Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during the Texas War of Independence, the enemy tried to remove a cannon from the town of Gonzales. The defiant Texans flew a flag which stated ``Come and Take It.'' Now, in Montana, an intolerant radical anti-religious group wants a statue of Jesus taken down from a mountain. The Forest Service is under pressure not to renew a lease for the 58-year-old statue. The statue is more than a religious symbol. It was erected as a memorial and a tribute to Montana freedom fighters during World War II for their bravery, dedication, and patriotism. What's next? Is the anti-religious crowd going to demand the government chisel off the crosses, the Stars of David, and other religious symbols on the tombstones of our war dead at Arlington Cemetery? The Constitution protects free speech and freedom of religion. As those early Texas settlers were successful in preventing the enemy from taking that cannon and the right to bear arms, I hope the people of Montana are successful in keeping the anti-religious bunch from taking the Jesus statue. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, right now, there's probably a group of folks at a large oak table in a marble palace down the street nibbling on their $16 muffins, drinking their lattes, and dreaming up new expensive, ineffective regulations to impose on the rest of us. They are the regulators. The very term brings fear and trepidation to the hearts and souls of people who work for a living. Meanwhile, 14 million Americans are sitting at their old kitchen table drinking coffee from their Mr. Coffee pot with no job on the horizon. In a Gallup poll this week, small business owners said that complying with government regulations was the biggest economic problem they face. Some businesses pack up their bags and even move to places like China. Meanwhile, the U.S. reckless regulators are putting businesses out of business. The REINS Act will finally bring some accountability to the regulatory bureaucrats by requiring a vote on any regulation costing $100 million or more. Congress must pass this bill now. Cut redtape, clamp down on the renegade regulators, and create jobs. America can't wait. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there's been a lot of talk about immigration, border security and all of the problems in between. But let's talk about one part of the immigration issue that has maybe slipped through the cracks and we don't hear much about it. There are some illegals in the United States that are just criminals. They have been convicted of crimes from everything from stealing to killing, including rape, robbery and murder. The Bureau of Prisons says that 27 percent of all the prisoners in Federal prisons are foreign nationals that are illegally in the United States. That's astonishing, that over 25 percent of our Federal prisons house illegals, all at the expense of Americans. These criminals serve their sentence in one of our State or Federal prisons. Then after they serve that sentence and they are ordered deported, here's what happens: many of their native countries refuse to take back their deported criminals. Why would they take them back? They've got enough criminals of their own. Since they won't take back all of their own citizens that are convicted criminals after they serve their sentence, that nation tries to pawn off the remainder on the United States. These thugs get a get- out-of-jail-free card in the United States because we do not permanently detain them in jail after they have been ordered deported and their country of origin refuses to take them. That means that they are released on the American streets. They are criminals without a country. So how many people are we talking about? Well, according to an ICE report earlier this year, we're talking about 138,000 illegal aliens who are pending deportation--either in jail or out on the streets. Some of these are never taken back to their home countries. Now, who are these offending nations? Well, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, and, yes, China. Our good buddies the Chinese are the second worst offenders, with 35,000 convicted criminals pending deportation. Imagine that--Chinese criminals in the United States. Who would have thought? Well, we already have a law on the books that says that the Department of Homeland Security is supposed to report to the Secretary of State any countries that do not accept or unreasonably delay taking their citizens back. Then the Secretary of State is supposed to discontinue granting visas to citizens of that country. That sounds good, but the problem is Homeland Security doesn't always enforce the rule of law. Homeland Security has the obligation to follow the law and ship these criminals back to where they belong. It's simple: If you come to the United States illegally and commit a felony, you go home after you are lawfully deported. It's time we offer a proper incentive for these uncooperative nations--like China--who freely take money from us--like our debt--and turn around and disrespect our laws. There needs to be a punishment for any nation that refuses to take back lawfully deported criminal aliens. We should not be issuing visas to diplomats of other nations that refuse to cooperate with our government. There should be consequences for countries whose citizens illegally enter the United States, harm our citizens, go to prison, and the host country disrespects the law of the United States and doesn't take back their malcontent citizens. So how do we make sure that these disrespectful foreign governments take back their citizens? Today, I introduced the Deport Convicted Foreign Criminals Act. This bill is simple. First, if a country does not take back their criminal aliens after 90 days of being given proper legal notice, diplomatic visas will be withheld. Then, if the country still refuses to take back their criminals, these sanctions will be expanded to include other types of visas. Our government needs to be more concerned about the rule of law, the security of our Nation, and the cost to the American taxpayer than it is about hurting the feelings of some foreign country. Immigration is a complicated issue. But this part is simple. Foreign convicted criminals need to go back home. Their homeland should take them whether they want them or not. The United States cannot be a halfway house for foreign criminals. