Timothy Walz

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2199. I want to thank my colleague from Maine for sponsoring this piece of legislation; also thank my colleague from Maine (Mr. Michaud), who's been a leader on this issue and veterans issues in general; grateful that he introduced this piece of legislation, and grateful that he allowed a piece of legislation that I had introduced establishing the five TBI centers around the country. I'd also like to thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Indiana, for his thoughtful guidance on the colocation of those facilities. I think it's absolutely the right thing to do. I think it concentrates our resources and our expertise. So I thank him for that addition to it. The colocation at the polytrauma centers is the right thing to do. The research that's being done there is world class. And I think an example of how we can enhance that comes from, and you just heard one of my colleagues speaking about this injury. I visit the VA centers every Veterans Day for the last quite some time. And several years ago there was a young man from Michigan there, and he had suffered a traumatic brain injury. He had survived a shrapnel wound, but his brain had literally been turned inside of his head. And because of the great care he was receiving there, he was stabilized, and he was starting to rehabilitate. This bill will allow us to enhance his recovery, starting to reintegrate him back to the life that he knows and that he should be able to live. On this floor we're going to continue to debate the wars. We're going to continue to see the debates divide us on the war in Iraq. This Congress, and I thank the ranking member, and the chairman for allowing the care of our veterans to bring us back together. Regardless of how we feel on this war, this Congress and this committee is proving that the 110th Congress can and will advance crucial legislation like H.R. 2199. So I thank you both. I thank my colleagues.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Chairman, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their outstanding work on this incredibly important piece of legislation. I offer a simple amendment, and I rise in support, encouraging my colleagues to support the amendment. After spending 24 years in the Army National Guard, I know that members of our Armed Forces don't join the military simply for the benefits that are there. But I also know that benefits can help improve retention and aid servicemembers when they return to civilian life. One benefit that has given our servicemembers a problem over the years is the Federal Tuition Assistance program. This program is based on a first-come, first-serve benefit. Servicemembers join up thinking this is a guaranteed benefit only to find out that the funding has run out. While serving in the National Guard and now as a Member of Congress, I have heard numerous complaints weekly about this program. My amendment would direct DOD to report relevant information on this program by telling us how many servicemembers are eligible for this and how many receive the benefit. The study would examine the program's effect on retention as well as how it interacts with State tuition assistance programs. We owe our servicemembers the benefits they are promised. This amendment would give us the necessary information to improve the program, to maximize the use of our dollars, and get it directed at our soldiers who need it. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2179, the Traumatic Brain Injury Centers Act. I introduced this bill because traumatic brain injury, or TBI, has become the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and it needs our Nation's full attention. While new forms of military technology are routinely saving soldiers' lives from deadly explosive attacks, these survivors often return home suffering from TBI. Veterans suffering from TBI may have trouble relearning simple skills or might be left permanently unable to perform daily functions. H.R. 2179 would help veterans and their families cope with TBI by creating five traumatic brain injury centers. These centers would conduct TBI research, develop improved models for TBI care, and provide education and training on TBI for VA staff. While the VA has built an impressive medical system that includes polytrauma centers, H.R. 2179 would ensure that the VA system includes centers solely focussed on TBI. These centers will be the focal point for research and education dealing with this injury. As American servicemembers return home, many of them suffering from TBI, we owe them nothing less than the highest quality care this Nation can provide.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago today, President Bush landed for a photo opportunity on an aircraft carrier in front of a banner that said ``Mission Accomplished'' and declared an end to major combat in Iraq. Four years later this President refuses to even discuss the reality of a military mission that has entered its fifth year. Yesterday the President vetoed only the second bill that has ever come to his desk. He called it a ``prescription for chaos and confusion.'' I ask, how is that different from what we have now? He refuses to even hold the Iraqis accountable for making political, economic or diplomatic reforms that he promised and they promised to make. He's holding up funding for our troops and for our veterans. But what exactly is the President waiting for? Now that the President has rejected our legislation, he has the responsibility to tell the American people how many more years does he expect us to stay. Do you think it will be 5? Maybe 10? And what exactly do the ground conditions look like in order to have us beginning to withdraw? Wishful thinking, political talking points and rigid ideology do not make good foreign policy. This President was wrong when he declared an end of combat operations, and he has been consistently wrong about every single thing in Iraq. It's time that this President works with the new Congress, elected by the majority of the American people, so that we can bring about a change to this war and truly secure America.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably absent from the chamber yesterday, April 25, 2007. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 259.