Heather Wilson

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time. Madam Speaker, we have had the good fortune in this country for the last 4\1/2\ years to have not had another terrorist attack on our soil, and it is not because they haven't tried. The reason for that success boils down to two things: the courage of our soldiers and the quality of our intelligence. Exceptional intelligence is the first line of defense for America in the long war on terrorism. I intend to support this rule today, and I intend to support this bill. I think it is a good bill. It is one that moves us forward to restore our Nation's intelligence capabilities across the board, HUMINT intelligence, technical and tactical intelligence, and strengthens our global understanding and awareness and analysis of what is going on in the world. I intend to support it. I also think this rule is a pretty good rule, and I have to disagree on a couple of points with my colleague from Massachusetts. My colleague from Massachusetts has said we should debate here an amendment that was debated in our committee offered by Ms. Eshoo, one that I was a Republican Member who supported. It asked for the cost of the program that the President has acknowledged exists, the terrorist surveillance program. I believe that whenever a member of an oversight committee asks for the cost of a program, we should get that answer. That answer has now been provided to the committee in a classified letter that is available in the Intelligence Committee spaces. The reason that we didn't need to debate Ms. Eshoo's amendment on the floor today is because we have already gotten the answer to her question, and it doesn't make sense to me to continue to have that debate here on the floor, even though I supported that amendment in committee. So I think we have gone beyond that, and I don't think we have to have that debate and discussion here today on the floor. The second thing that he talks about is having a debate here on the floor on the Flake proposal with some of his colleagues from the Democratic side of the aisle on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The question here for this body is how do we move forward with effective oversight of the National Security Agency program that the President has acknowledged exists. Now, I believe that the President and the Congress share the same goal: we want to keep America safe and free. We have different responsibilities under our Constitution. The President has the responsibility for conducting our foreign affairs. He is the Commander in Chief. He makes sure that agencies follow the law and execute the programs which we have authorized. The Congress appropriates funds. We establish agencies. We authorize programs, and we oversee implementation of those programs. We spy on our enemies. But we also oversee these programs to ensure that those very powerful tools are used within the constraints of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. That is why I stood up and demanded that this Congress and our committees on intelligence conduct oversight of this program. That oversight is now under way. I think as a responsible body we have to start out by getting the facts. That means hard work that is done largely in secret in the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. That oversight is under way, and, for the most part, the National Security Agency has been very forthcoming. We have to understand this program in its details before we make recommendations to this body about any changes in statute or continuing mechanisms for oversight. It would be premature to legislate today on changing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The reality is that technology is changing. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was put in place in 1978, the same year that I graduated from high school. I was one of the last classes at the Air Force Academy to get issued a slide rule. In 1978, the words ``cell phone'' and ``Internet'' were not even in the dictionary. We may need to make some changes to the laws to continue to keep this country both safe and free, but we are not ready today to make those changes effectively. That debate on the floor today would be uninformed and premature. I would ask this House to support this rule today and to also support the work, the continuing work, of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as we do our duty under the Constitution to oversee these vital programs.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bill we hope to pass this afternoon, because it continues to rebuild America's global intelligence capability and implemented intelligence reform. I think we have to be honest with ourselves and the American people that the intelligence challenge that we face today is much more difficult than the challenge that we faced during the Cold War. The Soviet Union was powerful but predictable. They were knowable, understandable. Al Qaeda is deadly but amorphous, adaptive, parasitic, and suicidal. The intelligence challenge, the bar, is much higher than it used to be. This bill helps us move forward to meet that challenge. In the area of technical and tactical intelligence, this bill raises the standards for program planning. In the area of broad missions like ballistic missile technical collection, we require agencies to work together to come up with a comprehensive plan to gather the information needed and not duplicate programs. We require agencies to plan not only for a technical program, but for the life cycle of that program: the tasking, the processing, the exploitation and dissemination, the training of personnel, and those kinds of efforts that have to be put in place. Thirdly, we know we have serious deficiencies in some technical programs in our technical architecture. There is one essential program that has not been successful, and the way forward is fraught with risk. We put the resources and authorize them in this bill to develop long- term comprehensive solutions to the technical architectures we need to keep this country safe. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to say to my colleague from California that I really don't understand. For over 3 years, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee and the minority leader of this House, Ms. Pelosi, have gone along with this and accepted limited briefings without insisting that the Intelligence Committee be informed and that oversight happen. In January of this year, Ms. Harman said, ``This program is essential to U.S. national security, and its disclosure has damaged critical national intelligence capabilities.'' But now that effective oversight is taking place, because I demanded it, and this committee, the Intelligence Committee, is conducting effective oversight, you want a report. Mr. Schiff has proposed not a benign piece of amendment, but a specific report on by-name targets, not only to the Intelligence Committee, but to the Judiciary Committee, an unprecedented release of sources and methods of intelligence that you know would compromise ongoing operations critical and vital to the security of this country. The oversight of this program is proceeding. This committee went to the NSA on the 8th of April. We are going again on Friday. The Director of National Intelligence and the Deputy Director have briefed this committee, and continuing information comes in as we speak. We will do our job as the Intelligence Committee, and we will also protect the security of the United States in the process. I urge my colleagues to oppose this motion to recommit.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wanted to thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward today. There are several provisions of it that are very important to our colleges and universities and the students that they serve, particularly in our Hispanic Serving Institutions, and the base bill strengthens those programs substantially. The amendment that I am offering today deals with the teaching of math and science. In the bill there are provisions for education coordinating councils, which are educators, business, and community leaders at the local level that develop strategies to improve math and science education, drawing on the resources in the community. Not just the public funding that comes for the schools but things like universities, national laboratories, high-tech industry, giving kids the opportunity to see mathematics and science in action and connect them with the possibility of a career in science or mathematics. What my amendment does is add to the kinds of things that can be used with these funds for these councils. It is based on legislation that I introduced in November of 2005, and what it really does is allow these councils to fund regional workshops of teachers and university professors and curriculum developers so that people can share information about the best techniques and the resources available for the teaching of mathematics and science and strengthening our ability to teach math and science, particularly in the elementary and secondary levels. Sometimes teaching can be an isolating thing, particularly if you are in a rural community and maybe you are the only science teacher that serves all of one particular middle school. Certainly practice is important for teaching, but also interaction with one's colleagues is important. And that is why allowing these regional interactions for professional development is particularly important. If I have a choice about the kind of school that I want my kids to go to, if I have a choice between the best, newest, most well-equipped school and a good teacher standing under a cottonwood tree, for my kids, I choose the good teacher standing under the cottonwood tree. This amendment that I am offering today will help teachers become better teachers through interaction with their peers in the teaching of mathematics and science. Mr. Chairman, I would ask my colleagues to support this amendment today. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of New Mexico Men's Soccer Team for advancing to the College Cup for the first time in school history. Last Friday, in the fourth round of the NCAA Tournament the second seeded Lobos defeated seventh seeded California Bears 1-0 to advance to the College Cup in Cary, North Carolina. These Lobo student athletes have proudly represented the UNM in classroom and on the field. Led by Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein the Lobos finished the season with a 15-1-2 finish and a No.1 ranking in the final NSCAA Top-25 and Soccer Times Top-25 poll. Mr. Speaker, this team is packed with home grown talent. A total of nine players are from New Mexico including seven from my district in Albuquerque. In fact, Mr. Speaker, three Albuquerque Public High School graduates combined for the winning overtime goal against California. Eldorado Eagle Brandon Moss passed down the field to Sandia Matador Ben Ashwil who chipped to La Cueva Bear Jeff Rowland who buried the ball in the net for the winning goal. I would also like to congratulate UNM seniors Jeff Rowland and Lance Watson for being two of only 54 collegiate soccer players who received invitations to the 2006 Adidas MLS Player Combine, a pre-draft Major League Soccer camp. In addition, Jeff Rowland, a non recruited walk on who maintains over a 3.7 cumulative g.p.a, is a candidate for the Herman Trophy, awarded annually to the top player in college soccer. Players and fans alike often have strange superstitions to ward off bad luck. For example, Mr. Speaker, former baseball player Wade Boggs would eat only chicken the day of a game. Many Lobo players their fans and family have kicked it up a notch by growing moustaches. I am eagerly anticipating the Lobos College Cup Semifinals game against Clemson, tomorrow, December 9, 2005, as these Lobo athletes proudly represent the University of New Mexico on the national stage. Mr. Speaker, In closing, I wish to commend the UNM Men's Soccer Team, UNM Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein, UNM athletic director Rudy Davalos, and all the dedicated Lobo fans for this successful season. Go Lobos.