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last week I met with over a dozen community bankers in my congressional district. They are concerned for ``the tsunami of regulations'' coming out of Washington, D.C. Now, these are not Wall Street bankers, these are small town bankers. They told me, ``Washington regulators have their feet on the throats of small community banks who did not cause this economic downturn.'' The real life consequences of Dodd-Frank on our community banks impact our local small businesses, our communities' job creators. The reason is simple: Paying more money to comply with complicated, costly, meaningless regulations means fewer loans out the door for small businesses. Higher costs for compliance is why Main Street Bank in Kingwood, Texas will close three branches this week. It simply costs too much money to stay in the community banking business these days. When community banks close there are fewer opportunities for small business owners to access capital. I often hear small business owners say they can't get loans. This is why. These are the real consequences of burdensome, costly, ineffective Federal regulations. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank you for your leadership on this issue. I appreciate you, Congressman Green. We've known each other a long time. Thirty years ago we both started as young buck lawyers at the Harris County Courthouse in Texas and tried cases against each other, you as a defense lawyer, me as a prosecutor. You continued to work in the defense category until you assumed the role of a judge in Houston. And so it's good to see you again, and I appreciate your leadership on this very important issue. Some people may not know but Judge Green and I, we disagree on some political things, but on some basic human rights issues we're very strong advocates and work together. And I appreciate your civility and ability to work together on important issues such as domestic violence awareness. This is an important issue, Mr. Speaker, and it's good that we recognize the importance of understanding how domestic violence occurs in our country and how we should recognize the important people that are involved as victims of domestic violence. I, too, remember the days when domestic violence was not a case where the police really got involved. Certainly, as a former prosecutor, we never saw those cases. Society's attitude about domestic violence was, It's not our problem, it's not a crime, it's their problem, it should stay in the family situation. Thank goodness, after many, many years of that, really, philosophy in this country and other countries who still have that philosophy, in the United States that's not the philosophy of our culture any longer; that in the family situation, spouses have the legal responsibility and the moral responsibility to treat each other with the dignity that they deserve as another human being. The most important person in my life has always been my grandmother. She lived to the age of 99. She told me a lot of things that I understood. She kept it in a simple way. Congressman Green, you'd be glad to know that she never forgave me for being a Republican. She actually said I'm not sure you can go to heaven being a Republican. I think she meant it. That's unfortunate. But anyway, she said something that was true then many years ago that's true today. She said, you never hurt somebody you claim you love. And that's true. We should have that attitude in this country. And in family situations, people should not hurt people in that family they claim to love. But that happens, and it happens on a regular basis. Congressman Green's given a bunch of statistics, especially from our home State of Texas, where this dastardly crime behind closed doors occurs every day in the United States. And we, as a society, cannot tolerate it. And I commend all the various victims rights groups, the women's groups who are continuing to make us aware of this problem and how to help solve this problem. You know, the Violence Against Women Act is something that this Congress needs to reauthorize. The VOCA funding should be reauthorized, Violence Against Crime Act. This legislation started way back with President Reagan. It's a novel idea. Here's the way it works, Mr. Speaker. Criminals who go to our Federal courts and are convicted of a crime, the Federal judge, many times, will order them to pay into the Crime Victims' Fund. That is a fund of money that goes to crime victims, and that fund is important for these services that help these victims' service groups throughout the country. I understand that today there's almost $6 billion in the Crime Victims' Fund. Now, let's make it clear. This is not taxpayer money. This is money that criminals pay to help the people they've hurt. It's kind of like paying the rent on the courthouse, make them pay for the crimes they created. And it's a great idea. But every year, and not only under this administration, but previous administrations, we have the same problem with the bureaucrats. They want to take that money that belongs to crime victims and use it for other purposes, and it doesn't belong to other purposes. And it's our duty, as Members of Congress, to make sure that fund is sufficient and the fund goes where it's intended, and that's to crime victims, not for some other purpose, even paying off the debt, because it doesn't come from taxpayers. After spending 22 years on the criminal bench in Houston hearing felonies, everything from stealing to killing, there were a lot of people who came down to the courthouse, other than defendants, that didn't want to be there, and many of those were crime victims. But they were picked, many of them, spouses, they were picked by someone who claimed they love them, and they were hurt. Sometimes they didn't have the ability to live through the injuries that they sustained. They were murdered by a spouse. And we cannot tolerate that. That's one of the reasons, when I got to Congress, along with Jim Costa from California, bipartisan, we started the Victims Rights Caucus, a caucus made up of both sides of the aisle to focus on the importance of crime victims and making sure that we take care of them. There were two situations I'd like to mention. We have not far from here, over in Maryland, a wonderful lady by the name of Yvette Cade. Yvette Cade was separated from her husband, and she had gone to represent herself in a court of law in Maryland, and the judge, for some reason, did not extend the restraining order against her spouse that was supposed to stay away from her. So when that wasn't renewed, she is working, in a video store, and her husband comes in the video store with a jar of gasoline and pours that gasoline over Ms. Yvette Cade, and set her on fire, all caught on video. Thank goodness for some people in the store who did the best they could