Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, freedom of choice is under attack by Washington. The government wants to control the light in homes and businesses throughout America. A new law bans the incandescent light bulb and will require Americans to buy the new, special $3 government- approved light bulb. Soon it will be against the law to sell Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb--the symbol of American innovation. This kind of government intrusion in our lives has left many Americans in the dark about what's next, and the government invasion into our lives is only increasing. Since the Federal Government has taken the power to choose away from Americans, people are flocking to their local Wal-Marts to hoard the last of the incandescent light bulbs. Government controls so much of our lives in the name that government is smarter than we are; but for now, it's turn out the lights--the party's over for Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner. All throughout America, families will gather to celebrate the traditions and festivities, and be together and celebrate faith. But there are some American families that won't have their entire family with them this year. There will be an empty chair at their table. That's because their loved ones serve in the U.S. military in lands throughout the world. War at Christmas is not new, and this year will be no exception for many of our warriors that are still on call, still on duty serving America. But there is a way to connect with our troops throughout the world, and it's a project that we are involved in in southeast Texas through the Red Cross and Operation Interdependence. And here's how it works. It's a way of having young school-age children connect with troops not only in our war zone, but other places in the world where our troops are serving America. It started several years ago when I had the opportunity to go see our troops in the Middle East about this time of the year. Before I left, my staff came up with the idea that maybe I should take some Christmas cards and holiday cards to our troops that were serving overseas. And so they did all the work and they were able to get schoolteachers to get their kids to volunteer to make handmade Christmas cards. I took about 6,000 of those handmade cards by third-, fourth-, and fifth- graders overseas. On my way back from the Middle East, I stopped off at the Landstuhl military base. That's the place in Germany where our wounded warriors are taken before they're brought back to the United States. I distributed those cards not only in the Middle East but to our troops, and even our NATO troops, at Landstuhl. But here is what happened on the plane when I was going overseas--I checked a couple of bags, but I took one bag on the plane with me. It was a night flight, flying overnight and arriving in the daytime. I started going through one of these suitcases that had all of these cards in it. I was looking at them, and the person next to me wanted to know what I was doing. I told him these were from schoolkids back in southeast Texas. He was passing them around. Before I knew it, these cards were up and down the aisles in that plane and I could hear sobbing and saw tears of emotion from some of the passengers on the plane reading those cards from schoolkids connecting with our troops overseas. When I came back to the Landstuhl military base, some of our troops who were wounded opened the cards and wanted the nurses to put the cards on the wall. Even NATO troops that were there from foreign countries had these cards that were made from American youth. Madam Speaker, there's something about a warrior from the United States opening up a handmade Christmas card from some kid in the United States. At that moment, the darkness of war seems to disappear because of the brightness of a child. I have had the opportunity to have these cards made by the kids in southeast Texas now for 5 years. I say I've had the opportunity. I don't do the work. My staff does the work, along with the chambers of commerce and all the teachers. Everybody volunteers. When my staff does the work, it's not doing it on government hours. It's after work, it's on the weekend, planning and getting these cards from throughout southeast Texas. Every year the number of cards that are either taken or shipped gets to be more. The first year, it was 6,000. The next year, 10,000 Christmas cards were shipped overseas. The third year, 16,000 cards. And, Madam Speaker, this year kids from southeast Texas are shipping to our troops overseas 35,000 handmade cards, wishing them well, giving them Christmas greetings, saying some of the most awesome things that only third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders could say. So I want to thank those kids. I want to thank Rikki Wheeler and the chamber of commerce in Baytown. I want to thank Ross Sterling High School, Horace Mann Junior High, Highlands Elementary, and I want to thank those teachers. God bless our teachers who work to have these kids volunteer to make cards for our volunteers overseas who won't be home for Christmas, because there's an empty chair at the Christmas table where that soldier, that warrior, that sailor, that airman is not there because they're representing the United States in lands far, far away. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I recently received this email from John of Houston, giving the pulse of Texans: ``As one of the 9.2 million people whose livelihoods is supported by America's oil and natural gas industry, I am troubled by recent calls to raise taxes on our industry--one of the few bright spots in the American economy. ``Despite an economic slow-down, the oil and natural gas industry is creating jobs and can create many more. ``As Washington focuses on improving our struggling economy, Congress has an opportunity to take our economy in a new direction--one that leads to economic growth and energy security. ``By promoting policies that encourage domestic oil and natural gas production, we can create 1.4 million much needed jobs and generate $800 billion in additional government revenue by 2030.'' Mr. Speaker, John, a person who works for a living, understands better than Washington elites that our God-given natural resources should be used to create jobs for Americans. Time to stop sending American money and jobs to Middle Eastern countries to buy their natural resources. Time to start supporting American energy workers and American businesses. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will sit down to a decorated table filled with turkey and all the trimmings such as mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. They will tell stories, laugh and enjoy conversation with their loved ones. But there are other homes around the nation where the dining room table will be accompanied by an empty chair. In that chair once sat a husband, father, brother, sister, son or daughter. It sat a graduate, a friend and a United States warrior. It is now an empty reminder of a courageous American hero who gave his or her life for this country. Today we say a prayer for those families with the empty seat at the table, and we thank them for their sacrifice to this country. At Thanksgiving, Americans must be thankful for the heroes--and the families that they leave behind--that volunteer to fight 365 days of the year all across the world so that the rest of us can be free. Thanksgiving is about more than a turkey and sitting around a dinner table. It is about giving thanks to God for all of the blessings we enjoy, including our troops and our freedom. Where did Thanksgiving come from? In 1620, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Fleeing religious persecution, they vowed to make a better life for all in North America. The Pilgrims, unaccustomed to the Massachusetts winter, would not have survived their first winter without the help of the Indians, who brought them food, saving them from starvation. During the following year, the Pilgrims' conditions improved in Massachusetts, leading to a productive harvest season. To celebrate and give thanks to God for the harvest, the Pilgrims invited the Indians who had