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, the conference agreement reached between the House and the Senate on the Iraq accountability bill provides more funding than the President has asked for our troops, more for our veterans, while forging a new direction in Iraq. This bill will hold the President accountable for meeting his own military readiness standards. The Iraqi Government will also be held accountable for the first time for meeting political, economic, and security benchmarks that the administration itself has set. This Congress must pass this legislation, because our troops have performed magnificently. The administration has failed. They have failed to hold the Iraqis accountable. President Bush criticizes our time lines, while both Secretary Gates and General Petraeus admit there is no military solution, and Secretary Gates even called the time lines in the bill ``constructive'' and ``helpful'' in pushing the Iraqis to a solution. Madam Speaker, this Congress has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable for war to the American public. The President will have the opportunity to sign this bill on the fourth-year anniversary of his declaration of ``mission accomplished.'' I and the vast majority of the American people urge him to do so.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Concurrent Resolution 121.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1677, the Taxpayer Protection Act of 2007. Every year thousands of taxpayers receive smaller refunds than they are entitled to. Our Tax Code is so inaccessible and complicated that many families do not claim all of the credits they so sorely need. The Taxpayer Protection Act of 2007 will improve communication between taxpayers and the IRS. By encouraging the Internal Revenue Service to reach out to those that may qualify for the earned income tax credit, we will save struggling families many thousands of dollars Tax preparation is a multibillion-dollar business in America. It is useful to those who can afford it, but no one should be forced to hire an accountant or a preparer just to ensure that they can enjoy the benefits that many of us take for granted. Nor should the industry be able to prey on taxpayers with unfair refund anticipation loans. This piece of legislation will improve the safeguards against fraud. By increasing reporting requirements on the IRS, the agency will become a vital component in the important fight against identity theft. As many Americans rush to file their taxes on time this week, we all want to feel secure that the refund we receive is no more or less than we deserve.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act of 2007. First of all, I would like to thank the chairman from California. I would like to thank the ranking member from Indiana for his leadership and colleagues on both sides of the aisle for introducing this timely bill that responds to the needs of our soldiers. Their leadership on both sides of the aisle is a testament to the 110th Congress' commitment to caring for this Nation's active duty forces and veterans. The commitment to veterans can show no political ideology. As a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard of this Nation, and the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in this Congress, I know that taking care of active duty forces and our veterans is one of the most important issues facing this country and this Congress. I, as all Americans, was outraged and saddened when we read reports of substandard care and unacceptable conditions at Walter Reed. Our Armed Forces and their families sacrificed too much to receive poor active duty care and difficulties in transitioning to veterans care. H.R. 1538 will fix these problems. It will be done in a bipartisan manner and this piece of legislation has the possibility of starting to heal some of the divisions amongst this Nation, as we all agree, on the care of our veterans as a priority. This bill will provide more staff to work with outpatient servicemembers. It will improve training for medical staff. It will find ways to better transition from active duty to veterans care, and it will create an oversight board for wounded warriors that they will properly investigate the quality of care our veterans are receiving in a timely manner. I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, regardless of political ideology, to support this bill. We must give our brave servicemen and -women the care they deserve, while serving our Nation. We must continue to address the need for their ongoing care once they hang up their uniforms, that they have performed their service to this Nation with honor, pride and dignity. Now this Congress must do its job, provide the tools, the funding and the oversight necessary to ensure quality care for every soldier that serves this Nation.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and a special thank you to my colleague, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell) for introducing this important piece of legislation in honor of Joshua Omvig and his family and the heroics and sacrifice they made for our country, and for bringing it to the attention of this body and this Nation, this painful problem of suicide amongst our veterans. Mr. Speaker, you have heard a lot of statistics today already. Ten percent of the population in America are veterans, yet one in five people who commit suicide is a veteran. Since May of 2003, 93 of our brave soldiers and warriors from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their own lives. Beyond that, 35 percent of returning Iraqi veterans are seeking counseling within 1 year. Over 73,000 have been diagnosed as a risk factor, and 39,000 have been diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder. Despite all of this, 100 local VA clinics offered no mental health care as recently as last year. But these are far more than numbers. These affect individuals. These are our children. These are our soldiers. These are our marines. These are the patriots that answered the call of duty for this Nation. And when they return home, we need to provide them with everything this Nation can provide. Suicide amongst veterans, and mental health issues as a whole, require our urgent and immediate attention. H.R. 327 will direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to start screening and monitoring for the exact problems, provide education to all staff, contractors, and medical personnel, and make available 24-hour mental health care for veterans found to be at risk. Just last week, I saw a unique teleconferencing technology at the Rochester, Minnesota, VA clinic. It allowed veterans in remote rural locations to speak with mental health professionals any time of the day. This technology is innovative and unique. H.R. 327 is a crucial step to ensure that this type of technology is not unique but it is available at any time for our veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. America's servicemembers make a profound sacrifice when they go to war. We owe them nothing less. But, Mr. Speaker, we must not stop here. In Minnesota, 2,600 National Guard soldiers have had their deployment extended, probably until late 2007. They will come back facing these same issues. We must prepare for them.