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, just last month, the Iraqi people, including large numbers of Sunni Iraqis, voted in a referendum on their Constitution. The Iraqi people are choosing to participate in the political process that can eventually undermine support for the indigenous insurgency in Iraq. The next step in building Iraq's political future is elections in December under this new, completely Iraqi Constitution. Broad participation in these elections will continue to build political momentum for a new self-governing Iraq at peace with its neighbors. While the political process moves forward, the United States and its allies must continue to train Iraqi police and security forces so that week by week, month by month, more neighborhoods, towns and provinces are patrolled and controlled by Iraqis. We must also continue to conduct military operations against insurgents and foreign fighters in Iraq, particularly al Qaeda in Iraq. There are still difficult days ahead and much work to be done--much of it done by our men and women in the military. I expect U.S. forces will continue to stay in Iraq through December's elections at roughly their current level. But as I've said, if political and security progress continues on roughly the course we are on, American forces should be able to start being drawn down in significant numbers during the course of next year. These redeployments should be based on conditions in the field. As the Iraqis stand up, we can stand down. After September 11, 2001, we made a decision to play offense in fighting the war on terror, to track down enemies who would kill Americans and give them no place to hide. Our troops are doing a fantastic job, and terrorists know they have no hope of defeating our troops in the field. They know that the center of gravity in their fight is to undermine the will of the American people. I would rather have American soldiers hunting down terrorists over there, than have American firefighters and police officers responding to attacks here at home.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the National Association of Professional Martial Artists, Project Action Foundation and martial arts schools in my community recently joined together to bring attention to martial arts and the positive benefits of martial arts training. On this day of awareness, the martial arts schools hosted open houses to provide exposure and bring attention to the art. Martial arts has a reputation for introducing and reinforcing the values of self- discipline, focus, self-esteem, while enhancing non-violent conflict resolution, self-confidence, goal setting abilities and strength of character creating productive healthy people. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons I ask you to join me in congratulating those in my home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico who participated in this successful celebration and commend them for the positive impact martial arts has on those who participate.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the New Mexico Hometown Heroes committee and the remarkable work it has done to find and mark the gravesites of recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Mr. Paul Layer Jr., who has served as this organization's president and his team of volunteers worked for many years on this project. They spent hundreds of hours researching archived records, excavating historical battle sites, and exploring cemeteries. As a result, our soldiers have a resting place that acknowledges the extraordinary deeds that they accomplished during their lifetimes. The actions taken by Mr. Layer and the New Mexico Hometown Heroes Committee will allow generations of New Mexicans to remember the courage these soldiers showed on the battlefield. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Layer and the other members of the New Mexico Hometown Heroes Committee for their efforts.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, in the 108th Congress the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) introduced and we passed through this House legislation almost identical to this and we reintroduced it in this Congress. It has had a companion bill in the Senate which has now passed the Senate. And after conferring with the committee and with the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) we decided to take up the Senate version of the bill in this House rather than passing the House bill because that means that the next stop for this legislation is the President's desk. The bill that the gentleman and I pass today will not have the gentleman's name on it, but it certainly is a result of his leadership that was brought here to the floor of the House, and I want to commend the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall). I also wanted to commend Johanna Polsenberg for her work on this piece of legislation. It has been a real joy to work with her. And my staff member, Colin Hunter, I think also deserves some credit. Without the two of them, all of the little things that had to get done would have been left to others and might not have gotten done. So they have had a tremendous impact. I also thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) very much for his leadership. This legislation is locally developed and locally supported. It is the result of a decade of work by the BLM and the Zia Pueblo and the State office working out all the little details of rights-of-way and lands transfers and where the fences go and who has what rights where. It is a very balanced bill that puts into law the Ojito Wilderness, an 11,000-acre piece of land, that will be protected 40 miles northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) mentioned, Manuel Lujan was the one who was the Secretary of the Interior when he recommended to the Congress that this piece of land should be set aside as an appropriate area for wilderness. The other thing that it does that I think is very important and has become important to all of us is that it allows for the purchase and transfer of BLM lands to Zia Pueblo. These lands will continue