Joe Wilson

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that after visiting Iraq, I saw that after a decade of neglect, the children of Iraq are benefitting from their Coalition Provisional Authority and the United States Agency for International Development's revitalization of the country's education system. Under Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Socialist Party's rule, schools fell into disrepair and teaching materials were scarce, distorted as propaganda, and outdated. Today, after the American military's success in Operation Iraqi Freedom, schools are being renovated, textbooks have been updated and distributed, and teachers and principals are being introduced to the most current standards of education. As an example of the real difference we are making in children's lives, I have here a sample of the bookbags that we have given out. It includes essential items for education, pens, pencils, calculators, and notebooks without propaganda. 1.5 million of these student kits will be given out during the school year. We are making meaningful progress in the war on terror and making a real difference in the quality of life for Iraqis and their children in order to protect the American people. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. I want to thank him for really bringing to the attention of the American people that, indeed, at a time of war, at a time of conflict, we should be considering working together in a bipartisan manner. It was distressing to me as I learned last week that there was going to be the presentation by the minority party here to attack the majority leader of the Republican Party, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay). I am fairly new to Congress. A little bit more senior than the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) but just a little bit; and it has just been an extraordinary opportunity for me to be able to serve with somebody of the great integrity, the competence, the dedication of the gentleman from Texas (Tom DeLay). I can give a personal statement as recent as last Thursday. I was very pleased that I had the opportunity in a bipartisan way to welcome Ognian Gerdjikov, who is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, and he is a democratically elected speaker in a country that has emerged from totalitarianism, which is now one of the dynamic Balkan democratic nations. And it was really exciting to meet with Speaker Gerdjikov. And I had contacted the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) a couple of weeks ago and told him that he would be coming, and if he could meet with him it would mean so much to the people of Bulgaria who, again, have emerged from totalitarian Communism and into democracy. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) recognized immediately how important this was. It was a wonderful meeting we had at his office with members of the National Assembly, with Ambassador Elena Poptodorova of Bulgaria. He was so positive. He was so enthusiastic, thanking the people of Bulgaria for their support of the United States in the United Nations. They are on the Security Council. Thanking the National Assembly for their strong vote to provide for an American military base to be located in Bulgaria to defend southeastern Europe and to defend the people of Bulgaria and, ultimately, to become part of NATO, and also to thank the people of Bulgaria for providing 500 troops to be currently in Iraq to provide for security and to promote the development of democracy in Iraq, which we know is mutually beneficial to the people of Iraq and the United States. Because as we work to redevelop Iraq, we are denying the terrorists a breeding ground for more terrorists, and the same standard that we used after World War II where we helped redevelop Germany so that would not be a breeding ground for communists. We defeated Communism. We will defeat terrorism, but we need to have strong leaders as we have with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay). So that is my testimonial to a very fine gentleman that I am just so honored, as is the gentleman, to be serving with. And when he has made statements concerning the members of the minority, particularly their leader, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), there has been substance. It is not to question her patriotism, but it is to certainly question her judgment. And I know that in my service, 17 years in the State Senate of South Carolina and now my almost 2 years of service here, what I look at are the statements that I have made and the votes that I have made. And I really want to bring to everyone's attention that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) made this statement on December 17, 1998: ``Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to the countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process. The responsibility of the United States in this conflict is to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, to minimize the danger to our troops and to diminish the suffering of the Iraqi people.'' What the gentlewoman said then was accurate, but the difference is that, of course, there was a different President in 1998. Of course, Mr. Clinton was in office at that time. And this was the defense of what many of us would actually give him credit for and that is recognizing the threat of Saddam Hussein to world peace.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, indeed, I want to reiterate the difference between 1998 and 2002, 2003 is that we have a new President. And I regret, I feel that the reason that the change in judgment, not patriotism is politics. When we consider how persons are to be judged, I believe what we need to look at is how people vote. Their statements are very significant, but we see statements can be shifted and can have different meaning according to who the President is. I will state that going back on votes, and I want to cite from the Center for Security Policy, which is an organization that was created in 1988. It is nonprofit, nonpartisan, committed to stimulating and informing the national and international debates about all aspects of security policy, notably those policies bearing on foreign defense, economic, financial and technology interest in the United States. According to the Center for National Policy, national security score card, I want to bring up votes and I will go back to 1993. This is the 103rd Congress. The gentleman and I were back in Florida and back in South Carolina. But the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) was right here voting. The significance of 1993 is that when the first significant attack occurred on the United States, that was the first attack on the World Trade Center, we know later that the al Qaeda and the terrorists attacked our country in 1998 by blowing up embassies across