Adam Smith

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Sergeant Michael Toussaint-Hyle Washington, a United States Marine who was killed with three other Marines while supporting combat operations in the Farah Province in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device struck their Humvee on June 14, 2008. Michael T. Washington was born on October 6, 1987 at Camp Pendleton where his father Michael Washington Senior served also as a Marine. Michael would follow in his father's and his grandfather's footsteps to become his family's third generation to serve in the United States Marine Corps. Early on, young Michael Washington had a strong sense of faith and duty. As a student at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington, Michael enjoyed playing soccer, reading, playing practical jokes on his family, and was a member of Stadium's ROTC program. While listening to a story on the radio with his father, Michael heard a journalist speak highly of the Marines after returning from Iraq. The journalist spoke of the Marines' virtues and bravery on and off the battlefield. Michael Senior knew his son was destined to become a Marine when his son turned to him and said, ``I want to defend people who can't defend themselves. It takes a lot for people to stand up and do this.'' Michael Washington did just that, joining the Marine Corps at age 17. On March 11, 2007, a year before his death, then-Corporal Washington's squad was ambushed in Iraq. Washington provided the support fire necessary to enable his fellow endangered Marines to escape the kill zone and return to safety. He received commendations from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines for Outstanding Achievement in the performance of his duties as Fire Team Leader of the 3rd Platoon, Golf Company. Washington was promoted to Sergeant soon after to become squad leader in the 1st Platoon at only the age of 20. Sergeant Washington died a proud Marine while serving in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Forces. Michael is survived by his father Michael Washington Senior--a Seattle firefighter and former United States Marine, his mother Grace Washington--an artist, community activist, and teacher at Salhalie Middle School, and his sister Aja Collins--an Army veteran whose husband Erik recently returned from Afghanistan where he served with the 101st Airborne. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives please join me in paying tribute to Sergeant Michael Toussaint-Hyle Washington in honor of his love and sacrifice for our Nation. In honor of Michael, I also ask that this poem, penned by Mr. Albert Caswell, be placed in the Record. His Parent's Son! His, Parent's Son! This, most magnificent of all ones! This, United States Marine . . . So brilliant there . . . all in your most heroic shades of green! His Father's Son, who had so learned from his Father's Father . . . And, all of these ones! As all three were but United States Marines! As you Michael so watched your Father, growing up to be . . . Just like him, as will be done! Ooorah. . . . three generations of United States Marines . . . As all were but our America's very best, her cream! As To Strength In Honor Michael, your fine heart would so convene! As They Will Be Done, on earth as in Heaven . . . you now rein! As Michael, you were but one . . . Who so died and bled, one of our Nation's most golden of all sons! Such selfless sacrifice, and such brilliance. . . . Which shines so bright, is so hard to explain! Dying, for your fellow woman, child, and man. . . . As seen! As you so stood so very grand, all in those magnificent shades of green! Teaching us so all about. . . . What the word love so truly means! As a Freedom Fighter, who so shined so bright there in heroic shades of green! As Michael, you live on. . . . all in our hopes and dreams! Just, like the morning sun. . . . to you, our hearts so run! Moments, are all we have! To bring the light! To fight the darkness! To worship the good, and win that fight! As you so boldly marched off to war! All because of your most magnificent soul. . . . As why for you Michael, we so mourn! All at the loss of you, and for all of yours! Is but just that high price of freedom, that for us Michael you so paid! And we so too suffer, living without you no more! And across Washington on this night, as you so lay your head down and begin to cry. . . . And but our Lord's tears, for you Michael. . . . As he now so weeps! Knowing, of your most sacred gift. . . . And of your most devout life so lived! To ease your pain. . . . So have a most gentle sleep, let not your hearts so weep. . . . For Michael is an Angel now, as ever with you to keep! And you shall see him again. . . . Enlisted, In the Army of our Lord. . . . Across the heavens he so reaches. . . . All because of Michael, what your fine life so meant! Making A Difference With It All, as was how your precious time was spent! As you so lived and died, so benevolent! Answering, that call to arms. . . . Your fine life so spent! For, no greater pain can so be felt! Then, to lose your only wonderful son, as before our Lord you've cried and knelt! As, I pray your most broken heart will heal! Because, your fine son. . . . Your Marine Michael, so died for what is right! And what is real! As you must remember, one day in Heaven. . . . Your son's arms around you, you shall feel! And if ever I have a son, I but hope and pray, he could be like your fine one! Michael, His Father's Son! And Mother's only most brilliant one! Amen!

