H454 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 2, 2010 HONORING THE U.S. COAST GUARD women of the Coast Guard Sector telligence officials? No. Did Attorney CUTTER ‘‘MOHAWK’’ Miami, as well as the Sector Key West, General Holder declare this terrorist The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a truly lived their motto, ‘‘Always an enemy combatant and turn him previous order of the House, the gentle- ready.’’ over to the military for further ques- woman from Florida (Ms. ROS- We as a nation can never repay those tioning? No. Did Attorney General LEHTINEN) is recognized for 5 minutes. who serve, but we can take pride in Holder have the FBI continue the ques- Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I knowing that those men and women tioning in order to obtain more action- rise tonight to honor the brave work have served not just our community able intelligence? No. and the supreme dedication of the com- but our neighbors in need as well. So what did Attorney General Holder mand and crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Their humanitarian mission reminds have the FBI do? He instructed them to Cutter Mohawk. us all of what it means to be an Amer- give full Miranda rights to this ter- The Mohawk has just returned from a ican and why we should be so proud to rorist, including the right to remain si- 2-month deployment and is now home say, every day, ‘‘I am an American.’’ lent, and gave him not one, not two, at Coast Guard Sector Key West. Dur- The commitment of the U.S. Coast but actually three taxpayer-funded at- ing their deployment, they were di- Guard is illustrative of how we must torneys. And guess what? After he verted to Haiti in response to the all do our part to help with continuing lawyered up, he shut up. earthquake that hit on January 12. The relief efforts in Haiti. To each and The Attorney General did this even Mohawk was the second cutter on the every crew member on the U.S. Coast though this terrorist had fresh, first- scene and the first to have Coast Guard Guard Cutter Mohawk, I say thank you: hand knowledge of al Qaeda on the crew members on the ground in Port- Commanding Officer Robert T. Arabian Peninsula, even though he had au-Prince. Hendrickson, Executive Officer John J. previously given actionable intel- On behalf of our grateful Nation, I Driscoll, Corpsman Second Class Elias ligence. And now we have made it very thank each and every crew member for Gomez, and all of the crew as well as difficult to obtain any further intel- their role in this humanitarian mis- the families who support these heroes, ligence, intelligence that could have sion. My most supreme appreciation thank you. Your works are testimony led to the disruption of other planned goes out to Corpsman Second Class to our great Nation. ‘‘Always ready,’’ terrorist attacks or assistance in Elias Gomez. Corpsman Gomez will cer- and we thank you for it. unwinding this terrorist network. tainly be receiving commendations and Thank you, U.S. Coast Guard. Thank awards in the coming months for his you, Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk. Wel- And we need to ask the question, heroic actions in the gruesome scene come home. Godspeed. ‘‘Why?’’ that was Port-au-Prince. f I believe that Attorney General Hold- Corpsmen Gomez set up a The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a er has built a culture within the Jus- minihospital and triage directly in the previous order of the House, the gen- tice Department that seems to put the streets of the capital. He set broken tleman from Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO) is rights of terrorists ahead of the safety bones and he closed wounds, all the recognized for 5 minutes. of our Nation. Let us remember that while having to create tools and mak- (Mr. DEFAZIO addressed the House. prior to becoming the Attorney Gen- ing do with limited supplies. His ac- His remarks will appear hereafter in eral, Eric Holder and his law firm rep- tions were as resourceful, were as in- the Extensions of Remarks.) resented many, many terrorists pro ventive and as innovative as they were bono; that is, for free. These terrorists lifesaving. Corpsman Gomez’s ‘‘dirt f were held in the sys- medicine’’ was an example of American ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLD- tem, and they argued for their transfer values at its finest. This great young ER MUST BE HELD ACCOUNT- to the civilian justice system, wanting American and father of four truly led ABLE IN to give them full constitutional rights. by example, and I join with those As well, he has placed other attorneys The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a whose lives he saved in thanking him who have also represented terrorists previous order of the House, the gentle- for all that he has done. held by our government into high- woman from Michigan (Mrs. MILLER) is Through efforts like those of Corps- ranking positions within the Justice recognized for 5 minutes. man Gomez, the wonderful crew of the Department. