congressional ukraine caucus, we strongly condemn russia's dangerous naval assault on ukranian ships. this episode as well as russia's blockade of ukranian ports is a deeply disturbing sign of continued russian aggression in its efforts to tighten its bloody grip in its illegitimate occupation of the crimea peninsula. we join the international community and our nato allies in resolute affirmation that crimea and its surrounding waters belong to ukraine. we call on russia authorities in owe cord answer with international law to crease all interference with access to ukranian ports. russia must end this blood and unjust occupation of ukranians' sovereign territory, end of

quote. . i was in ukraine at the time of the russian attack of the i was at meetings where the president of ukraine spoke out clearly against the russian action on behalf of the people of ukraine. he also spoke out on what was the main aim of russia's military actions, to undermine ukraine's efforts to build democracy. today there is a dangerous tilt to authoritarianism in many places around the world. this makes ukraine's struggle to resist aggression, safeguard its independence and develop democracy all the more important . ukraine has witnessed firsthand that the challenges of democracy are not easily overcome. that makes it all the more important to overcome the threats to democracy, such as injustice and corruption.

the united states must support ukraine in its efforts. we must deepen our determination to help the fight for freedom and democracy never, never making hero -- democracy, never, never making heroes out of dictators. this is what this resolution is all about. may it pass unanimously. i yield back and thank mr. engel and thank my pal from florida. thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm so pleased to yield three minutes or however time he may consume to our esteemed chairman of our foreign affairs committee, mr. royce of california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. last month's russian attack on ukrainian vessels attempting to

pass through the strait is a dramatic reminder of vladimir putin's continued aggression. and this was not an isolated incident. russia has opened a new front in the sea, where it is attempting to choke off ukrainian imports and exports in greatly undermine -- and greatly undermine ukraine's economy. . is is a dangerous escalation in the past moscow has attempted to disguise its armed intervention in ukraine by claiming that its troops and weapons in the eastern regions belong to the separatist entities there. let me share with you the reality that in the east there is russian armor. eliot engel and i traveled to the east, in the russian speaking east of ukraine, with a delegation of four republicans and four democrats. we traveled in order to talk to those who were trying to deal

with the fact that russian military was rolling over provinces in ukraine. but now russia is openly using its own military against ukraine in the territory of crimea that it has illegally occupied and they're using the fleet. the united states and its allies and partners must hold russia accountable. failure to do so may be interpreted by moscow as a green light to go even further. a miscalculation that could result in a dangerous military escalation. this resolution sends two messages. the first is to the ukrainian people, to demonstrate that we remain committed in safetying them in their fight for freedom. and the second, of course, is to moscow. to make clear that the u.s. will oppose russian aggression whenever it occurs.

i urge the president to ensure by his words and actions that moscow understands the potential consequences of its actions and the commitment of the united states to the freedom, sovereignty and independence of ukraine. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from florida reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from florida. -- florida is recognized. the gentleman from new york is recognized to close. mr. engel: ok. all right. i'm happy to close now, mr. speaker. i worry that vladimir putin is becoming emboldened because he's faced no real consequences for his ongoing violations of international law. i'm glad we're considering this resolution today, saying that he should face consequences. i wish we had more time in this

congress to work on legislation that could make those consequences real. i'm committed to staying focused on this issue when we come back in january. and for now i'm glad we're sending this message and i'm glad to stand shoulder to shoulder as i have so many times over the past six years with my friend, ed royce, as we pass this measure. i again thank the gentlewoman from florida, and i ask all members to support this. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you. mr. speaker, ukraine remains under assault from moscow. which is betting that the west is tiring of the struggle and that it is free now to expand its aggression. silence on our part at this critical moment invites miscalculation and an escalation of the conflict. we must demonstrate by our words and actions that we remain fully

committed to assisting the people of ukraine to defend their country. including by providing them with the weapons they need to defeat russia's continuing aggression. a slap on the wrist at this point will not restrain putin and may guarantee the expansion of hostilities that we hope to avoid. we strongly encourage the president to use the authority that congress has provided to impose sanctions on russia and to take action to make clear that we remain committed to the sovereignty of the ukrainian people, and a ukraine that is whole and free. and i want to thank my colleague from new york, mr. engel, for authoring this very important measure. but most importantly, for his consist leadership on ukraine. and at the end of my service in this body, i want to thank him for the many years of friendship and cooperation, as we worked

together to promote the interests and the values of the american people around the world. it has been a real joy. thank you, mr. engel, for sharing that ride with me. and with that, mr. speaker, we yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1162. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the ayes have it. the rules are suspended. the resolution is agreed to. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california -- i'm sorry, the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill,