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio, and so eloquently put. It is a new opportunity in America. It is one of optimism. We have got a lot of work to do, but Americans always rise to the challenge in the time of the greatest challenge. I think it is important to realize that this place we are standing, this sacred hall, this is the people's House. This is the first branch of government in the Constitution. This branch is coequal to the other two branches, and our duty of providing oversight and accountability is not something that we get to pick and choose on. It is our constitutional responsibility. When I hear people entrust me, you will hear people in this very chamber start using the term ``micromanage.'' It seems to me there is a place where they dream up these words that they just keep repeating and repeating. Well, I can tell you what, micromanage, call it what you may, could be oversight and accountability also, and I ask my constituents, would you like a little oversight and accountability at Walter Reed? Would you like a little accountability on the situation in Iraq? Would you like a little accountability on what you hear on some of the things that are happening? And the answer is yes. Sunshine truly is the best antiseptic. This new Congress has been here for 2 months, and there is a new way of doing business. It is the way that this country was laid out under the Constitution. It is the one that has served us best for over 230 years, and it is the one that we will continue to use that will provide the American people with the best government possible. I thank the gentlelady, I thank my good colleague from Wisconsin for the opportunity to be here with you, and I look forward to many more opportunities to do the Nation's bidding the way it should be.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to illustrate to the American people exactly what we are talking about when accountability and oversight fail. There are ramifications. Some may go unnoticed; others are absolutely horrific. In the past several weeks, we have seen one of those examples. And the sad part is most people were not surprised. Most people have looked at this issue. I want to talk about accountability and oversight. This Congress and our leadership are making sure we get our job done here. They are working us 5 days a week most weeks. My constituents back home, they don't have a lot of sympathy when they hear we are working Monday through Friday in the Capitol. That is what we were elected to do. That is what we were hired to do in their name. I hear my friends on the other side of the aisle talk about, what do we have to do the whole time we are here? We are not voting the whole time, and the answer is, do our job providing oversight and accountability. Keep in mind, the entire last Congress had 30 oversight hearings. In the first 8 weeks, we have had 100. Getting the job done for the American people means acting as a coequal branch in the responsibility of being fiscally responsible with their money, putting policy forward that benefits everyone, and making sure that the follow through is done on that. I want to mention something as it pertains to our veterans and let people understand where this starts exactly. Make no mistake about budgets, budgets are far more than accounting. We hear our friends on the other side of the aisle talk about accounting and putting money in Americans' pockets. They talk about they have never met anyone who did their own taxes. Well, I came to this Congress straight from the public school classroom, never having run for elected office before. I was teaching high school geography a few months ago. I can tell them on a high school teacher's salary, I was doing my own taxes. And when they talk about a budget in terms of only being what is left in the pocket, they forget that budgets are moral documents. They are a reflection of our national values. How we prioritize those values is an absolute reflection of what we believe is most important in this Nation. Now, I also come to you not just as a teacher but as a 24-year veteran of our armed services and our Army National Guard. I think the highest distinction that I could ever claim--at this time, I am the highest ranking enlisted soldier or servicemember that has ever served in this exalted body; it is something that I am very proud of. Those people who know something about the military, I retired as a command sergeant major. The command sergeant major has one responsibility: Take care of the troops. Nothing else. That means feed them, clothe them, pay them, make sure their health is taken care of, and train them to complete their mission. That's what you need to do. Well, I am now a member of the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, and what has happened at Walter Reed and what is going to happen again is not an anomaly. It was a decision. It was a decision that resulted from a failure in leadership and a bigger failure in accountability and oversight. And the saddest part about this is, the saddest, most tragic part about this was, it was totally avoidable. Our veterans' service organizations, from the DAV to the Paralyzed American Veterans, to the Blind Veterans of America, to the Legion, all of these organizations understood what was coming. I would like to just talk a little bit about, and illustrate, how the budget impacted what happened and how the lack of leadership and the lack of accountability led to that. The chart I have up here is showing this is the VA treating many more Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Every soldier who serves in these wars will, one day, be a veteran. Now, it does not come as a surprise to most Americans, since 2003, when the war started in Iraq, we have seen a steady increase in the number of soldiers that are going to be treated. Seems pretty logical. Most people anticipated that was going to come. The number of VA health care patients in general continued to rise. We have an aging generation from our World War II veterans to our Korean War veterans to our Vietnam veterans. They are continuing to rise at a steady rate. Every single veteran service organization predicted this. Every single person involved with this predicted this. Now, we are finding out we have not had enough money. We have not correctly planned ahead to take care of the warrior after the war. When