Africa killing dozens of innocent people. And then, of course, in 2000 there was the attack on the USS Cole and, finally, the attack of September 11, 2001. This was a war brought upon the United States. This was not one, as has been indicated by some people, that was contrived. We did not start this war. We are acting, I believe, in self-defense. But I want to raise some votes that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) made in 1993, which I think show her judgment as not being in the interest of national security. First of all, there was a vote on March 18, 1993, which would have reduced defense spending by $41.9 billion. What an extraordinary time. Can you imagine, $41.9 billion of 1993 dollars, what that would have done to the defense in the United States. Fortunately, it was rejected, overwhelmingly rejected. Next there was a vote to reduce funding for the ballistic missile defense system. Again, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) voted incorrectly. She voted to reduce the spending for the ballistic missile defense system. And of course we all knew my predecessor, the late Congressman Floyd Spence, chairman of the Committee on National Security, warned that there was the great prospect of North Korea, where I was a couple of months ago, of being able to develop a ballistic missile capability to attack the west coast, including California, of course. And at that time, the gentlewoman voted against the funding for the ballistic missile defense system. Additionally, there was another vote which provided for increasing funding for ballistic missile defense and she was consistent. She voted against that. Then there was a vote to downsize U.S. forces in Europe. And this would have been a vote to reduce the funding for U.S. forces in Europe, a very critical part of our defense of the United States. And it was a billion dollar reduction, and she voted to reduce that which would have crippled our ability to promote the development of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe at a very crucial time, and in addition to protect the people of the United States. Additionally, there was another vote and this was an amendment by the late Congressman Floyd Spence of South Carolina which would have limited the control exerted by a foreign national in U.N. operations which meant that the United States would maintain control of our forces. Again, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) voted incorrectly. Another vote in 1993 was to reduce defense and technology spending. This would have reduced the Federal spending for defense at a crucial time of $51.5 billion over 5 years. That would have been just further crippling. In the same session of Congress I have three more votes I want to go over and then let other people speak because the gentleman has some really talented people here tonight. I want to congratulate the gentleman on recruiting fine persons to come and address our colleagues as to the issue before us. There was a further vote in 1994 by Congressman Bob Michel of Illinois and this would have provided prohibition of U.N. troops being under U.N. command. And again the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) voted incorrectly. Can you imagine placing U.S. troops under the command which could possibly be under the command of someone as far out at that time as Saddam Hussein but also as Kaddafi of Libya. Just, I think, incredibly irresponsible in terms of our national security and defense. Then again in another vote in 1994 by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), and that was to reduce the Defense Authorization Act. There was a provision to significantly cut defense spending to a level far below that which was being proposed, at a time in 1993, 1994, the beginning of the war on terrorism, where we were trying to maintain defenses as strong as we could provide, and I just want to reiterate that it is not a question of patriotism at all. Our leader, the gentleman from Texas (Tom DeLay), has never questioned a person's patriotism. It is judgment on votes. And those of us who have the privilege of serving the people of the United States need to be judged on our votes.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a significant day in the War on Terror with countries all over the world joining in to help the United States bring civil order to Iraq. The morning began with Japan announcing $5 billion in aid for Iraq redevelopment. The Washington Post reported Ambassador Howard Baker, Jr., thanked our Japanese allies for being ``generous.'' This was followed by the unanimous vote of the Security Council to approve a new resolution backed by America. The New York Times today editorialized ``President Bush won a big victory yesterday at the United Nations.'' Later, there was an historic meeting here at the Capitol of Speaker Ognyan Gerdjiko of Bulgaria with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the first meeting ever of speakers from Bulgaria and America. Speaker Gerdjiko pledged partnership in the War on Terror, substantiated by providing 500 Bulgarian troops currently in Iraq. With the supplemental vote today, America is proving its determination to win the war on terror by making all efforts to complete our commitment for victory to protect the American people. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding efforts of the South Carolina Victims Assistance Network led by Public Policy Coordinator Laura Hudson, CEO Veronica Swain, and VIP Director Nicole Goodwin. This group tirelessly works on the victims of crime that are often forgotten by the public after their trauma no longer merits headlines. The Victim Assistance Network advocates on behalf of all victims and witnesses of crime, establishes a communications network, enhances public awareness, facilitates research and evaluation, serves as technical support, provides quality training, educates and coordinates policy development while encouraging citizen and victim participation. As we recognize President Bush's Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, I ask all my colleagues to join in support of organizations like the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network. These groups serve as a wonderful example of a community reaching out with compassion to offer hope to victims of crime. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, it is an honor for me to be here today on the bipartisan effort to support the President on the supplemental. I was particularly pleased to hear a moment ago the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis). He and I are both graduates of Washington and Lee University, so we have a kinship there, and I am delighted to hear of his support for the supplemental. Today is a significant day with the support that has been received on the international stage. We began this morning hearing that Japan is going to contribute $1.5 billion, up to $5 billion, for the reconstruction and redevelopment of Iraq. We also had today the unanimous vote of the U.N. Security Council to support the proposals that the United States put forward today to bring order to Iraq and protect the American people. Additionally, I had the opportunity today to be present with the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert), meeting for the first time in history with Speaker Ognyan Gerdjikov, the Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly. He, of course, indicated, as their government has done on the Security Council and by providing troops to Iraq, that Bulgaria is standing very strong with its ally, the United States. I had the opportunity 3 weeks ago to visit with General David Petraeus and with General Ricardo Sanchez in Iraq. I saw the progress being made. Another indication of progress was in the New York Times today, and that is that the currency of Iraq is being exchanged. It began yesterday. This is a 90-day proposal or project to turn in the currency which has the dictator's face on it, Saddam Hussein. Yesterday, on the very first day, nearly one-third of all the currency in Iraq was turned in. This is an extraordinary indication of progress, support by the people of Iraq, for the changes that are needed to be made. Just as after World War II, we helped reconstruct Germany so it would not be a breeding ground for communists, we can now have a reconstruction of Iraq so it is not a breeding ground for terrorism. We defeated communism. I believe in the war on terrorism, with our wonderful troops, with our President, that we can make progress today supporting the supplemental.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today America welcomes to Washington the Speaker of Bulgaria's National Assembly, Ognian Gerdjikov. Tomorrow morning, the Speakers of our two democracies will meet for the first time in history. The Bulgarian Speaker and the United States Speaker of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), will meet here in the Capitol. Additionally, Speaker Gerdjikov will meet with our majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay). Bulgaria has become a great friend and ally to America, emerging from totalitarian communism to recognizing 100 years of diplomatic relations with the United States and, now, unwavering partnership in the war on terrorism. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations, their country has produced this beautiful medal indicating how significant it is, this friendship with America. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in welcoming the Bulgarian Speaker and other members of the National Assembly to the United States Capitol. This indicates the growing significance of the Bulgarian- American friendship. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the period of debate on emergency supplemental appropriations under the order of the House of October 14, 2003, be limited to 5 hours, divided equally and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that at any time on the legislative day of October 15, 2003, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) may be recognized to address the House for 30 minutes.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that at any time on the legislative day of October 15, 2003, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) may be recognized to address the House for 30 minutes.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in sadness to report the death of a true South Carolina hero, Sergeant Anthony O. Thompson. As a 26-year-old artillery fire support specialist in the United States Army, Sergeant Thompson proudly represented not only our State and Nation but all the people of South Carolina. As a native of Orangeburg County, he showed immense potential even as a teenager. Graduating from Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School in 1995, he departed with honors and shortly thereafter entered the Army. After serving in the Army for nearly 7 years, Sergeant Thompson began his quest in Iraq to defend our Nation from terrorists and engage in the War on Terrorism. Sergeant Anthony Thompson, killed in combat, was the second serviceman from Orangeburg County to die during service in Iraq and the seventh from the State of South Carolina. I ask my colleagues to join me today in extending condolences to Sergeant Thompson's friends and family, as he was a dedicated hero to our State and Nation. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Israel's actions to destroy terrorist training camps in Syria, sending a message that terrorists cannot hide and will be destroyed wherever they are found. As the United States has defended itself against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, Israel is defending itself against further attacks by the terrorist group Islamic Jihad. This violent group's latest attack came on Saturday, before Yom Kippur, at a Haifa restaurant, killing 19 innocent people and injuring 55. As President Bush has said, ``Israel's got a right to defend herself, that Israel must not feel constrained in terms of defense of the homeland.'' No nation would sit by as their civilians are killed and terrorized, and Israel has a duty to protect its people. Palestinians that desire peace must work to dismantle the terror networks, and so must the people of Syria. As United States U.N. Ambassador John Negroponte said, ``Syria is on the wrong side of the War on Terrorism.'' Syria has harbored and supported terrorists and this must end. Israel is in the midst of a battle in the War on Terrorism and America stands with her. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to be here today with the Congressman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter). I am so proud of his service as the chairman of the U.S. House delegation to NATO. And currently, of course, he is the chairman of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He has a great vision of expanding democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. And, of course, the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations, my next-door neighbor, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), I am so proud of his association on this bill. And he, being of Hungarian heritage, has played a key role in promoting democracy again in Central and Eastern Europe. He is just a real champion. And I am honored to be with both of these gentlemen today. My interest in the particular resolution, which is to commend 100 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of Bulgaria, really is a culmination of a lifelong dream that I have had. My motivation to become involved in the political process was out of concern for a strong national defense. And, particularly, I grew up in the era of the Cold War and concern