to have public access under the statute and remain undeveloped, but it will allow the Pueblo of Zia to unify its Pueblo and to connect the two noncontiguous areas of lands that are now part of its Pueblo. I think one of the things that is wonderful about these jobs that we have the honor to hold is the opportunity to work with interesting people who are committed to different projects around our States and around the Nation. There are a lot of people who deserve thanks for making this legislation a reality today, certainly the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) for their support and their staff support in getting this worked out and worked through, and of course our staffs and the gentleman from New Mexico's leadership on this. I think I would also like to recognize some New Mexicans. As I mentioned, this was locally developed and locally supported. Successive Governors and Tribal Council members of Zia Pueblo took a leadership role early on, including the current Governor, Teofilo Pino, and his predecessor and long-time Tribal Administrator Governor Peter Pino and their Counsel, David Mielke. I think we would probably agree that one of the most colorful, interesting characters in New Mexico is Peter Pino. I could sit and listen to stories from him for a long time. He has taught us so very much. Additionally, I would like to thank Oscar Simpson of the New Mexico Wildlife Federations, Stephen Capra of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Melyssa Watson of the Wilderness Support Center, and former and current Chair of the Coalition for New Mexico Wilderness, Jim Scarantino and Arturo Sandoval, and former Sandoval County Commissioner Daymon Ely. Linda Rundell and Lisa Morrison from the BLM and Patrick Lyons, the State Land Commissioner, were also very, very helpful in this legislation. Finally, I would also like to thank Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich, who from the very beginning has been instrumental in ironing out the little problems that come up, working through issues associated with this legislation, and making things happen. I think, as you can see, when things are successful there are a lot of people involved behind the scenes making them happen, and without them this legislation would not be here on the floor of the House today. I am very pleased that the Ojito Wilderness is going to get the permanent wilderness designation that it deserves and the Pueblo of Zia is going to achieve its long-sought transfer of important and ancestral lands that will unite two noncontiguous areas of its reservation.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that bothered me at the time of Katrina and then Rita was when you saw on the television long lines of cars at gas stations that were charging $5 or $6 for gas that you knew they did not pay that much to get in there. I do not believe that disasters should be a windfall for opportunists, and I appreciate the chairman and his staff working with us over the last week to strengthen the price-gouging provisions in this bill. Currently, under current law, most price-gouging statutes are at the State level, and only 23 States in the Nation have price-gouging statutes. The only authority at the Federal level is through antitrust laws. You have to have two companies colluding in order to investigate it. With this bill, that will change for the first time. For the first time, there will be Federal authority under the Federal Trade Commission to investigate price gouging after a disaster area has been declared. We have worked to strengthen this bill from the committee. The fines will be up to $11,000 per instance. It will apply in a disaster area and also beyond that disaster area if the President expands the area of coverage. It covers any person or company, not just the retailers, but up and down the supply chain, and it applies to gasoline, crude oil, home heating oil and natural gas. It is quite a broad provision compared to what we had coming out of the committee. I want to thank the chairman for his leadership and his staff for really strengthening the price-gouging provisions in this bill and, for the first time in this country, giving the Federal Government the tools they need to combat people who are taking advantage of terrible situations and take care of this problem of windfalls.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, times of tragedy should not be windfalls for opportunists in the wake of Hurricane Katrina gas prices fluctuated to upwards of $6.00 in some communities. Prosecution for price gouging is generally a state matter unless it involves some form of collusion or other activity in violation of federal laws. Only 23 states have anti-gouging laws on the books, and definitions vary widely. Only 13 of those states have emergency anti-gouging laws. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has shown that the patchwork of state anti-gouging laws does not work to deter opportunists. While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) monitors gas prices and investigates possible antitrust violations in the petroleum industry, there is no federal law to prohibit price gouging by individual bad actors. I welcome H.R. 3893 the Gasoline for America's Security (GAS) Act of 2005 price gouging language. It incorporates penalties of up to $11,000 per violation and covers retail and wholesale sellers of crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel and home heating oil. The GAS Act Requires the FTC to enact a price gouging definition as soon as possible within six months, an improvement from the potential delay in the language reported out of Committee. The House should pass a strong price gouging law that would be in effect in disaster areas. This bill includes a strong national policy providing stiff penalties for gasoline price gouging. Times of tragedy should not be windfalls for opportunists. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3893, the Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague very much for bringing this resolution forward today. I wanted to thank the Statuary Hall Commission for its work and particularly to recognize the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) and his wife, Jill Cooper, who serves on that commission, and thank her for her work, as well as the sculptor, Cliff Fragua from Jemez Pueblo. This has been a great effort on the part of New Mexico, and it completes a collection here in the Capitol that was started in 1864. Every State can provide two statues of people from their States that are significant in the history of their States to a collection that is housed here in the Capitol. This statue will complete that collection for the first time in 141 years of this Nation's history, and this new statue will now be here so that the people of the country, the some 2 million visitors who come here each year, can see this collection. Po'Pay represents a time in New Mexico's history that really shapes our heritage and our culture to this day. As my colleague mentioned, and explained the history of this very important man, when Francisco Vasquez de Coronado came to New Mexico in 1540 and then de Onate came in 1598, they took formal possession of New Mexico for Spain. In 1598, 7 years before the English landed at Jamestown, New Mexico was permanently settled by a European power. But the way they treated the Indians at that time was nothing to be proud of. The Indians were forced to work on Spanish grants. They were not recognized in their religion. At that time, Juan de Onate tried to exterminate the Pueblo religion. The treatment of the Indians led to a revolt in 1680 led by Po'Pay. Po'Pay is not without controversy. He suppressed others and served as kind of a dictator from Santa Fe for several years until his death. But he did have an important effect on New Mexico's history, because when Diego de Vargas returned in 1692 to New Mexico, the attitude toward the Pueblo people was profoundly different. The Spanish established an office of Indian protection that recognized the territorial integrity of the Pueblos and offered protection from outsiders. Where in other parts of America the Indian culture and territory were all displaced, in New Mexico they were protected. In particular, they allowed the blending of cultures; and while de Vargas brought with him priests and Catholicism was established and proselytized in New Mexico, they continued to recognize and allow the unique Pueblo religion, which is why in New Mexico today, just about two miles north of my home at Sandia Pueblo, is one of the most beautiful, newest Catholic churches in New Mexico on Sandia Pueblo, which also has its own unique traditional religious rights. The blending of cultures in New Mexico is one of the things that makes it unique. Po'Pay's revolt is one of the things that made that possible. It is with tremendous honor that this week we will offer this statue from the State of New Mexico and its people to the Capitol collection.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his leadership on this issue. Over the last several months, the Committee on the Judiciary has had numerous oversight hearings, as has the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to look at the PATRIOT Act and see where we need to improve it and what we need to do to extend the expiring provisions. My colleague from southern California said that we should have sunsets on this because once we have peace we should not have these provisions. Once the war is over. Once the war is over. The war against foreign terrorists and spies will not end, any more than the police's efforts to combat organized crime or drug kingpins. The tools that we have put into the PATRIOT Act are identical to the tools that law enforcement have had for a long time in criminal cases, but we did not have those authorities in foreign intelligence and counterterrorism cases. There are plenty of myths about the PATRIOT Act, and I think we need to put a few of them to rest. One of them is the myth that the local sheriff can go into your library and find out what you have been reading. They cannot. Under the PATRIOT Act, they need a court order in order to get any business records or library records or anything else, under the supervision of a Federal judge. And it has to be as part of a foreign terrorist investigation or counterintelligence investigation against foreign spies. It is directed not against Americans but against those who might come to this country to do us harm. The most important thing that the PATRIOT Act did was to break down the walls between law enforcement and intelligence to be able to share information across that wall in order to protect us before the attack comes. The intention of the PATRIOT Act is to prevent the next terrorist attack, instead of just letting the FBI gather the criminal evidence to convict somebody after thousands more have died. We need to reauthorize this act, and we also collectively as Americans need to dispel the myths about the act and make some important strengthening of the act so that in the future it can continue to protect us.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that recently passed the House by a vote of 249-183 included a narrowly drafted provision giving manufacturers and distributors of MTBE limited liability protections for claims based upon a defective product. I voted in favor of this legislation knowing that in conference with the Senate, MTBE compromise language would be negotiated with members from affected states that would be based on a concept of shared responsibility focused on cleanup. MTBE has reduced smog from cars and trucks and improved air quality. But when MTBE gets in water, it smells and tastes bad and is hard to clean up, raising questions about whether we should continue to use it to produce cleaner burning gasoline. For the last couple of weeks, I have contributed to the discussions on an MTBE compromise to recommend to the Energy conferees. I do not believe that the views of states impacted by MTBE contamination have been adequately taken into account to this point. We are no closer today to an acceptable compromise than we were 2 weeks ago. Additionally, I