Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker: With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that's just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed. Mr. Speaker, that was President Obama a year ago. But that was then and this is now. On Friday, the administration issued an imperial decree, acting to unilaterally ignore portions of the immigration law of the land. Mr. Speaker, the last time I checked, it was Congress who makes law, not the President. And it is the job of the Executive to enforce laws, not ignore the ones he just doesn't like. The President has no interest in fixing the broken immigration system. Instead, he has decreed this temporary amnesty in hopes of winning votes in November. He doesn't like the constitutional process for law-making because it just gets in his way, so he acts like an emperor instead of a President. It's time for the former constitutional professor to read the Constitution. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, each month I receive thousands of emails from my neighbors in Texas about issues that are important to them. Vera from Humble, Texas, wrote me this: ``American manufacturers do their part to improve the environment, and United States manufacturing is the leader in developing clean technologies. Policymakers should look very cautiously at new government programs that would expand environmental rules or impose entirely new regulatory regimes. The EPA's actions, such as those on ozone standards, chemical action plans, and cement emission regulations will increase costs, destroy jobs, and undermine U.S. manufacturers' ability to compete in the global marketplace. Our position and our prosperity will not hold if American manufacturing continues to be the victim of overregulation. Congress must commit to policies that ensure America's ability to compete and to succeed.'' Mr. Speaker, Vera is right. Regulators need to quit putting American businesses out of business because of unnecessary, expensive overregulation. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on an early Sunday morning last May, one of Houston's finest, Officer Kevin Will, was investigating a hit- and-run accident. Suddenly, a different vehicle sped by and blazed past the police barriers at the accident where Officer Will was investigating. Immediately, before being struck, Officer Will yelled at a witness to jump out of the way, saving that citizen's life just before the officer's life was stolen from him. Only 38 years old, Officer Will left behind a pregnant wife and two stepchildren. The driver of that speeding vehicle was foreign outlaw Johoan Rodriguez. The killer was in the United States illegally, having been deported once for another crime, but came back and committed another crime. This drunk and high driver blew through the safety lights of the police cruiser, striking and killing Officer Will. Today, justice was served for Officer Kevin Will and his family. Johoan Rodriguez was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Let this be a statement to the lawless that criminal conduct is not accepted by Americans no matter where you are from. Those who wreak havoc on our communities and kill law enforcement officers will always be met by the long arm of American justice. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