helped them the previous winter, and held a three-day feast. This feast was the birth of what is today known as Thanksgiving. A common misconception about Thanksgiving is that it was annually celebrated following 1621. Actually, for the next 150 years, the American colonists would only celebrate Thanksgiving when there was cause to do so. In 1789, President George Washington declared a National Day of Thanksgiving for the American colonists. In his Presidential Proclamation, Washington stated: ``It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God . . . to be grateful for His benefits, and to (request) his protection and favor. I, President Washington, recommend to the people of the United States, a day of public thanksgiving and prayer . . . to show the many favors of the Almighty and especially the opportunity for this form of government.'' President Washington's belief in a National Day of Thanksgiving was not widely agreed upon or accepted throughout the colonies. For the next 70 years, a day of Thanksgiving was not routinely held. During the early 1800s, however, a female magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale began a 40-year campaign to institute a National Day of Thanksgiving. In November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, agreeing with Sarah Hale, proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving for the last Thursday in November. Thus began the tradition of Thanksgiving Day. But, it was not until 1941, under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, that Thanksgiving was declared an official national holiday by Congress. No matter what Thanksgiving traditions have been enacted since Thanksgiving Day was first declared in 1863, and officially recognized a national holiday in 1941, Thanksgiving has always been about giving thanks to God for what we have and thinking of others who may not have what we do. This Thanksgiving Day, I invite this great nation to not lose sight of the true meaning of Thanksgiving and to do as the Pilgrims did before us: Offer a prayer of thanks to God for all of the gifts that he has bestowed. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, according to The Washington Times, last December, five Mexican nationals armed with at least two AK-47 rifles were infiltrating the rugged desert--the American desert, that is. That's right, Mr. Speaker. Cartel soldiers were reportedly on our side of the border in Arizona ``patrolling in single-file formation'' with the goal of ``intentionally and forcibly assaulting'' Border Patrol agents. They spotted and opened fire on four U.S. Border Patrol agents. Agent Brian Terry was murdered. Two cartel assault weapons found at the seen were connected to Operation Fast and Furious. Mr. Speaker, you recall that's the operation where our government facilitated smuggling weapons to Mexican drug cartels--the enemies of Mexico and the United States. Military-type intrusions by the cartels will only increase. We need to defend our sovereignty and protect our Border Patrol and first responders. It's time to send military equipment coming back from Iraq to secure the southern border from the cartel soldiers. This veteran equipment includes Humvees, night-vision equipment, and more UAVs. Incidents like this will only continue to occur until Washington elites realize what happens in Mexico doesn't stay in Mexico. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, when I meet with small business owners back in southeast Texas, the one thing they always tell me is that they are not comfortable with expanding their businesses or hiring new employees because of the Federal regulators. ``We just don't know what the Federal Government is going to do next,'' is what I often hear. And considering that the code of Federal regulations is currently over 150,000 pages long, no wonder they are saying that they cannot plan for the future. Mr. Chairman, do we really need more than 150,000 pages of regulations to be imposed across the fruited plain? Good thing the regulators weren't around to draw up regulations on the Ten Commandments. No telling what that would look like. Anyway, a recent Gallup Poll found regulation and red tape is the most important problem currently facing business owners. That's right, not the economy but red tape. Why are we allowing the regulators to administratively pass many unnecessary rules that destroy this economic system? Unnecessary regulations hurt all American businesses, but hurt the small businesses the most. It's not easy for a mom-and-pop shop to hire a legal department to navigate through the ever-growing list of Federal regulations that may be applicable to their small business. In fact, on average, small businesses spend 36 percent more per employee per year complying with Federal regulations than large businesses do. This legislation will help the problem by requiring that Federal agencies just analyze the impact of a new regulation on small businesses before adopting the regulation. Once a mom and pop shop goes out of business, there's often no going back. Regulators and elitist bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., do not always know what is best for people who own a small business. Many of these regulators have never owned a small business or even understand capitalism. They have never signed the front of a paycheck. But yet they make rules. Congress needs to ensure that we do not over-regulate America to death and self-destruct our economic system.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Gabe Zimmerman, I didn't know him, but I know many people that are just like him. They are called the congressional staffers. Gabe Zimmerman dedicated his life to public service, and he died dedicating his life to public service. He died from an assassin's bullet in January of this year hosting a Congress on Your Corner event for Gabby Giffords, which he organized. There are many men and women just like Gabe Zimmerman who come to work every day and work in Congress. These staffers work very long hours, sometimes late into the night. They work weekends, they deal with people from our districts, and sometimes they get little or no appreciation for their hard work. Congresswoman Giffords is blessed to have a wonderful staff. I had the pleasure to be with her legislative director, Peter Ambler, and her director of operations, Jennifer Cox, when they hosted me at the Arizona border so I could talk to ranchers in Arizona; and this occurred after Gabby was shot and wounded. I was impressed with these staffers and their work and keeping up the mission of our fellow Member of Congress, Gabby Giffords, as she was recovering from her wounds. The energy and drive of these bright Americans represent really all that is good about our country. So on this day, it is good that Members of Congress remember and give thanks for Gabe Zimmerman, his colleagues in Representative Giffords' office, for Representative Gabby Giffords, and for all the men and women who allow this great body to continue to be the people's House.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, in 1 month, every home in America must be lit with the special $3, CFL government-approved lightbulb. The 75-cent incandescent lightbulb, Thomas Edison's greatest invention, is going to be banned by the Federal Government. The Federal Government's anti-consumer choice law leaves Americans no other option but to purchase and use a harmful mercury-filled product. Also, this new ban is an American job killer. The government's new ban ended a manufacturing industry that went back to the days of Thomas Edison and instead shipped most of those jobs overseas, primarily to China. Isn't that lovely. Where does the Federal Government have the constitutional authority to force anybody to buy anything, from health care insurance to a box of doughnuts or even a lightbulb? It's time for the bureaucrats to quit forcibly micromanaging America. Let Americans choose how to light their own homes. Otherwise, we will have to turn out the lights. The party is over--even for Thomas Edison's lightbulb. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani said that there will be no more ``business as usual'' with the United States. I couldn't agree more. The United States should not be doing business as usual with our unfaithful ally Pakistan. Since 2002, we have given Pakistan over $14 billion in so-called security-related aid and over $6 billion in economic-related aid. The American people have not gotten their money's worth. Pakistan seems to be the Benedict Arnold nation in the list of countries that we call allies. They have proven to be deceptive, deceitful, and a danger to the United States. Here's some of the evidence. In May of this year, Navy SEALS discovered Osama bin Laden living the high life in an Abbottabad mansion right in the backyard of the Pakistani military community, but Pakistan claimed they had no knowledge of the world's most-wanted terrorist that was living right under their noses. This is questionable at best. Mr. Speaker, that dog just won't hunt. Since then, the more we learn about Pakistan, the worse it gets. Shortly after that raid, Pakistan also arrested CIA informants in Pakistan that led the United States to capture or take out Osama bin Laden. Pakistan has tried also to cheat the United States by filing bogus reimbursement claims for allegedly going after militants; 40 percent of these claims have been rejected by our government. There is more. Pakistan tipped off terrorists making IEDs, not once, but twice, in June 2011, after we gave them intel on the bomb-making factory location and asked Pakistan to go after them. CIA Director Leon Panetta asserted that Pakistan had not done enough to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, saying there is ``total mistrust'' between the United States and Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan is chumming up to the Chinese. It sounds to me like Pakistan is playing both sides in the war on terror. This so-called ally takes billions of dollars in U.S. aid while, at the same time, supporting the militants who attack us. According to Admiral Mike Mullen, the Pakistani Government supported the groups who were behind the September 11 truck bombing attack in eastern Afghanistan that wounded more than 70 U.S. and NATO troops. Based on this evidence, I have introduced legislation to freeze all U.S.A. aid to Pakistan with the exception of funds that are designated to help secure their nuclear facilities. By sending aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans, and undermining our efforts in the whole region. In the past week, relations between American and Pakistani officials have even further deteriorated. Saturday, NATO and Afghan forces near the border of northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan reportedly came under attack from Pakistani fire and responded in self-defense. Twenty-four Pakistani soldiers were killed. But Pakistan says it was NATO who fired the first shot. Of course we cannot believe what Pakistan says. They will lie when the truth is obvious. But the facts will eventually come out as to what really happened in this episode. Hatred for America is still at an all-time high in Pakistan. This week on TV, Americans have seen Pakistanis burning American flags and cursing our Nation. And just today in Politico, we have this lovely photograph of Pakistani women proclaiming ``Down with U.S.A.'' Pakistan leaders are continuing to vilify the United States on the one hand and, on the other hand, take our money. Most importantly, crucial NATO supply routes have been cut off by Pakistan, stopping supplies from getting to our troops in Afghanistan. Monday, 300 trucks full of supplies were turned away at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan has cut off the supply routes to our troops; now it's time we cut off the money to Pakistan. Pakistan has made it painfully obvious that they will continue their policy of dangerous, dishonest deceit by pretending to be our ally in the war on terror while simultaneously giving a wink and a nod to extremism. By continuing to provide aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans, and undermining our efforts. Seven in 10 Americans believe we need to stop or decrease foreign aid to Pakistan. After all, it is their money. We should stop foreign aid to Pakistan until we know whose side they're on. We don't need to pay them to hate us; they'll do it for free, Mr. Speaker. Maybe we shouldn't pay them at all. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, those who say that the border is secure and the violence is contained in Mexico are living in a blissful state of ignorance. Case in point: Last week, according to the Houston Chronicle, three SUVs carrying Mexican Zeta cartel soldiers tried to hijack a tractor truck rig loaded with drugs on a road in north Houston. They unleashed blazing gunfire. A shootout occurred with police who were tracking the truck from Mexico. The truck driver was killed and a peace officer was wounded. Three Mexican nationals and another of unknown citizenship were charged with capital murder. The local head of the DEA, Javier Pena, said, ``we are not going to tolerate these thugs using their weapons like the Wild Wild West.'' Sadly, this brazen case of violence is a familiar scene on the streets of Mexico. And now it has become a reality in the United States. Until Washington realizes what happens in Mexico doesn't stay in Mexico, more cartel shoot-outs on American streets are coming our way. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, China should not dictate what America can or cannot do. But, when it comes to our Taiwan policy, it seems we kowtow to the wannabe empire of the East. China has over 1,400 missiles pointed at Taiwan, and military experts agree that Taiwan is losing its ability to even slow China down if it chooses to attack. Yet China tells the U.S. ``don't sell F- 16s to Taiwan'' and so we don't. On September 21st, the Administration officially notified Congress of its decision to only offer Taiwan an upgrade of existing F-16A/Bs, rather than sell 66 new F-16 C/Ds as the Government in Taipei had requested. The C/D aircraft would've gone to replace the 30-year-old F- 5s. Now, the Ft. Worth, Texas production line may close because of lack of new orders. This should not be an issue. Our good friends, the Taiwanese, want to buy them. The U.S. needs to boost its economy and prevent Chinese aggression. This sale would've been good for everybody. Everybody, that is, except China. America has to do what is in our best interest. And, it is not in our best interest to give in to a brutal, communist regime while forsaking our democratic ally. I fully support selling modern aircraft to Taiwan. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week marked the passage of an important milestone in American history. But don't just break out the confetti and the fireworks so quickly. According to the Treasury Department, our national debt just passed $15 trillion for the first time in history. Mr. Speaker, here is what $15 trillion looks like. That seems like a lot of money to me. That totals over $48,000 for every man, woman, and child across the fruited plain. Now, how did we get here? Through unchecked, excessive spending by the Federal Government. This addiction to spending somebody else's money has got to stop. We must be bold and cut unnecessary spending. Tough times call for tough actions, and we must even do more. Congress must pass the balanced budget amendment. Force the government to balance its books just like Americans are supposed to do. We keep digging ourselves into the dark abyss of debt. Maybe we should quit digging before we reach Greece or the bottomless pit of bankruptcy. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, T is for Tenacious. Withelma ``T'' Ortiz-Macey who was recently awarded a Woman of the Year award by Glamour Magazine exemplifies tenacity. T is a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking, but she does not let her past trauma get in the way of her advocacy for other victims of this horrendous crime. She shares her story with Members of Congress, advocates, the public, and other victims in order to put an end to this dastardly deed so that no one else ever has to go through the violence and trauma she endured. T's life has not been easy. She was abused as a child and when she met someone who she thought would love and care for her, she was made into a sex slave, her innocence crushed. Domestic minor sex trafficking is a hidden crime, one that many do not realize occurs in communities all over our country. Young girls are sold on the street and on the Internet for profit. And to make matters worse, these girls are usually treated as criminals, when in reality they are victims. These girls need specialized treatment, not to be thrown in a jail cell. And T is working to change this. T is an incredible young woman, and I commend her for her great work and congratulate her on her recent award. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, halfway around the world, in the desert of the sun and the valley of the gun, the American warrior stands fighting the forces of the enemy. But one such soldier returns from battle to America with a flag- draped coffin. He is Cody Norris, Army private first class, a machine gunner in the infantry, just 20 years old, barely an adult, but still an all-American man. For the Norris family in La Porte, Texas, Cody was a son and a little brother. He died in a gun battle last week in Afghanistan for our country. He was the 38th warrior in my area of Texas to give his life for his country. Cody grew up in La Porte. He graduated from La Porte High School just last year, but he quickly volunteered for the United States Army in October. In high school, Cody loved to restore old military trucks. He restored a 1952 Dodge M-37 Army truck and drove it to school. He was a member of the Junior ROTC Color Guard at La Porte High School. But this year, his former classmates and peers in the Color Guard honored his life. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, before deploying to Afghanistan. It was his first deployment in Afghanistan. October 1 marked his 1-year anniversary in the United States Army. Cody was killed in Kandahar province last week on November 9 when the enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire. Kandahar province in Afghanistan has been called the birthplace and fanatical home of the notorious Taliban. It is a dangerous part of the world. I've been to Afghanistan several times, and the sun is unbearable in the summer and the cold is brutally piercing in the winter. And our soldiers fight on, undeterred, tenaciously focused. They go to battle in a land seemingly cursed by God. Our military in Afghanistan go where others fear to tread and the timid are not found. When I spoke to Cody's mother, Teresa Denise Norris, she told me Cody marched to the beat of his own drum. He didn't care what others thought of him; he did what he thought was right. She said Cody was proud to be a solider and that their family believes in the red, white and blue; and they all love this country. That pride is carried through in Cody's older brother, Michael Norris. He's a cadet in his last year at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The Norris family is a soldier's family. Cody's Facebook page is filled with heartfelt messages from his friends, classmates, and fellow soldiers. It is evident how much he made people laugh in his very young life. Cody wrote on his Facebook in the ``About Me'' section, ``I'm in the Army and I am an infantryman. I love what I do as my job and my dream in life, and no one can take that away from me. I am trained by the best, and I will be the best I can. Wanna do all I can for the ones I love and my country--to keep us all free, even if it means death, so that every American can live their dreams out as well.'' Cody loved what he did. He loved his country. He was selfless, and he was an American patriot. For his service in the United States Army, Cody has been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, and the NATO Medal and the Combat Infantry Medal. Cody Norris was a part of the rare breed, the American breed-- soldiers who take care of the rest of us and watch for the evildoers who would bring us harm. They prove their commitment to America by giving their lives for this Nation. General George Patton said of the fallen soldiers, ``Let us not only mourn for the men who have died fighting, but let us be grateful to God that such men ever lived.'' Mr. Speaker, we are grateful to Private First Class Cody Norris and that he lived. He was a Texan, a soldier, an American Warrior. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, in the vast, wide open, rugged, desolate hinterland, southern border regions between the safer legal ports of entry, the cartels smuggle people and drugs into the United States. State and local officials do what they can to help the Feds protect these areas, but they are simply outmanned and out-equipped. Madam Speaker, the Border Patrol needs help from local officials. Millions of pieces of equipment will soon return from Iraq. This includes UAVs that could be used as eyes in the sky for the border defenders. This equipment could fill in the massive gaps in surveillance of remote areas of the border. I've introduced the SEND Act that would send UAVs, HUMVEES, and night surveillance equipment to our border governments. Washington could partner with border States to protect America. Sending surplus military equipment to the southern border will give Americans a return on their investment by enhancing our national security. The American people have invested billions of dollars in equipment used to secure Iraq. Now it's time to use this same equipment to secure the United States. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the folks I represent down in southeast Texas are concerned about many things; but two things they are concerned about probably the most are jobs and energy, because, you see, in southeast Texas, that's still the energy capital of the United States. I probably represent more refineries than any Member of Congress. There is an answer to jobs and energy, and it's called the Trans- Canada pipeline, commonly called the Keystone XL pipeline. The plan is for our allies in Canada to ship crude oil from Alberta, Canada, through a pipeline all the way from Alberta, Canada, down to Port Arthur, Texas. Most Americans have never heard of Port Arthur, Texas, but it sits on the gulf coast, really close to the Louisiana- Texas border. It is part of that energy development going all the way back to Spindletop days in 1901--the energy capital of the world. The plan has been, for several years, to ship that crude oil down to American refineries and have them refine. That decision, or that request to get a permit, started about 3 years ago, and no decision has been reached yet on whether to build it or not to build it. The latest development is that the administration has decided: Still, we'll not make a decision until 2013, after the elections. That's unfortunate because these are times when we need American jobs, and this pipeline would create American jobs in America-- thousands of American jobs--and then there is related industry all up and down the area where the pipeline will be built to Port Arthur, Texas. Then it will give us crude oil, energy that we can use from a stable ally. Instead of having to ship oil in from all over the world-- from the Middle East primarily--we will have a stable ally where we can bring crude oil into the United States. About how much oil are we talking about? Well, it's about 700,000 barrels a day. That's just a number--most people can't relate to that. I really can't--but that's about as much crude oil as we buy from Venezuela and bring into the United States. When the pipeline is fully completed, it will be 1,200,000 barrels a day. Now, that's a real number. How much is that? That's about as much oil as we bring in from Saudi Arabia; yet we could bring that in from Canada to our refineries in southeast Texas. Pipelines are the safest way to move crude oil--the safest way, Mr. Speaker. It's safer than rail; it's certainly safer than trucks; it's safer than bringing it in on ships from overseas; and it's safer than barges, because pipelines have a history of being the most environmentally safe, as they should be safe. In fact, the new pipelines that are developed are taking newer