Lamar Smith

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, a New York Times columnist who is revered by liberal Democrats recently wrote, ``We've always known that America's reign as the world's greatest nation would eventually end.'' This may be the logical conclusion if we follow President Obama's policies, but it doesn't have to be true. We can reclaim America's greatness--not lose it--if we focus on creating jobs in the private sector, not the government; reducing the deficit, not doubling it; providing health care to the long-term, low-income uninsured, not mandating a government takeover; and treating terrorists like terrorists, not local bank robbers. Let's listen to the American people and get our financial house in order and our priorities straight. Then we will stay the greatest nation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, according to a new Zogby poll, senior executives, business owners, and members of union households think the best way to deal with illegal immigration is to enforce the law. When asked to choose between enforcement or a pathway to citizenship with conditions, 59 percent of executives, 67 percent of small business owners, and 58 percent of union households chose enforcement. When asked whether more immigrants are needed to address our job needs or if there are enough Americans to fill them, 61 percent of executives, 65 percent of small business owners, and 72 percent of union households said there are plenty of Americans available to fill unskilled jobs. These findings are no surprise. Citizens and legal immigrants should not be forced to compete with illegal immigrants for scarce jobs.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, recent polls show that the public is very concerned with the Obama administration's handling of national security. The latest Investor's Business Daily poll findings show that Americans believe President Obama's policies are soft on terror. The percentage of Americans who feel safe has declined significantly--from 82 percent a year ago, to 67 percent this month. Additionally, the Pew Research Center recently released findings showing terrorism is the third most important issue to American voters, after jobs and the economy. This is due in part to the mishandling of the Christmas Day terrorist attempt. Instead of gaining valuable intelligence, Abdulmutallab was given Miranda rights, a move that 61 percent of Americans disagree with. Additionally, Americans continue to overwhelmingly oppose closing Gitmo 2-to-1. It is clear President Obama's policies have made Americans less safe. And according to the polls, the American people know it.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, the national media gave President Obama about twice as much favorable news coverage as they gave former President George W. Bush during the first year of their presidencies, according to a study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs. The analysis revealed that while around half the stories about President Obama were positive, just 25 percent of stories about President Bush were favorable. Not surprisingly, the New York Times gave President Obama the most favorable coverage, followed by Time Magazine and Newsweek. It's no wonder seven out of ten Americans say the national media are promoting the Obama presidency, according to a recent public opinion poll. The national media should give Americans the facts, not tell them what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in a recent interview with ABC World News, President Obama referred to the Christmas Day bomber as a Nigerian student. But he is not just a student. He's a terrorist, a would-be mass murderer who almost killed 288 innocent civilians. The administration is so concerned about being politically correct that they water down the truth about the terrorist threat facing Americans. Last year, the Obama administration instructed officials to replace the term ``global war on terror'' with ``overseas contingency operation.'' Around the same time, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano started referring to ``terrorist attacks'' as ``man-made disasters.'' The administration also abandoned the use of ``enemy combatants'' when referring to terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay. It's time to stop watering down our words and start calling terrorists what they are, terrorists.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the President's budget proves once again that the Obama administration is not serious about enforcing our Nation's immigration laws. They found money for 25 new positions in the Secretary of Homeland Security's management office, but there is no funding for a single new immigration detention bed, no new money to find and deport immigration fugitives or criminal aliens, no additional special agents to investigate workplace immigration violations, and no money to expand the visa security program. The President ought to use immigration enforcement to open up jobs for American workers. Instead, the administration maintains the status quo. Citizens and legal immigrants will be forced to continue to compete with 8 million illegal immigrants for very scarce jobs.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on January 27, 2010, I voted ``yea'' on rollcall 20 for H. Res. 1024. Please let the Record show that my intention was to vote ``nay'' on agreeing to this resolution.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, President Obama says that closing the terrorist detention center in Cuba will help America's image abroad and make America safer. This idea is contrary to common sense, nonsensical, irrational, counterintuitive, and dangerous. Since the President has announced his intention to close the military prison, there have been more attempted terrorist attacks, not fewer. The terrorists sense weakness, not strength. Keeping terrorists locked up in Cuba, rather than transferring them to the U.S. or other countries, is the only way to protect Americans. If they go to other countries, they can be released. If they go to the U.S., they can get constitutional rights, like citizens, which they certainly don't deserve. The administration should treat terrorists like terrorists and leave them in Cuba.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, for the second time in a row, CBS is the winner of the Media Fairness Caucus' highly un-coveted ``Lap Dog Award'' for the week's most glaring example of media bias. During CBS' coverage of the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday evening, two hours before the polls closed, political analyst John Dickerson claimed that if Republican candidate Scott Brown won the election, it would ``get a lot uglier in Washington.'' Brown went on to say that Republicans ``feel excited and they see glory in attacking the President.'' It's no wonder just 2 in 10 Americans say reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of political campaigns, according to a recent Rasmussen poll. CBS and the national media should give Americans the facts, not tell them what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support House Resolution 1010. This resolution celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the release of Stevie Wonder's song tribute to Dr. King entitled ``Happy Birthday.'' Dr. King was the leading champion of a historic nonviolent revolution in the United States. Throughout his life, he fought for racial harmony and equal justice. While advancing this historic movement, Dr. King endured many forms of hatred and even suffered physical abuse. Despite this violence, Dr. King peacefully continued to pursue justice and equality for all. As a pastor, Dr. King's religious beliefs were essential to the success of his nonviolent efforts. It is doubtful that such a long and enduring movement could have survived without the power of religious inspiration and conviction behind it. From 1957 to 1968, Dr. King traveled over 6 million miles and spoke thousands of times about justice and equal freedom under the law. During those years, he led large protests that drew the attention of the world. On August 28, 1963, Dr. King led a peaceful march of 250,000 people through the streets of Washington, D.C.; and it is here in this city where he delivered a speech that spoke for all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin. ``I have a dream,'' he said, ``that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.'' Dr. King opened the door of opportunity for millions of Americans. In his ``I Have a Dream'' speech, Dr. King called the march the ``greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our Nation.'' Four days after the assassination of Dr. King, Representative John Conyers, now our Judiciary Committee chairman and the cosponsor of the resolution we are now considering, introduced legislation to recognize Dr. King's life's work with a Federal holiday that coincided with Dr. King's birthday, January 15. Madam Speaker, I just want to say today that I think Chairman Conyers has been too modest about his significant role in establishing that holiday. In 1980, Stevie Wonder released his song tribute to Dr. King called ``Happy Birthday'' to bring attention to the movement to enact a Federal holiday in honor of Dr. King. Stevie Wonder sang that Dr. King's vision of peace should be celebrated throughout the world and that a holiday would help achieve Dr. King's dreams of integration and love and unity for all of God's children. On November 3, 1983, legislation was signed into law, designating the third Monday of January as a Federal holiday in observance of Dr. King. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the United States Senate special election in Massachusetts offers many lessons for both Democrats and Republicans. Surely among them are these: All true reform starts with the voice of the people. Moderation beats extremism. Common sense triumphs partisanship. Voters can exercise real independence. One-party control leads to arrogance. There are few guaranteed election results. Listen to the people, don't defy them. Of course some will say there are no lessons to be learned or that the result of this special election should be ignored or can be explained away. But those who don't listen to the people, Democrats or Republicans, will pay a steep political price.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Administration's health care plan will affect every single American and impact one-sixth of the U.S. economy. But congressional leaders have taken the critical negotiations behind closed doors, even though President Obama repeatedly promised a transparent process. The Administration claims Congress needs to pass a health care plan to cover 47 million people who are uninsured. But that 47 million figure includes 4 million people who are eligible for public health insurance but not yet enrolled, 10 million illegal immigrants, 9 million people who are only temporarily uninsured, and 10 million people who can afford health coverage but choose not to purchase it. We should focus on the long-term, low-income uninsured, about 14 million people, not a government takeover of the entire private health care delivery system.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans see the media as biased, liberal, and too powerful, according to a new Rasmussen survey. Just two in ten Americans say reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of political campaigns. More than seven in ten say reporters try to help the candidate they want to win. Furthermore, a majority of voters believe, ``The average reporter is more liberal than they are.'' And two-thirds think the media have too much power and influence over government decisions. This is the fourth public opinion poll in the last few months that has found that Americans don't trust the media. If the national media want to restore Americans' confidence, they should report the facts and not tell people what to think.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support H.R. 3237, a bill proposed by the Office of Law Revision Counsel to enact title 51 of the U.S. Code, as positive law. The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over law revision bills, and this particular bill creates a new title to address national and commercial space programs. Many laws have been enacted over the years dealing with national and commercial space programs. However, there is no distinct title in the U.S. Code to consolidate these laws. This is because the U.S. Code was established in 1926, long before space programs were ever contemplated. This bill would put all of these laws into one title within the Code. H.R. 3237 and similar law revision bills are important because they ensure that the U.S. Code is up to date and accurate, without making substantive changes to the law. I am happy to support this legislation today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, CBS' ``60 Minutes'' is the winner of the Media Fairness Caucus' highly un-coveted ``Lap Dog Award'' for this week's most glaring example of media bias. A new book called ``Game Change'' has brought to light comments made by the Senate majority leader that some people find offensive. On Sunday, ``60 Minutes'' featured a 13-minute story about the book and interviewed its authors. Not once did ``60 Minutes'' mention the majority leader's comments. Instead, they devoted 10 minutes to negative comments about former Governor Sarah Palin. What an astounding example of biased journalism. It is no wonder five out of six Americans see the national news media as ``very or somewhat biased,'' according to a recent public opinion poll. CBS and ``60 Minutes'' should report the facts, not engage in double standards.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, Americans have one word for Congress when it comes to more bailouts: ``No!'' Taxpayers want to hold accountable those who wrecked American companies and our economy--not give them new, federal checking accounts. The Obama administration does not get the message. What was its Christmas ``present'' for taxpayers? A Christmas Eve gift of unlimited bailout billions to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. House Democrats don't get the message either. Just before Christmas, they rammed through a partisan financial ``reform'' bill to institutionalize bailouts--not bury them. There is a common thread in the Democratic gift-giving. It is Chicago-style patronage politics, rung up by the billions. Fannie and Freddie's patrons gladly drain taxpayer coffers to preserve these tools of liberal social policy. Meanwhile, as the latest academic study shows, politically connected banks get the most bailouts. Little does it matter that these were the institutions that brought us to the edge of ruin. Republicans and the American people have a better solution. Send the institutions that have failed us to bankruptcy. There, accountability will carry the day--not patronage politics.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Obama Administration has announced its plan to transfer 75 Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. The Administration claims that transferring these detainees from Guantanamo Bay will somehow lessen al Qaeda's desire to attack America. But a change in location of detainees is not going to reduce terrorists' hatred of America. However, the transfer of any Gitmo detainee to the U.S. will give them additional constitutional rights, making it harder for prosecutors to obtain convictions. The Administration claims that it can detain these terrorists indefinitely. But many agree this is an impossible goal. Civil liberties groups were quick to point out that indefinite detention inside the United States without a trial is little more than a change in zipcode. It is clear to all but those in the Administration that this decision will likely result in the almost immediate challenge to detention as soon as these terrorists arrive in Illinois. The Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba, not a prison in America's heartland is the right place for terrorists.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, the national media spell `scandal' without the `D.' Recently, the mayor of Baltimore was convicted of embezzlement. On December 2, ABC's ``Good Morning America'' and CBS's ``The Early Show'' both briefly reported the Mayor's conviction. Both failed to mention that she is a Democrat. The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post both failed to identify the Mayor as a Democrat in articles at the beginning of the trial. The media also were guilty of selective omission in their coverage of scandals involving the Democratic former governors of Illinois and New York, as well as the Democratic former mayor of Detroit, among others. On the contrary, when a former mayor in Georgia was arrested earlier this year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was quick to point out that he is a Republican. The national media should treat both sides the same, not show favoritism based on party affiliation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