1918, with the senate amendment thereto, and to conquer in the senate amendment. done concur in the senate amendment. the speaker pro tempore: -- and -- and to concur in the senate amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the bill and the senate amendment. the clerk: for the government of nicaragua unless the government of nicaragua is taking effective steps to hold free, fair and transparent elections and for other purposes. senate amendment. strike all after the enacting clause and -- mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed with. is there any objection to the request of the gentleman? without objection, the senate amendment is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill h.r. 3342, with the senate amendments thereto, and to

concur in the senate amendments. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill and the senate amendments. the clerk: h.r. 3342, an act to impose sanctions on foreign persons that are responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights by reason of the use by hezbollah of civilians as human shields and for other purposes. senate amendments. strike all after the enacting clause and -- mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendments. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed with. is there any objection to the written request of the gentleman? without objection, the senate amendments are agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on foreign affairs be discharged from further consideration of house resolution 931, and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution.

the clerk: house resolution 931. resolution expressing the sense of the house of representatives that the 85th anniversary of the ukrainian famine of 1932 through 1933 known as holo demor shall serve as a reminder of oppressive soviet policies against the people of ukraine. the speaker pro tempore: is there any objection to the consideration of the resolution? the clerk will report the amendment -- for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: mr. speaker, i ask -- i have an amendment to this text. at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. royce of california. strike all after the enacting clause, resolving clause, and insert the following. that the house of representatives -- mr. royce: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, and without objection, the amendment is agreed toonlt resolution is agreed to -- agreed to and the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 1850 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1850. a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 907 fourth avenue in lake odessa, michigan, as the donna sounders -- and sundayers post office. the speaker pro tempore: is there -- saunders post office. the speaker pro tempore: there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed and -- the bill is engrossed, read a third time, and passed.

and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill h.r. 4407 with the senate amendments thereto and concur in the senate amendments. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. and the senate amendments. the clerk: an act to designate the facility of the united states postal service located -- at 3-s-101 rockwell street in warrenville, illinois, as the corporal jeffery allen williams post office building. senate amendments. one, on page 2, line 1, strike jeffrey and insert jeffrey. two, on page 2, line 6, strike jeffrey and insert jeffrey. three, on page 2, line 10, strike jeffrey and insert jeffrey. amend the title so as to read an act to designate the facility of the united states postal service

located at 3-s-101 rockwell street in warrenville, illinois, as the corporal jeffery allen williams post office building. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the written request of the gentleman? without objection, the senate amendments are agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 5205, and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5205, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 701 sixth street in hawthorne, nevada, as the sergeant kenneth eric bostick post office. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed, read a third time, and passed, and the motion to

reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 5475, and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5475, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 108 north bacon street in missouri as the f-02 navy seal adam smith post office. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed and read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. . for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 6059 and

ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 6059, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 51 willow street in lynn, massachusetts, as the thomas p. costin jr. post office building. the speaker pro tempore: is there any observation to consideration of the bill? -- objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is ngrossed, read a third time, passed. itch passed. mitch mitch i ask unanimous consent -- mr. mitchell: i did unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from h.r. 6167. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill the clerk: h.r. 6167, a bill to designate the postal service in west month, illinois, as the james william robinson memorial post office building. the speaker pro tempore: is

there any objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed, read a third time, and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 6335 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 6335, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 322 main street in oakville, connecticut, as the veterans memorial post office. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i have an amendment to the text of the bill. the clerk: strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following -- section 1 -- oakville veterans memorial post office. a, designation. the facility of the united states postal service located at 322 main street in oakville,

connecticut, shall be known and designated as the oakville veterans memorial post office. b, references. any reference in law, regulation, document, paper or other record of the united states to the facility referred to in subsection a shall be deemed to be a reference to the oakville veterans memorial post office. amend the title to read, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 322 main street in oakville, connecticut, as the oakville veterans memorial post office. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the amendment is agreed to. the bill is engrossed, read a third time, passed, and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 6930 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 6930, a bill to

designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 10 miller street in plattsburgh, new york, as the ross boier post office building. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed, read a third time, passes, and -- passed, and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of s. 3209 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. 3209, an act te to 3209, an act to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 413 washington avenue in belleville, new jersey, as the private henry swalview post office building. the speaker pro tempore: is

there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of s. 3237 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 3237, an act to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 120, 12th street lobby in columbus, georgia, as the richard w. williams jr. chapter of the triple nichols 555 p.i.a. post office. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan you seek recognition -- from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchellle: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the -- mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and

government reform be discharged 7230. r. the clerk: a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 226 west main street in lake city, south carolina, as the postmaster frazier b. baker post office. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed, read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 7243 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 7243, a bill to amend public law 115-217 to change the address of the postal facility designated by such public law in honor of sergeant first class allen crendal cash and for other purposes.

the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed, read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. mitchell: mr. speaker, i would like to ask the house come to order, please. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is correct. the house shall come to order. mr. mitchell: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on oversight and government reform be discharged from h.r. 1172 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the clerk: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 172, resolution honoring the life of president herbert walker bush. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the resolution? i would ask that the house come to order. without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend and the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. , r. 7217 by the yeas and nays , 3029 by the yeas and nays s. 825 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as a five-minute vote. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from texas, mr. barton, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 7217 on which the yeas and nays are ordered.

