Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is to remind all of us that domestic violence here in the United States is as prevalent now as it has ever been. Millions of men, women and children across the country are affected by domestic violence each year. In a day last year more than 60,000 victims sought and received help from domestic violence programs, and due to lack of funding and resources, 8,927 requests were left unmet. Some may even die because of the lack of services counties across the country are unable to provide for families affected by family violence. In Harris county Texas alone, filings for domestic violence are 18 percent above last year and 40 percent more than 2007. These numbers are not only staggering but they are unacceptable. On October 10th, 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland Yvette Cade's estranged husband, Roger Hargrave, carried a soda bottle filled with gasoline to her work and poured it over her body. As she ran outside, she tripped in the parking lot and he set her on fire. Ms. Cade was attacked three weeks after; Prince George's County District Court Judge Richard Palumbo lifted a protective order against Hargrave. Judge Palumbo is being charged with misconduct, claiming he violated judicial standards when he dismissed the protective order against Hargrave despite Cade's protests. Ms. Cade has third-degree burns over 60 percent of her body and has had over 15 surgeries due to this horrific crime. On January 29th, 2009 in Houston, Texas a man was accused of killing his estranged girlfriend's mother and then shooting himself. He had been charged with domestic violence days earlier, after he beat his 17- month-old daughter. Elaine Walker was shot trying to protect her daughter when Roydrick Jiles burst into the daughter's home. Auriel Walker had refused to see or talk to Jiles, after he beat her and their child several days before. She tried to stop him from breaking into their home and he then shot Elaine Walker, Auriel's mother. He then abducted his estranged girlfriend and their child until he shot himself. Both of these stories prove that sometimes there are preliminary warning signs of domestic violence which, if not handled correctly, can often times lead to severe abuse and even death. Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Witnessing violence between one's parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults. We must continue to raise awareness in this country of how common domestic violence is, and without funding and proper resources local governments cannot combat this problem alone. It takes all of us, and informing people of this nationwide problem is the first step. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Kaylin Mancera, a fourth grader in Groves, Texas, for her heroic actions. May 1, 2009, has been proclaimed ``Kaylin Mancera Day'' on behalf of the city of Groves. The students at Groves Elementary went about their normal lunch period during socializing and laughing until a fourth grader, Kaylin Mancera had noticed her friend choking on her hamburger. Once Kaylin realized that her friend, Annie Gil needed help, she successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver undoubtedly saving her friends life. Kaylin did not ask for assistance, but promptly performed the Heimlich on her own. Kaylin had learned how to perform the Heimlich from a poster that she passed by everyday at Van Buren Elementary, her former school. Luckily Kaylin was sitting close by and did not hesitate to respond. It is likely that most children Kaylin's age would not have been so perceptive of such visual instruction. Because of Kaylin's heroic actions, school officials have committed to a higher awareness of basic health and safety practices within the school. On behalf of the Second Congressional District of Texas, I would like to honor Kaylin Mancera for her heroism. Her quick response on April 8, 2009, will be remembered and will have an impact on others around her.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there is trouble in Honduras, and the United States has chosen sides in this conflict. Here are the facts: the people of Honduras are holding an election on November 29. Honduras is a democracy. Their elections will fill 3,000 offices nationwide and all 128 seats of the national congress, and they will elect a new President. They've had some trouble recently with their current President. Manuel Zelaya attempted to stay in office and be on the November ballot, which is not allowed by term limits in their Honduran Constitution. Zelaya wants to become a permanent President of Honduras and has tried to illegally change the Constitution to keep himself in power. The people have followed the rule of law, however. They followed their own Constitution. Just as the people of this country would follow our Constitution under similar circumstances, they took proper, legal action to stop Zelaya's illegal behavior, and they removed him from office through the legal court system. Article 239 of the Honduran Constitution states: ``The citizen who has already held executive power''--that would be the President--``may not be President or designee. Anyone who violates this provision or proposes its reform and supports those who do directly or indirectly, must immediately cease the discharge of their duties, and shall be disqualified for 10 years from the exercise of any public function.'' Those are pretty simple words. It sounds like the Constitution prevents Zelaya from trying to hijack the government. The self-governing people of Honduras