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I disagree with that but I'll live with it.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I believe, if I am correct, this is the last amendment in the process. I just want to thank Chairman McKeon, his staff, for their outstanding leadership. As has been said many times but cannot be emphasized enough, this committee prides itself on being bipartisan, and Mr. McKeon and his staff have more than upheld that tradition. We appreciate that. We have worked together on a large number of issues, also worked together with Members of the Congress not just on the committee, as we have seen with many of the amendments processed. We have been able to include the ideas from a great many Members, both Republican and Democrat, from across this House. And I feel we have produced an outstanding product as a result. I also want to take a moment to recognize this is the last markup or last House Defense bill we will be sending with Secretary Gates as our Secretary of Defense. And I want to honor him for his service. He has served seven, maybe eight Presidents, both Republicans and Democrats, has done an outstanding job for this country in all of those roles, and in particular as Secretary of Defense for the last 5 years. His leadership has been outstanding for this country. I will also note that he is retiring to the State of Washington. So that, too, shows great judgment on his part. We appreciate it's been great working with him. He will be missed. We are excited to start working with the new Secretary of Defense, Mr. Panetta, as soon as he gets confirmed and moves into that role. So I thank the chairman. And I guess I want to conclude by thanking my staff. This is my first time as the ranking member on this committee. It is a great honor that the caucus gave me, and I absolutely could not have gotten it done without the help of the staff that we have on the Armed Services Committee, both minority and majority for that matter. So I thank them for their help and their assistance. I urge support for the bill, and I again thank the chairman. It has been great working with him on this. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I thank Mr. Runyan for bringing this to our attention. He has explained it very well, and I think this body should support the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlelady for bringing this very, very important amendment forward. I think the most important thing that we can do for those who serve in the military is show them our support in every conceivable way, and especially when they come home from service. Iraq and Afghanistan have been very, very difficult fights. The men and women in our military have fought bravely and amazingly. Every time I meet one of them, I am just in awe of how great our military is, how brave they are, and what a tremendous job they have done for us; but it is really important that we don't forget that here at home. A statistic that I have heard over and over again is that it is really only 1 percent of the population in the United States who is actually participating in this war. It is critically important that the rest of us remember it, support those who fought in every way possible. I can think of no better way to help make sure that happens than the amendment offered by the gentlelady from Texas, to give them a day when we all think about it and we all remember what they have done. It is critical that we do that every single day. This will help in that process. I thank the gentlelady for offering the amendment, and I urge support.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I rise to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I rise in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I thank the gentleman for offering the amendment. I have no opposition. I support it, and I appreciate his bringing it to our attention on the committee. I urge the body to pass the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I do oppose the amendment, and I will yield to my colleagues to explain our side. I will begin by yielding 1 minute to the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I didn't make an opening statement.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I have only been yielding 1 minute at a time. I had 5; I yielded 4. How do I get down to 45 seconds?

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the McGovern amendment, because I believe it puts us on the best path to successfully completing our mission in Afghanistan. I think it is very reasoned and very well thought out. One of the keys to successfully completing this mission is to hand over responsibility to the Afghan people for their security and for their government. The McGovern amendment does not say pull all the troops out now at the end of the month or at the end of the year. It says we must begin, we must put in place a plan for drawing down so we can shift that responsibility. I also agree with some of my colleagues who oppose the amendment. I think our men and women in the Armed Forces in the last 6 months to a year have made enormous progress in Afghanistan. The surge of troops that President Obama called for has made a big difference and has put us in a better position to be successful in Afghanistan. But the genius of the McGovern amendment is to recognize that there is also a trap in that, because if we stay too long, the Afghan Government becomes dependent upon us in a way that stops them from being independent. Our goal, our mission in Afghanistan, is clear, despite many who say it isn't. We want a government in Afghanistan that can stand so that the Taliban and al Qaeda are not able to come back into that country. That is our goal, we're making progress towards it, but we will not complete that mission until the responsibility for that is turned over to the Afghan people. To do that, we need a plan and we need to recognize that that is the goal. That is why the McGovern amendment calls for that plan, calls for us to step up negotiations with folks on the other side, between the Afghan Government and some of the Taliban leaders, which have been bearing fruit of late, so that we can begin that transition and bring our troops home and recognize the success that they've had. A permanent or even lengthy occupation of a Muslim nation with U.S. troops is not going to work. We need a plan to properly disengage. That is how we will achieve what I think we all agree is the mission in Afghanistan. I urge support for the McGovern amendment, and I thank him for bringing it. I think we need a plan for making that transition so we can have the success that we all want in Afghanistan.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I yield the gentlewoman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.