the clerk will report the title of the bill. 17, a bill to . 72 amend title 19 of the social security act to provide states with a option of providing coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions through a health home and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 400. the nays are 11. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, and the bill is passed. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote of the motion of the gentleman from texas, mr. burgess, to suspend the rules and pass s. 3029, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 3029, an act to revise and extend the prematurity research expansion and education for mothers who act, infants early preemie act. the speaker pro tempore: the

question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their vote by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 406. the nays are three. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from alaska, mr. young, to suspend the rules and pass s. 825, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title

of the bill. the clerk: senate 825, an act to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the southeast alaska regional health consortium located in sitka, alaska, and for other urposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 403, the nays are 3. 2/3 being in the affirmative,

the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to econsider is lid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill s. 3119 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: a bill to protect endangered and threatened species of salmon and other onlisted fish species. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? without objection the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid n the table.

the chair announces the speak ear appointment pursuant to section 201-b of the international religion free tom thed 1998, u.s.c. 31 and orer of the house of january 3, 2017, of the following individual on the part of the house to the commission on international religious freedom or a term ending may 14, 2020.

ogaba of: ms. anyarima illinois to succeed mr. daniel imarc. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor john "woody" wood and his loving wife candace, or candy two longtime, dear friends of mine. ohn, affectionately known as "woody" is love by everyone. he boldly fought the status quo as a constituent zen and later as an elected official in the community. as a community servant his creed

was no different. the fought for truth in government an never compromised his integrity and hi word was as good -- was worth his weight in gold. ms. ten nee: moat importantly he made a difference for all those in our community he battled liver cancer which resulted in a liver transplant and new unfortunately our dear friend woody -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is correct, the house is not in order. members will take their conversations off the floor. he house will be in order. ms. ten nee: n -- now our dear friend woody is fighting pancreatic cancer. despite the hardships woody faced throughout his life, he's remained courageous in the face of every foe including cancer. his compassion and sunny outlook on life have been an inspiration to all of us. join me in praying for woody an

candace and their entire family they fight the next bat until woody's life. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. member will take their conversations off the floor. he house will be in order. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey sec recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor richard wright on becoming jersey city, new jersey's first poet laureate in more than a decade. he's a poet slam champion and

recent graduate of jersey city university. mr. payne: he's spent the last years performing poetry throughout my district. his poetry challenges people to change lives. his specken word and written word are full of power that exceeds his age. in a piece of freeze entitled "between lines," he write, as a poet it feels like souls of black folks fire through my lips. he speaks truth through art. and helps elevate everyone who listens. i'm proud to honor a man whose creativity and passion pulls people into poetry. poet laureate rashad wright's story is just the beginning. i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting rashad for his accomplishments and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek

recognition? >> mr. speaker, i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house is not in order. the house will come to order. members will move their conversations off the floor. he house will be in order. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. one of our finest holiday traditions will take place this saturday. wreaths across america. many americans can recall the iconic photograph of wreaths on the tombstones of arlington national cemetery. snow blankets the ground, red ribbons adorn the wreaths that lay on the tombstones as far as the eye can see. this annual tribute ban in 1992 by a maine wreathmaker who

donated 5,000 wreaths to arlington cemetery in honor of fallen heroes. today, wreaths across america has grown into a national organization. a total of 1.2 million wreaths were placed on markers across the country last year and more than 1,400 locations with more than 200,000 at arlington alone. the mission is to remember, honor, and teach. as we remember our loved ones, let us remember as we sell brit with our loved one, let us remember all our military men and women, especially those we have lost in service to this nation. thank you to the wreathmaker and all the volunteers who honor their memory. mr. speaker, i want to thank all our troops serving at home and overseas and wish them a merry christmas and happy new year. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? the gentleman is

>> thank you, mr. speaker. i want to take this -- i'd like to take this time to congratulate florida state university women's soccer team for winning the ncaa national championship over north carolina tar heels and i know we have a lot of tar heels here and i'd like to congratulate them for their work too. mr. lawson: these are extraordinary women that train day in and day out to become the champs that they have -- that they are today. coach mark worked the relationship with his players and it speaks real volume for the work they have been able to accomplish and to develop a program that will continue to produce remarkable results in the future. i hope these young women continue to work hard as they are -- they grow to new heights. i encourage them to carry over the same training, mindset and attitude into all things they

do here in life. i join my fellow alumnist and fans across the nation to say congratulations and go, knolls. with that, mr. speaker, i -- go, noles. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, i want to take this opportunity to honor a great force in our community in houston, texas, in acres home. this coming sunday, he will celebrate 90 years of age but decades in the ministry. reverend dr. f.m. williams, whose father preceded him in the ministry, whose sons have gone on into the ministry. ant october baptist church in acres homes, one of the oldest

churches in our state. he's a warrior. he's a fighter for civil rights and civil justice. he was there on the front lines when the honorable barbara jordan was elected and mickey leeland and before that he was one who would lead the community on addressing the rights -- their rights and the rights to stand against inequality. he was a friend to president george h.w. bush who happened to have represented acres homes before it was -- before we had the 8th congressional district of which i represent. they had a relationship. they fought against drugs in their community -- or in that community, and as well, he believes in education, he believes in young people, he has a church that reaches those who are in need. so tonight, this evening i am delighted to honor his beloved wife and his family members but to say to him, i salute you on your 90th birthday reverend dr.