you choose to fight a war, and make no mistake about it, Iraq was a choice, you understand you accept full responsibility for those warriors, not for the time that they are there, not for the time they are treated in a facility like Walter Reed, but for the rest of their life. In falling short on this, here is how we are going to make up for it. If you will look at our copy here, enrollment fees, pharmacy copayments and third party copayments. This says up here, the President's budget increases fees on veterans. Make no mistake about the language. This is the President's tax on warriors, period. So we saw a situation, increasing number of veterans coming back, budgets that were grossly underestimating the number, that we would need to try and spend the money elsewhere or maybe put the money back in somebody's pocket. When I go to my district, and I ask them the question, do you want a few more dollars in your pocket or do you want to make sure that warrior has a room that shows the dignity that this Nation should provide, and every single one of them will go with the veteran. We must have an open debate in this Congress about accountability, where is this money going to go, where is this money going to come from, and I want Members who agree with this, that this is the way we should do it, to stand in front of the mother from Saginaw, Michigan, who was at the VA hospital in Minneapolis, treating her son with a traumatic brain injury, and tell her she better get the checkbook out and write it out and pay for this because that is exactly what has happened here. When this Congress chose to not hold hearings, to not hold oversight, and to not ask the hard questions, they created the situation at Walter Reed. They created the coming situation on our VA system, and this new Congress has accepted the responsibility and I, as a command sergeant major, retired, stand here and say my responsibility was to take care of those soldiers in my unit. My responsibility now is to take care of all of them. I have absolute confidence in my colleagues that they will provide exactly that. That is what accountability means. That is what oversight means. It is not a gimmick to get reelected. It is not cute words, and for those that say it is hogwash and pay-as-you-go does not matter, I tell them this is what matters. Decide how we take care of our veterans and let us do it the way this Nation knows it should. I know we have a few more things to go over, but this illustration is one that impassions all of us. It is one that did not need to happen, but it is one that I am optimistic holds the silver lining of uniting this Nation over an issue we all care about and getting real results.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. First of all, I thank the gentlewoman. I thank you for your leadership. I thank you for your optimism. I thank you for your service to our country and all of our colleagues here. Every time we come and stand on this floor, it is an overwhelming feeling. It is an overwhelming sense of the greatness of this Nation, as well as the responsibility that goes with standing here. Each and every one of us represents over 600,000 Americans. Their hopes and dreams rest on what we do in this building. This is the most serious task we can ever undertake. As we talk about restoring accountability and restoring trust, nothing is more important. Nothing shapes this Nation more than what we do here. And as we reflect the great values that have made America the country that it is, we need to make sure that it is being done in the way that the Americans want it to be done. They don't care about the partisan ideology. What they care about is results. I hear a lot of talk that actions are what matter. I watched for the last hour as our friends talked about a very important subject across the aisle before we came on. They talked about fiscal responsibility. They are absolutely right, that is something that must be restored. This Nation's hopes and dreams and the investments we make in our children and grandchildren are going to be largely determined by how we handle the fiscal responsibility put on us. The only thing I find curious about the discussion is that our friends are so convinced that nothing works in here they seem to have forgotten to mention that they have been the majority party for 12 years. They seem to have forgotten to mention that they had the executive branch for the last 6 years and both branches of Congress. During that time, we saw record surpluses turn into record deficits. We now have a $9 trillion national debt. We have seen the largest growth in government in a generation. And we have seen services provided to the people shrink and fees increase. So I guess, coming from a high school classroom, sometimes I said it is always very important, those actions matter. Everyone wants to do well and everybody wants to talk about it, but what happens in here truly matters. We have seen the culture of corruption. What I call it is the permanent vacation that Congress was on. Most people realize that the past Congress worked the fewest number of days since the do-nothing Congress of 1948. While we were passing the 100-hour agenda and the things you heard from our friend from Minnesota, all of the things that we accomplished, the previous Congress met for one day in January of 2006. There is a stark contrast here. You are absolutely right. We were sent to this floor to do the people's bidding, not in a partisan manner but in a way that was open, accountable, transparent and actually got the results that we were looking for. I wanted the opportunity tonight to come here and illustrate a couple of things how we are doing business differently, how things have changed in Congress and how these things are tangible, and I am going to bring a couple of these that are very near and dear to my heart. One is about a project back in my district, if I could, Congresswoman, illustrate this just for the people. I will give a little background on it. Because this project had the potential to be the single largest taxpayer loan to a private entity in the history of this Nation, and most people, even in my district, until it was brought to light, knew almost nothing about it. There was a railroad that came from outside the State of Minnesota that was planning on doing that was very important, building rail infrastructure. All of us agree in southern Minnesota that it is needed. We need to move our commodities to market, we have a burgeoning ethanol industry that needs to move our product, and we also have the need to move coal and other commodities on this railroad. Well, this railroad tried for nearly a decade to