Silvestre Reyes

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my friend and former sheriff, who represents a border district, Congressman Ortiz. (Mr. ORTIZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1\1/2\ minutes. Mr. Chairman, this is the amendment that I rise in opposition to that I was talking about in the previous conversation. Every year we debate this issue, irrespective of the cooperation that is ongoing, has been ongoing for many, many years from the Department of Defense, that provides technical expertise, that provides construction support, that provides technical support, that provides, even on a limited basis, operational specialized support on that border. The reality of this amendment is that it is very expensive. It provides authority to the Department of Defense that already exists with the President of the United States should an emergency come up or an emergency exist. It is a bad idea because we need trained, experienced professionals on that border. That border is way too dangerous for us to be sending troops that are trained primarily for combat into a law enforcement situation, understanding that that capability is in reserve, because the President of the United States has that authority. So I would hope that we would stop bringing these kinds of amendments, because they really are not useful and are counterproductive to our enforcement presence on the border. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Goode amendment.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment as stated.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Building on the comments of my good friend and my chairman, I can attest to all of the cooperation, having spent 26\1/2\ years in the Border Patrol, to all of the cooperation since the creation of Joint Task Force 6, which was headquartered in my district, now Joint Task Force North. The number of projects and programs that the Department of Defense provides support to both State, local, and Federal agencies, and in specific consortium projects such as building roads, building infrastructure support such as strategic fencing in certain parts of the border area, that greatly acts as a barrier and as a force multiplier for our Border Patrol agents. So there are many, many things that the Department of Defense is doing and has done that provide that kind of support to the Department of Homeland Security, formerly Border Patrol and INS. I know in the next amendment we are going to be debating the issue of giving the Secretary the flexibility to send troops on the border, and I just want to state here in anticipation of leading the debate on that issue, as a Member that represents a border district, we do not need troops on the border. Sufficient support is already coming from the Department of Defense. The reality of this is there are other things that I will address at that time that we could be doing and that we should have done as a result of the law that we passed in 1986. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to support Mr. Dent in his amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, as a veteran of 26\1/2\ years of working with the Border Patrol, I understand and appreciate the necessity of Mr. Dent's amendment that requires close cooperation between the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. More than ever today, post-9/11 and with the many different challenges that we face with the potential of another strike against our country, it is critical, it is imperative that we continue to urge both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to do as much as possible to cooperate, share information, and provide a unified front and protection for our country. This is a way of ensuring that we codify that cooperation by expressly putting it into the legislation that this cooperation take place. It is critical. It is vital; and based on my experience where there has been a tremendous amount of cooperation traditionally between the Department of Defense and agencies such as the Border Patrol, for Border Patrol operations on the border itself, I believe that this is a good amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Missouri and congratulate him on his award that we announced on the floor yesterday. Mr. Chairman, as the ranking member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I rise in strong support of this bill and want to thank our chairman, Mr. Hunter, and ranking member, Mr. Skelton. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee has jurisdiction over several complex and contentious issues, including ballistic missile defense and nuclear weapons. I want to recognize and thank our subcommittee chairman and my good friend from Alabama, Mr. Everett, for his leadership and all the effort that he puts into making this a truly bipartisan bill. I also want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle for the truly great job they do and the tremendous work that goes into a bipartisan bill like this. Sometimes we do not see eye to eye on every single matter, but I am pleased to report that this subcommittee reached bipartisan accord on several major issues. In the short time that I have, I want to highlight three areas of bipartisan agreement: ballistic missile defense, conventional global strike capability, and operationally responsive space. H.R. 5122 redistricts missile defense funding from longer-range programs, such as a multiple-kill vehicle, to near-term needs, such as buying upgrades for the Patriot and Aegis interceptors that can protect our servicemembers and allies today. While we might disagree about whether further adjustments or reductions are possible from within the $10.4 billion for missile defense programs, I commend the subcommittee chairman for this good-faith effort and great work on this bipartisan agreement. This bill clearly reflects a bipartisan desire to obtain effective missile defense capabilities aimed at defeating real threats. The bill also slows down development of an advanced global strike capability using the Trident missile in a conventional capacity. While not precluding development of this capability, the subcommittee has concerns that basing a conventional Trident missile on a traditionally nuclear platform could lead to misinterpretation by both our friends and potential adversaries of a launch of a conventional missile. There are real strategic implications of pursuing this capability. We must ensure that we have done all we can to avoid the potential for conflict escalation through misinterpretation. Finally, the bill as reported contains a $20 million add for operationally responsive space to encourage the Pentagon to pay more attention to the potential of smaller and less expensive satellites that might complement or supplement current expensive satellite systems designed for both military and intelligence purposes. We cannot expect small satellites to meet all mission requirements, but we need a more robust, focused effort to seriously explore their potential given the spiraling acquisition costs of our major satellite programs. Mr. Chairman, there are differences in the way we approach some of these issues, but as we have seen this afternoon everyone gets an opportunity to express their views. Time does not permit me to describe in detail the rest of our subcommittee's mark and important issues, but I again want to thank our chairman, Mr. Everett, for his bipartisan leadership, our chairman of the committee and ranking member, and I commend this bill to my colleagues and hope that everyone will support this.