f.m. williams, you are deserving and, yes, you are a great american. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the . llowing personal request the clerk: leave of absence requested for mr. jones of north carolina for today and the balance of the year. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request s granted. nder the speaker's under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2017, the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. speaker. it is the final showdown scene and while there's no swinging doors, clicking of spurs, eerie signs and sounds of silence or dust swirling behind me, i stand here today in the people's house to speak

probably for the last time. if they would led me cue the soundtrack the king of country, george strait, would sing oh, the last goodbyes, the hardest ones to say, this is where the cowboy rides away. i gave my very first speech as a member of congress from texas on february 1, 2005, after i had come back from iraq to see their first free elections ever. went to iraq along with chris shays, a congressman from connecticut. and since that first speech, some might say i haven't shut up, and well, they're probably right, mr. speaker. i spoke and i understand, according to the congressional record, over 2,000 times in my 14 years serving the good people of the second congressional district of the state of texas. some very well received, i might add. might staff might say, however,

some not so much. they've gotten a few calls over the years asking, did your boss really say that? more often than not, what in the world was he talking about? i've probably spoken more about texas and the way we do things there than anyplace else. you being from louisiana, you understand how important it is to love where we're from. i say things a little bit different than folks up here in washington and, yes, that's washington with an r. i'm not going to relive every moment in a sad song goodbye, but there are few things i came here to say and do in my 14 years and i would like to say some of those again. first of all, thank you you, thank you to the people of the state of texas for trusting me to be their voice, their advocate here in this amazing place, the united states house of representatives. it's been an honor of a lifetime. i came here to advocate for issues that are important,

important back home to folks in texas. and through the mud and the blood and the beer, i fought day and night to make sure that the interests of texas came first, and there are a lot of them, mr. speaker. i vowed that crime victims would have a voice, that those that serve and have served our great nation in the military would receive honors that they earned and deserve, protecting our privacy and making sure our most important right to freedom of speech was fierceless protected, protected by us in the house of representatives. if i look back, my order of priorities came about as an early age. i owe my career in public service to my grandmother, my mother's mother. and i can probably credit her with my outspoken opinions. she instilled in me the nonnegotiable duty to serve. that's what life is all about, to serve.

to serve others. so i have. i've always been in public service. i was in the united states air force reserves. then i taught school. that was too hard, so i went to law school and i became a lawyer and a prosecutor in the district attorney's office in houston where i was the chief felony prosecutor. i spent 22 years on the district court bench in houston, texas, trying criminal cases. and now here in the united states congress. my grandmother educated me in the ways of the world more than anyone in my life, but, unfortunately, to her dismay, i broke her staunchest southern belief -- being a democrat. i don't know that she ever forgave me for being a republican. probably she hasn't. she's still rolling over in her grave wondering what she went wrong all those years. i was a reagan republican from the first time i saw reagan speak at the 1968 republican convention in miami beach when

i was a representative for the college students for reagan. my died in the wool democrat grandmother couldn't stand it and she let me know but that's one of the things i admired most about her. well, to put it nicely, she was bluntly truthful. i never doubted what she said. she had told me it was raining in my house, i would have run home and started putting plastic over the furniture. she taught me to say, that's just the way it is. i think we can all agree i took that lesson pretty well. another person in my life that taught me a lesson or two, some hard ones growing up, i will my add, was my dad virgil powe. now 93, he hasn't -- virgil poe. now 93 he hasn't stopped giving me advice and he doesn't mind giving anybody advice, whether they ask for it or not. he really is the greatest man i know. charter member of the greatest generation, went off to the great world war ii when he was 18.

he represents everything that is good and right about our country. he and my mom, who is also 93, been married for 73 years. she gives me quite a bunch of advice as well. they still live in houston not far from where i grew up. they still go to the same church, and they set examples for our family on how to do things the right way. they are from a generation that believed in god, country, and family, and good old-fashioned american hard work. although they both grew up very poor in the depression, they never thought they were victims. but they believed in that here, only here in america, could they and would they have a good life. it was from then that i learned how important it was to be an american. we are unusual people in an unusual country and we should be proud of that fact. never should we apologize for who we are. we must never forget that what

sets us apart from the rest of the world. it's a basic word. we use it a lot but it has great meaning and that word is freedom. the most important right we have as americans is really the freedom of speech. it's first because it's the most important. it's a very core of who we are as people. without the first amendment, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, the right to petition government, and the rest of the amendments really don't make a lot of sense. and, of course, the second was written to protect the first. some of my friends in texas believe the second amendment is more important than the first, but it's not. it is the second amendment because it is to protect the first. nowhere in the constitution is the word "fair" mentioned. speech is to be free, not necessarily fair. fair means different things to different folks.