technology. They put a machine in the pipeline--it's called a pig machine--which goes through the pipeline with the crude oil and looks for dense or even small leaks which would automatically shut the pipeline down. Nobody wants a leak in a pipeline--the people who build it or the people who live in that area--but the administration has decided, primarily the State Department has decided, not to make a decision until 2013. The Prime Minister of Canada is very disappointed that the United States will not be a partner in this crude oil development. But there is a country that will take that Canadian crude oil, and it's China. So we may not see the pipeline built from Alberta to Port Arthur, Texas; but we may see that pipeline built from Alberta to their west coast where they could pipe that crude oil off to their west coast and sell it and put it on tankers going to our buddies, the Chinese, who are eager to take that crude oil. Recently, however, there was a development that the pipeline folks, the TransCanada people who want to build a pipeline, have started to work with the legislature in Nebraska. Nebraska is primarily the holdup where the environmentalists have gone and said they can't build a pipeline here for a bunch of reasons. The new plan is to build that pipeline to the east, the northeast of Nebraska. Hopefully they will work out something. Unfortunately, the State Department said last night or this morning, Well, nothing has changed. So it seems like delay, delay, delay is still the answer. We need to get crude oil to our refineries someway. What is the answer? What is the answer for those who say that they don't want a pipeline? There is no answer. And until we get to that green energy that we all want to get to eventually, we have to get that crude oil and have it refined not only into gasoline and jet fuel but into the byproducts, plastics that we all use. And the answer, Mr. Speaker, I think is, we need to pick a horse and ride it, sign up, and build that pipeline immediately. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the troops in Iraq will be home by Christmas. Also coming back to America is a large amount of military equipment. Why not send some of that taxpayer-funded equipment to secure our southern border? Our border sheriffs say they are outmanned, outgunned, and out-financed by the drug cartels. Today, I've introduced legislation which mandates that 10 percent of certain military equipment coming back from Iraq will go to our southern border. If there's an urgent need, the equipment could be kept by the Department of Defense. This equipment includes Humvees, night- vision equipment, and surveillance UAVs. This is not a new idea. The Department of Defense already has a program for distribution of surplus equipment. My legislation will simply utilize this already-existing program, expand it, and allocate resources to our southern border. Americans have paid for this equipment to bring safety and security to the people of Iraq. It's time we use this equipment to protect our own citizens from the invasion of the drug cartels. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, during the hot days of last summer, the Veterans of Foreign Wars went to battle with the Veterans Administration. The VFW claimed the VA was censoring free speech and preventing the free exercise of religion at the National Cemetery in Houston. The VFW says the chapel at the cemetery was closed. The Bible, the cross, the Star of David were removed, and the chapel became a storage shed. VFW members also said the director of the cemetery censored prayers and prohibited the religious ceremony during burial of veterans. The VFW sued the VA, and the VA naturally denied the whole thing. Recently, a Federal judge approved and agreed to an order requiring the chapel to be reopened, the Bible, the cross, the Star of David to be returned, and said that the VA must not interfere with free speech or the free exercise of religion at burials. Madam Speaker, it is ironic that Americans have gone to war, fought for the principles of the 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. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as we approach Veterans Day, the day we honor those who served and came back home, I want to talk about a very special veteran. Frank Buckles, Jr., when he was 16 years of age--some say 15--during the beginning of the great World War I, wanted to join the military and go overseas. Remember they sang that song, those doughboys, when they went overseas, George Cohan's song ``Over There.'' And they wouldn't come back until it was over ``over there.'' The war started. He tried to join the Marines; they wouldn't take him because he was not 18. He tried different recruiters. He finally found an Army recruiter. He says he just told the recruiter a whopper--that he was 21. The recruiter took him, swore him in; and the fastest way he could get to Europe and get into action was to drive an ambulance. This is a photograph of Frank Buckles, Jr., when he served in the great World War I. After that war was over with, he came back home, although 116,000 Americans did not come back home. Four million of them served in World War I. Frank Buckles, Jr., joined up as a seaman on a merchant ship. He was in the Philippines when World War II started, and he was captured by the Japanese and held in a prisoner of war camp for 3\1/2\ years. He was rescued, came back home to America, went to his farm in West Virginia, and he worked on the farm until he was 109 years old. Frank Buckles, Jr., died this year at the age of 110. He was the last surviving doughboy from America that served in the great World War I. This is a photograph taken shortly before his death this year. Frank Buckles, Jr., the loan survivor of World War I, a veteran of that great war, came back home. And his wish before he died, Mr. Speaker, was that we would have a permanent memorial for all who served in World War I on the Mall. You see, we have a memorial for Vietnam veterans, we have a memorial for the Korean veterans, the World War II veterans. There is a small memorial for the D.C. troops that served in World War I, but there's no memorial on the Mall for all of the doughboys like Frank Buckles, Jr., that served. And they have all died, Mr. Speaker. And it's our job, it's important for us to have that memorial for them, to allow it to be constructed. There is one memorial in Kansas City for the World War I doughboys, but we need one here also on the Mall. And it's important that we honor these great Americans because they are the veterans that we honor, that we appreciate, and that we should not forget, although all of them, including the loan survivor, Frank Buckles, Jr., has died. So I hope this House will join me and the gentleman from Missouri, Emanuel Cleaver, in passing legislation to authorize this memorial for those World War I doughboys. Veterans Day is approaching. We are approaching the 100th anniversary of the great World War I. We should remember them, and we can do this by erecting and allowing a memorial to be constructed on the Mall. The veterans are the greatest that we have. We should remember every one of them, those that served and came home, those that served and did not come home, and those that are serving and representing us today. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as we near Veterans Day, I want to pay a special tribute to my friend First Sergeant David McNerney. Here is a photograph of him, here to my left. After high school in Houston, David volunteered and enlisted in the United States Navy. He spent two tours of duty in Korea. And after leaving the Navy in 1953, he joined the United States Army. In 1962, McNerney was one of the first 500 soldiers sent to Vietnam. During his third tour of duty in Vietnam, he was stationed near the Cambodian border. And in March of '67, he and his company were sent to recover a missing reconnaissance team. Coming under heavy Vietnamese attack, McNerney was wounded by a grenade, and his commander was killed. Nonetheless, McNerney continued the fight, calling in close artillery fire. He destroyed an enemy machine gun, he pulled wounded to safety, he secured a landing zone for medical helicopters, and he refused to be evacuated himself. His actions stopped the enemy advance and saved his own men's lives. His valor earned First Sergeant McNerney the Congressional Medal of Honor, and it was presented to him by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Then McNerney volunteered yet again for a fourth tour of duty in Vietnam. After serving in the Army and the Navy, McNerney returned to Crosby, Texas. And last year, my friend First Sergeant McNerney died in Texas, still a patriot. Mr. Speaker, where does America get such men as these, these warriors, this rare breed, these Americans? And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, when the coach messes up, blame the team. This policy occurred yesterday. Yesterday, in an attempt to divert attention from the Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer took one for the head coach and testified about Project Gunrunner. He claimed that he knew about the practice of ``gun walking'' but still tried to punt the ball by placing blame on Team ATF for not stopping Fast and Furious. But the Department of Justice oversees the ATF, and apparently the Justice Department knew about Fast and Furious. So why didn't they stop it? Mr. Breuer said that he had talked to the ATF about it, and so he thought he didn't need to tell the Attorney General. So now it appears the dysfunctional Justice Department is responsible for this disaster. Bottom line: Nearly 2,000 semiautomatic weapons were blindly sent into the hands of criminal narcoterrorists in Mexico, and people died because of this operation, at least two Americans and who knows how many Mexican nationals. Thousands of guns are still unaccounted for in Mexico. Clearly, the Department of Justice needs a new head coach, and a special counsel should be appointed to investigate Fast and Furious. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in the dangerous border region between Mexico and Texas, in the year 2008, outlaws from Mexico were caught smuggling marijuana into the United States, and they were caught by the Border Patrol agents. Border Patrol Agent Jesus Diaz's actions later have resulted in him being sentenced recently to 2 years in a Federal penitentiary. On October 20 of this year, District Judge Ludham sentenced Diaz to 24 months in prison because the agent is alleged to have been too rough in his handling of one of the drug smugglers who was arrested; and, also, Diaz allegedly later lied about the incident to investigators. Now, what Diaz is accused of is pulling the suspect's handcuffs back and pushing the suspect to the ground while pressing the suspect's back with his knee in order to get him to comply with the Border Patrol agent's orders. Prior to the incident the suspect had illegally crossed into Texas by boat with a large shipment of marijuana, and he was accompanied by a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. The U.S. Government had a choice to make: Prosecute the illegal drug smuggler or prosecute the Border Patrol agent. The United States Government chose poorly. The Mexican Government demanded that Diaz be prosecuted by our government, and he was. To top it off, the suspect was told he would not be prosecuted for illegally coming into the United States or for the marijuana he brought into the United States in return for his testimony against Border Patrol Agent Diaz. Now, Mr. Speaker, I'm not here today to comment on whether or not Jesus Diaz used proper police procedure when he detained the suspect or whether the jury or the judge made a mistake. Those issues will be dealt with on appeal. However, it seems to me that this case should not have been prosecuted as a crime. It should have been dealt with and handled administratively within the U.S. Border Patrol, and the drug smuggler should have been prosecuted. The U.S. Federal Government had its priorities wrong. The National Border Patrol Council, which represents 17,000 of our Border Patrol agents, our border protectors, they agree. They argue that a situation like this should have been handled administratively and did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. But millions of taxpayer dollars and thousands of man-hours were expended to obtain a 24-month sentence and a conviction for Diaz, who had already spent 8 months in custody. There is more. An internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility both cleared Agent Diaz of any wrongdoing in the 2008 incident. But Mexico would have none of this and demanded and got its way. The U.S. Attorney's Office went after Border Patrol agent Jesus Diaz. And his case was tried in the western district of Texas, a jurisdiction that has a history of, in my opinion, unfairly targeting border protectors for prosecution. You remember, this is the same jurisdiction that prosecuted Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean for allegedly shooting a drug smuggler as he ran away from the agents while they tried to apprehend him. It took a Presidential commutation in 2009 to finally end the persecution of these two agents, and millions of Federal dollars were wasted on this case. Then there's a similar case where Deputy Sheriff Gilmer Hernandez was prosecuted for firing his weapon at a fleeing vehicle that had tried to run him over. Same jurisdiction. But the question we must ask ourselves is why the Federal Government is spending time and money to prosecute our Border Patrol agents who put their lives on the line every day down there on the border of the U.S. and Mexico instead of spending time and money and resources to enforce immigration laws in this country. When ICE Director Morton and Secretary Napolitano from Homeland Security recently testified in front of the Judiciary Committee, they both said they just didn't have the money or the resources to fully enforce immigration laws. They, in essence, in my opinion, granted amnesty or parole to thousands of illegals in the United States. But they have the money to go after Border Patrol agents. Maybe they should use some of that prosecutorial discretion they're so proud of to prosecute people who cross the border into the United States with drugs over prosecuting Border Patrol agents. In this case, the United States Government is on the wrong side of the border war. The U.S. Attorney's Office should quit being the voice of Mexico and be the voice of America. We should secure the border and keep the drug smugglers from having their way, and don't give them a get-out-of-jail-free card. It's time to get our money and our priorities straight. Let's stop going after the good guys and spend time and money going after the bad guys. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. And I appreciate the chair and the ranking member for relentlessly pushing this issue to the House floor as fast as it was possible and to the good folks down at the Senate, Senator Boxer and Senator Isakson, who are the initial sponsors of H.R. 2337 on which we will, here today, vote on in a bipartisan way. This legislation is bipartisan because it deals with victims of crime, American victims of crime. And victims are not a partisan bunch; they're just victims. And when someone picks out a victim to commit a crime against, partisanship doesn't play any part in it. And it's good to see that partisanship doesn't play any part in this legislation in opposing it, but it's a bipartisan piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, there's a group of Americans; they are really special people. I call them the American ambassadors abroad. They are young people. A lot of them are young females right out of college. It started with a concept that President Kennedy had many years ago, and it's called the Peace Corps, where these American angels abroad leave their homes in the 50 States and they go to remote parts of the world where many of us would have to look up on a globe or an atlas or the Internet to find out exactly where they are. We've never heard of these places. They are in third-world countries, primarily. They go out where many times the first Americans these folks have ever seen in this country are those Peace Corps volunteers that show up, and they show up for the sole