about the potential for nuclear annihilation between the two superpowers at that time. I had hoped with peace through strength, as established by President Ronald Reagan, that we could achieve a liberation of the people of formerly totalitarian Communist countries. Of course, that came to culmination on November 9, 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Right after that, there were movements throughout Central and Eastern Europe to establish democratic governments. And I volunteered, through the Republican National Committee, to work with the International Republican Institute to be an election observer in one of the upcoming elections that was to be held. I am very grateful that my long-time friend, Lee Atwater, the late Lee Atwater, who was chairman of the Republican National Committee, along with his executive director, Mary Matalin, placed me on the delegation to go to Bulgaria for the elections of June 10, 1990, which were the first democratic elections since the late 1930s to be existent in Bulgaria. The moment I got there, I was so impressed by the people that I met, I felt like I was in a circumstance frozen in time, the economy that I saw, the infrastructure that I saw, was that of the 1930s. But the people had a wonderful spirit, and they were obviously very talented. I felt from the beginning that they would evolve into a strong democratic society. I then had the opportunity, working with our local Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, Optimist Clubs, Lions Clubs, to provide for the ability of a member of the newly elected National Assembly of Bulgaria, Stefan Stoyanov, to come and observe the elections in South Carolina in 1990. He subsequently has been named as currently the ambassador from Bulgaria to Greece. Additionally, I worked with the Free Congress Foundation and visited Sofia with the Kreible Institute to meet with members of the National Assembly of the Democratic Union to explain to them how to work in a parliamentary system from my experience in the State Senate of South Carolina. Then I have been working with municipal officials to come and visit the United States, and South Carolina in particular, to learn the democratic process. I have also worked with the Sister City Program. We are very proud that Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, is the sister city of Plovdiv in Bulgaria, the second largest city of Bulgaria, a very historic city. The evolution has just been terrific for the people of Bulgaria. They have really lived up to and fulfilled my hopes and dreams for them. I was very pleased last year, working with the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) to help establish the Bulgarian Caucus to promote even better relations. We have been so fortunate with the leadership of Ambassador Elena Poptodorova to be able to, indeed, establish relationships between the National Assembly of Bulgaria and the Congress of the United States. We have had the opportunity to visit and have visiting us President Georgi Parvanov of Bulgaria; the Prime Minister, Simeon Saxe Coburg Gotha; the Foreign Minister, Solomon Passy. We have had a number of members of the National Assembly come to visit and observe Congress. The highlight of this is coming next week. I am very pleased that next week Professor Dr. Ognyan Gerdjikov, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, will be visiting the United States; and for the first time in history, the Speakers of both the United States and Bulgaria will be meeting. Our Speaker, Dennis Hastert, will be meeting with the Speaker Gerdjikov. And then we will be having a reception that we will invite all Members of Congress to attend next Thursday evening here at the Capitol. It is an honor to be here. I urge support for the resolution.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), to sponsor this important resolution in condemning violence against South Asians in America. As the Republican co-chair of the caucus on India and Indian Americans, I am very concerned about the weekly occurrences of violence committed against Indian Americans, especially Sikhs. Every week in national newspapers like India Abroad and News India-Times, I read reports of violence and even homicides committed against Indian Americans working in gas stations, convenience stores, food delivery positions, or driving taxis. I am concerned some of these attacks are motivated by ignorance and fear. These hardworking citizens perform some of the most thankless jobs in America. They are also vulnerable to physical harm due to their solitary conditions and late work hours. There can be no justification for attacking a fellow American simply because of their skin color or religion. Americans understand we feel anger toward the terrorists who murdered our countrymen on September 11. However, we must not rush to judgment and display prejudice or bias against those Americans of South Asian descent, people who are just as angered about the attack on our country and just as eager to defeat terrorism. We must rally together as a Nation to prevent bias-motivated crimes against Indian Americans. Schools must continue to educate student bodies so that harassment and violence against Sikh boys no longer occur. Further, we must vigorously prosecute these crimes when they do happen. I want to commend Attorney General John Ashcroft because he is taking the necessary steps to aggressively root out those who seek to harm this Nation, yet maintain the civil rights of those citizens who are here legally and abide by our laws. I want to again thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for his leadership in introducing this important resolution, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, South Carolina has lost one if its best public servants recently when State Senator Donald Holland of Camden, South Carolina, died at the age of 75. He was my colleague during my seventeen years of service in the South Carolina State Senate. He will always be remembered as a gentleman who conducted his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee with civility. He was respectful of the minority and promoted open debate. His legacy will be the fair election laws appreciated by South Carolinians due to his chairmanship of the Election Laws Study Committee, where he was always respectful and understanding of my minority role. The Wilson family extends its deepest sympathy to the Holland family. The following is his obituary printed in the State newspaper. Sen. Donald Holland Camden.