am greatly concerned by a draft EPA internal risk study that suggests that in high concentration, MTBE is a likely human carcinogen. This is the first indication we have had of a public health impact of MTBE. I continue to believe that a lawsuit based system is the wrong way to address this problem. We should spend money on getting the spills cleaned up quickly rather than having a lawsuit based system where people fight in court for years and the lawyers get a big cut of the pie before any cleanup is done. I voted in favor of the Democrat motion to instruct conferees because, at this point, I think we should move toward the Senate language and focus on solving the problem, not litigating it. I would be willing to support an MTBE provision that would create a joint industry/government financed MTBE remediation trust fund that would cover state and local government remediation costs. But industry's contribution must be mandatory and the government's contribution must be guaranteed and not subject to appropriations.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for bringing forth this resolution today. All of us here know how the Brits felt last Thursday morning. We had all been there ourselves in our own morning of terror not that long ago. It was a routine morning commute, just a regular ordinary day; and then the course of hundreds of lives changed and thousands of others were deeply affected. And we saw the best of the people of London: people shocked but calm, bravely helping others, a city getting up and getting back to work on Friday morning, and determined leaders who will not bow to terrorists. There were two things that came to my mind, and more than one person has recalled the leadership of Winston Churchill not that long ago. While his admonishment to ``never give in'' is more well-known, there is another speech he gave in the summer of 1941, after London had endured months of bombing and 20,000 casualties in the fall and winter of 1940-41. He said: ``But there was one thing about which there was never any doubt. The courage, unconquerable grit and stamina of the Londoners showed itself from the very outset. Without that all would have failed. Upon that rock, all stood unshakable.'' Upon that rock, they are still unshakable. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of London.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, because I attended a BRAC Commission hearing in New Mexico, I missed the vote on final passage of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006, H.R. 3010 (rollcall vote No. 321). If I had been there, I would have voted no on final passage. Additionally, if I had been in attendance, I would have voted in favor of the Obey Amendment to restore funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (rollcall vote No. 305).

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, the bill would decrease funding for disadvantaged children in low income schools by $115.2 million from FY 2005 levels. The bill also included $258.5 million less for the Bureau of Health Professions in the Health Resources and Services Administration that administers important health professions training, scholarship, and loan repayment programs, including programs encouraging diversity in the health workforce. The legislation included $84.6 million less for rural health programs than was provided in FY 2005. Because I believe this bill would have inadequately funded important education and health programs, I would have voted against the legislation.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for bringing forward this bill and I want to thank the ranking member as well for making this a bipartisan bill and working together. I think a lot of credit also goes to our very capable staff who have worked very hard and very professionally to pull together a very good piece of work. The technical and tactical subcommittee has been very active over the last 5 months looking at our intelligence systems as they relate to the military and also the high-cost technical collection programs that our Nation relies on. The members of that committee have given their personal time and traveled in many instances across the country, and I wanted to thank the members of the subcommittee and particularly the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) for working very hard in this area. We have tried to understand what works, what is not working, do a detailed review of some of these very expensive programs, looking at what complements each other, where the gaps are, where the overlaps are, so that we can improve our intelligence capability and make sure that we are using every dollar wisely. This bill makes several very important changes in direction in our intelligence community. We have found that research and development is underfunded pretty much across the entire intelligence community and it is poorly coordinated, both in pathfinding research and in incremental research in our current capabilities. There are several large programs that are significantly off track which causes a draining of funds away from other intelligence priorities. We will not give contractors blank checks to cover cost, schedule, and performance problems that they have failed to manage. We have to control this budget because cost overruns compromise other intelligence programs and put us as Members of Congress in the difficult position of managing different risks. This bill strengthens human intelligence. It strengthens our analytical capability. It strengthens translation and language capability. And we insist that systems have to include plans to task sensors, exploit the bits and bytes that come out of sensors, and disseminate information to people who need it. If you do not have that, what you really have is a science experiment, not an intelligence capability. In short, we have come forward with an integrated strategic approach to the purchase of high-cost technologies. We have much work yet to do to win the war on terrorism. When we win it, it will be because of two things: the bravery of our soldiers and the superiority of American intelligence. I thank the gentleman for bringing this bill forward. I look forward to voting for it.