fair means to some folks in texas where you take a chicken and cattle on the weekends to the fair. we have an obligation to uphold the law as our forefathers intended. they didn't scribble out these in philadelphia while drinking some demon rum. they were to make sure all people -- and all people held the power and not government have the power. we've seen government grow more and more powerful and intrusive in our lives and our businesses every year. with more and more control over our speech being handed down by the self-appointed, self-righteous speech police, they are running neck in neck with big brother that is digging deeper and deeper into our private lives. the fourth amendment unique to america is say credit and -- sacred to this country and it's sacred, privacy. should not be foresaken on the

false alter of national security. yes, we can have both. the right of privacy and also national security. as a former judge, i'm very concerned about the loss of our fourth amendment right of privacy in the united states based on, in my opinion, the unconstitutional actions of the n.s.a. in the aftermath of 9/11, the government authorized a once secret program by the n.s.a. to collect information on the bad actors, primarily terrorists and foreign agents who wish to create mayhem. they were terrorists overseas. we fought to go after them and get them. in section 702 of the foreign intelligence surveillance act was written to go after terrorists, but it's being used to go after americans, mr. speaker. normally when i was a judge, and i signed lots of warrants when peace officers would bring me a warrant and they would swear out an affidavit of truthfulness so i would give them a piece of paper, a

warrant, to allow them to go arrest or search a premises. that's all based upon the fourth amendment in the constitution. and peace officers did exactly that. but that's not the case for many american citizens anymore. you might ask, well, who's doing this? is it a criminal organization, is it a private investigator, is it google? no. it's not a nefarious organization operating behind closed doors, and it's not even the russians, mr. speaker. it's the spying eyes of the united states federal government. as the subcommittee chairman on terrorism and nonproliferation and trade, i agree we should go after the terrorists with everything we got. our government should use techniques they have on those people who wish to destroy america and find out what those terrorists are doing. but despite the overall intention of the law, the program has been corrupted. not only does n.s.a. collect information on terrorists, which they should do, but it collects data on ordinary

american citizens, and i mean by data, not just emails and text messages, but communications and conversations. this, i believe, is in violation of the constitution. the government does not use a specific fourth amendment warrant, a warrant based upon probable cause for a person -- law enforcement -- to go search and arrest someone, but it uses anyway under the foreign intelligence surveillance act, a lesser requirement and still issues warrants to go and search and seize information. the constitution says unwarranted search and seizure is unconstitutional. i don't see any exceptions there. our constitutional rights are not selective, they are to keep big brother, the government, in check. the government doesn't get to pick and choose which they want to follow and which they don't. it sounds like a page out of

george orwell's novel "1984" where it says, all these eyes watching you, asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed, there's no escape. we read 1984 year ago, mr. speaker. and we all thought that would never happen but the government's ability to seize information based upon -- based upon information that is less reliable than the fourth amendment requires and it does so in secret, i think is a violation of our right. it's hard to believe this is happening but we need to wake up and remember this. remember, mr. speaker, the bill of rights was intended to protect us from government. people have rights. government has power. government has no rights. it has power that they take or we give toyota them. but it's the individuals in this country that have rights, including the right of privacy. to be secure in our persons and

places and our homes from unlawful searches and seizures. so i think government has gotten out of the box and because of this foreign intelligence surveillance act. foreign intelligence surveillance act allows secret courts to issue secret warrants to law enforcement to go and do things that the person that is having their information seized may know nothing about. it was intended to be used against terrorist bus now it's being used against americans in seizing that information against americans. congresswoman zoe lofgren and i co-found the -- co-founded the fourth amendment caucus to protect our privacy. when i first joined congress, they gave me a blackberry.

i called it a strawberry. we could get emails on our phone. now we have smartphones, and while the technology continues to change, the constitution does not change. the rights we have in the constitution still apply to us today. even with technology. it is the duty of government to balance the interest of protecting americans while respecting constitutional rights. so the caucus was -- has fought to protect americans against warrantless searches and seizures, closing privacy violating loopholes and champion reform efforts to protect and restore fourth amendment rights. the fisa abuse, foreign intelligence surveillance act, allowing secret courts to operate in secret and issue secret warrants against people that never know about it reminds me of the star chamber back in merry old england that operated in secret and issued secret warrants all in the name of protecting the crown. and that's what it seems like we have gotten to. the first amendment also talks

the right to practice the religion that we wish. the first amendment states in part that congress, and of course that's us, congress will make no law respecting the establishment of realor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. you notice, mr. speaker, the first amendment doesn't just give us the right too believe any realwe want to. it gives us the right to practice the religion that we have. the free exercise. and congress can make no law to prevent that. the freedom to practice one's own religion is the reason why many of the kohl flists -- colonists settled and founded this great country. modern revisionist historians don't want to talk about that but it's true. one of the primary reasons people left england and europe was to seek religious freedom. that's why it's in the first amendment along with freedom of

speech. thomas jefferson, the author of the declaration of independence, wrote he proclaimed god gives us our rights. here's what he said. all men are created equal, they are endowed by their creators with certain inalienable rights, that among those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and governments are instituted among men to secure those rights. we get our rights from the almighty, we don't get our rights from the government or the king. jefferson's reference to god is echoed throughout the nation. our currency mentioned god, we pledge allegiance every day in this house chamber to one nation under god. we even have the great lawgiver missouris on the far wall looking down directly on the speaker. and above you, above the flag, is the phrase "in god we trust." those that argue we cannot mention god or realin public government places are looking to