set forth in their Constitution that a tyrant could not abuse the process and become a dictator. They set rock solid term limits to one term for President. These good people legally removed Manuel Zelaya, the man who would be dictator, a tyrant, and a special friend of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Now that's special. Here's how the people acted legally. After several attempts by legal means to prevent Zelaya from staying in power, the Office of Public Prosecutor filed a criminal complaint. The charges were treason, abuse of authority and usurpation of power in violation of the Honduran Constitution. The Supreme Court of Honduras agreed with the charges and issued an arrest warrant for the armed forces to arrest Manuel Zelaya. So Zelaya was legally arrested. And because he violated the Constitution, he was exiled from the country. We should be applauding the people of Honduras for following their rule of law. In America, we honor the rule of law. We believe in self- determination and constitutional limits on government power, but we picked the wrong side in this case. We took the side of the tyrant versus the people of Honduras. Now why would we do that? We cut off foreign aid to Honduras. We have refused to recognize the interim government that followed the rule of law. This is a Honduran Government that is doing everything despite America's interference to make sure that their elections take place as scheduled, to make sure their democracy survives according to the Constitution. In the meantime, Zelaya, who was exiled, has slipped back into the country. He's holed up in the Brazilian Embassy. He's being funded by guess who? The Communist dictator, Hugo Chavez. Zelaya's thugs are targeting select groups with violent acts, including attacks on Christians. Zelaya is attempting to create chaos, but the popular will does not exist to return this would-be dictator to power. The people want their free elections to take place as scheduled. One of our Senate colleagues, Senator DeMint of South Carolina, recently returned from Honduras. He said that the only person he found in Honduras interested in putting Zelaya back in power was guess who? The American ambassador. Mr. Speaker, it is a moral imperative that we back the rule of law, that we honor the decision of the democratically elected institutions of Honduras, that we support the elections in November, and that we recognize the new government, whoever wins the race. Why do we, as a Nation, say we believe in self-determination but deny self-determination to Honduras? Why do we say we believe in a constitutional government but bash the nation of Honduras for following their own Constitution? Why do we support the likes of a deposed ruler like Zelaya? And how is it any of our business to determine who should be President of Honduras anyway? Honduras has been an ally of the United States, yet appears to be another example of how we treat our allies worse than we treat our enemies. We are on the wrong side of things when we stand by the bandit dictator Hugo Chavez and his buddy, Manuel Zelaya. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the new reformed, revised, special edition version of the Senate health care bill written in the dark, secret caverns of the Capitol is a whopping 1,500 pages long. Americans for Tax Reform did a word search on the bill and they found some interesting words. Right here on this chart, the word ``tax'' is used 124 times. You know, that is the government's favorite word. ``Taxes,'' 16 times; ``excise tax,'' 12 times; ``taxpayers,'' 79 times. Here is a bad one, ``taxable,'' 158 times. That is a whole lot of taxes in this bill. Of course, the words ``tax exempt'' are found only 15 times in the bill. There are some more bad words like ``penalty'' and ``require'' and ``must.'' And here is a bad one, ``shall,'' 2,585 times in this tax bill--I mean health care bill. Mr. Speaker, these are some bad words, totaling 3,196 words about taking money from the American taxpayer. Sounds like somebody is getting a tax hike. No wonder the bill was written in the secret caverns out of public view in this Capitol. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there are families in America where assault, violence and terror at home are a way of life. Yvette Cade got a restraining order against her abusive husband, a man that she daily and dreadfully feared. But a Virginia judge lifted that protective order when her husband, Roger Hargrave, promised he would seek counseling. Soon after the order was lifted, Yvette went off to her job at a T- Mobile store. Her husband later walked in the store, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. A customer boldly put out the fire that resulted in third-degree burns over 60 percent of Yvette's body. That was 4 years ago. Yvette, a survivor, has spent 92 days in the hospital and she has had 14 surgeries. She lives in daily turmoil and pain, pain inflicted on her by her worthless, wretched husband. Mr. Speaker, October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Brutality at home cannot remain a dark secret any longer. Domestic violence is a national health care issue; a crime and a scourging plague on a nation's culture. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, for over 60 years, Israel has had to fight for its mere existence. No other nation has suffered more discrimination and outright threats from the United Nations itself. There have been more U.N. resolutions condemning Israel than any other nation, more than 20 a year. Approximately 80 percent of country censures issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council are aimed at the nation of Israel, and last week they did it again, issuing another report self-righteously condemning Israel. But let's just take a look at who some of the members of this so- called ``human rights'' council are. It's really a rogue's gallery of dictators and tyrants. The Communist countries of Cuba and China have a seat at the U.N. human rights table. These two stellar threats to their own people are self-righteously condemning Israel. The whole world saw China's disrespect for human rights on display in Tiananmen Square. Religious persecutions, the one-child policy, forced abortions for people who already have one child, persecutions of political dissidents are rampant, and speech against the government is brutally suppressed. China is, yes, a truly shining example of human rights. Yeah, right. And then there is the tiny Communist country of Cuba, you know, the Mario brothers, Fidel and Raul. They have over 250 prisons in that nation. Political dissidents are beaten and tortured in this island paradise of persecution. Some have died in prison from this abuse. Cuba is a nation that denies human rights to its own people. And then there is Iran. Iran also sits on the United Nations Human Rights Council. Now, what a surprise that is. What legitimate human rights organization would want Iran as a member? Run by the mullahs and the little fella from the desert, Ahmadinejad, Iran systematically violates human rights. Unarmed men and women are still in jail today for peacefully protesting this summer's rigged presidential election. You know, Madam Speaker, the election where the government murdered unarmed students who wanted freedom. The ones who survived were beaten and tortured, they are denied medical care in jail, and some are sexually assaulted by the jailers as retribution. Some Iranian human rights activists simply disappear, never to be seen again. Amnesty International says that right now they know of eight women at risk of being stoned to death in Iran for adultery. Of course, if a woman is raped in Iran, that sometimes is considered adultery, too. And the male perpetrator, well, he's released. In 2004, a 13-year-old girl, Zhila Izadi, was sentenced to death by stoning for being raped and impregnated by her 15-year-old brother. One news report says that the international outrage forced a reduction from death to 55 lashes. After Zhila gave birth to the baby, the government stole her child. The people of Iran and Iranian Americans continue to cry out against their own government's crimes against the Iranian citizens and their violations of human rights. Iran is also sending money and equipment to worldwide terrorist groups. To make matters worse, the tiny tyrant of Iran, Ahmadinejad, says he wants to wipe all of Israel off the map. He is making nuclear weapons and building intercontinental ballistic missiles. Now, who do you think these missiles are aimed at? And Iran sits on the United Nations Human Rights Council. This rogue's gallery of misfits has no moral basis to sit in judgment of Israel or anyone else for that matter. Israel has been fighting for its existence ever since it came into being a nation. In 1967, it was attacked by its neighbors. It gained territory in that defensive war, including in the West Bank, in Gaza and in the Sinai Peninsula. International law requires that land won in a defensive war must be returned when there is a negotiated peace. Time and again, Israel has placed itself in jeopardy, has given back land and has traded that land for an empty promise of peace, and Israel is still committed to peace. Israel and the Palestinians need to problem-solve their issues and need to establish a permanent peace for Israel and for the Palestinian community. There must be a mutual respect for Jews and Muslims. Solutions will occur when respect and honesty are present on both sides. What Israel asks in return is that her enemies merely stop trying to kill her people. Yet the U.N. Human Rights Council continues to bash Israel. Some members of the council are themselves overwhelmingly guilty of human rights violations and of violent crimes against their own people. These hypocrites have no place at the judgment seat, deciding human rights violations for Israel or for any other nation. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing the Federal Government is really good at, it is wasting money, and thanks to the so-called stimulus bill, there are millions of citizen dollars floating around loose being blown by the wind of the waste-acrats. The money is not being used to create permanent jobs in the private sector. State governments are using stimulus money for their own pet programs. But States are also required to put up stimulus signs where no projects have even started. One New Hampshire community was told if they didn't put up a government sign, they wouldn't get any money. Pay for the stimulus boondoggle PR blitz, or no funds. And these signs cost taxpayers up to $2,000 a piece. Now, here is one of those signs. The Feds are trying to convince people that the stimulus is a success. Of course, there is no work taking place below this sign. It is easier to create million dollar public relations signs than it is to create real jobs. The PR propaganda campaign by the Federal Government claiming the stimulus plan is working is an expensive myth. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Senate's Halloween health care bill seeped out of the dark dungeons of the Capitol Building today. News reports say it's 1,500 pages long. Why is legislation drafted in the secret, dark caverns of the Capitol, where the trolls roam at night, void of public view? Is it so scary the healthcrats don't want us to know what's in it? We need to know exactly what's in these bills and how much they really cost before we vote on anything. And why is there such a rush to pass a bill anyway? Maybe they have frightening parts that no one will see if quickly passed. One scary part is the government wanting American money now. You see, new taxes take effect immediately, but the legislation won't be in operation until 2013. That's right. American taxpayers pay 3 years of new taxes on a deal that doesn't take effect for 3 years. Now isn't that scary? And what is the goal of this government bill? If the goal is to provide universal health care for everyone, the bill is a failure. The President told us there are 30 million uninsured. The Congressional Budget Office said the latest and greatest bill still will leave 25 million uninsured. So we're letting the government take over health care just to add 5 million people to the government system. It would be cheaper just to buy them all health insurance and then require proof of citizenship to get insurance rather than spend trillions and let Uncle Sam take care of us all. If the goal of the Halloween health care bill is to provide better quality care, the bill is a failure. Just look at the way the government runs the Indian universal health care system. The government has been committing medical malpractice against the Indians for decades. If the goal is to make health care cheaper, the bill fails again. The bill will cost over $1 trillion just to set it up. And the idea that government can run an entire health care system cheaper than the private sector is a myth. The only way that government can do it cheaper is to drastically cut services to patients, ration care or both. Madam Speaker, has there ever been a government program that costs less than projected? I don't think that has happened in the history of the Republic. If the goal is to make government-run Halloween health care more efficient, the bill fails once more. The government is almost always more inefficient because it has no competition, has no accountability, and when it runs out of money, it just spends more money and taxes the taxpayer. However, if the real goal of this legislation is to have government take control of our health care, the bill is a total success. The Halloween health care nightmare on Capitol Hill is this specific provision--government takeover of health care. So rather than let the government take care of us all, Congress should reform specific problems under our current system. Allow insurance to be purchased across State lines, provide for a safety net for catastrophic injury or illness, have a method to allow people with preexisting conditions to obtain insurance, allow for health savings accounts so people can take care of themselves and get a tax break, provide tax incentives and tax breaks for businesses who take care of their employees rather than more taxes on small businesses, which taxes them to death, and eliminate the fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicaid system. And, Madam Speaker, there are many other specific things Congress should do. But turning over America's health to the Federal Government is unhealthy for the American people. Such an idea is truly a Halloween nightmare and a trick on the American people. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court said last year that the Second Amendment means what it says: ``The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'' There is nothing vague about that personal right. Never mind, Chicago still has a gun ban law. So the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case where those who believe in liberty are challenging the Chicago antigun law. Gun Grabbers pass a gun ban claiming it reduces crime, but crime actually goes up in banishment areas. So this is not about crime. The antigun lobby steals individual freedom under the false pretext of providing security by government. In reality, these people want more government intrusion into our personal lives. Obliteration of the Second Amendment is one of the most intrusive methods they use. Gun control is really government control. The Second Amendment was, among other things, originally designed to protect people against tyranny. Thomas Jefferson said, ``Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.'' The right to bear arms should apply even in Chicago, whether the paranoid gun control crowd likes it or not. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Oak Parks Apartments in Albany, Oregon, this week decided to ban American flags. The apartment manager said American flags might offend somebody in the community, so she issued a dictate: fly Old Glory, and you get evicted. American flag sticker on your car in the parking lot? Not allowed. No Stars and Stripes flying from a motorcycle or a car. So the American patriots living there fought back. They said anyone offended by their American flags would have to just get over it. They started flying flags everywhere. One mom put an American flag poster in her son's window. He is fighting in Iraq, wearing the flag on his shoulder. One lady just walked around the complex every day waving the flag. These people did not give in. They were offended by the flag police. You see, the Constitution protects their right to display the flag as free speech. And yesterday the apartment manager backed off. Flying Old Glory is okay again, even if it offends the politically correct apartment owner. So, congratulations to these American patriots. The score: American flag 1--flag police, zero. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the open borders crowd is at it again, pushing for amnesty for people that are illegally in the United States. It is bad public policy to give a wink and a nod to people who continue to advocate the exploitation of American border laws for their own personal agenda. A nation cannot survive in freedom without just following the law. The very future of any civilization rests upon the rule of law. Now, we are a self-governing people. That means we are a Nation of laws. We don't get to choose what laws we follow and what ones we don't. That would mean complete chaos. If people want to come to the United States legally, by all means let them come legally. Sign the guest book at the port of entry so we know who you are, so we know the purpose of your visit and whether or not you mean harm to American citizens. That means everybody who comes here, not just a select few. The push to reward illegal behavior today by granting amnesty only encourages more of the same illegal behavior. A new Zogby-Washington Times poll in Mexico found that 56 percent of Mexican nationals surveyed said that if we pardon illegal immigrants here, it will encourage more of them to come across the border illegally. The poll also showed that most folks in Mexico think their countrymen who come here still owe their loyalty to Mexico, not America. Now, these are things the open borders crowd won't tell you. Many people come here and don't want to become Americans; they just want the personal benefits of being in the United States without any obligation to the country. And amnesty will only encourage more illegal entry. Anyone who comes to this country permanently owes this Nation the respect of learning what it means to be an American--embracing the melting pot concept. They should honor the sacrifices of the men and women who have made our history great in these 200-plus years. This mighty Nation is the beacon of liberty, and it did not happen by chance. It came through hard work and sacrifice in the name of freedom. It came from following a set of principles and ideals, and it came from following the rule of law--laws passed by our representative form of government with the consent of the governed. The American dream is not about money; it's about liberty, and those who come here owe this Nation an obligation to understand that. They need to learn what freedom is and how we go about keeping it, and a big part of that is following the law. Solving the problems of illegals and the crisis they have created will not be an easy task before us. There are those who want amnesty and who support policies that promote more illegal entry and lawlessness. These are unacceptable in a post-9/11 world. We can start by enforcing the law and showing we are serious about it. We also need to eliminate policies in this country that encourage and ignore illegal entry. Such policies include easy access to jobs with little enforcement on employers who knowingly hire illegals; free health care and free education, policies that don't promote assimilation; and the inability of local law enforcement to assist Federal immigration authorities. We need to upgrade interior enforcement of immigration laws. Many people come here legally, then they never go home, because this Nation doesn't do much about visa overstays. Border security is a national security issue. We just witnessed recently a Jordanian national who came here legally, who overstayed his visa and then tried to blow up a Dallas skyscraper. Thanks to the work of law enforcement, this bombing plot was averted. We owe an obligation to the future of this Nation to guard and secure our borders, to permit entry of only people who will benefit our Nation and to keep up with those who enter as guests of our country. It is not too much to require that people legally enter the United States or don't come at all. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Nation is at war in Afghanistan. The commander of the multinational forces says he needs several thousand more U.S. troops. But the United States has not sent him more troops. Our country is indecisive. Why do we delay? Our enemy is not hesitant about their determination to continue to murder in the name of religion. Our inaction causes our national credibility and resolve to be in doubt. It encourages our foes and puzzles our allies. If our troops needed more food, we would immediately send food. If our troops wanted more equipment, arms and vehicles, we would immediately send munitions. But if our troops want more troops, we stall, delay and ponder. Why? It is said we need time to reevaluate the situation. Well, after years of fighting, are we not sure about our mission, our goal, our strategy? We are giving the impression to the world and to our military that we don't have the moral will to finish this war. We can delay no longer. Our troops are already in the field. Their safety and success is of paramount importance. Let there be no question of our resolve to eliminate the terrorists who threaten the innocents of the world. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, somewhere in the deep, dark, moldy caverns of this Capitol building, known only to the very few, the taxacrats are very busy writing their Halloween health care bill. They want to shove it through Congress before Halloween. How appropriate a date for that nightmare. The Senate took another step today toward Halloween health care. The Senate Finance Committee passed something they called a ``concept'' bill. It's not really a bill, it's just a concept, an idea. That means the bill is not really actually written. But they passed it out of the Senate Finance Committee anyway. Now, they're supposed to merge it together with the trillion dollar Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee health care bill. That's the HELP bill. The Senate passed that earlier this year. So in the secret caverns of the Capitol, the health-care-crats are going to merge the two Senate bills to come up with the final Halloween health care bill. Here is the problem with all the bills so far: The government decides our health care. All the power and all the control goes to the Federal Government. It lets the government decide what procedures doctors may perform on their patients. If some new medicine comes along, it won't be covered. You have to go into the government-run plan to get new medicines. And you have to pay a big fine if you don't buy insurance when you're young and healthy. I'm sure the youth of America will like that new change in health care. Plus, businesses that cannot afford to have health care for their employees will also get stuck with an 8.5 percent tax. Of course, that will put some businesses out of business. In other words, tax them out of business. The bills are so vague that illegals probably are covered in all of the bills as well. Also these bills tax good insurance plans like the ones that many union members have. If someone pays more to get better insurance, the government is going to make them pay for having that better insurance with higher taxes. And millions of people are still not covered in the bills. Now wasn't that supposed to be the reason for all of this reform? We are turning the health of America over to the government, and these bills still won't cover everyone. And even when they still don't cover millions of people, government health care is just too expensive. America cannot afford it. Government-run health care is going to cost the taxpayers at least another trillion dollars at the very least. And where are we going to get the money? We don't have the money. Now the taxacrats are tying to tell us that putting everyone in a new government-run health care system won't cost the taxpayers any money. Well, they are wrong. That would be the first time in history a government-run program like this health care bill costs less than it was supposed to be. If you liked your health care when you had to pay for it, Madam Speaker, you will really like it when it's free. There's more. Government health care is going to cut half a billion dollars out of Medicare to help pay for this Halloween health care bill. Of course, that scares our seniors. And another thing that's odd: Every single one of these bills don't go into effect until the year 2013. Now why is that? But the new taxes take effect in 2010. That's right. American taxpayers pay 3 years of new taxes on plans that don't take effect for 3 more years. Now isn't that lovely. So what's the big rush to pass all this? You'd think they're trying to hide something. And I wonder what that could be? If this is such a great deal, why is there deception surrounding this health care bill? Why not have openness before we vote on it? Let's have floor amendments. Let's have lively floor debate on it. Let's take our time. After all, the bills don't take effect for 3 more years. And maybe we'll have time for everyone in the House and the Senate to read these bills. Now there's a thought. Halloween health care is just a nightmare. And the people I represent in southeast Texas don't want the government controlling their health care. But Halloween health care looms in the dark shadows of these hallowed halls. Where the trolls roam at night, the bureaucrats write their health care bill, while the taxpayers continue to ask, ``trick or treat?'' And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to thank my friend, Mr. Green, for introducing this legislation. He and I buttress congressional districts in the Houston, Harris County area, and some of the schools in the Aldine Independent School District are in my district as well. The Broad Prize for Urban Education, established in 2002, is the largest education award in the country given to school districts. Aldine was chosen to receive this award from 100 of the largest school districts in all of the United States. And that allows seniors from the Aldine School District to be eligible for 2- to 4-year scholarships up to $20,000 due to this award that is going to the school district. The Aldine School District consistently ranks among the highest performing school districts in the whole State of Texas according to the Texas Education Agency. And the Aldine School District has been a finalist four times for the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Between 2005 and 2008, the Aldine Independent School District narrowed the income achievement gap in reading at all levels, and in math at the elementary and middle school levels. This school district has done a tremendous job with the students, working with the teachers and the administration to bring up the education quality of the students and prepare them for lifetime experiences. So I want to congratulate the Aldine School District and all of their work. This award is well deserved, and it is my hope that all school districts across Texas and the United States can mirror the success of this school district in achieving high academic quality throughout their school districts.