try and secure private financing for this project. It failed to do so. Late in 2005, a program to give loans to railroads all of a sudden found an extra $32 billion in this program. It was written in by a Senator in the middle of the night in conference committee with specific parameters that would only apply to this railroad to get this loan. This was done in the dark of night. The finances were kept private and out of the public eye, and the decision was going to be made after that conference committee by a set of appointed officials at the Department of Transportation. Now, that in itself is bad enough in the culture of corruption. But it gets worse. Nine months prior to that Senator writing that in there, that Senator was a paid lobbyist, and as hard as it is to believe, for that very railroad. He is elected to the Senate and he puts this in here. No one is doubting that we need rail. What this situation did and what it illustrated perfectly was when government is done badly, no matter what the intention was, it starts a domino effect of distrust and bad decisions. This railroad was going to increase rail traffic up to 36 coal trains a day possibly, one mile long, and it was going to run by the single largest private employer already in my district, 210 feet away. That private employer was the world famous Mayo Clinic. Decisions were not allowed for mitigation, decisions were not allowed to make sure the impact and the safety of the thousands of patients that traveled were addressed. This was a case of special interest and their lobbying friends allowing something to happen that the people of the district had very little say in. I was told all along, it is the railroad and it is the way it is. There is nothing you can do. They are going to be approved for the loan and they are going to start building. My question was that I refused to believe that this body would allow that to happen. I refused to believe that the public's elected official for their district would not have the opportunity to see the financial situation of the railroad, as well as the safety, which, by the way, ranked 43 out of 44 in safety, with one being the best. So upon coming to Congress in January, working bipartisanly across the aisle with our friends, I put forward a bill that would ask that this be evaluated for credit, that this be looked at and see what the finances were, and see if the American people's money was being put at risk. To put this into context, when Chrysler needed to receive a government loan to stay afloat in the early 1980s, this loan was over twice as big than that. That loan for Chrysler was debated for 3 weeks on the floor openly before it was finally voted on and strict requirements for its payback put into place. Well, I am happy to say that the Federal Railroad Administration and the Department of Transportation looked at those finances again and determined that this was not creditworthy and was not worthy of a risk to the American taxpayers. Now, to ensure that this never happens again, we have taken it one step further and passed a bill that Congress must cosign. If we ever try and do this again with $1 billion or more of taxpayer money on a Department of Transportation loan, it is going to come in front of this body and we are going to get a vote and we are going to ask the questions. Is there a need for public investment into our infrastructure? Absolutely. Is there a need for expanded rail travel? Absolutely. Is there a right of private business to come to the government looking for some help so that they can build that infrastructure and profit? Absolutely. But it must be done in the light of day. It must be done with the approval of the American people's elected representative so that they can have the ability to decide if it was right or if it was wrong, and they will decide that in the way they vote in 2 years. So, within 2 months, this Congress is starting to take those responsibilities. They are starting to ask those questions and we are starting to see progress. I can absolutely assure you, and I may never be able to prove this, but I had to think had there not been a change to Congress, had there not been a new focus on trust and accountability and a new way of doing business, we maybe would have never seen the light of day on this. So the people are served well, we have the people's interests at heart, and now we can move forward with a much more responsible plan. So I applaud the Congresswoman for bringing us together. I know we each have several more opportunities to illustrate these. But I hope this one shows the American people, this is not a partisan issue. This is common sense. This is right and wrong. And I applaud those Members on the other side of the aisle that came to us and said, you are absolutely right, this is the way it should be done. I yield back to the gentlewoman.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my deep concern over the recent Department of Defense proposal to remove combat status from American soldiers serving in Kosovo. This summer, roughly 400 Minnesota National Guard soldiers who serve in my district will once again answer the call to duty in Kosovo. Almost every one of these 400 soldiers from my district will be going for the second or third time since September 11. In addition to the financial hardship these soldiers and their families will endure, the Department of Defense is asking them to suffer further by reclassifying this mission. Reclassification will cost American soldiers more than just the $225 a month in hazardous duty pay, the payroll tax exemption and the flights home to see their families. We will all pay for this with the loss of morale. Kosovo suffers from ethnic unrest. The country has unexploded ordnance and American soldiers work to defuse these daily. Mr. Speaker, Kosovo is still a dangerous place. It's revealing that the State Department's assessment is different than the Department of Defense. Foreign service officers receive hazardous duty pay. Ensuring that this mission remains classified as a combat mission is more than about $225 a month to soldiers. It's about doing right for those who risk their lives in defense of this Nation.