destroy the very freedom that our country was founded on. the mention of god in our culture is not an establishment of religion. it is a freedom. note the right to practice one's religion, mr. speaker is a right that we have as well as the right to believe whatever we wish. when it comes to religion. we have this concept that the declaration of independence that we are worth something as individuals. that we are worth something as individuals not because government gives us rights or politicians or the king, but the deck la rage of independence says we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable right. the truth sour constitution says we are guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. i believe america is a special place a chosen place, an exceptional place and america is more than just another country tone globe. throughout hithsry we served as

a beacon of loith through a dark world and one reason is because we say and believe in god we trust. we cannot follow this fundamental principle that sets us apart to be taken away by those who want government to be the highest power of the land. in the end, i do not believe i will ever answer to my government for my time on this earth but i do believe i will answer to my god and the freedom of that choice is what america stands for. mr. speaker, as a judge, i saw i saw aginable crime. every imaginable crime. 22 years on the felony court bench, 25,000 felony cases worked their way through the courtroom or the palace of perjury as i referred to it in those days. everything from stealing to killing and everything in between. and one of my first actions in congress was to establish the bipartisan congressional victims' rights caucus, along with congressman jim costa from california. to advocate on behalf of victims in our nation's capital.

i'm proud of the work we've done for victims of crime and the and the es consequences of devastating crimes stay with victims for the rest of their life. i victims every day down at the courthouse. come down there, their lives shattered because of some person committing a crime against them. many of those victims recover and many do not. recoffer. and they spend the last days of their lives in hopeless despair. and so we started that caucus and -- to promote the rights of victims. one such story that affected me personally and has made its way through my career as a prosecutor and a judge is a case i prosecuted a long time ago, kevin wanstrop was his name a 14-month-old adopted baby. it was a murder -- it was his murder along with the murder of his mother and his father and

his grandmother. four outlaws plotted to kill all four of them so they could collect the estate and the inheritance. and i have -- still have that picture of kevin wanstrop that i had on my desk as a prosecutor, on my desk as a judge, on my desk here in the rayburn building. i keep it here to remind me why we're here, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. kevin was assassinated, shot in the back of the head, sacrificed on the altar of greed. and fortunately, after a long duration of finding out who committed the crime, the four killers were brought to justice. all were convicted by juries in texas. and two of them received the death penalty and have been executed. but kevin was born the same year my son curt was born.

and it's about people. we're in the business here, members of congress, to really help people. help other people in our country. and since that case changed my life, that's one reason why i have been so passionate, as others, jim costa, for example, in protecting victims of crime. we're not judged by the way we treat the rich folks or important folks. we're judged by the way we treat innocent people. the weak, the unfortunate, the elderly and the young. since its inception in 2005, the victims' rights caucus has taken the lead to protect programs that provide critical support for victims' services throughout the nation, including the victims of crime act, called voca. what a great concept this was. idea.ent reagan had the congress passed it. voca, victims of crime act, does this.

when criminals commit crimes, judges have the ability to fine those criminals along with sending them to the federal penitentiary. and that pun -- that mungo into a fund that helps victims of crime. it's called the victims of crime act. it's a marvelous idea. it's not taxpayer money. criminals are paying the rent on the courthouse. they're paying for the crimes they have committed in putting that money into the fund. but every year, mr. speaker, mr. costa and i have to fight the bureaucrats in government to let go of that money. $12 now, there is about billion in the victims of crime act fund. and only about $800,000 of that is used this year to help victims. what happens to the rest of that money? well, i don't understand the math, but they use that money as an offset for other government programs.

and therefore they don't spend it on crime victims. and i think that is wrong. enough of the offset. the mungos to victims, it ought to be given to the victims. the government ought to keep its hands off of it because it doesn't belong to government. it doesn't belong to taxpayers. i hope that in the future, we will let go of that and that that mungo into a lockbox and it remains always for victims of crime. because those federal judges, god bless them, they're nailing people who violate the law with large fines and fees and that fund cons to grow every year. besides the voca funds, we have work opped the violence against women act, vawa, and the trafficking victims protection re-authorization act. caucus was also instrumental in the enax kt of the adam walsh child protection and safety act of 2006 that bill had to do with the abduction of children and then those children were sexually assaulted throughout the united states. it protects them, makes sure we

keep up with those child predators who roam the streets and byway of our nation. and so we have re-authorized that act this year. we've also passed the cruise vessel safety and security act, the peace corps volunteer protection act, the safer act act, the safer act and victims of child abuse re-authorization act. one piece of legislation, all this was bipartisan, mr. speaker. all of it was bipartisan. i ask of the speaker how much ime i have left? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 43 minutes remaining. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. are in the midst of a situation where in the united states and throughout the world, slavery has crept back into our

