lights had come on. She gets out of the car and she talked to a person that she thought was a service station attendant. Billy Smith wasn't a service station attendant. He was just hanging around. He pulls out a gun. He kidnaps Lucy and takes her to a remote place of our county. He did a lot of bad things to her, including beating her up and abandoning her, left her for dead. In fact, when he was later arrested by the Houston Police Department, he was mad that he hadn't killed her. A remarkable lady. She recovered those physical wounds. Her medical needs were met. The bad guy was caught. I prosecuted him in front of a jury of 12 right-thinking Americans in Houston, and he was convicted of sexual assault of Lucy and received the maximum sentence of 99 years in a Texas penitentiary. We would hope, as a society, that all would be well, life would go on, and good things would happen. That is not reality. That is not the world we live in now or then. Because when you deal with a victim of a sexual assault, they are a special person. Everything about their identity, in many cases, has been destroyed. In fact, defendants, I think, try to destroy the soul of sexual assault victims. Lucy testified at that trial, but her life fell apart. She dropped out of school. In fact, she never went on that campus again. She lost her job, her husband. The kind of guy he was, he divorced her and left her. She started using drugs, and she used drugs for a while. Not too long after the trial was over with, I received a phone call from her mother telling me that Lucy had taken her life. And she left a note, and in that note she said: I am tired of running from Billy Smith in my nightmares. You see, she got the death penalty because she was a victim of crime, a real person. We would hope for the best. That is not reality. So we, as a society, have to understand the plight of victims. When the crime is committed against them, it is not like a theft case. It is a personal crime. And some don't make it; they don't recover. And society needs to be there to help them, as Mr. Costa says, to let them know they are not alone anymore, that we are on their side and we are going to do what we can to see that justice occurs in their case, because, Madam Speaker, justice is what we do in this country. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, every morning for the past fifteen years, Southeast Texans have turned on their radios to AM 700 on their morning drive and heard my good friend, Edd Hendee. On his show, Edd talks about everything from hot political topics to the Texans. It's hard to believe that his time on Houston radio will soon come to an end. Edd will be missed on the airwaves, but I have no doubt that he will continue to impact Houston. Edd is a fourth generation Texan, skilled entrepreneur, brilliant business owner, patriot and Texan to the bone. Edd Hendee and his wife, Nina, operate the best steak restaurant in Texas, the Taste of Texas. The Hendees opened the doors of the Taste of Texas in 1977. Today, over three decades later, the Taste of Texas is a Houston landmark. The restaurant is known not only for its outstanding, high quality food but also its first rate service and superb wait staff of mostly young Texans. The Hendees are remarkable business owners who know that a hard working staff is key in the hospitality business. Since the restaurant first opened, the Hendees have employed more than 10,000 people--young adults--at their restaurant. Over the years, the Hendees have learned some valuable lessons on management and mentoring. They don't just treat their staff like employees; they treat them like family. But, then again, Edd and Nina are not your average employers. They treat their employees well but require that their employees live their lives to certain standards: be polite, be punctual, study and prepare for school, work hard and stay away from drugs. Edd and Nina serve as mentors for their employees, requiring them to make certain grades and helping them stay on track in school. They also hold their employees accountable, drug testing them regularly. The Hendees not only teach their employees how to work in a professional setting, but they also teach them how to succeed in life through hard work and dedication. It is certainly remarkable and rare for employers to care that much about their excellent employees. The Hendees go above and beyond for their extended family. I always enjoy the opportunity to visit with the Hendees at The Taste of Texas. In the kitchen, one can see where the magic happens. They have an impeccable, efficient operation that is built upon the finest quality beef, an abundant salad bar and friendly Texas service. It's name--the Taste of Texas--is well-suited because it really showcases Texas' finest. As a Texas history lover, perhaps my favorite part about the Taste of Texas is its extensive collection of historical Texana documents and artifacts. Over the years, the Hendees have given almost daily tours to hundreds of thousands of young Texans, including many school children. Nina, a Texas Historian, also gives Texas history lessons almost every Saturday to different groups. Of course, it is a requirement for my staff to go hear one of Nina's Texas talks. A visit to the Taste of Texas is simply a journey through the long, glorious history of Texas highlighting Texas' 9 years as an Independent Nation. (Some say we are still an independent country). I have always appreciated Edd's perspective and radio commentary because as a business owner, he has seen it all. In his fifteen years on the radio, he has spent each morning advocating for issues that are important to Texans. Like me, he often pontificates on issues, such as the Second Amendment, individual