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, it is a fundamental part of human nature that people will do high-quality work when somebody is keeping an eye on their performance. Businesses need accountants, schools need principals and school boards. Appropriate management and a vigilant watchdog can prevent serious problems and keep things running effectively and efficiently. Well, for 6 years our Federal Government has gone without congressional oversight. This administration has had free rein to do what it pleased, no matter what the consequences. The results simply speak for themselves, Walter Reed, Hurricane Katrina, Iraq. This is all beginning to change. Under Democratic control, the Congress has finally once again assumed its oversight responsibility. Already, in just 3 months we have had 91 full committee hearings, with 73 more planned. In addition, this week the House will consider a series of measures to ensure the Federal Government is open and accountable to the people of America. Mr. Speaker, this congressional oversight is exactly what the people of southern Minnesota asked for, transparent and accountable government for the people. As I campaigned across the First District, I promised to do everything with my colleagues to make this happen, and this week it continues on.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, in his second State of the Union Address, President Bush stood in this very Chamber and told the Nation that the government would take unprecedented measures to protect our people and defend our homeland. As I stand here, almost 5 years after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the President has delivered a budget that will not keep that promise. The President's proposed budget once again provides inadequate appropriations for Homeland Security. President Bush proposes slashing grants to our first responders. This will include massive cuts to both our firefighter grants and our State homeland security grants. It includes cuts to law enforcement and cuts to the Justice Department, and all of this while trying to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. Madam Speaker, this Democratic Congress remains focused on protecting this Nation from the real threat of global terrorism. Democrats are fighting for America's future. We will secure not only our homeland but our families, our jobs and our children's future.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, the failures of this administration are once again on display today. From the failure to plan for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to plan for the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and now we face the unconscionable failure to plan for the care of our veterans at Walter Reed and other facilities across the country. This administration's inability to plan, their total disregard of expert advice, and the President's stubborn refusal to even acknowledge the consequences of marching our country off to war all have led to our servicemembers living in substandard conditions after coming back and fighting for this country. Some of my colleagues deflect this criticism by saying yes, that's true, but what is your plan? Our plan is to actually plan ahead. Most members of the military like myself and the VSOs that support them anticipated the need for added resources to support our veterans at a time of war. But the President continued year after year after year to cut funding resources to the VA. The cost of war must include the cost of caring for our warriors. Now another avoidable crisis is upon us and I say and the country says, Enough is enough. The era of putting politics before the needs of our citizens comes to an end. The American public will not stand for one more day of this incompetence. Now is the time to act. This Congress must exhibit the leadership that will restore the American people's confidence in their government and provide the services to our wounded veterans.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, President Bush recently released his seventh budget, and it is more of the same. The Bush administration's 2008 budget continues the same fiscal irresponsibility of the past 6 years, sending us spiraling ever further into debt while failing to address this Nation's critical issues. During this administration and past Republican-led Congresses, they took a 10-year surplus of $5.6 trillion left over from the Clinton administration and turned it into a $8.2 trillion deficit that mortgages our children's future. Despite the President's continuous promise to balance the budget by 2012, the current budget gets us no closer. Mr. Speaker, this budget is not only fiscally irresponsible, it is morally irresponsible. We should not be piling mounds of debt owed to foreign nations onto the backs of America's children, while giving massive tax cuts to the wealthiest few. Democrats are working to restore fiscal responsibility, economic prosperity for all and pay-as-you-go policy to the Federal budget. It is time the President joined us. The American people already have.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Thank you to my colleague Mr. Speaker, no debate in this House is longer overdue. This debate has been going on for nearly 4 years in houses, in grocery stores, in workplaces, in houses of worship all across America. No greater responsibility rests with us, the people's Representatives, than debating the decisions involved in waging a war. The decision to send our brave men and women into combat is not the end of our responsibility, it is the beginning. This body has a sacred duty to protect this Nation, our citizens, and especially those we send into combat in our name. Constant vigilance, questioning, and adjustments to courses of action are our number one priority, and this newly elected Congress intends to do just that. Some have said that this debate sends a message to our enemies. I would agree. The message our enemies are hearing this week is that democracy in America is alive and well. The message that our enemy is hearing this week is that this Nation will not live in fear of its own shadow and blindly give away those precious liberties that make this the greatest Nation the world has ever known. The message our enemy is hearing this week is this Nation is able and willing to adjust our tactics to focus on the true threats to our security, which come from al Qaeda, and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and by securing our ports and borders. The message they are hearing is that this Nation is no longer willing to wage a war based on political ideology and failed policy. We will wage it on facts and reality. Many of my colleagues have spoken of the need to support our troops. You will get no debate from me nor any other American. By implying that some do not support the troops based on nothing more than political posturing is cynical and divisive. For more than two decades, I served with soldiers, airmen, marines, and not once did I ever see these brave men and women as anything other than patriots. I never saw them as a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent or a Libertarian; nor did they see me as anything but a fellow soldier. The issue that we are debating this week is the execution of this war and the failure of this administration to provide a realistic plan for success. From the start of this war up to this recent plan to send more Americans into Baghdad, this administration has miscalculated, poorly planned, shifted blame and failed to couple our military policies with diplomatic, economic and long-range strategic planning that would have given the soldiers a chance to succeed. Had the previous Congress done its constitutional duty of oversight and accountability, there is a strong likelihood we would be in much better shape today. Even as foreign policy experts, military experts, the Congress and the American public show an overwhelming desire to change course and oppose this escalation, this administration ignores all evidence and stumbles on. This debate marks the new beginning of this Congress's acceptance of our duty to provide the oversight and bring about policy changes based in reality and facts and long-range security needs of this Nation. I have taken two oaths in my life. The first one was as a young man of 17 when I swore my allegiance to the Armed Forces of this country. The second was a month ago when I became a United States Congressman. In both cases I solemnly swore my allegiance to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. I swore alliance to no man. I swore no alliance to a political ideology. I swore only to uphold the laws of this great land and protect with my life, if necessary, the liberties and freedoms we so dearly cherish. This debate today is exactly about that oath. Previous Congresses gave this President the authority to conduct this war in Iraq, which is right, but not the authority to disregard the expert advice, not the authority to take civil liberties from American citizens, and not the authority to disregard our constitutional right in this body as a coequal branch of government. I, like all Americans, wish nothing more than this President had made good decisions and that the situation in Iraq were better. Unfortunately, wishful thinking does not make good foreign policy. But, fortunately, the genius of the Founders of this Nation are on display right now. This Congress, by taking this first step of oversight and accountability, and passing this resolution, will begin to right the ship of state and take this country on a path that will lead to greater security and begin to return our brave men and women back to their families. A few short months ago, I was teaching high school. Call me optimistic and naive, but I do not see where casting a vote in this sacred room is anything but binding. Call me naive again when I hear this is nothing but words on paper. How does that differ from the U.S. Constitution? Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit with two soldiers from my old unit, the proud 34th Red Bull Division. Those two young men are out at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Both John and Tony are being fitted with their prosthetic limbs for the other ones they left behind in Iraq. We spoke of everything from how they were injured, to football, to how to get ready to ski again. I do not know and I do not care about their political ideology. I only care that this Nation honors its commitment by providing everything possible to these brave Americans. Today is the day that I tell Tony and John, we will always support you. We will provide true security to this Nation

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today we will begin a long overdue debate about the President's troop escalation plan, and the Iraq war in general. I spoke earlier this morning, and I had the opportunity to address some of the conflict between the testimony of experts and this administration's wishful thinking in regard to this escalation. What is said here on the floor of Congress, what is said by our experts and what is said by the administration matters. It matters because our troops will be asked to fulfill the mission that comes out of these discussions. Our debate on this resolution is about far more than expressing our disapproval for the President. We offer this debate in the hopes that it will shape the mission that our soldiers are asked to carry out, one that is based on facts and reality, not blind ideology. I retired from the Army National Guard in the spring of 2005, and the unit I served with is now in Iraq. Many of these soldiers were kids that I taught in my high school classroom, that I coached on our football team. They joined my Guard unit, and I trained them. We deployed together in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and now they are deployed again to Iraq. As a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, I know that our soldiers are trained to fulfill the mission they are given, but having a mission that is achievable is the key to any military success. The previous Republican Congress failed to hold the administration accountable for providing a mission that could succeed; and in so doing, they failed to support our troops. Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with a field commander from the Minnesota National Guard serving in Iraq. He told me that our soldiers are performing magnificently, every minute of every hour of every day. That is not the issue at hand here. The issue at hand is providing a mission that can succeed. Mr. Speaker, when we recess for our district work period next week, I will go home and look into the eyes of the families of these soldiers. These are the same families and the men and women who learned on cable television that they would be extended in their tour of duty. These are the same men and women who will face financial loss because many of them had the plan to return to their jobs after an 18-month deployment to work in agriculture and construction businesses, and now they will be delayed in their return. They will miss the critical season. They have been deployed for 2\1/2\ of the last 4 years. Mr. Speaker, we can and must do better by our soldiers. The resolution we will debate today and that I am in support of is meant as a first step to giving them an achievable mission and a chance to return. Our soldiers are trained to fulfill their mission without question. We as civilian leaders have a duty to question it on their behalf. For the past 4 years, this Republican-led Congress has failed in their duty. This resolution is about this Congress standing up and saying we will achieve our duty to the same level of excellence that our soldiers have.