environment. nto our community. it's the slave trade of women and children for sexual assault. people don't want to talk about it but it's taking place. unfortunately, my hometown of houston used to be one of the hubs here in the united states. what i'm talking about is the buying and selling of people, primarily women and children, on the marketplace of sex slavery. and so we worked on that a lot of members of congress, on both sides of the aisle. worked on this very issue. to try to get a grip on what's making place in our country. and we had in our -- in the house, 11 bills that had to do with helping stop this scourge. i was glad to work with carolyn maloney from new york. it's about as bipartisan as you

can get, carolyn maloney a new york democrat, and ted poe, a texas republican. we separated by common language. but worked with her. that's about as bipartisan as you can get. passed those 11 pieces of legislation, members of congress had sponsored several piece of those. passed the house overwhelmingly, the senate combined those 11 piece into two. sent it back. we passed it. it became law and president obama signed that. what it does this legislation, it gos after the trafficker. the person who buys and sells women and children. and makes sure that our law punishes those people. to the fullest extent. that's why we build prisons. our federal prisons and our state prisons for people like that. but what it also does, it takes the victim and tretts them like a victim instead of treating them like a criminal. children are not prostitutes when they're forced into sex slavery. children can't be prostitutes. they're victims of crime.

it rescues them and treats them with the dignity they deserve but also gos after the buyers, the people who buy those women and children on the marketplace of sex slavery. and we make sure that the law goes after those people and punishes them to almost the ex-don't they have trafficker as well. 'm proud druning on those outlaws that run our streets. of there's one bees of legislation i hope we see -- there's one piece of legislation i hope we see pass before i leave on january 2, megan are on deany was a student -- rondini was a student. she is from austin, texas. she goes off to the university of alabama, and she meets a person there at a bar and they go to his place. he lived in a big mansion, and he sexually assaults her. she jumps out the window to get away and she goes to the

hospital and she wasn't treated right at the hospital. they botched the sexual exam. and the sexual assault kit was botched. goes to the police e department, sheriff's department, to be specific, and when they found out who the perpetrator -- alleged perpetrator was, they backed off and told her they weren't going to prosecute her, file charges on him. she goes to the university and the university offered her counseling but the counselor knew the people involved, the defendant's family, and so the counselor said, i can't help you. it's conflict of interest. but no other counselor was provided. she went into deep depression. so she withdrew from the university of alabama. and she went back to texas and went to s.m.u. for the next semester. and she wasn't at s.m.u. very long at all new she took her own life. because the criminal justice system wasn't justice for her. it failed her.

and so we offered bipartisan legislation, representative jayapal and others, sewell, we fered legislation, the megan rondini sexual assault protection act which makes sure that a sexual assault forensic nurse are available for people like megan when they show up at a hospital, that universities make sure that they have the right medical exam. otherwise, we end up with people like megan who take their own life. that piece of legislation is pending and i know the ways and means committee and energy and commerce are working on that. hopefully we can get it to the house floor next week before we recess. you know, topics like human trafficking, sexual abuse, domestic violence, are topics that we need to discuss to make sure we can get a grip on it and stop that.

counseling, resources, and shelters are much more readily available to victims of crime than ever before in our history. human traffickers and those caught buying human trafficking victims can no longer escape the long arm of the law, and that's one of the things i liked about the long arm of the law. we can go after those individuals. of course, our system is not perfect because it's run by people, but it's still the best that we have. and the mep and women that pledge to -- and the men and women that pledge to protect, our first responders, do so request honor. those that pin the badge over their heart and go out there every day to protect and serve the rest of us. always deserve our utmost recognition and respect. as a prosecutor and a judge, i worked with some of houston's finest. po-lice, i call them. i got to know the texas sheriffs along the texas-mexico border. this is a special breed of law

officers. i have visited every county along the southern border from el paso to the mouth of the boca chica at the gulf of mexico. it's 1,254 miles. new orleans to washington, d.c. that's about the distance of the texas-mexico border. i've had field hearings, flown the rio grande with the air texas national guard and i think i may have walked all those 1,254 miles, including much of it that goes to california from el paso. i made over most several dozen trips down there and i traveled the rio grande river with our peace officers, in particular, the department of public safety in their fast boats. i've seen the good, i've seen the bad and i've seen a lot of ugly. i met a lot of people on both sides of the border. and no matter what our position is on the issue of immigration, our total disregard for border enforcement has cost our state

and our nation tremendously. from the lives lost to the communities on both sides of the border, it's destroyed by the cartel violence. as you know, the cartels control the southern border, control the border with mexico on the southern side, and they control what takes place and the violence they control. we cannot turn a blind eye to the real issues because it's eroding our national security. border towns on both sides of the border are unique and the texas border towns have their own personalities like no others. for some people they are the lyrics in country songs, stories of college days. long before houston billionaire added the cadillac barrel and grill to his restaurant empire -- bar and grill in his restaurant empire, it was in evo laredo that mexicans and