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the following high school students from the First Congressional District of New Mexico have been awarded the Congressional Certificate of Merit. These are exceptional students that serve the community and participate actively in school and civic activities. It is my pleasure to be able to recognize these outstanding students for their accomplishments. Their parents, their teachers, their classmates, the people of New Mexico, and I are proud of them. Certificate of Merit Award Winners 2005 Juanita Martizes, Albuquerque High School; Laura Rogers, Cibola High School; Britten Smith, Highland High School; Gary R. Stinnet, La Cueva High School; Robert Cordwell, Rio Grande High School; Cameron Banes, Creative Education Preparatory Institute; David Gullet, Temple Baptist Academy; Adam Geoffry Cowan, Calvary Christian Academy; and Leanne Raskob, St. Pius X High School. Merethy Billian, Cornerstone Christian School; Jordan Spence, Evangel Christian Academy; Markenzi Williamson, Hope Christian Schools; Aaron Smith, Menaul High School; Emily Wildsmith, Southwest Secondary Learning Center; Nicholas Trumbley, Albuquerque Evening School; Karl Nieman, Career Enriched Center; Takesha Haynes, New Future High School; and Suzia Vanswol, East Mountain High School. Jane Yein Song, Sandia High School; Erika Anaya, Moriarty High School; Samuez Luban, Charter Vocational High School; Danielle Treadgill, Bernalillo High School; Jessica R. Siegel, Sandia Preparatory High School; Ruth Ann Huning, Los Lunas High School; Kenneth David Rael, Sierra Alternative High School; Marie Jiron, Career Academy; Maggie Elizabeth Crank, Albuquerque Academy; and Orlando Pacheco Los, Puentes Charter School.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Albuquerque Biological Park Title Clarification Act. This legislation would assist the City of Grande. The Albuquerque Biological Park is a distinctive environmental museum comprising four facilities: Albuquerque Aquarium, Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Rio Grande Zoo and Tingley Beach Aquatic Park. In 1997, as part of an effort to improve these facilities, the City purchased two properties from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) for $3,875,000. The City had been leasing the first property, Tingley Beach, from MRGCD since 1931. The City had been leasing the second property, San Gabriel Park, from the MRGCD since 1931. Both properties had been used as public parks. In 2000, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation interrupted the City's plans when it asserted that it had acquired ownership of all of MRGCD's property associated with the Middle Rio Grande Project in 1953. This called into question the validity of the City's title to the properties. The City cannot move forward with its plans to improve the properties until the titles are cleared. The legislation is narrowly drafted to affect only the two properties at issue and leaves the main dispute concerning title to project works for the courts to decide. This important legislation will allow the City to move forward with a project that will provide residents and visitors with exciting new recreational opportunities.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the House's attention to the important work of one of my constituents, Alma Olivas, and her recent selection for the nation's highest community health leadership distinction. Ms. Olivas was one of the 10 outstanding individuals from across the country chosen to receive this year's Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership award. The award also comes with a $105,000 grant for Ms. Olivas to use to further her important efforts. Ms. Olivas works with the Coalition for Community Healthcare Access, which helps poor and uninsured people access health care in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. A persistent and courageous advocate for the uninsured, Ms. Olivas has been working to increase access to health care from an early age. Since she was seven years old, when she moved from Mexico to Albuquerque, Ms. Olivas has served as an interpreter for extended family members and neighbors. But it was her grandmother's devastating encounter with the medical system that made it her life's work. Her uninsured grandmother was repeatedly denied surgical treatment for a broken hip because she could not afford to pay half of the cost of the surgery upfront. Ms. Olivas became a fierce advocate, learning how to negotiate the health care system on her grandmother's behalf and eventually winning her the treatment she needed. Since working with the Coalition for Community Healthcare Access, Ms. Olivas has increased the availability of interpreter services, improved financial assistance for low-income people, and raised community awareness of the health care problems of immigrants and the uninsured. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take the opportunity to commend Ms. Olivas for her tremendous work and to congratulate her as a recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership award.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding me this time. I thank the gentlemen from New Hampshire and Connecticut for their leadership on this issue. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission is starting its visit to America's bases today and many of our communities do not have the data or the analysis to be able to explain where they are wrong. That is not fair. We are expanding the Army and the Marine Corps by 39,000 troops over the next 3 years and bringing back 70,000 troops and their families from overseas. We are fighting a war 6,000 miles from home and about to go through a quadrennial defense review to restructure our forces and changing around the organization of the entire United States Army. BRAC was a bad idea when we started it, and it is an even worse idea today. I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of the amendment.