to rescue her and put out the fire. And it was--and she survived that awful attack on her. Now, she's a remarkable woman. She's got a spirit that I just do not understand--even though she was burned over most of her body, and it's a person who claims to love another that caused that crime. And we, as a culture need to reach out to people like Yvette Cade, wonderful lady, and make sure that, not only they're taken care of, but there are not more of them. Another case was one that I heard back in Houston. It was a little girl. Every day--she was a second-grader--she would catch the bus to go to school somewhere in Houston. One day the bus driver pulls up in front of her house, and she would not get off the bus. She would not. She refused to get off the bus. She's hanging on that seat in front of her, Mr. Speaker. And the bus driver comes back and tells her, says Lily, you need to get off the bus. This is your house. And she's crying, refused to get off the bus. And she finally told the bus driver, I only feel safe when I get on the bus in the morning and during the day, but I'm not safe when I get off the bus. And that's because behind those closed doors in the silence of horror, she and her mother were assaulted on a daily basis. Thank goodness for that bus driver who intervened. Law enforcement got involved, and the person was prosecuted mainly for what he did to his wife, Lily's mother. And there's case after case after case that occurs like this. And we need to be constantly aware of this situation, this crime, understand it's not only a crime, but it's a health issue. It's a health issue for Americans, for those people that are hurt behind those closed doors. So I commend the gentleman from Texas, my friend, Mr. Green, and also the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), the co-chairman of the Victims Rights Caucus, for their leadership on this issue, making sure that we keep Domestic Violence Awareness Month something that we understand and promote and let people know out there in America that we have this tremendous problem, but we're going to stay on top of it and solve this problem. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the House in a bipartisan way passed five energy bills months ago. These bills will create American energy jobs right here in America. These bills would allow more energy development in the Gulf of Mexico, in Virginia and in Alaska. One bill requires the administration to make a decision about the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would put more citizens to work. So what's the delay? These five bipartisan bills are languishing in the Senate with no vote in sight. It's not that the Senate has voted these jobs bills down. The Senate just won't vote. To my friends down the hallway in the Senate, how about voting on these bills? Doing nothing doesn't create energy or jobs. Doing nothing maintains unemployment and shows an inability to make a decision. It's time for the Senate to pick a horse and ride it. But pick something. Get in the race. Being a spectator is not an option. The American people need the jobs, and we need the energy. We just can't wait. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during the hot summer days of August, with daily consistent temperatures over 100 degrees, a record drought over the State and hundreds of wildfires burning the plains and prairies of Texas, a miracle from the Lord occurred: The birth of a new child. Levi Zachary Alexander joined the world on August 13, 2011 in Waco, Texas. Every time a child of innocence is born, it is a happy event. The first cry brings joyful tears to the eyes of parents, grandparents, and neighbors. It is a happy occasion because we see hope in the freshness of birth--hope for a better world and hope for a better tomorrow. Levi has the fortune of being born in the most marvelous and free country in history--America. His parents, Kara and Shane, have the most important and hardest job of all jobs. Along with training energetic sister Elizabeth and brother Peyton, raising this new son of America to be of good character, love liberty, and walk in the favor of God and man is the most important responsibility of parents. So, Mr. Speaker, my desire for Levi as his grandfather is that he matures to be strong and courageous, love America, and play football for the University of Texas--and not Oklahoma. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in the last 2 days, we have been learning some disturbing information about the Nation of Iran and its dictator, Ahmadinejad. It seems as though, with the consultation with Iran and the drug cartels in Mexico, it was the idea that the Iranian Government, through one of its operatives, would commit a crime against the United States. We're learning more and more about this, but it's my opinion that the Iranian Government was in the middle of this attempted assault on American soil. The idea that the Embassy down the street that belongs to the Saudi Arabians would be attacked, that the Saudi Arabian Ambassador would be murdered somewhere in a restaurant in Washington, DC, with a possible attack on the Israeli Ambassador, with a possible attack on the Israeli Ambassador and the Saudi Arabian Ambassador in Argentina, was being plotted by the Iranian Government against us is something that we should be aware of and conscious of and be very concerned about. Thanks to good law enforcement, this terror plot was thwarted. But what if it had occurred? What if the will of this terrorist would-be to go to Mexico and meet with what he thought was a Zeta cartel member to smuggle explosives into the United States from Mexico that would be used in an attack in Washington, DC, what if that had actually occurred? Certainly, if the Iranian Government was involved in it, we would consider that an act of aggression against the United States. And it's interesting to me that the Iranian Government was so bold that they thought they could do something like this and get away with it. Did they believe that the United States would not do anything about it? Did they perceive us to be so weak that we would not have shown them consequences for this action against this Nation? We don't know. But the truth is we should show the Iranian Government that there are consequences for an attempted attack such as this by the Iranian Government. There are a couple of things that I think are important for us to realize. One, we should hold the Iranian Government accountable for this attempted attack on American soil, to show them that you must leave us alone no matter what your political philosophy is. But just as equally disturbing is