texans joined together. now nuevo laredo is a ghost town, because the drug cartels cartels control the environment. seems to me we haven't done enough in border security -- and immigration and border security must go hand in hand. it is not and will never be an either/or option. we've tried to do everything in my office to do what we can and send the boots to the border and tell the hard unpopular uth what's going on on our southern border. obviously the nation needs to secure the border and we're debating those issues about whether or not to secure the border. we, i think we should. we cannot afford anything less. country without borders will cease to be a country at all. i don't understand why we secure the borders of other countries and we don't secure our own. i mean, i've been to afghanistan. you have. and we're protecting their border against the bad guys

coming in from pakistan. we got american troops protecting the border of the koreas. and all over the world. we're protecting the borders of a lot of countries, but we don't protect our own and i don't understand why. as a veteran and a son of a world war ii veteran, as i mentioned, i think the united states has the greatest military that's ever existed. i've been in afghanistan, iraq, other places to see our military. they are the best in the world. no question about it. second place isn't even close. and we must recognize our military's contributions, both during service and after our troops come back home. i'm proud to represent southeast texas. i think that's the most patriotic place on the planet. people where i come from, we love the military. we even have parades when the military is on active duty and the national guard or reserves come back home. they march down the street.

can you believe that? still happening in parts of the country down in southeast texas. i host a lot of veterans' events and my staff, of course, does all the work. one of my favorite events is r annual honor our annual honor our heroes events. what we do, it's -- we pick a day that nothing else is going to go on, and it's usually in the summer and we invite veterans or active duty military to come to the event. it's a pep rally for our military. and we let each one of them come up to the microphone and tell us about their career in the military and try to do it in 60 seconds or less. and it's a great honor for them to tell other people what they did, whether it's world war ii, korea, or last week when they got off active duty in afghanistan.

the final event that we had just a few months ago was marked by a surprise visitor, vice president pence just showed up, walks into the room. verybody's hooping and hollering. i say we got to support them, military. those on active duty and those that served in the past. some of the legislation i'm proud that we have accomplished , emanuel cleaver, bipartisan, and i worked to establish a commission to build a memorial in washington, d.c., for all the world war i veterans. there is no memorial for all of the world war i veterans. here we are 100 years after the war was over with and there's no memorial. we got one for world war ii, as we should. we got one for vietnam, we got one for korea but we have none for the great war for world i.

we have gotten that passed and groundbreaking has taken place and it will not take another 100 years before we see it, mr. speaker. it will be done soon. my only regret was that my last american dough boy, frank buckles jr., didn't get to see that happen. corporal buckles came up to washington and went around the house and the senate talking about getting that memorial built. he died before it was -- the legislation passed. he died at the age of 110, mr. speaker. he lied to get into the army in world war i. he said he was 15. he was probably 14 when he got in and served in world war i and world war ii, he's captured by the jeans because he's in -- because he's in the fill fines. all of them have died and gone away. get that memorial built.

i thank mr. cleaver, congressman cleaver, preacher, as i call him. we have to remember them, mr. speaker, because the greatest casualty of war is to be forgotten. i could fill hours talking about the tremendous men and women who serve our country, but i know that you're watching the clock, mr. speaker, and i won't do so. i have also spoken about the greatest generation as much as any other topic. i have lamented for those who fought in vietnam -- that's the war of my generation -- because of the way they were treated when they came back home. finally, america, is getting to understand that we should honor those men and women who served. and welcome them back home as well. there are no words that can come close to express how we should change our opinion of those individuals. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. mr. poe: yes, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will receive a message. the messenger: mr. speaker, a

message from the senate. the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has agreed to the report to the committee on congress on h.r. 2, an act to provide reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the department of agriculture through fiscal year 2023 and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas may resume. mr. poe: mr. speaker, may i inquire how much time i have left? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 22 minutes remaining. mr. poe: oh, good. thank you. mr. speaker, i've had the privilege to serve on the foreign affairs committee. my district stretches -- or used to stretch all the way to the texas-louisiana border, where you're from, and some say that's why i was on the foreign affairs committee because the texas border has that other international border with louisiana. be that as it may, i'm glad i have been able to serve on the

foreign affairs committee. but during that service, i have been able to see our men and women in iraq and afghanistan, kosovo, europe, the philippines and other places throughout the world. and i am impressed with their duty of service. as we know, they are all volunteers. every one of them volunteered. and when men and women join our military now, they know that they're probably going to be in had combat somewhere in the world, but yet they continue to volunteer. i can always spot the texans, though. when i was in fallujah right after the marines went in and eliminated -- fallujah -- i saw a texas flag flying on the back of a humvee as it's speeding down one of those streets and somebody had written on the side of a bombed out building, "don't mess with texas." i don't know who did that but we do have a -- we do have that

proud attitude of texans who serve in the military. the enemy we fight today is not the enemy of the greatest generation. our country's under threat from volatile nuclear armed rogue nations like we've never seen. we have a leader of foreign nations -- we have leaders of foreign nations that are not only untrustworthy, they are outright treacherous and they want to cause harm in the world. we got lil' kim of the north korea. we got the little man in the sand in iran and these men pose an increasing threat to our security and everybody throughout the world. they are determined to cause trouble. they are determined to cause terror in the world. . as the chairman of the nonproliferation subcommittee, i brought threats to our country and global stability. manyf