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Mike Rogers specifically for his leadership in introducing H.R. 5037, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act. I would also like to thank House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Lane Evans for their strong support and for helping bring this legislation to the House floor. Today, I was scheduled to be in my congressional district in El Paso, Texas, to participate in a Medicare prescription drug conference, which I helped to organize, so that our seniors would be provided the latest information on Medicare part D. Mr. Speaker, while I would have liked to have been able to attend that conference, this issue is just as important, and I am proud to be here today and serve as the lead Democrat cosponsor of this bill, which has gained, by the way, Mr. Speaker, very strong bipartisan support, including the entire House Democratic leadership. I know that all of us agree that our servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country deserve to be laid to rest with respect and dignity. The families of these courageous men and women also deserve funerals that allow them to say good-bye to their loved ones and mourn their loss in that same peace and dignity. Organized protests have disrupted the sanctity of these funerals that have been conducted throughout the United States for servicemembers who have been killed while serving in our current military operations. Some protestors have disrupted these funerals with shouts and signs that read, ``Thank God for IEDs'' and ``Thank God for Dead Soldiers.'' In my congressional district of El Paso, our community has mourned the loss of 20 servicemembers who have made this ultimate sacrifice while serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Vietnam combat veteran and member of the House Veterans' Affairs and House Armed Services Committees, I knew I had to do my part to ensure that our Nation's heroes are given the burial that they deserve. To that end, the respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act would, first, prohibit all demonstrations during the 60 minutes prior to and after funerals taking place at Department of Veterans Affairs national cemeteries or the Department of the Army's Arlington National Cemetery. Second, impose 500-foot restriction on demonstrations near national cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery during the funeral and for a brief period before and after the funeral to allow mourners to enter and leave that cemetery in peace and dignity. Third, allow for civil infraction for violations, including monetary fines and/or jail time of 6 months to a year, as consistent with authority granted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to maintain order in national cemeteries under current regulations. Fourth, express the sense of Congress that all States should enact similar restrictions for State and private cemeteries, as well as funeral homes. Mr. Speaker, this bill is narrowly tailored to protect military families at the sacred time from verbal attacks, while protecting our freedom of speech at the same time. Furthermore, provisions in this legislation are in line with judicial precedents specific to time, place and manner of demonstration. In Griffin v. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of existing regulations that prohibit demonstrations on property under the control of the National Cemetery Administration. The Supreme Court held: ``All visitors are expected to observe proper standards of decorum and decency while on VA property. Toward this end, any service, ceremony, or demonstration except as authorized by the head of the facility or his designee, is prohibited.'' As mentioned earlier, our bill is limited to Federal land under the control of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army's Arlington National Cemetery. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, in Grayned v. City of Rockford, the Supreme Court held that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs maintains very broad discretion to implement regulations to prohibit demonstrations. The Court stated: ``Because the judgment necessary to ensure that cemeteries remain `sacred to honor and memory of those interred or memorialized there' may defy objective description and may vary with individual circumstances, we conclude that the discretion vested in VA administrators is reasonable in light of the characteristic nature and function of our national cemeteries.'' Mr. Speaker, this legislation is narrowly drawn to allow the families and friends of our fallen heroes to lay their loved ones to rest in peace and dignity. The restriction on freedom of speech is content neutral. The restriction is limited in time, manner and place to balance the constitutionally protected rights of law-abiding speakers against the legitimate competing interests of unwilling listeners who would otherwise be distracted from an important social objective, the dignified burial of our honored dead. So with that, Mr. Speaker, in a few weeks, our Nation will come together to remember and honor our servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our country. I ask all my colleagues to join me, to join us, in honoring our fallen servicemembers by voting in favor of H.R. 5037. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) who knows the pride of wearing America's military uniform, an Army veteran. (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really equally appreciate the opportunity to work with you because we know, as veterans, the sacrifices that men and women make on behalf of this country and their families, and so it has been a privilege to be able to work with you and my colleague, Mike Rogers, who also has been a leader on this very important issue for our country and for our country's military.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to read into the Record a statement from our minority leader, Ms. Pelosi. ``I urge all of my colleagues to vote today for H.R. 5037, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation that will ensure grieving military families are protected from protesters spewing a message of hatred. For our men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and for their families, we must act today to ensure that they receive the respect and the moments of solemnity that they have earned and deserve. ``No Americans have stood stronger and braver for our Nation than those who have served in our Armed Forces. Our soldiers have courageously answered when called, gone when ordered, and defended our Nation with great honor. Their noble service reminds us of our mission as a nation, to build a future worthy of their courage and sacrifice. ``Americans may debate and disagree about foreign and domestic policy. This is the essence of our democracy. But when it comes to our military men and women, America must stand united and honor them as the heroes that they are.'' Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. I agree with you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I will now close and then yield back the time. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, all around the country they have seen Members of Congress come together to stand up for our men and women in uniform and for their families. I think the message is clear that we want those that have made the ultimate sacrifice, and those that are laying them to rest, to have the opportunity to do so with peace and dignity. So I am proud to be here, and I am proud to work with my colleagues and thank them for their support in bringing this to the floor this afternoon.