liberty, a secure border and a limited federal government. As an entrepreneur, he is a strong advocate for lower taxes and a smaller, more accountable government because he has seen firsthand how the government can stand in the way of business. And, as the husband of Nina, Edd's commentary often touches upon Texas history and explanations as to why things are the way they are. That's why Houston loves listening to Edd in the mornings. Edd's voice will be greatly missed on the airwaves, but he and his wife's impact on Houston will continue because of their devotion to the community, their commitment to their employees and the well-deserved success of the Taste of Texas. As proud Texans who want to give back to their nation, I am also grateful that Edd and Nina serve on my Service Academy Advisory Board, helping to interview and nominate some of Houston's best and brightest to attend our nation's military academies. These are the people who will defend our nation in the future. I congratulate Edd on his fifteen years of on-air success and wish him all of the best in his next chapter of Texas History. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Ev'ry day we say our prayer, Will they change the bill of fare, Still we get the same old gru . . . el, There's not a crust, not a crumb can we find, Can we beg, can we borrow, or cadge, But there's nothing to stop us from getting a thrill, When we all close our eyes and imag . . . ine, Food, glorious food! There is no limit to how far the federal government arms can reach. ``Please, sir, I want some more,'' is not just a quote from the movie Oliver, but a phrase that I am sure has been heard throughout schools by students from 2012 till just recently. Through the Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the federal government's arms have become stronger and longer, allowing them to snatch kids' lunch bags and replace it with what they believe our kids should be eating. So long gone are the days of parenting, we have the government to do it for us. Now it's the USDA who teaches our children about what they should and should not be eating. Children are more likely to choose a peanut butter and jelly sandwich over a salad or vegetables, but the USDA determined that the best way to have the kids make the ``healthy'' choice is to eliminate their options altogether. Although the USDA recently eliminated the grain and protein limits under the National School Lunch Program, they should have never had that kind of power to begin with. The federal government may have decided to stop telling our children whether to have a whole or half sandwich, but its influence is still strong. The feds force our children to pick 1/2 cup serving of fruits or vegetables with their breakfast or lunch--whether they eat it or not. In their attempts to make our young students healthier, the USDA has unmasked the myth that drinking whole and 2% milk is bad because of the vitamins and nutrients. Apparently it is so bad that USDA has removed them from being available at schools altogether. Even though the USDA believes the National School Lunch Program changes are sensible, they ignore the additional costs on schools and disregard concerns that the mandated fruit and vegetables serving will go to waste. There goes common sense right out of the window. But then again what does the state, local school boards, individual schools, or parents know? The federal government knows best or at least that's what they think. Time to let local schools and parents decide what children should eat--not Washington, DC bureaucrats. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the head cheerleader in charge held a pep rally this week. Standing in front of a boisterous pep squad of bureaucrats from HHS and Democrats who support ObamaCare, the President declared his mission accomplished. However, not there and not invited were millions who had lost their plans and lost their doctors that the President promised that they could keep. Many citizens have seen their health insurance costs rise, their deductibles increase, and their coverage decrease, and they weren't there either. One single mom in my district wrote me that she had to send her son off to live with her parents because she could no longer afford to support him due to the rise in her health care costs under ObamaCare. She wasn't there either. But the President declared the debate over repealing ObamaCare is over. Not so fast, Mr. President. College pep rally campaigning in front of a handpicked audience won't change the fact that ObamaCare is bad medicine for America. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a lady in my district wrote about the administration's new immigration enforcement policy--or, rather, the lack thereof. She is worried, and so am I. The government claims that it prioritizes deporting criminal aliens before all others who are illegally in the country. Really? According to news reports in 2013, nearly 68,000 foreign criminals were caught, charged, and/or convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor then released back onto the streets of America. Well, why? The administration should follow the law and deport foreign criminals and not let them loose. There is more. In some instances, a criminal illegal goes to a U.S. prison and then he is ordered deported, and their home country won't take them back. That is why I have introduced legislation to withhold diplomatic visas to nations who won't take back their lawfully deported criminals. The administration should just simply enforce the law. Foreign criminals who have committed crimes in America belong behind bars, and then they should be sent back where they came from. And that's just the way it is.