--The Honorable Donald Harry Holland, husband of Betty Bell Holland and father of Elizabeth Alberta (Lisa) Holland, died October 5, 2003, at his home. Funeral services will be held at Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church at 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 8, with the Reverend T. Lee Bryant Jr. and Chaplain George G. Meetze officiating, followed by committal in Beulah United Methodist Church Cemetery. Holland, son of the late Eugene and Alberta Branham Holland, was born on a farm in the rural Kershaw County community of Cassatt on August 19, 1928. A graduate of Midway High School (1945), Holland entered the United States Army and was posted to the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre. At the age of 18, Holland served with U.S. Forces occupying Japan at the conclusion of World War II. As part of his duties with the Judge Advocates Office, Holland developed a proficiency for speaking Japanese and served as a translator. Upon his honorable discharge from the military in 1948, Holland reentered the University of South Carolina and, under a combined program of undergraduate and law school studies then available, earned a law degree in 1951. While concluding his studies at the University, Holland sought election to the South Carolina House of Representatives for Kershaw County. His election in 1950, at age 21, began over one-half century of continuous public service under 11 governors. Holland's six terms in the House of Representatives were followed by five years of service on the State Highway Commission and 35 years of service in the South Carolina Senate. At the time of his death, Holland was the longest-serving lawmaker in South Carolina. In South Carolina's post-colonial history, only three persons have provided more years of combined House and Senate service than Holland. In 1999, Holland was honored by the National Conference of State Legislators for having a tenure of service placing him among the ten most senior legislators in the country. His long tenure was one of remarkable accomplishment. In addition to chairing the Senate's standing committees on Judiciary, General Laws, Corrections and Penology and Fish, Game and Forestry, Holland was the catalyzing force and chairman behind many of the body's most influential study committees and special committees. In the 1970s and 1980s, Holland led the state's efforts to reform and modernize its election laws and laws governing criminal prosecution and conviction. A champion of an effective and fair criminal justice system, Holland served as chairman of nearly all legislative conference committees, which produced significant legislation within the past 20 years in the areas of support of victims of violent crime, substantive criminal reform and drug interdiction. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1995 until 2001, Holland devoted much of his energy and attention to children's issues and domestic violence. In recognition of his efforts, the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network named Holland ``The Outstanding Legislator of the Year for 1999-2000.'' In 1988, Holland, serving as chairman of the General Assembly's Screening Committee for Candidates for the Public Service Commission, began a 15-year effort to reform the qualifications of public service commissioners. Within the most recent legislative session and working in the bipartisan manner with which he was most comfortable, Holland's crusade for change in the Public Service Commission brought to the forefront legislation accomplishing significant reform. Holland also provided stable leadership to the Senate as chairman of its Redistricting Committee during the late 1980s and 1990s. Of his accomplishments, Holland was most proud of his ability to serve his neighbors. His able service to the far- flung reaches of his geographically-large Senate district resulted in progress coming to areas where it was not a common visitor. Often recollecting the dire needs of South Carolinians during his boyhood, Holland stubbornly held to making sure that rural South Carolinians were not forgotten. His well-known devotion to these interests resulted in his having a statewide constituency. Holland was a member of Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church, the VFW, American Legion and Woodmen of the World. He was a 33rd degree Mason and a Shriner. Consistent with his abiding love of history, Holland was a member of the Kershaw County Historical Society and the South Carolinian Society, the repository for his personal and political papers. Holland was predeceased by his stepmother, Ruby Gordon Holland. Besides his widow and daughter, he is survived by brothers of Camden, Dr. Alton Holland and Carl Holland; four sisters, Margaret Holland Ford of Camden, Maxine Holland Humphrey of Camden, Zulene Holland Dougherty of Camden, Sandra Holland Hatcher of Florence; a number of nieces and nephews; his beloved dog, Maggie, and cat, Bully. The family suggests those wishing to make memorials may do so to Cassatt Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 110, Camden, SC 29032; the Beulah United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 820 Beulah Church Road, Camden, SC 29020; the South Carolina Troopers Association, 4961 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212; or to the charity of one's choice.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is a wonderful time of the year in South Carolina. It is a time when families from all over the State bring their children and friends to the State Fair in Columbia. The tradition of our State Fair dates back 134 years, when it started as an agricultural convention sponsored by the State Agriculture and Mechanical Society of South Carolina, raising funds for charities. Its facilities are a great resource for expositions and conventions year-round. Today, the Fair attracts almost 600,000 people who come to enjoy educational exhibits, arts and crafts, livestock, games, rides and popular entertainment. I am proud to have attended the Fair since my childhood, and I am proud to recognize this as an example of the American spirit of community. I want to thank Society President Cante Heath and Fair Manager Gary Goodman for their hard work in making this year's Fair a tremendous success. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in wishing the people of South Carolina a safe and enjoyable time at this year's State Fair. In conclusion, may God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this motion to instruct. The Department of Labor is attempting to modernize overtime pay regulations that are over 50 years old, yet there are many that are distorting their common-sense efforts. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 has not been amended since 1949, and only protects overtime pay for employees earning under $8,060, below even minimum-wage standards. The Department of Labor has proposed new regulations that would guarantee overtime pay for anyone making less than $22,100. This means an additional 1.3 million low-income workers will be guaranteed overtime pay regardless of any other criteria. Critics have argued that anybody making over $22,100 would lose their ability to receive overtime pay. That is not correct. The truth is, according to the Department of Labor's new standards, only certain white-collar employees who meet specific tests will qualify for exempt status. All other employees, regardless of their income, would be guaranteed overtime pay. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to help give overtime pay security to 1.3 million additional low-income workers and support the new 541 regulations and oppose the motion to instruct.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. I appreciate so much the opportunity to be here tonight. I want to thank the gentleman for his efforts because he cares about the people of Iraq. He cares about the people of America, because that is what we are talking about, the security of the people of the United States. We are in a war against terrorism. It began, not of our own making, on September 11, 2001. We are responding to a very vicious enemy, being the terrorists who have determined that the targets of their attack are the people of the United States. And so I thank you for doing this. I additionally want to point out that the people who are here tonight, this is the largest outpouring I have ever seen of people who are genuinely concerned about our country, about the war on terrorism. I also want to point out that I particularly appreciate your pointing out the situation of how we assisted in the redevelopment of Germany after World War II. That is exactly what we are doing right now. The reason that we redeveloped Germany was not to show any appreciation of the war that they brought upon the world during World War II, but it was to redevelop Germany so it would not be a breeding ground for Communists because that is where we were. We were getting ready, as we all knew, to go into the Cold War. And we were able to redevelop Germany, and then we were able to defeat the Communists. The exact same principle is at hand here. We are trying to redevelop Iraq so that we can avoid Iraq continuing, it already has been, now we need to stop it, as a breeding ground, a country that supported or harbored terrorists, because we are in a war against terrorism. We defeated communism. We can defeat terrorism thanks to the efforts of the people who are here tonight. It is really very heartwarming that the opportunity I had, I returned 2 weeks ago from the visit to Iraq. This was a trip put together, a congressional delegation, by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking Democrat on the Committee on Armed Services, and one of the very fine persons with us was the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall). I want to congratulate him on his courage. He has been very outspoken in what he saw in Iraq. He saw the progress that the American forces and the coalition forces from all over the world, from 32 countries that are serving in Iraq. In fact, in today's Washington Post, I would like to commend him, and he will be appearing apparently in a few minutes, on an op-ed which appeared in today's Washington Post. He had an excellent op-ed in the Atlanta Constitution. I just want to read one part. I do not mean to preempt his ability to speak this evening, but the gentleman from Georgia indicated, ``I went to Iraq a couple of weeks ago to resolve for myself the recent contrast between gloomy news coverage and optimistic Pentagon reports of our progress. My trip left no doubt that the Pentagon's version is far closer to reality.'' Mr. Speaker, the text of the op-ed is as follows: [From the Washington Post, Oct. 1, 2003] Don't Play Politics on Iraq (By Jim Marshall) My first trip to a combat zone occurred in 1969. I was a 21-year-old staff sergeant, naive as hell, a freshly trained Army Ranger who had left Princeton University to volunteer for ground combat in Vietnam. I vividly recall feeling way out of step with my Ivy League colleagues. Well, that same out-of-step feeling is back. But this time it's about Iraq and involves some of my professional colleagues, political leaders and activists who carelessly using words, and phrases such as ``quagmire,'' ``our failure in Iraq,'' ``this is just another Vietnam,'' or the ``Bush administration has no plan.'' I went to Iraq a couple of weeks ago to resolve for myself the recent contrast between gloomy news coverage and optimistic Pentagon reports of our progress. My trip left no doubt that the Pentagon's version is far closer to reality. Our news coverage disproportionately dwells on the deaths, mistakes and setbacks suffered by coalition forces. Some will attribute this to a grand left-wing conspiracy, but a more plausible explanation is simply the tendency of our new media to focus on bad news. It sells. Few Americans think local news coverage fairly captures the essence of daily life and progress in their hometowns. Coverage from Iraq is no different. Falsely bleak Iraq news circulating in the United States is a serious problem for coalition forces because it discourages Iraqi cooperation, the key to our ultimate success or failure, a daily determinant of life or death for American soldiers. As one example, coalition forces are now discovering nearly 50 percent of the improvised explosive devices through tips. Guess how they discover the rest. We not only need Iraqi tips and intelligence, we need Iraqis fighting by our side and eventually assuming full responsibility for their internal security. But Iraqis have not forgotten the 1991 Gulf War. America encouraged the Shiites to rebel, then abandoned them to be slaughtered. I visited one of the mass graves, mute testimony to the wisdom of being cautious about relying on American politicians to live up to their commitments. For Iraqis, news of America's resolve is critical to any decision to cooperate with coalition forces, a decision that can lead to death. Newspaper start-up ventures and sales of satellite dishes absolutely exploded following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. With this on top of the Internet, Iraqis do get the picture from America--literally. Many in Washington view the contest for the presidency and control of Congress as a zero-sum game without external costs or benefits. Politicians and activists in each party reflexively celebrate, spread and embellish news that is bad for the opposition. But to do that now with regard to Iraq harms our troops and our effort. Concerning Iraq, this normal political tripe can impose a heavy external cost. It is too soon to determine whether Iraqis will step forward to secure their own freedom. For now, responsible Democrats should carefully avoid using the language of failure. It is false. It endangers our troops and our effort. It can be unforgivably self-fulfilling. Democratic candidates for the presidency should repeatedly hammer home their support, if elected, for helping the Iraqi people secure their own freedom. It is fine