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

Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I support S. 1472, the Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2009. This bipartisan legislation was recently passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. The bill is now before this body for consideration. The first goal of this legislation is to provide technical corrections to the Genocide Accountability Act, which was signed into law by President Bush in 2007. Before that act passed, genocide was only a violation of Federal criminal law if it was committed within the United States or by a U.S. national outside the United States. The act closed this loophole by allowing the prosecution of non-U.S. nationals found in the United States for genocide perpetrated outside the U.S. The second goal of this legislation is to create a new section at the Department of Justice to consolidate prosecutorial authority over most Federal criminal and immigration human rights offenses. Currently, the responsibility for enforcing these statutes rests within the Office of Special Investigations, or OSI; OSI was created in 1979 to hunt down Nazi war criminals who secretly lived in the United States. After discovering war criminals within the U.S., OSI used administrative procedures to denaturalize, deport or remove them. In 1994, Congress statutorily directed OSI to also investigate and denaturalize individuals who participated in genocide, torture or extrajudicial killings. Right now, OSI does not have prosecution authority. Instead, it works with attorneys and other components of the Department to prosecute those cases in which a violation of Federal criminal law can be shown. This legislation expands OSI's jurisdiction to enable it to prosecute and enforce Federal criminal human rights laws and to consolidate those efforts into one office. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