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, they tell us, sir, that the stimulus bill is working and creating jobs. Well, let's see. In Houston, some houses are getting taxpayer funded home makeovers. Wayne Dolcefino of KTRK Channel 13 Undercover in Houston reports that the city is getting $327 million in stimulus money to weatherize homes. Under the stimulus boondoggle bonanza, taxpayers are on the hook for $6,500 per house. Of course, not everyone is getting a home makeover. Most Houstonians aren't going to get the brand new ceiling fans installed. They're not going to get the brand new insulation and the weather stripping or the brand new refrigerators. And most won't even get the new curly light bulbs that contain mercury. They'll just get stuck with the bill. How does greening homes for a selected group of handpicked people create jobs? Well, it doesn't. Paying people to change out the light bulbs is what the taxacrats call a green job. No wonder Americans are just shaking their heads in contempt of government. So the stimulus scam continues. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the United States Government plans to abandon our current missile defense plan in Europe. That will leave this country more vulnerable. Why would we want to do that? With Iran in a race to get the nuclear bomb and testing long-range missiles, America and Europe are at risk. But the American Government decided to abandon the current missile defense shield to be installed in Poland and the accompanying radar system in the Czech Republic. This system was to protect Europe and the United States from a missile launch from Iran. The whole world knows that the little man from the desert, Ahmadinejad, is building nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that could send nukes to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. We have agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic for defensive missile systems. Don't we have an obligation to protect America from the threats of tyrants like Ahmadinejad? We should not break our word with our allies. America loses its credibility with our allies by failing to live up to our commitments. Madam Speaker, America and Poland have a special relationship. This body just voted to grant honorary U.S. citizenship to Casimir Pulaski, the Father of the American Cavalry. He was born in Poland, and he was essential to our victory in the American War for Independence. Congress commissioned this Polish individual, Pulaski, as a brigadier general with the command of all the American Cavalry; and after training American troops for a year, Washington approved the formation of an independent corps of cavalry, and Pulaski's Legion became the training ground for American Cavalry officers like ``Light Horse'' Harry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee. Once a British officer called Pulaski's Legion simply, ``the best damn cavalry the rebels ever had.'' Then later, when World War II began, Hitler first invaded Poland. That happened 70 years ago this past September. Poland was occupied by the tyranny of Nazism. The horror that was Auschwitz was in Poland at a place where Jews, musicians, writers, Poles and other peoples died horrible deaths. There were many concentration camps in Poland, Auschwitz being the largest and most infamous of these extermination camps. Jews and others were worked to death. This policy was called the Vernichtung durch Arbeit, or as we say in English, the annihilation through work. My father was one of the Americans to liberate the concentration camps in Europe at the end of World War II. He was a teenager and still recounts the inhumane treatment of humans by tyrants. As America celebrated the end of World War II in 1945, Poland then was occupied by the tyranny of communism and for decades the people of Poland lived under the tyrants of communism. So the Polish people understand more than anyone the terrors of living under tyranny. They have a special love for freedom and liberty, and they have a special love for America. Now Poland has partnered with the United States to put a missile defense system in their nation, and we must not desert them, Madam Speaker. They even stand with us in fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, and I got to meet numerous Polish soldiers at Camp Bagram in Afghanistan earlier this year. They are our friends and our partners and our allies. We stand shoulder to shoulder in this fight against the war on terror. I also had the opportunity to meet with the Polish people in Poland earlier to discuss missile defense and other matters, and they are friends to America. They have shown their dedication to independence and loyalty to the United States since the American War for Independence. They heeded our call when we needed them with their General Pulaski, and we showed Poland our loyalty in World War II and the Cold War. Now, when liberty and freedom are in danger once more, it is unwise to abandon them and our missile defense system in Europe. After all, Madam Speaker, tyrants still roam the globe looking for the opportunity to snuff out freedom. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Highlands, Texas, lost a lawman to a tragic traffic collision last Saturday night. Harris County Precinct 3 Deputy Constable Robert Clenney was hit by a car from behind and spun into oncoming traffic where he again was hit head-on by a pickup truck. He was 38 years of age. To make matters worse, the driver who hit Deputy Clenney's SUV from behind fled the scene. Police are now searching for the hit-and-run scoundrel. Deputy Clenney was a beloved husband and father of two young daughters. His wife, Denise, says her husband had always wanted to be a lawman. It was his dream, and he achieved that dream. He had been a deputy constable for 11 months when he lost his life. Lawmen are a special breed of people. They run toward trouble when others are running to safety. They protect people, property and the community. These first responders hold evildoers accountable to our laws. Deputy Clenney will be buried this Saturday in Texas. We will always be grateful for folks like Deputy Clenney, grateful for his service and his sacrifice. We pray God's peace to his family after their loss of this Texas lawman. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, we have 45 czars in America, and the dance card keeps growing. The President has the right to get advice from as many people as he wants to. And that's not new with our Presidents, and that is not a problem. Advisers are one thing, but policymakers are another thing altogether. If someone is putting a policy in place, if someone is to govern and rule over the rest of us, they must be confirmed by the United States Senate. That's what the Constitution says and demands. After all, article II, section 2 states in part that the President may appoint ambassadors and other public ministers with the advice and consent of the Senate. The American people have been asking a lot of questions about these czars. Who are these czars? What do they do? Is this a shadow government? What are the Cabinet secretaries doing? Why aren't they in charge of implementing policy instead of these czars? Do Cabinet secretaries report to our shadow government czars? Is that what happens? And why haven't we had transparency or confirmation hearings on these czars? Now, Madam Speaker, here are some of the czars that we have. It's not all 45, but it's some of them. And let me list some of them for you. We have the Afghan-Pakistan czar. We have the AIDS czar and the auto recovery czar. We are getting a behavioral science czar. Now, what's that about, spanking of kids? No. It is actually about the study of human behavior and how the government can influence human conduct. Sounds a bit like the book ``1984'' to me. We have a bailout czar. We have a border czar. Is the border czar supposed to secure the border or open up the border? Who knows? Nobody is telling us. We have a climate change czar, a copyright czar, a counterterrorism czar. We have a cyber security czar and a communications diversity czar. Let me repeat that one. A communications diversity czar. Ironically, this communications diversity czar is now barred from talking or communicating with the media. Now isn't that lovely? That's kind of odd in my opinion. We have the disinformation czar. Now what does that person do? It sounds like he should be called the government propaganda czar to me. We have two economic czars. We probably could use a few more of those. We have an education czar. We have an energy CIA. There's a food czar, the government performance czar, the Great Lakes czar, the Gitmo closure czar and the health care czar. We have an info tech czar--well, we had an info tech czar, Madam Speaker. His last day in D.C. Government was March 4, but on March 12 the FBI raided his office and arrested two staffers. That position is still open for people who want to apply. We have an intelligence czar. We have a Latin American czar, a Mideast peace czar and a Mideast policy czar. We have a pay czar and a regulatory czar. We have a religion, or God, czar; a safe school czar and a science czar. Now there's a beaut. Our science czar wrote a controversial book promoting population control. We have a stimulus czar. And then, of course, there's the TARP czar, the technology czar, the trade czar and the urban affairs czar. We have the war czar, the water czar and, of course, there is a weapons czar. Now, Madam Speaker, we know very little about those czars or what they do. We don't know who pays them or whether they paid their income tax. So Congress should defund these czars and no taxpayer money should go to pay for them or their salaries or their staffs. After all, Madam Speaker, since we continue to dance with the czars, it would be nice to know who brought us to the dance. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I want to thank Mr. Kucinich for bringing this well-thought-out resolution and well-deserved honor to this general of the American troops. General Pulaski founded the American Cavalry, which has shown great bravery and courage as it later represented the United States. I think it is timely that this resolution came to the House to grant honorary citizenship to this general. It is a big deal to be an American citizen, and it is a big deal for this Nation to confer that honor on some other individual who is a citizen of another nation. Polish Americans and the people in Poland have long been our allies when we needed them, and America has been the ally of Poland when they needed us. Earlier this year, I had the chance to meet with numerous Polish individuals in Poland, and one of the things we talked about was the bond, the friendship that our two nations have as allies. This resolution honoring General Pulaski is a symbol of that relationship that we have of continuing to be allies on our quest and their quest and universal quests for all people for freedom and liberty. With that, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. I yield the gentleman another 1 minute.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).