the fact that this operative--that I believe was dispatched by the Iranian Government--had the wherewithal to go to Mexico, our neighbors, and try to work with the drug cartels down there, and working in unison to come into the United States to commit a crime. Now, granted, the person that he was working with was not a Zeta cartel member. It was one of our own law enforcement officers. But the person thought he was working with the drug cartels. And the reason he was working with the drug cartels is because they, too, are at war with the United States, and they have easy access into the United States. On a daily basis, the Zeta drug cartel--which I think is the worst of the worst in Mexico--comes into the United States and brings drugs and people, traffics humans, anything for money. And on a daily basis, they go back to Mexico and they take that money and they take weapons because they have access to our porous borders. If you want to get into the United States, hook up with one of the drug cartels and they'll get you in the U.S. And that's obvious what this Iranian operative was trying to do was to hook up with them. The drug cartels, for little money, will do anything, including commit murder in the United States. So that should tell us that the border is still porous, Mr. Speaker. We hear that it's not, it's safe. It is porous, Mr. Speaker. There are portions that are safe, but the portions that are not safe are where the drug cartels go back and forth. So, two lessons we should be learning are that the Iranian Government has it in for the United States--at least some people do in their government; two, that the border is porous, and we need to protect the national security of the United States' southern border. So what are we going to do about it? We've heard that, well, we're going to impose some more sanctions to try to isolate Iran. Historically, sanctions have never worked any time countries have tried to use them. It is true that we could actually have some sanctions that would do some good, such as keeping Iran from having refined gasoline going back into the country, and maybe keeping crude oil from going out of Iran, but that doesn't solve the problem long term. The long-term solution in Iran is a regime change. And let me make it clear, that regime change should be by the people of Iran who live in Iran and people who support the freedom fighters in Iran. It's time that the regime of Iran be removed by the good folks who live in Iran. And the United States' policy publicly should be that we support those dissidents to get rid of the rogue regime of Ahmadinejad. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, when I meet with businesses across southeast Texas, their message for the Federal Government is clear. Back off. Over 14 million Americans are unemployed because companies are not hiring. Companies are not hiring because of the uncertainty in the economy. The Federal Government redtape, high taxes, and unnecessary regulations are crippling job creators and adding to the uncertainty. America has become an unfriendly place to do business, so businesses are either not hiring or they move out of the country. The Judiciary Committee will soon vote on the REINS Act. I support this bill because it says that Congress must approve every major rule proposed by the executive branch before it could be imposed on the American people and the American companies. So the EPA's dust regulation, among several, would be no more. It is the responsibility of Congress to rein in the administration's runaway regulators. That is how we get America back to work. The Federal Government cannot create jobs, but its self-inflicted overregulation is destroying jobs. It's time to end the out-of-control Federal regulation terror on American businesses. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Thank you, Judge Carter. The reason Williamson County doesn't have any criminals in it is you sent them all to the Texas State penitentiary when you were judge. But I think this event that has occurred should tell us a lot of things. One, that the country of Iran is so bold they believe that they can commit a crime of terror on the soil of the United States and get away with it, that the United States wouldn't do anything, or there wouldn't be any consequences, whatever. But the government, and I believe the Government of Iran was in the middle of this, was so arrogant to hurt and kill Americans that they were willing to do this on our homeland. I think that we have the responsibility to treat this just like it had actually occurred, had they carried out the assault on the Embassy here, killed the Ambassador at a restaurant, apparently, killed the Israeli Ambassador, killed the two Ambassadors of the same countries in Argentina, which was discussed. We should be very concerned about that and not give it a pass because our law enforcement did a good job. But also, they're willing to recruit the Zeta cartel to bring explosives into the United States. I wonder whether this is the first time they thought they were dealing with the Zeta cartels. We don't know. But the Zetas, to me, are the worst of the worst drug cartels. It reminds me of the old show on television back years ago, ``Paladin,'' where his business card read ``Have gun--will travel.'' And that's what the Zetas are. They've got guns, and they'll travel anywhere to assassinate people to make a little money. So you've got Iran on one side of the world and the drug cartels in Mexico, two criminal enterprises working together--one for political reasons, one for money reasons--to cause harm to the United States. Now, that brings us to a question of the real problem, which is the border. The U.S. border with Mexico and its porousness is a national security issue. It is not an immigration issue. That is a completely different issue. It's a border security, national security issue. Last year, from the, I believe the same report that you have provided, there were 663 individuals from special interest countries that were captured by our law enforcement. Now, special interest countries are countries where terror organizations originate--Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. That's where these 663 people were from that were captured by our law enforcement trying to come into the United States. And they weren't coming in here looking for work that Americans won't do. They were coming over here for mischief reasons. And that's because the border is open. The world knows if you can get to Mexico, you can get to the United States. And that was the plan in this bold endeavor to commit terror in the United States. Recently, we