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, this week the House will have an opportunity to truly support our troops by having a substantial debate here on the House floor about the President's latest proposal for a troop escalation in Iraq. Some of my Republican colleagues will say that such a debate undermines our troops' efforts in Iraq. Nothing could be further from the truth. How can this Congress stand on the sidelines when the President has been told by his generals, by an independent commission created by the old Republican Congress, by the American people, and by both Democrats and Republicans in the new Congress that this plan will not work? How can this Congress stand on the sidelines while our troops continue to serve as referees in a situation that even our own intelligence agencies say is worse than a civil war? Madam Speaker, the resolution we will begin to debate today has the well-being of our troops first. First and foremost, we support them. We support them by saying enough is enough with the bad planning. The President should not send more troops to Iraq for the simple reason that it will not make any difference on a deteriorating situation on the ground.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007. In Minnesota, methamphetamine usage has increased dramatically over the past decade. With that being said, legislators, law enforcement and concerned citizens are all taking the necessary steps to protect our communities from the threat of methamphetamine usage and production. This legislation addresses the difficult problem of meth lab remediation. Meth production, which occurs most often in residential homes, leaves behind dangerous toxic waste. In fact, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, meth production leaves behind up to 7 pounds of dangerous chemical waste for every pound of meth produced. This waste presents a health risk to future residents and an environmental risk to the surrounding area. In 2005, in Minnesota, 88 major meth labs were discovered, each of which presented significant risk. Although Minnesota has strong local and State guidelines for dealing with meth lab remediation, the Federal Government can still play an important role in making our communities safer. H.R. 365 will direct the EPA to research and establish important voluntary guidelines for meth lab remediation. Furthermore, the bill will bring together local and State agencies, organizations and individuals to share their best strategies for cleaning up meth labs and determining when they are inhabitable. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a necessary step toward improving the meth lab remediation process nationwide. It will help local, State and Federal law enforcement safely move forward after discovering a meth lab, and it will make local communities dealing with the methamphetamine problem cleaner and healthier. I encourage its passage.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report saying that President Bush is understating the number of troops and the amount of money needed to move forward with his troop escalation plan. While the President claims he plans to send 21,500 troops to Iraq, the Congressional Budget Office says the number will be as high as 48,000. As any soldier like myself knows, that to put a combat unit on the ground you need substantial support forces, including personnel to staff headquarters, serve as military police, provide communications, provide mess facilities, engineering and other services. The Congressional Budget Office also said that the President has seriously underestimated the cost of troop escalation. While President Bush claims it should not cost any more than $5.6 billion, the Congressional Budget Office says a 4-month deployment will cost between $9 and $13 billion, 12 months between $20 and $27 billion. This is a 400 percent underestimate. Madam Speaker, this is a serious report that cannot and will not be ignored. President Bush cannot expect Members of Congress to support his troop escalation plan when he is not telling us the whole story on the number of troops and the funds involved to make it happen.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, it is time we restore fiscal sanity to Washington. In 6 short years, Republican policies turned a $5.6 trillion surplus into a $3 trillion deficit. That is an $8 trillion reversal of fortune. And last year, congressional Republicans never came to an agreement on the budget and refused to pass nine of the 11 must-pass appropriations bills before adjourning in December. This isn't how the appropriations process is supposed to work, and the American people know it. Democrats vow we are going to get things done and done on time. This year, Democrats brought much-needed reform to Congress by passing a rules package that require Democrats to pay-as-we-go. This isn't a new idea. From 1990 to 2002, Congresses and administrations of both parties abided by commonsense rules that stated you couldn't cut taxes and increase spending unless you paid for it. Pay-as-you-go was one of the main reasons Washington balanced the books in the 1990s. This week, since Republicans were unable to do their job last year, Democrats will bring a final bill to the floor that will fund key priorities. This bill will allow us to move forward with fiscal sanity.

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for giving me this opportunity. Madam Speaker, I rise in enthusiastic support of House Concurrent Resolution 5 on Hire a Veteran Week. This resolution will recognize the importance of our service men and women by designating an appropriate week as Hire a Veteran Week and will encourage the President to make a proclamation encouraging all employers to hire veterans. I spent 24 years in the Army National Guard and did retire as a command sergeant major. Having recruited, trained, deployed with, and returned home with soldiers of many different ages, I know how difficult it can be to reintegrate into everyday civilian life. These veterans, who have sacrificed so much and asked for so little, deserve to return home to a solid job market and solid finances for their family. We owe it to them to use the power of this body to recognize those sacrifices and encourage our employers nationwide to hire veterans whenever possible. These soldiers are truly the hardest working, noblest Americans we have, and any employer should be fortunate to call these veterans employees. Madam Speaker, I ask the support, the unanimous support, of the entire House in creating a Hire a Veteran Week and encouraging this great Nation to work to employ its veterans. It is the very least we can do for them when they have given so much to us.