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

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment along with my friend from Pennsylvania, Mr. Altmire. This amendment takes $10 million from the Office of the Under Secretary of Management of DHS and moves it to the border security, fencing infrastructure, and technology account with the purpose of being used for border cell phone communication infrastructure to help border residents disseminate border security-related information to the Border Patrol and law enforcement for their protection and the security of the border. Mr. Chairman, the history goes back to March 27, 2010, when, in Arizona, Rob Krentz was murdered 20 miles north of the border in an isolated area in Arizona. The lack of communications capability made Krentz more vulnerable than he would have been otherwise and complicated the search for the assailant. His wife, Sue--who I've talked to on numerous occasions--believes that he was in a cell phone dead zone when he was killed and that he was trying to call for help at the time of his murder. Before leaving office, Congresswoman Giffords had been working diligently on this specific issue. I became involved with her staff when they took the time to show me around the Arizona border and introduced me to the Krentz widow, Sue. I thank Gabby Giffords for her work on this issue, bringing it to my attention and other Members of Congress, and wish her well. Mr. Chairman, these dead zones are so common that oftentimes border ranchers in Arizona and in Texas rely on shortwave radios to communicate or call for help. The inability of the U.S. Government to secure the U.S.-Mexico border creates public safety hazards for residents who live on the border and the law enforcement agents who patrol them. Many border areas are rural and lack wireless communication capabilities like cellular phone service, making border security a public safety issue. Last year, I worked with Congresswoman Giffords and Representative Altmire to pass a similar amendment to the Department of Homeland Security bill. We received overwhelming support in this House with a vote of 327 93, and I urge the House to support this initiative again. However, the omnibus bill passed later that year weakened this provision to make it a mere suggestion for DHS to solve this problem. Despite that language, the Department of Homeland Security has done very little if anything to address this issue. More work needs to be done, and there is a large number of dead zones along our southern border. That's why this amendment is offered again this year. Rural areas along the border present a unique public safety challenge that can be addressed through the extension of wireless communications into those areas. An additional $10 million can be used to enhance wireless communication capabilities that would allow residents to report threats against them and instances of illegal activities to law enforcement. Such capabilities would enhance communications among our law enforcement and our border protectors. Richard Stana, Director of Homeland Security Issues at the Government Accountability Office, recently told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that, as it stands right now, we have the ability to prevent or stop illegal entries into the U.S. for only 129 miles of the 1,954-mile U.S. border with Mexico. He continued to say that we have achieved, ``an acceptable level of control'' on 873 miles of the border. Whatever ``acceptable level of control'' means, I'm not sure. In any event, that means 1,081 miles of the United States' border is a wide-open space, Mr. Chairman, and we simply cannot stop illegal crossings of any kind in those areas. The United States doesn't control that area of the border. Mexico does not either. I suspect it's the drug cartels that control that area of our sovereignty. If the Federal Government is not going to secure the border, the least we can do is give the border residents a chance to call for help when they need help. Ten million dollars will go a long way in helping American citizens have a safer place to live and also allow them to communicate with law enforcement. The Office of the Under Secretary of Management for DHS is funded at $213 million in the bill, and $10 million is a 4.5 percent reduction in that account. I think, as the ranking member said, to balance the equities, we need public safety as opposed to more funding for the Under Secretary for Management. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, growing up, I knew that my dad, when he was a teenager, fought in the ``Great World War II.'' Because my father never spoke much about it until recently, I was curious about what happened. My fascination with World War II began when I saw the movie ``The Longest Day'' as a kid. Young Americans--mainly boys, really--who had never been far from home were sent to a faraway land to free a people they had never met. They charged onto a beach through a hail of gunfire in order to stop the spreading threat of evil in Europe. This action-packed movie depicts the graphic details of the longest day on June 6, 1944, D-day. Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., played by Henry Fonda in the movie, was the son of President Theodore Roosevelt. You remember President Roosevelt. He led the charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War. Teddy, Jr., fought in World War I as well with his brothers. His brother Quentin, a fighter pilot, was killed in action. General Roosevelt was crippled from the wounds of World War I and had a heart condition, but he was not finished fighting. At the age of 56, General Roosevelt was the highest ranking officer that landed on the shores of Normandy. He was determined to lead this new generation of warriors-- who became the Greatest Generation--as they took on the Nazis. His son Quentin Roosevelt II, named after Teddy Jr.'s late brother, the fighter pilot, was also on the beaches of Normandy that day. They were the only father and son duo known to fight on D-day. Roosevelt and his boys were part of Operation Overlord. The greatest invasion in history was expected to come at a high cost. And, it did. American youth gave their lives that day for the future of others. Armed only with a walking stick and a pistol and under constant enemy fire, Roosevelt led several groups of 20-something Americans up Utah Beach and inland. General Omar Bradley described Roosevelt's actions as the ``single greatest act of courage'' he witnessed in the entire war. On D-day, thousands of American boys charged out of the sea onto French soil, beginning the liberation of Western Europe. Our boys laid claim to the beachheads inch by bloody inch. The remarkable Army Rangers climbed the cliffs at Pointe due Hoc under heavy, brutal German fire. They had to. Americans did not go to Normandy to conquer. They went and they sacrificed to ensure that Hitler would no longer be a threat. Hitler had little regard for American GIs. He was certain that the ``soft'' sons of America would never become soldiers. He thought the Nazi youth would be able to outfight the Boy Scouts. He was wrong. The Boy Scouts took them on D-day. The sand was stained red with the blood of American warriors and that of our allies. Mr. Speaker, to my left is a photograph of the Cliffs of Normandy, where Americans are buried. In all, 9,387 Americans are buried at the top of the beach at Normandy. Buried on the cliffs, their white crosses and Stars of David shine and glisten in the morning sunshine over now peaceful Omaha and Utah Beaches. One of the ones buried there is the tallest warrior on the longest day, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. This is his grave. It is at the front of Normandy. Fittingly, he is buried next to his brother Quentin. Quentin was the only person from World War I to be buried at Normandy. General Roosevelt, who died of a heart attack shortly after the Normandy invasion, later received the Medal of Honor for his heroics at Normandy. In this photo is his cross in Normandy's cemetery. Today, we express our gratitude to the Greatest Generation of Americans who defied danger and fearlessly fought for freedom. Mr. Speaker, where does America get such people? They were the young breed, the rare breed, the American breed, who took to the treacherous beaches of Normandy under the leadership of a remarkable man who stood tall to lead his troops into battle on the longest day, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., the tallest warrior. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ``. . . I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.'' Thomas Jefferson's words reflect the basis for religious liberty in our country. A freedom which is guaranteed in the first amendment. The provisions in the first amendment are listed first because they are the most important. Yet this essential freedom is being trampled on by the administration under the guise of providing essential health care. The administration has demanded religious groups violate their religious convictions. Last week the 43rd Catholic organization joined in lawsuits against the administration based on the Government's blatant disregard for religious freedom. Organizations throughout the country have joined in these suits. They are: Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Consortium of Catholic Academies Archbishop Carroll High School Catholic Charities of D.C. The Catholic University of America University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL Diocese of Joliet, IL Catholic Charities of Joliet, IL Diocese of Springfield, IL Catholic Charities of Springfield, IL The University of Notre Dame Diocese of Fort-Wayne-South Bend, IN Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN St. Anne Home, Indiana Franciscan Alliance Our Sunday Visitor Michigan Catholic Conference Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO Catholic Charities of St. Louis, MO Diocese of Jackson, MS Catholic Charities of Jackson, MS Vicksburg Catholic School St. Joseph's Catholic School Diocese of Biloxi, MS De I'Epee Deaf Center, Inc., Biloxi, MS Catholic Social and Community Services, Inc., Biloxi, MS Resurrection Catholic School, Pascagoula, MS St. Dominic Health Services, Jackson, MS Diocese of Rockville Centre Catholic Health Services of Long Island Catholic Charities of Rockville Centre Archdiocese of New York ArchCare Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH Diocese of Erie, PA St. Martin Center, Erie, PA Prince of Peace Center Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh, PA Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA Diocese of Dallas, TX Diocese of Fort Worth, TX Religions should not and will not be bullied into violating their beliefs. A government edict is not a substitute for religious doctrine. It is a sad day in our country when groups have to sue the Government in order to protect a basic right guaranteed in our Constitution. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Texas' native sons who served his country honorably in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I was deeply saddened to learn that Sergeant Wade Daniel Wilson of Leona, Texas was killed by enemy action in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan on May 11, 2012. Wade Wilson was one man whose life made a difference at a very young age. He personified the core values of the United States Marine Corps: honor, courage, and commitment. Wade grew up in Leona, a small city near Centerville, Texas. He was a graduate of Centerville High School, and he was known to have a heart of a champion; whether on the football field or in the classroom. With his faith in God and country, at age 17, Wade enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. On his second tour of duty, Wade understood that the nation was at war, yet he chose to charge headlong into battle for a second time. There are not many of us who would be willing to volunteer to leap into the lion's den of Afghanistan where the cowardly enemy hides in caves. It says something special about the quality of this American fighting man that he would boldly face those who kill in the name of religion. On Friday, May 11, 2012, Sergeant Wade Wilson was killed while conducting a combat operation in Afghanistan. He was just 22 years of age. As a soldier in Afghanistan fighting the forces of the Taliban, Wade defended freedom. He defended it for his mother, Cindy Lee; his stepfather, Ward; his father, Rusty; his stepmother Tammy, his three brothers, his sister, his three step-sisters; and all of their families. He defended freedom for all of us. Sergeant Wade Wilson was a true soldier. We all owe a debt that can never be repaid to Sergeant Wilson's sacrifice, and today and tomorrow, we will mourn with his family and friends for the tragic loss of their son, brother, friend, citizen, soldier and hero. My friend, Mayor Steve Stephens of Dayton, Texas, has a farmhouse in Leona, Texas. His long time neighbors are Ward and Cindy Lee Easterling, Sergeant Wade Wilson's step-father and mother. As a teen, Wade worked for Mayor Stephens on his farm. Mayor Stephens said on May 18, 2012, hundreds of residents lined the streets of Leona and Centerville, paying tribute to the family of this patriot. Many of those on the streets carried flags and yellow ribbons. Others held banners saying, ``Greater love hath no man than one who gives his life for a friend'' John 15:13. Patriotism is alive and well in Texas. And, Sergeant Wilson's commitment to his country is one reason why. Wade's funeral on Saturday, May 19, 2012, happened to fall on Armed Services Day. Held in Centerville High School's auditorium, hundreds of supporters from Leon County came out to mourn the loss of America's son, Wade Wilson, and all those who came before him. We know that freedom is not free, and we thank this fearless Marine for dedicating his life to America. Our young people who go to the valley of the gun and the desert of the sun are relentless, remarkable characters. They go where others fear to tread and where the faint-hearted are not found. These warriors represent the best of our nation. They are the sons of liberty and the daughters of democracy. These few, these noble few, are American warriors who take care of the rest of us. Sergeant Wade Wilson, your tour of duty has been honorably concluded. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the life of a friend and someone who changed the lives of victims throughout the Nation. Suzanne McDaniel appeared in my court years ago as one of the first prosecutor-based victim assistance directors in the State of Texas. She went on to start the Texas Crime Victims Clearinghouse, the first of its kind anywhere in the United States. In recognition of her incredible work, she was tapped as the State's crime victim information officer, educating and influencing the community and the State legislature with her vast knowledge of victims' issues. This led to her role as a legislative liaison for the State coalition of victim organizations and her leadership on the board of the National Organization of Victim Assistance. Suzanne's accomplishments are far reaching, touching lives in Texas and throughout our Nation. A crime victim wrote: Suzanne feels everyone is important and needed in the fight to improve assistance for crime victims. I have never heard her say, It's not my job. In fact, she has never been shy about poking her nose into things and offering assistance. Her enthusiasm and dedication is boundless. Mr. Speaker, her work will continue to touch crime victims for many years to come, and victims are safer in America because of Suzanne McDaniel and her life. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Once again I thank Chairman Culberson for his work on this situation that occurred at the veterans cemetery in Houston last year. That has been resolved in one specific case. This amendment does something very simple. It ensures that the First Amendment rights of veterans and their families will not be violated by anyone at burial services at our national cemeteries. It's a free speech issue, and it would not allow what has occurred in the past, the speech police of the Veterans Administration to control the words of those that attend burials of our veterans. It would not allow censorship of religion. So I urge support of this amendment, which will ensure the constitutional rights that are in the First Amendment to those that will be buried in the future at all of our national cemeteries.