purpose to make life better for these people overseas, sometimes in very small villages. They go and they work in very primitive conditions and live very difficultly, trying to do something really important to make the world a better place. And they do. They are remarkable people. When they go overseas, as they have done for the last 50 years, and all over the world, sometimes crimes are committed against them. Sometimes they are very serious crimes. Sometimes that includes sexual assault, rape. And it occurs for a lot of reasons, but it does occur. Unfortunately, the Peace Corps back home for a long time ignored some of these crimes and some of these victims, and they just weren't treated right when they were trying to cry out, saying, Hey, this happened to me over there; take care of me when I come back home. But now this legislation that has been very carefully drafted will fix that problem. It will move us to a direction where we are going to take care of these Peace Corps volunteers because what they do is important. What the Peace Corps does is important. We just want to improve it so that more and more people go and join the Peace Corps, but yet they feel safe in what they do. These crimes against our Peace Corps volunteers came to light really at the end of last year, the beginning of this year. One reason it came to light was because of an ABC ``20/20'' special that aired on January 14, outlining the plight of individual Peace Corps volunteers and how they were treated--first the crime, and then sometimes continuing to be criminalized. In some cases, our volunteers were treated like the criminals and they weren't treated like victims--the offender sometimes was treated like a victim of a crime--and those days need to end. Mr. Speaker, I have been around a courthouse most of my life down in Texas as a prosecutor, as a criminal court judge, and I tried a lot of bad, serious cases. One of those cases that comes to the courthouses throughout our country is the crime of sexual assault, or rape. That is a unique crime because, you see, many times when the offender commits that crime against primarily a female, it has nothing to do with sex; it has everything to do with power and the destruction of that person's identity. These offenders in some cases try to destroy the soul of that victim, destroy their identity. And that is why, when the crime is committed, we treat those victims with special respect, as they rightfully deserve. This legislation does that. It improves the Peace Corps. It makes it a better institution. But it tells our young people that when you go somewhere in the world to represent America, to do something good, just to do something good for somebody else with no other motive, that we are going to do everything we can to protect you, and then we are going to hold people accountable for what they do to you. And we are going to do everything we can, as Americans, to take care of you if a crime is committed against you. In the last 10 years, Mr. Speaker, the Peace Corps has witnessed over 100 sexual assaults a year against its volunteers. That's 100 too many. We want to bring it down to zero. As the chairman has mentioned about this legislation, it does several things: It creates and requires the Peace Corps to follow best practices in training volunteers and responding to assaults against these young people; Second, it creates a system of restricted and unrestricted reporting so victims have control over their own information and can report only as much as they are comfortable with; and Third, it sets up an advisory council to help the Peace Corps develop programs. It helps the Peace Corps' sexual assault policy and implements it. I do want to thank the 87 cosponsors in the House for signing on the legislation that I have sponsored. I do want to thank the chairman again for the legislation she has sponsored; both passed, as she said, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously in a bipartisan way. And I do want to thank the Puzey family, sending their daughter overseas and having dealt with the murder of their own child. None of us want to ever see our children die before our time. I have got four kids. Three of them are girls. I've got nine grandkids. And as parents, we don't want to see that happen. But their ability to come forward to tell that story and the story that others have told, Peace Corps volunteers who are here today, Jess, Karestan, Carol, and Liz, they were willing to come before the Foreign Affairs Committee and testify about what happened to them and the consequences of that. I want to thank them for being willing to be here today and also to testify. But I also want to thank the Members of Congress for moving this as fast as we can. With all that we're doing and going on and the economy and all of this, it's important that this legislation pass today. I do believe these young people are America's angels abroad. Sometimes because of the economy and other reasons, we forget the greatness of America. This is a great land. And one of the reasons, one of the reasons it's great is because of the people who are here. One of the reasons those people are great is because they do things for other people. They go to lands they have never been to and they do things for people they don't even know. And those are the Peace Corps volunteers. I appreciate the time to speak on this. I hope that it passes unanimously and sends a message to those Peace Corps volunteers: We support you. We support the Peace Corps. We want it to live 50 more years, and this bill helps those American ambassadors abroad. Sarah Lee, Current Volunteer from Texas A woman, let's call her Sarah Lee, who is serving in the Peace Corps in a foreign country right now contacted me. Sarah Lee loves her job and the organization, but can't get past the fact that she feels completely unsafe. ``Throughout my service,'' she writes, ``I have witnessed the sorry manner in which volunteers are regarded, treated, and protected by Peace Corps. It is patently false that volunteers in X country could ever be regarded as `safe.' '' Last year, Sarah Lee was assaulted by another person that was old enough to be her father. They were staying at another volunteer's house and she fell asleep on the couch. She was awakened in the middle of the night by the assailant inappropriately touching and kissing her. She reported this to national Peace Corps staff, and talked to several members of the executive staff, as well as the Peace Corps Medical Officer. She was told to not leave her village. Another volunteer came to stay with her because she was having anxiety attacks and insomnia and didn't want to be alone. While Peace Corps was investigating, the accused volunteer was traveling the country, staying at overnight PC houses in bedrooms occupied by female volunteers. The investigators assigned to her case were terrible. Because she was from Texas, they asked if she didn't have more ``conservative'' notions of propriety than the perpetrator--as if this was just a violation of her southern sensibilities and the perpetrator had every right to assault her. They also told her she was attractive, so she must be assaulted like this a lot. When she asked about pressing charges, they discouraged her. They said a case like this had never been tried before, that it would be a precedent setting case, and that if she failed, it could hurt future cases. Eventually the Peace Corps flew Sarah Lee back to the United States, but her counselor was just as bad as the investigators. While she was sobbing, the counselor kept asking her how she felt. Because a Peace Corps Volunteer can only be kept on medical hold for a certain amount of days, she was rushed back to her country even though she did not feel ready and was still suffering from panic attacks and insomnia. When a fellow in-country volunteer urged her supervisor to give Sarah Lee more counseling, they let her talk to a counselor twice on the phone before telling her to just email--even though she has to drive to the next town for Internet access. In the end, the perpetrator quit rather than face being fired. Nothing will appear on his record. Peace Corps never did give Sarah Lee information