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

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1110, the Preventing Harassment Through Outbound Number Enforcement Act, or PHONE Act, addresses caller ID spoofing. Spoofing is a ploy for obtaining a victim's personal and financial information to commit identity theft and other similar fraud. It involves masking caller ID information to make a fraudulent telephone call to a recipient. Those who engage in spoofing use incorrect, fake or fraudulent caller identification to hide their identity and then obtain personal information from the victim. Call recipients unwittingly divulge their names, addresses or Social Security numbers under the mistaken belief that the caller represents a bank, a credit card company or even a court of law. All too often, a person does not know that their identity has been stolen until it's too late and the damage has been done. This legislation will help law enforcement officials stop identity thieves by cutting off their means of obtaining personal information. Spoofing not only victimizes the phone call recipient but also invades the privacy of those individuals whose caller ID is used to mask the fraudulent calls. To address this, the PHONE Act specifically prohibits the use of an actual person's caller ID information for spoofing. Although the technology needed to spoof has been available for some time, it previously required specialized equipment. Now an identity thief can simply purchase Internet telephone equipment or use a Web site specifically set up for spoofing. The PHONE Act imposes penalties for modifying a caller ID with the intent to deceive the recipient of a telephone call as to the identity of the caller. This legislation will help deter telephone fraud, protect consumers from harassment, and protect consumers and their personally identifiable information from identity thieves. Similar legislation passed the House with bipartisan support in the last two Congresses. I urge my colleagues to join all of us in supporting this bill.

Mr. SMITH of Texas

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I support Chairman Conyers' sponsorship of House Resolution 894, which honors the 50th anniversary of the album ``Kind of Blue'' and reaffirms jazz as a national treasure. I thank Chairman Conyers for his excellent work over many years to honor and support jazz not only in music halls but in the Halls of Congress. In 1987, Chairman Conyers' House Concurrent Resolution 57 designated jazz a national American treasure. Taking its name from this resolution, the HR-57 Center for the Presentation of Jazz and Blues later established itself on 14th Street in Washington, D.C., to educate aspiring musicians on the history and culture of jazz and blues. In 1990, Chairman Conyers won passage of appropriations legislation awarding the Smithsonian Institute with funding to establish a comprehensive jazz program, including the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Chairman Conyers has long supported efforts to present live jazz to the public in Washington, D.C. He has served on the board of directors of such organizations as Capital City Jazz Festivals, Inc., the National Jazz Service Organization, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. His love of jazz is shared by many. Jazz is an historic American creation, and as such, it certainly should be honored and supported by Congress today. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the famous jazz album ``Kind of Blue.'' On August 17, 1957, Miles Davis and his ensemble sextet collaborated to record ``Kind of Blue.'' This album popularized jazz like never before. It led Columbia Records to declare 1959 as ``jazz's greatest year.'' Today, ``Kind of Blue'' is recognized as the best- selling jazz album of all time. Its influence on music beyond jazz alone has led music writers to view it as one of the most influential albums ever. In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2003, ``Kind of Blue'' was ranked No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. One reviewer called ``Kind of Blue'' a defining moment of 20th century music. Ashley Kahn, the author of the book ``Kind of Blue: The Making of a Miles Davis Masterpiece,'' called it ``the premier album of its era, jazz or otherwise.'' Pianist Chick Corea, one of Miles Davis' acolytes, said, ``It's one thing to just play a tune or play a program of music, but it's another thing to practically create a new language of music, which is what `Kind of Blue' did.'' As a distinctly American language of music, jazz is rightfully honored by Chairman Conyers' resolution today. So it is with great pleasure that I join him in supporting this resolution, and I urge our colleagues to support the resolution as well. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.