for each to contend that he or she is a better choice for securing victory in Iraq. But in making this argument, care should be taken not to dwell on perceived failures of the current team or plan. Americans, with help from commentators and others, will decide this for themselves. Instead of being negative about Iraq, Democratic presidential candidates should emphasize the positive aspects of their own plans for Iraq. Save the negative attacks for the issues of jobs and the economy. Iraqis are far less likely to support the coalition effort if they think America might withdraw following the 2004 election. Finally, no better signal of our commitment to this effort could currently be provided than for Congress to quickly approve, with little dissent or dithering, the president's request for an additional $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course no one wants to spend such a sum. But it is well worth it if it leads to a stable, secular representative government in Iraq, something that could immeasurably improve our future national security. I minored in journalism at Washington & Lee University, and I served as a reporter for the Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. What I have seen in Iraq is really sad, and that is that the level of news reporting has been of the police blotter, and that is that in lieu of covering what is going on in a community, a country, a State or a capital, what has occurred is that the reporters have gone to the police station, gotten the very negative reporting of incidents of violence, level of violence, and then reported that as the news. That is inappropriate. I would hope that they would cover the positive. I brought some indications, I feel like show and tell tonight, but I brought several items that I want to show that I believe indicate the progress. First of all, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) has been so good in bringing to our attention earlier today on the floor of Congress that the schools have reopened today, October 1, 2003, in Iraq. This is very significant. Many of the schools were closed, particularly in communities that did not support Saddam Hussein. Thanks to the work, the civil action projects of the American military, the schools have reopened. By American standards, we would be appalled. These are one-room schoolhouses that have been repainted; we are not talking about elegant schoolhouses, but they reopened today. When they did reopen, the teachers and the students were given tablets so they could write on them what they learned and what they were having the ability to learn. For the first time, they were in classrooms where they were not given propaganda. The propaganda in subliminal messages on the mathematics were how evil the Western world is, how evil the American people were. Now they know that there is an open society in the United States and in the Western democracies, and it is one that can be positive for the people of Iraq. I am excited. Today is a big day for the people of Iraq. Over 1.5 million students have received the new textbooks and the new book bags to carry and go to school. Another indication of progress is the money itself of Iraq. Those of us in South Carolina are very proud that George Wolfe, who is the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Treasury, is serving with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq in one of Saddam's palaces. What they are doing is that on October 15, 2 weeks from today, they will be turning in the money which is currently in Iraq and they will be, first of all, deleting the dictator Saddam Hussein's picture, and the new money will be issued. It will be dinars. It will be from what we have learned from prior experience, and that is, it will not be currency manipulation; the people will receive dinar per dinar. It will be of the new money. It is being done at 150 locations in a very large country, 26 million people throughout the country to turn in the money, and Saddam Hussein will be gone in terms of the money. That is very important. A final point in my show and tell tonight, it was very exciting for me to be with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) to visit the reopening of the Kisik Oil Refinery. This is very significant. It is in the northern part of the country. The person who really coordinated this is General David Petraeus of the 101st Airborne Division. They had the opportunity, again just 2 weeks ago, of reopening this refinery. It had closed 4 years ago; under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, the refinery had closed. But it was reopened. Now we have production of gasoline and kerosene which will be used by the people of northern Iraq, it will be traded to the country of Syria. Syria was so confident of all things, and that had not been identified as one of the countries that has been favorable to us, but Syria actually provided, by way of barter, electricity several weeks ago, anticipating the opening of the refinery so that this electricity could be forwarded into northern Iraq, which is already democratically operating and operating fully, and it will be sent to Baghdad. And so we saw firsthand tremendous progress. I want the American people to know the progress that has been made, how much we appreciate the sacrifices of the Armed Forces that are serving there, the competence of their leadership and themselves; and for the family members who have young people serving in Iraq, the equipment that is there, the technology to protect our troops. And I say that as a parent of three people in the military, as a retiree 2 months ago yesterday of 31 years in the Army National Guard. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona for his leadership as we bring this. It should not be, but it seems to be new news to the people of the United States.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1276, the American Dream Downpayment Act, and I want to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) for his leadership. I want to commend the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris) for her wonderful leadership on this issue, and then my colleague the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers) who has from the beginning been such an important part as he understood and eloquently explained the bill just now. More than two-thirds of all Americans own their own home. However, fewer than half of all African American and Hispanic families are homeowners. For these families, one of the biggest barriers to homeownership is the inability to afford the downpayment and closing costs associated with purchasing a home. This legislation seeks to help close this homeownership gap by making $200 million in grants available to more than 40,000 first-time, low-income families to help them achieve the American dream of homeownership. This is especially