on how to press charges. Sarah Lee also talks about how male teachers at the school she teaches at have repeatedly raped her students, but she can't tell anyone. The Peace Corps still has not provided a mechanism through which volunteers can report crimes without the fear of reprisal. Mary Joe, Mozambique 2007 Mary Joe always wanted to help people. After she graduated from Seattle University, she worked for a year at a non-profit that tutored low-income housing kids. She joined the Peace Corps the next year because she wanted to help people abroad and, given Peace Corps' reputation, thought this was the safe way to go. In 2007, she was sent to Cambine, Mozambique to teach English to high schoolers. One night in the fall she went to dinner in the next town over with some fellow volunteers. While at the restaurant, her drink was drugged by a man the group had met there. The next thing she remembers is being in a car with a man sexually assaulting her. A fellow Peace Corps volunteer saw what was going on and pulled her from the car. Mary Joe blacked out again until the next morning, when she woke up and called the Peace Corps medical officer, who told her to come to the capital and get checked out. When she arrived the next day, she was denied a rape kit by the medical officer, who said she was drunk--not assaulted. In fact, before he would give her medicine to fight against possible AIDS exposure as a result of the assault, the medical officer made her write down that she was drunk and not raped. She was told to come back in a month to find out if she had AIDS. With no further care, it was clear that Mary Joe was not okay. Back at her post, she was startled by and had crying fits over the littlest things, couldn't sleep, was depressed, didn't want to leave her house, and had terrible nightmares. Mary Joe was disoriented and couldn't think clearly for months, yet she was asked to make big decisions. She needed someone intimately familiar with her case who could advocate on her behalf. After 2 weeks, she finally called her country director, who put her in touch with a Peace Corps psychologist in Washington, DC. The psychologist had her medevaced back to her hometown in Tucson on Halloween in 2007. While in Tucson she was given 3 sessions with a counselor and 3 sessions with a psychiatrist. Following her counselor's recommendation, Mary Joe was medically separated from the Peace Corps. Because she was no longer with the Peace Corps, she had to go through the Department of Labor to get her medical care. She was never told that she had to have a psychologist or psychiatrist sign her workers compensation claim, so when she submitted it with her counselor's signature, it was denied. By the time she was able to see a psychologist, it was too late to appeal the claim. She never received any more care from the Federal Government for her PTSD. Billie Jo, Romania 1993 Billie Jo served in Romania from 1993 to 1995. From the day she arrived until the day she left, she was constantly harassed physically and verbally. She couldn't walk out of the house without hearing cat calls. She was spit on, punched, had chestnuts and rocks thrown at her, and her life threatened. She was fondled so much while riding public transportation that she finally gave up and walked everywhere. Peace Corps knew sexual assaults were happening to all volunteers and even talked about it in training, but they didn't take it seriously, she said. No legal recourse was offered and when a young man exposed himself to Billie Jo and her friend on the beach, the Peace Corps country director told her to ``stay out of harm's way.'' Eventually, Billie Jo requested a new location, Peace Corps staff refused. ``No one seemed to care,'' she explained. When she got back to the U.S., Billie Jo had to get counselor services through her own health care insurance because Peace Corps didn't provide any help. Billie Jo warned Peace Corps staff not to send women to her post, but they did anyway. The young Jewish woman that came after her returned home after only a few months into her service when swastikas were drawn on her building wall. Jess Smochek, Bangladesh 2004 Jess Smochek joined the Peace Corps in 2004. Her first day in Bangladesh, a group of men groped and kissed her as she walked towards her host family's house, but no one did anything to stop them. She told Peace Corps staff over and over again that she felt unsafe, but again, no one did anything. Months later, this same group of men kidnapped her, beat her up, and sexually assaulted her. They left her unconscious in a back alley. The Peace Corps did everything they could to cover it up because they were more worried about what the officials in Bangladesh might think than caring for her. The Peace Corps blamed Jess for the attack, saying she shouldn't have been walking alone after 5pm and forced her to write down all the things she had done wrong that caused this to happen. Rape is never the victim's fault. Ever. When she finally got to return home, she was to tell volunteers that she was having her wisdom teeth pulled out.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman from Virginia for introducing this resolution. ``In God We Trust'' is an important part of American history, and this resolution is necessary to ensure that it remains a part of our history. Today, some individuals argue that the Constitution says that America cannot have any mention of God in a public atmosphere. These folks argue that Americans must be censored when they talk in public about God or even religion. I strongly disagree with that contention, the Supreme Court disagrees with that contention, and using the writings of our Founding Fathers as a guide, I believe they would also disagree with that contention. What makes us unique, Mr. Speaker, is the way we started as a Nation. We had this concept in the Declaration of Independence that we are worth something as individuals, and that we are worth something as individuals not because government gives us rights or men give us rights, but the Declaration of Independence says that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. In God we trusted then and in God we must continue to trust now. The truth is that our Constitution says that we are guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. And having the word ``God'' in our national motto does not establish an official religion for the country; it just simply recognizes the role that faith and religion have played in our history. I believe, as many other Americans do, that America is a special place, a chosen place, and even an exceptional place. And America is more than just another country on the globe, as some say. Throughout our history, we've served as a beacon of light in an often dark world. And one reason is because in God we trust. As it has been said: Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen watch in vain. I agree with that, and we should affirm it. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, once again the Department of Justice is using taxpayer dollars to sue States for a job the government refuses to do. The Federal Government won't or can't enforce immigration laws, so South Carolina has been forced to take matters into their own hands to protect their citizens. We've heard this tale before about the Federal Government suing States like Arizona and Alabama. In this case, the administration says that the South Carolina law will interfere with and undermine the Federal Government's control over relations with foreign governments. The Federal Government is more concerned about not hurting the feelings of other countries like Mexico than it is about protecting our country. The Attorney General has made it clear that he will continue his crusade against the States who try to crack down on illegal entry. Next up on the list? Utah and Georgia. For what? Upholding the law. Meanwhile, sanctuary cities get a pass from the Federal Government. We hear the rhetoric that illegals are here to do jobs that Americans won't do. Now, South Carolina is getting sued for doing a job the American government won't do--protecting the security of this Nation and enforcing the law. And that's just the way it is.