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

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. POE of Texas. The gentleman is correct.

Mr. POE of Texas. It would require that the person be a veteran for all new hires of the director of a cemetery. You are correct.

Mr. POE of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?

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

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, during the hot days of last summer, the Veterans of Foreign Wars went to battle with the Veterans Administration in Houston, Texas. The VFW claimed the Veterans Administration was censoring free speech and preventing the free exercise of religion at the National Cemetery in Houston. I appreciate the chairman, Mr. Culberson's, work on this project after the Veterans of Foreign Wars notified not only me, but notified him as well. The result is this: This cemetery, Mr. Chairman, is the second largest in the Nation; it's a place where four Medal of Honor recipients are buried. The VA said that the chapel at the cemetery would be closed, and it was closed. The Bible, the cross, and the Star of David were removed by the Veterans Administration and the chapel became a storage shed. The VFW members also said that the director of the cemetery censored the prayers and prohibited the religious ceremony during the burial of America's veterans. The VFW had to sue the Veterans Administration, and the Veterans Administration naturally denied the whole thing. But, recently, a Federal judge in Texas approved and agreed to an order requiring the chapel to be reopened, the Bible, the cross and the Star of David to be returned to their proper places, and said that the Veterans Administration must not interfere with free speech or the free exercise of religion at burials of America's war veterans. Mr. Chairman, it's ironic that Americans have gone to war all over the world, fought for the principles of the U.S. Constitution, then when they come home, they face government hostility and the denial of First Amendment rights to the citizens when these veterans are buried in VA cemeteries. Now the veterans have won a battle against a government that wanted to deny them the American freedoms they fought for in lands far, far away. Mr. Chairman, a fundamental problem in the Houston case was the director of the cemetery was not a veteran. She did not understand the needs of veterans because she was not a veteran herself. And according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, she disrespected the veterans and their most fundamental rights. She censored prayers and speeches. The amendment is simple. It says that any new hires of cemetery directors must be veterans. Eighty percent of current cemetery directors are veterans--on the application, when they apply to be a director, they must state whether they're a veteran or not--so clearly the Veterans Administration agrees that cemetery directors should be veterans themselves. This amendment would not force the remaining 20 percent that are not veterans to be fired. It would say that if the Veterans Administration is going to hire new directors, they will be veterans. Our veterans need to know the directors of cemeteries understand what veterans and their families go through. They are the ones who best understand the needs of veterans in their time of grief, so they need to be veterans. And that's just the way it is. I yield back the balance of my time. Point of Order

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to amend the amendment to insert the word ``new'' before the word ``director.''

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

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I just want to clarify one comment the ranking member made. This amendment would not require the firing of anybody. It's future hires of the veterans cemetery directors. So I just wanted to make that clear. That wouldn't put anybody out of work. This specific problem at the Houston cemetery was all centered around the director's insensitivity to veterans. And one of the problems that came out during all of the litigation was she had no relationship to veterans, didn't understand veterans, she wasn't a veteran, and therefore, that's why this legislation is important. But it would not require the firing of anybody. It's about future directors.

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am here today because of a terrible tragedy that occurred in my Congressional district nearly 6 years ago. In 2006, the City of Beaumont was still recovering from Hurricane Rita. The West Brook High School girl's soccer team and their successes were good news that brought joy to a city in need of something to cheer for. The Bruins were coming off a 14 5 2 record, and they were traveling to Humble, Texas, to take on the Houston Lamar Redskins in the Class 5A playoffs. The game had already been postponed once and it was raining again, but the game was set to take place at 5 p.m. in Humble. Unfortunately, the team never made it to the game. Around 2 p.m., about 28 miles from home in Devers, Texas, the chartered bus carrying the team, swerved to miss debris that had fallen off a truck in front of them. The bus rolled onto its side into a muddy ditch. Senior Alicia Bonura and sophomore Ashley Brown lost their lives in this tragedy. Six other girls were hospitalized in serious condition. Goalie Devin Martindale lost her arm in this accident. Stephen Forman and Brad Brown, parents of two of the victims of the accident are here today and I would like to thank them for their work on this issue. Because of this accident, I became involved in the Motorcoach safe issue, and I was happy to work with my colleague Rep. John Lewis (GA) to push for some common-sense provisions in the Transportation bill to apply to the Motorcoach industry so that another West Brook tragedy can be avoided. These provisions are: 1. Requiring safety belts to ensure that occupants stay in their seats in a crash. 2. Requiring anti-ejection glazing on windows to help prevent passengers from being easily thrown from the motorcoach. 3. Ensuring that strong, crush-resistant roofs can withstand rollovers. 4. Improving oversight and enforcement requirements for motorcoach companies. I strongly believe that these long overdue safety improvements can go a long way in making our nations buses safer. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, my congressional district in southeast Texas is right in Hurricane Alley. When Katrina, Rita, Humberto, Gustav, and Ike struck with all their fury, people were left in the dark with no Internet or cell service, but local TV and radio reporters were still on the air telling folks what they needed to know. Hurricane Rita was the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense hurricane ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm was devastating to our communities, but many folks were able to stay safe because they were tuned in to the news. Our broadcasters provide communities with vital lifesaving information before and after storms. They are the most reliable resource we have when disaster strikes. Today, on the first day of hurricane season, we should thank all of our local first responders, police, and firefighters. But we should also thank all the broadcasters who do their part to keep us safe in southeast Texas when the storms come crashing ashore. And that's just the way it is.