Mr. REYES. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. REYES. Absolutely. And I also would make two observations. First, the great restraint that they are showing shows the great respect that we have as a Nation of laws because while we may disagree with the message, we don't disagree that they have a right to deliver it. It is just not appropriate. And somewhere along the line they didn't learn the lesson that they should not intrude on somebody's private time to grieve and to be at peace, especially for their loved ones who have just sacrificed everything for their country. Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to be with some of our military troops at Fort Bliss in my district. And I had several of them come to me and very privately, because, you know, our men and women in uniform are that way. They are courageous, they are professional. They are top-notch, but they are also very private. And in a private way they thanked me and said, please convey to all your colleagues in Congress our deep appreciation that we know that if something happens to us, our families will be taken care of, and specifically referred to this legislation and the peace of mind that they have, and they wanted us to convey that message.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to first thank Chairman Henry Hyde and Ranking Member Tom Lantos, my good friend, for bringing this resolution to the floor today. Likewise, I would like to thank my colleague from Florida for handling the time on this very important issue. I would also like to thank Ms. Solis for introducing H. Con. Res. 90, a resolution conveying sympathy to the families affected by the murder of young women in Chihuahua, Mexico, and encouraging the United States to be involved in bringing an end to these crimes. As the representative of El Paso, Texas, the neighboring city to Ciudad Juarez, the issue of unsolved murders is of great concern to me and my constituents. Since 1993, many women have been violently murdered in Chihuahua, Mexico, and many have yet to be positively identified. This leaves family members with more questions than answers about the fate of their loved ones. In the past, I have urged Mexican President Vicente Fox to launch a comprehensive investigation to help bring an end to these murders and to bring those responsible to justice. In addition, I hosted, as the Ms. Solis mentioned, a congressional delegation in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez so my colleagues, including Congresswoman Solis, could learn more about the subject and about the assistance needed in this region of Mexico. In July of 2005, I offered an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006-2007 to encourage the administration to raise the issue of murdered women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with their counterparts in Mexico and to assist with the identification of murdered women. Thorough forensic analysis and DNA testing are necessary to identify the bodies that have been found to date. An example of how this technology can be crucial to an investigation took place in May 2005. With the cooperation of the El Paso Police Department and the FBI, the body of 7-year-old Airis Estrella Enriquez from Ciudad Juarez was identified and had her killers brought to justice due to DNA analysis. In addition, with the financial assistance of USAID, the Bode Technology Group, a DNA laboratory located in Springfield, Virginia, and local forensic teams have been collecting thousands of samples from exhumed remains in order to process the samples and help identify possible future matches. This technology will not only provide answers and bring peace of mind to the families, enabling them to grieve, heal and seek justice for their murdered loved ones, but it will also contribute to the strengthening of judicial institutions in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. I urge my colleagues to join me in sending our sincere condolences to the families of murdered women, condemning the homicide against women, and encouraging the U.S. and Mexican authorities to work together to solve these murders and help ensure the safety of the women of Ciudad Juarez. Please support H. Con. Res. 90.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2720, the Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act. Riparian lands in the western U.S. have been severely affected by many activities and actions, including the salt cedar plant. In my district and throughout much of the Rio Grande River Basin we are plagued with this invasive species. This deciduous shrub or small tree from Eurasia has displaced native vegetation on approximately 1.6 million acres of land in the West and will continue to spread. Although salt cedar is the ``poster child'' of non-native plants impacting western rivers, other non-natives, such as Russian olive, cohabit with salt cedar and are important to control in order to restore riparian health. Salt cedar thickets harm the surrounding environment by narrowing and channelizing streams and rivers; displacing native vegetation such as cottonwoods, willows, and adjacent dryland plant communities; providing poor habitat for livestock, wild animals, and birds; increasing wildfire hazards; and limiting human use of the waterways. While each of these points is important to one or more constituencies, the single most critical problem is that salt cedar steals water. The West may be losing 2 million to 4.5 million acre-feet of water per year due to the presence of salt cedar, which is beyond what native plants would likely use. The water needs of 20 million people or one million acres of irrigated farmland could be met with that amount of water. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2720 would address this problem by requiring the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, in association with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Defense, to create and deploy an assessment and demonstration program for salt cedar and Russian olive. This program would first assess the extent of the infestation of both species in the western U.S., develop and demonstrate strategic solutions for long-term management and funding strategies of salt cedar and Russian olive and the reestablishment of native vegetation, and assess the economic means to dispose of biomass created as a result of removal of salt cedar and Russian olive trees. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2720 is essential to dealing with the salt cedar and Russian olive problem in the West, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this much-needed legislation.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time on this important issue. I agree with my colleague from Texas that very few pieces of legislation are perfect. It is not that we are looking for perfection, we are looking for an effort that gives us the cooperation, an effort that gives us the ability to hold people accountable for doing their jobs. Earlier today we heard that one of the amendments, the amendment that has been proposed by my colleague, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), had been ruled out of order, and that amendment required a quarterly report to Congress on the nuclear program of Iran. The report would be submitted every 90 days and would include an assessment of nuclear weapons programs; an evaluation on the sources upon which the intelligence is based; a summary of any new intelligence that had been gathered since the previous report; and a discussion of any dissents, caveats, gaps in knowledge, or other information that would reduce the confidence in the overall assessment. People may wonder why would we want to include an amendment like that. Well, the reason goes back to why we are in Iraq today. The reason goes back to our lack of oversight and the issues of WMD, weapons of mass destruction. The reason is because we have not done our job as a Congress in holding the administration accountable in WMD, in the issue of Abu Ghraib, and the issue of the leaking of the Valerie Plame outing, and many other different issues. Our Founding Fathers had the idea that the best democracy, the best form of government, would be one that would be a balanced approach. We haven't done our job in balancing that by oversight.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of World Health Day: Working Together for Health. The main focus for this year's celebration is to address the crisis in the health workforce. Health workers are the very heart of the health system, providing care to those in need. While we are facing a nationwide shortage of health workers, we are not alone. There isn't a country in the world that is immune to the problem. Emphasis needs to be placed on solving the crisis. With more than 100 years of experience, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been working hard to improve health and living standards in the Western Hemisphere. Recognized by the United Nations, PAHO's office in El Paso serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. PAHO works hard to improve health to vulnerable groups that include mothers and children, workers, the poor, the elderly, and refugees and displaced persons. Established in 1943, the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association (USMBHA) has helped promote a better understanding of health needs and problems. I applaud the efforts of the USMBHA for their leadership in the area of public health in the border region and their work fostering communication between both countries as we work together on common health Issues. This week, back in my home district of El Paso, Texas, the Pan American Health Organization and the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association will be sponsoring a health forum celebrating the work of promotoras and promotores from the El Paso del Norte region, which includes Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua. The event will celebrate the dignity and value of those who work hard everyday for health, and I am here today to help them in this important celebration. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting World Health Day 2006: Working Together for Health, and I thank PAHO and the USMBHA for all their tireless efforts in support of better healthcare for the people of my community, the U.S.-Mexico border region, and the Americas.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4882, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center Deadline Enforcement Act. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was created to honor the more than 58,000 men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam conflict. Since its creation, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been the most visited memorial in our Nation's capitol, with about 4,000,000 visitors each year. As a Vietnam veteran, I have experienced the horrors of war and witnessed the sacrifice of the men and women who served honorably in Vietnam. The proposed Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center will allow future generations to better understand the Vietnam Conflict through exhibits and facilitated tours, and honoring those that have fallen in the line of duty. It is time for Congress to enforce a deadline so that there is no further delay in the construction of the Visitor Center. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this very worthwhile bill.