did a border forum in Brownsville where we had primarily law enforcement and people who lived on the border testified about violence on the border. There are some places on the border that aren't violent on the United States side. But there are other places that are. It's not all peaceful, and it's not all violent. It depends on the area of the border. One of the cattlemen that is a ranger for the Cattlemen's Association testified that he was so concerned about cross-border travel and crime coming into the United States on ranches and nothing was being done about the crime that was being committed on these ranches by people crossing into the United States, primarily drug cartels, that the cattlemen, since they don't feel protected, may end up taking the law into their own hands. And we don't want to get into that situation. You mentioned trafficking, human trafficking. That's another tremendous problem that the United States needs to be aware of, that young people, young women and girls from all over the world are being smuggled to Mexico, then smuggled into the United States, and then trafficked throughout the United States for sexual crimes. And it's an awful, awful scourge, but they cross the border because it's open in so many places. In our Judiciary Committee a couple weeks ago, we had testimony that the number one threat to national security of the United States is not al Qaeda but the criminal drug cartels that operate in Mexico. The number one national security threat is the criminal drug cartels that operate in Mexico. That should give us, really, a warning that we really do have a tremendous crisis on our hands, because those people are at war not only with Mexico, but they're at war with the United States. Lastly, I wanted to point out that there are several things that are being done, but the problem still exists--people are crossing into the United States. Border Patrol is doing the best they can. Of course, local law enforcement, the sheriffs, are doing as good a job as they can, and they mentioned the problem that you have talked about, about how the drug cartels want to infiltrate this side of the border and actually control regions. It's pretty simple what they do. They own land on one side of the Rio Grande River in Mexico, and they want to buy or steal or confiscate land on the Texas side of the Rio Grande River. That way they can move their drugs and smuggling operation from one land they own to another land they own across the river. And when we get in that situation where the drug cartels are owning land on both sides of the border, we've got ourselves a real problem. And it's not just drugs; it's this problem right here. It seems to me that we need more people to protect the security of the United States. That's one of the things the Federal Government is actually supposed to do is to protect us. And one piece of legislation I've offered is to put the National Guard on the border, not behind the border, but on the border, 10,000 troops, at the request of the Governors, supervised by the Governors, paid by the Federal Government, but put them on the border. Right now our policy seems to be, since we can't have enough people on the border, we have them behind the border, and we try to catch them if you can, that's people coming into the United States, everybody, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And once we catch them, they become our problem, our financial problem, and then we have to deal with them and try to send as many as we can back. If we have the National Guard on the border, they're not going to cross into the United States if we have that presence. And I think it's come to that, where we actually need to do that and talk about the role of the Federal Government is national security. With that, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. POE of Texas. I just wanted to point out another statement made by Texas ranchers. I think the Texas ranchers are the finest law enforcement organization in the world next to Scotland Yard--the two of them. Lieutenant Arthur Barrera, whom I met when I was down there about 3 weeks ago, grew up on the border and knows how the life has changed. Here is what he says about what has taken place on the Texas-Mexico border. The people in Washington, D.C., who live in never-never land, thinking there are no problems down on the border, need to listen to some law enforcement officer who has been there for a long time. Lieutenant Arthur Barrera says: ``We are in a war. We are in a war, and I'm not going to sugarcoat it by any means. We are in a war, and it is a war, and we need to understand that.'' That's exactly what has taken place on the border.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the House today will vote on a jobs plan that will create thousands of jobs for Americans. I'm talking about the pending free trade agreement with Colombia that has been waiting for years to be voted on. In my great home State of Texas, new jobs will be created in the exporting sectors like petroleum, chemicals, and machinery. Texas is the number one State that exports to Colombia, but in my district alone, the 22 companies that exported to Colombia last year paid almost $12 million in unnecessary tariffs. When tariffs on these products are removed, United States companies will be able to expand their markets, export more products, and create American jobs; and America will become more of a competitive country in the international marketplace. I've been to Colombia, and unlike some South Americans, Colombians like Americans. They are a U.S. ally. Free trade with Colombia helps both nations and solidifies our joint interests in South America. This agreement is a diplomatic win to help thwart the influence of dictator Chavez of Venezuela in that region. Create jobs. Pass the free trade agreement with Colombia. It's good for Americans, and it's good for Colombians. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the United States Government has facilitated smuggling automatic weapons into Mexico, weapons that were purchased by straw buyers in the United States with the oversight of the ATF. Approximately 2,000 weapons were knowingly sent to our neighbors in Mexico by our government. Most of them are still unaccounted for. But we do understand that those weapons probably have been used illegally in Mexico to kill Mexican nationals. How many, no one knows. Two of those automatic weapons have turned up at the murder scene in Arizona of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. And one weapon apparently was used to gun down U.S. agent Jaime Zapata in Mexico. The Mexican government has taken to the airwaves complaining of the U.S. smuggling operation. Mexican officials want answers, and even want U.S. Government officials responsible to be extradited to Mexico for trial. No wonder. Madam Speaker, let me be clear: These weapons are not BB guns or .22 rifles; they are semiautomatic weapons and also include sniper rifles. Sniper rifles are used to assassinate specific targets. The ATF and the Justice Department have stonewalled the release of information regarding this operation called Fast and Furious, and the public's not getting much data on this idiotic idea. Why would the U.S. Government send automatic weapons to the drug cartels in Mexico? Mexico is at war with the drug cartels. The drug cartels are the enemy of the Mexican people, not to mention they are the enemy of the United States. This gun running issue is nonsense. Now the Justice Department is supposed to investigate this operation, which includes investigating the ATF and the Justice Department. The Attorney General, who's head of the Justice Department, at first said he didn't know anything about this operation until recently. Now it seems evidence shows he was given a memo last year about the whole idea. Did he not read the memo? Granted, the Attorney General has experience not reading important documents, like the Arizona immigration law. You remember, Madam Speaker, the Attorney General publicly criticized the Arizona bill, and then he testified before the Judiciary Committee to a question I asked him that he hadn't even read that bill. Anyway, if he didn't know about the smuggling operation, he should have; he's in charge. And if he did know about it and approved it, he should be held accountable for this nonsense. I'm not sure what the Attorney General's claim of defense will be this week. It reminds me of my days on the bench as a judge in Texas when a defendant in a homicide case would say first, I wasn't there. And then he would say, well, if I was there, it wasn't me. And if it was me, I acted in self-defense. In other words, don't hold me accountable. So just what is this Justice Department's defense to all of this? We shall see. But the idea that the Justice Department should investigate the Justice Department and the ATF is absurd. The Justice Department has no credibility on this matter, and whatever their investigation shows, the American public cannot trust its trustworthiness. Having the Justice Department investigate Fast and Furious, the ATF, and the Justice Department is like having Al Capone investigate bootlegging. The President should appoint a special counsel to investigate this operation of government gun running to Mexico. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, walking home from school, a girl of 12 is approached by a man who promises to give her everything. In her short life, she has already suffered abuse and neglect from her father and her foster parents. She thinks the promise of food and shelter and love is something she cannot pass up. But the man takes the girl to a hotel room where he beats her, forces her to do drugs and rapes her. Then she is sold on the Internet, is taken from hotel to hotel around the country, and is regularly raped by multiple men and treated as a piece of property. She becomes a sex slave. This is the plight of an actual domestic minor sex trafficking victim in the United States. We cannot continue to be blissfully ignorant of this crime against these victims. As cochair of the Victims' Rights Caucus, along with Jim Costa (CA), I commend the work of Carolyn Maloney (NY) and Chris Smith (NJ) for their legislation to help stop this scourge of child sex trafficking. These children need to be rescued and treated as victims, not criminals. The customers and the traffickers need to be arrested, tried before a jury of 12, and need to get their just rewards for having been involved in sex slave trafficking. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Chinese dragon is snorting the fire of intimidation against our ally, Taiwan. To defend itself from the Chinese dragon's evil intentions, Taiwan protects itself with rusty swords--outdated F-16s. It also appears that by bullying, the United States has become timid under the Chinese dragon. The Beijing Government doesn't want us to sell new F-16 CDs to Taiwan--so we don't. Further, the Chinese evil intentions of mischief are not limited to Taiwan. In the South China Sea, the talons of the Beijing dragon have initiated confrontation with Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and Vietnam. China claims sea areas that are in international waters or belong to other nations. With all these belligerent actions occurring by China, it's not in our national interest to play Chamberlain and appease the Chinese dragon. Sell the Taiwanese the new swords they need to defend themselves against the fiery dragon. Sell them American F-16 CDs. It is in our national interest to help Taiwan be armed to be the dragon slayer if it needs to be and defend itself against China. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, here in America, we can walk in to our kitchen and turn on the faucet in order to get a drink of water. This routine has become so natural, that sometimes we forget how blessed our country is. Americans are lucky to be able to drink water without the fear that it could make them ill or put their lives in jeopardy. One young man in my congressional district became aware of how fortunate he was, and wanted to find a way to make a difference in the lives of those who did not have access to clean water. This young man, Nico Kroeker, began a business in October 2010 at 17 years old, in order to benefit people who are suffering from unsanitary water conditions. Mr. Kroeker calls his project The Ripple Effect, and sells water bottles from his Web site in order to raise funds. Keeping nothing for himself, Mr. Kroeker takes all of the profits and puts them toward purchasing more water bottles to sell. A portion of the profits go to Living Water International, an organization that builds wells in villages where water is either unsanitary or difficult to obtain. Living Water International strategically places these wells near schools so women are able to get an education rather than travel long distances for unclean water. Now wells do not last forever, which can be a problem with this type of program, but Living Water International has worked to find a solution to this. The organization works alongside the villagers teaching them how to build and maintain the wells. By doing this, the villagers are able to maintain the wells and fix them even after Living Water International has left. Mr. Kroeker really liked how the fact that the organization did not just build the well and leave, but rather taught the villagers so they could become independent. Even though he is leaving for college in the fall of 2011, Mr. Kroeker still plans on managing his company from Blinn College in College Station, Texas. His company operates through a Web site, which will make it very convenient for Mr. Kroeker to balance his school work and continue to provide clean and safe water to people in need. Mr. Speaker, I applaud this young Texan for taking action and making a difference in the lives of others. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, NASA plans to send the shuttle Enterprise to New York City, a place that has no connection with NASA. In their sales pitch for the shuttle, the Intrepid Museum painted an extravagant picture of the orbiter prominently displayed in a beautiful facility on the Hudson River. Now, in a misleading bait-and-switch move, they want to move this piece of space history next to a bagel joint, a car wash and a strip club to supposedly beautify the area. The shuttle should not be used as part of an urban renewal project. The only place this shuttle should be heading to is Houston's ``Space City, U.S.A.,'' the historical place for all space exploration. The first word on the Moon was ``Houston'', not ``New York City.'' And placing the shuttle in New York City is like putting the Statue of Liberty in Omaha, Nebraska. NASA and the Smithsonian should reconsider putting the shuttle in New York. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Palestinian Authority has a new face for its movement for statehood. It's Latifa Hmeid. Palestinians praise her as the ``mother of seven prisoners'' and the mother of a person called ``Martyr.'' These sons of hers are in prison for crimes against humanity. Rather than mother of the year, it turns out she is really mother of all terrorists. One of her sons, the Martyr, was a member of the military wing of Hamas, who planned and conducted the ambush and murder of an Israeli intelligence officer. Her other sons are serving a total of-- get this--18 life sentences in prison. They have committed crimes, including attempted murders, the murder of seven Israeli citizens, and the involvement in numerous terrorist attacks. This is the person the Palestinians have leading the movement for statehood at the United Nations. Having Mother Terrorist as the representative for Palestinian statehood shows an obvious hatred and bigotry against Jews, the State of Israel, and the notion of peace. The Palestinians need to quit murdering in the name of religion and start honest bilateral negotiations with Israel in the name of peace. The U.N. should not unilaterally allow Palestinian statehood. Terrorists don't deserve a seat at the table. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on October 16, Virgil and Dorrace Poe, my parents, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary. This milestone is more than an anniversary; it is a remarkable accomplishment. For over six decades, my parents have taught me the value of education, the power of God, and the rewards of hard work. The story of my parents is truly an American one. After my father served in the Second World War, he returned to Texas where he was stationed at the Army Post in Fort Hood. He met my mother at a Wednesday night ``prayer meeting'' at the Church of Christ. My mother was a volunteer for the Red Cross at the local Army hospital and a cashier at the Kyle Hotel's coffee shop in Temple, Texas. They married the next year. Over the next few years, my parents welcomed my sister Jayne and me into the world. My dad went to Abilene Christian University thanks to the GI Bill. The family lived in the Army Barracks while dad attended classes. My dad worked climbing telephone poles for Southwestern Bell, and also he worked nights at KRBC radio station. His shifts at KRBC ended each night with ``Stars and Stripes Forever,'' a fitting song. Their marriage has taken them from Fort Hood to Abilene to Dallas and Houston with two brief stops in St. Louis. Throughout our great State of Texas, they have volunteered in their communities and in their churches. My mom found time to teach kindergarten and work for the IRS. My dad worked over 40 years as an engineer for Southwestern Bell, and he taught Sunday School for over 60 years. My parents taught me to love God first and Texas second, but sometimes it seemed like it was the other way around. Mr. Speaker, I am proud and honored to recognize the 65th wedding anniversary of my parents, Virgil and Dorrace. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, September 25th we recognize the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. Murder extinguishes the hopes and dreams of tens of thousands of victims each year, and an untold number of fellow Americans now live, daily, with the absence of a loved one. Murder affects each and every one of us, and every community nationwide. We must all work diligently to prevent the violence that destroys lives and devastates families. A National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims offers Americans the opportunity to honor the memories of murder victims and recognize the impact of murder on surviving family members and friends. A join victim service programs, criminal justice officials, and concerned citizens throughout America to remember the tragedy of murder, honor the courage of survivors, and vow to do whatever we can to help survivors rebuild their lives. On the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims we reaffirm this Nation's commitment to respect as well as support crime victims' rights and needs throughout the year; And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ever since we found Osama bin Laden living the high life in Abbottabad, we've had our suspicions about Pakistan. Turns out they are disloyal, deceptive, and a danger to the United States. This so-called ally takes billions 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 truck bombing attack that wounded more than 70 U.S. and NATO troops and the recent attack on the U.S. embassy. This should be the last rodeo for Pakistan. Last night I introduced legislation to freeze all U.S. aid to Pakistan with the exception of funds that are designated to help secure their nuclear weapons. By sending aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans, and undermining our efforts in the region. We pay them to hate us. Now we pay them to bomb us. Let's not pay them at all. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man? Yes, I know the muffin man, but he doesn't live on Drury Lane. He lives at the Department of Justice on Justice Lane and is growing rich on selling $16 muffins at Justice Lane. The Department of Justice's inspector general states that at only 10 conferences the Department of Justice spent almost $500,000 on refreshments. That's $50,000 per conference for just refreshments. And that includes $4,200 for 250 muffins. Madam Speaker, how come these critters cost $16 apiece? These are some high-dollar muffins that the Department of Justice is buying for its refreshments at conferences. Where do you even find a muffin that costs $16? I've never seen one. Maybe they're shipped in from a special bakery in France with some secret ingredient. My favorite bakery, RAO's in Beaumont, Texas, tells me these things should be about $2 apiece. So why is the Justice Department with all those fancy lawyers letting the muffin man get away with this price gouging? Because the government doesn't care. It lives high on the hog with taxpayers' money. So, Madam Speaker, do you know the muffin man, the muffin man? I know the muffin man, and the government should quit spending somebody else's money to keep the muffin man rolling in the dough. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it's been almost a year since David Hartley was gunned down by Zeta pirates on Falcon Lake in Texas. The Hartley family still has no suspect, no body, and no justice. David's wife, Tiffany, can't get any answers from our government since it apparently has abandoned the investigation of her husband's murder, so she has actually sued the government to get information. When ICE Agent Jaime Zapata was murdered in Mexico, the United States quickly pressured Mexico to investigate the homicide, as it should. But why is our government silent about finding who is responsible for killing David Hartley and other Americans murdered in lawless Mexico? On Monday, at a border forum I held in Brownsville, Texas, Tiffany Hartley said: ``The men who murdered David are right across the river. They aren't in Afghanistan; they aren't in Iraq. They're in our own backyard.'' The United States hunts down terrorists around the globe. It's time we hold Mexico accountable for finding the narcoterrorists in their country who murder Americans. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, to be a member of the United States military is a gift, a sacrifice and it is an honor. Theodore Roosevelt said: ``No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life, in a great cause.'' Every day our warriors risk their lives, and today I would like to pay tribute to a special group of at home warriors who stand for those fallen heroes who stood for us. They are known as the Patriot Guard Riders. The Patriot Guard Riders are a group of motorcyclists who pay tribute to those who have died serving our country. Their mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen soldiers; upholding President Roosevelt's belief that brave soldiers who gave the utmost sacrifice for their country deserve respect and reverence during their final tribute. Each of the riders missions have two objectives, to show sincere respect for America's fallen heroes, their families, and their communities; and to shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions caused by protesters. They have the patriotic understanding that each of America's fallen heroes deserves respect. Decked out in leather, wearing shades and bandanas, waving Old Glory and riding 500 plus pounds of steel, the Patriot Guard Riders are a terrifying but inspiring looking bunch. They have nicknames like Bronco, Dark Horse, Puddles and Wild Bill. They are right thinking Americans with big hearts. The Guard is activated each time the military reports the death of a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan. This nationwide organization of volunteers is very efficient. State Captains send out e-mails to members in the city where the soldier will be buried, and everyone jumps into action. They ensure that streets along the funeral procession are lined with American flags. Each mission is accomplished through legal and non-violent means. If protestors are present and become loud, the Patriot Guard Riders form a flag line, turn their backs on protesters, and will even drown the sound of the protestors by singing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. One involved Patriot biker, Rich ``Boomer'' Ford, a former Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam, is a retired Deputy State Captain and Road Guard Captain for the Texas Patriot Guard Riders. He is the man in charge of the ``missions.'' If you ask Boomer why he rides, he will tell you that he remembers the lack of respect received when returning home from Vietnam. He wants to make sure that doesn't happen to these brave men and women. Boomer feels that each ``mission'' recognizes and honors the hard work our soldiers are doing for us overseas. These men and women like Boomer, who volunteer their time to help guard our Nation's heroes should be forever remembered for their honor and dignity. I commend the Patriot Guard Riders for riding for our soldiers whose lives were given in pursuit of a great cause, American freedom. I am proud to recognize these angels on bikes with hearts bigger than Texas. They show their respect for our troops, their families, and our community in an honorable way, one funeral at a time. They make a difference and represent all that is right and good in America. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, at a border forum in Brownsville, Texas, yesterday, Special Ranger Roland Garcia for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association testified about the results of the porous and unsecure border and how it affects ranchers. He said the drug cartels are a fearsome enemy. ``They intimidate landholders and instill terror in them--then fear follows.'' The landholders are fearful to report cross-border activity because of the silent threat of reprisal and retaliation. The landholders feel that the government cannot protect them, their land, or their cattle. Texas ranchers fear that they may be targets of kidnappings for ransom. They have received death threats if they report illegal activity to law enforcement. Ranger Garcia is concerned that landholders will start self-policing, in other words, organize and deal with the cartel intruders themselves--old west style. This testimony is yet more alarming evidence that the invasion of our borders by the cartels is a real national security threat to the people who live near our border. And that's just the way it is.