important to the 2nd Congressional District of South Carolina where many families would greatly benefit from this legislation. Too often, the dream of raising your family in your own home seems far out of reach. As a former real estate attorney, I know firsthand the joy of working with first-time home purchasers, especially because I worked pro bono with the meaningful Habitat for Humanity program, along with the Home Builders Association and the Realtors Association. Further, the American Dream Downpayment initiative will help low- and moderate-income families build wealth. Consider that the average homeowner's assets total $70,000, while the average low-income renter's assets are below $1,000. Equity in a home, the primary asset held by most American families, is the best mechanism that families have for wealth creation. We can use our homes to send our children to college, to start small businesses and to build better lives. In short, homeownership makes family stakeholders in their communities. H.R. 1276 will increase the rights of stakeholders and bring stability and a new revitalization to our communities. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1276. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of President George W. Bush's supplemental request of $87 billion for the war on terror. This will support our troops who were historically successful in combat and helped develop Iraq so that we can win the peace. After World War II, America led the effort in the Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany. We prevented Germany from becoming a breeding ground for Communists and we defeated communism. Today we can redevelop Iraq and prevent it from becoming a breeding ground for terrorists and we will defeat terrorism. This funding is mutually beneficial for the people of America and Iraq. We cannot abandon the newly freed people of Iraq and allow the terrorists to regain strength. We can either fight the terrorists overseas or on the streets of America. I believe that every dollar of this supplemental is a weapon which will help save American lives. I encourage Members to stand firm in our promise to win the fight in the war on terror. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, an American hero, Althea Gibson, died Sunday at the age of 76. Gibson was a champion tennis player, the first black athlete to compete in the U.S. Open, in 1950, and at Wimbledon, in 1951. She went on to win major tournaments, including the Wimbledon and U.S. Opens in 1957 and 1958, the French Open, and three doubles titles at Wimbledon. In golf, she was the first African-American woman on the LPGA tour. Althea Gibson was born in South Carolina, raised in Harlem, New York, and went on to become an outstanding professional tennis and golf player. She carried herself with grace and dignity and is a role model for millions of young Americans learning to break down racial barriers. Althea Gibson's tremendous character and talent allowed her to make great progress for civil rights while playing tennis and golf, much in the same way Jackie Robinson did in baseball. She will always be remembered and is greatly missed. In conclusion, God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, for his insightful speech yesterday at The Heritage Foundation. The Majority Leader clearly reminded us that we are a nation at war, engaged in a historic battle against enemies of freedom and liberty. Yet, just two years after September 11th, instead of consistently working together to defeat international terrorism, some of my colleagues seem more intent on criticizing our Commander in Chief. Sadly, as Majority Leader DeLay said, ``In the face of two of the swiftest, most humane, and most successful military campaigns in human history, they descend to name calling. A political party must offer more than anger and name-calling, they must offer a positive agenda. They cannot just criticize, they must offer solutions. The American people, do not want petty partisan politics and constant nitpicking, they want safety and security from terrorism. The Majority Leader correctly reminded us, ``The United States is at war, and we want the nation--and its political parties--united behind our common mission to defeat global terror.'' In conclusion, may God bless our troops.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. What is also very impressive, too, is that when, in fact, we talk about other countries, such as Germany, and how we helped restore democracy to Germany, we cannot say that about Iraq. Iraq has never had a democratic history. So this is a new challenge. And I think it is extraordinary, as my colleague pointed out, that the Zogby poll indicated there is a favorable desire. What I found so impressive in talking to the troops from my home State of South Carolina, and it was an informal setting, it was not contrived, there were no ranking officers there to make sure everybody said the right thing at the right time, they told me in walking the streets of Baghdad, which was really surprising, again, that they would be walking the streets of Mosul, that the people really impressed them as to their education level and their knowledge of issues. So there is really a bright future because of the people who live in that country and who deserve a chance. Another point that was so exciting too, as we flew over by helicopter, we could see the number of satellite dishes. Prior to March, with the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime, there were no satellite dishes. Just as in North Korea, it is illegal to have a satellite dish in a totalitarian regime. But we saw hundreds, possibly thousands of satellite dishes, where people could stay in touch with what is going on in the world. They could receive the various networks from around the world by satellite. This is a new development which I think will be encouraging for democracy.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our Commander in Chief's supplemental request for the military operations and reconstruction projects in the war on terror. We have won the war in Iraq, and we must continue supporting our troops so we can win the peace. Media accounts paint a bleak picture of the postwar efforts in Iraq, but I can tell Members some are only reporting the negative. Having just returned last week from a visit to Iraq, I saw firsthand the extraordinary successes our men and women have achieved in bringing relief to the people of Iraq. Schools and hospitals are opening throughout the country, and business areas are filled with traffic and shoppers. Led by General Sanchez, our troops are making progress in the war on terror we must win. Americans should be proud of our men and women whose sweat and blood have brought freedom and new hope to Iraqis. I urge my colleagues to support President Bush's supplemental request. May God bless our troops.