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. The Attorney General, Mr. Speaker, helped save countless lives and per- Speaker, several weeks ago, our Nation has not answered questions as to why formed their mission in accordance received a very vivid reminder that Is- senior intelligence officials were not with the best traditions of the U.S. lamic terrorists are still at war with consulted on how to proceed or why Coast Guard. Their assistance was both our Nation and are bent on killing in- this terrorist was not treated as an essential and invaluable. nocent American citizens. On Christ- We have all seen the devastation that mas Day, an Islamic extremist at- enemy combatant. Mr. Speaker, it al- is present at the island nation of Haiti, tempted to blow up Northwest Flight most seems like Attorney General and it is beyond words. The United 253 as it was on its final approach from Holder has gone into the Witness Pro- States has a unique duty to protect, to Amsterdam into Detroit Metro Airport tection Program with regard to the defend, and to support freedom, and all with a sophisticated bomb that was Christmas Day bomber. If this Con- peoples, around the globe. As proven by smuggled onto the plane in his under- gress is to do its duty to provide appro- the men and women of the U.S. Coast wear. This terrorist had been priate oversight in the handling of Guard Cutter Mohawk, this noble cause radicalized by al Qaeda on the Arabian these issues, Attorney General Holder lives on in our Nation’s oldest contin- Peninsula and trained in camps in must answer these questions. uous seagoing service. Yemen. Unfortunately, the lack of his con- The efforts of the command and crew Following his capture in Detroit, he sulting with intelligence officials or of the Mohawk have supplied a lifeline was only questioned by FBI agents for senior national security officials is of humanitarian assistance to Haiti a total of 50 minutes. Then, after that nothing new. Attorney General Holder and will certainly help ignite the spirit initial questioning, the bomber was did not consult with senior military or of hope for recovery in that devastated sent to the University of Michigan intelligence officials before deciding to island nation. Burn Center, which is probably the try and Every day, I give thanks to our local best medical care in the entire world, other 9/11 conspirators in New York Coast Guard personnel, no matter how all at taxpayer expense. Then Attorney City. He did not consult with the police they serve. Their efforts are first and General Eric Holder had to decide how commissioner or the mayor about secu- foremost to safeguard our Florida to proceed. rity concerns before making that deci- coastline. This fact is never lost on me Did Attorney General Holder and the sion. And now New York officials have or anyone else in south Florida. We feel Justice Department immediately share finally come forward and objected to their presence every day and take com- the information that they had gath- this trial being held just a few blocks fort in the fact that the men and ered, the intelligence, with senior in- away from Ground Zero because of

VerDate Nov 24 2008 05:15 Feb 03, 2010 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K02FE7.069 H02FEPT1 jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with HOUSE February 2, 2010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H455 their security concerns and, of course, Carolina. Formerly the Veterans Af- But there will come a day when the the cost that is associated as well. fairs Officer of Pickens County, Colo- brave men and women of America’s The administration is now looking nel Simmons is now the Chief of Pro- Armed Forces will have completed for new locations to hold this trial as tocol in the Office of the Defense Rep- their work. Not that they will have well as budgeting $200 million for the resentative to Pakistan. taken out every terrorist, for that first year alone to cover security costs. Skipping a dinner with the delega- would be impossible. But there will So this decision not only makes us less tion gave me the opportunity to have come a day when we will have de- secure and gives a terrorist a platform dinner with Simmons and stroyed enough of the terrorist net- from which to spew their hateful, anti- seven other American service per- works in that America American rhetoric, it will cost the sonnel at Simmons’ apartment in will be reasonably safe from murderous taxpayers hundreds of Islamabad. plottings, at least from within Af- millions of dollars, all to extend a pre- b 2000 ghanistan’s borders. 9/11 mindset that views as a Until then, we fight on, committed to criminal offense instead of illegal acts In Kabul, Afghanistan, I talked with finishing the job, clear-eyed and deter- of war. Susan Anderson, who is serving in the mined to avoid mission creep. Mr. Speaker, I would respectfully American Embassy as an economic an- The trip also include crew rest stops offer some advice to President Obama alyst. Susan is a graduate of Union in Romania and in Tunisia. In Tunisia, and Attorney General Holder: Hand High School and the College of Charles- we visited the World War II North Afri- over the Christmas Day bomber to the ton. ca American Cemetery and Memorial military and intelligence officials and In Kandahar, I met two members of near Tunis, where 2,841 Americans are allow for an appropriate interrogation the National Guard unit from Wellford, buried and 3,724 missing Americans are that will yield additional intelligence South Carolina, which deployed re- memorialized on a limestone wall that will protect America, and keep cently to Afghanistan. Justin McAbee called the Tablets of the Missing. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the of Travelers Rest and Zack Gregg of After a wreath-laying ceremony, the other terrorists slated for civilian Pelzer. Justin’s home is about 5 miles delegation walked among the graves. It trials in New York City or wherever from mine. Passing by Benson Road as was especially meaningful to walk they end up at, keep them at Gitmo I travel on Highway 25 North will re- among the graves with two of our and try them before military commis- mind me to pray for Justin and those young military escorts, Sergeant Rob sions. Just over a year ago, they were serving with him. Mennell and Sergeant Aaron Moss. prepared to plead guilty before mili- He is on the explosive ordnance deto- We tend to think of the members of tary commissions, before Eric Holder nation team. When I thanked him for the Greatest Generation as granddads, made the decision to give them special serving our country and tried to com- but they weren’t granddads as they rights. We could have executed one of pliment him on doing his very dan- were serving in World War II. They them by now. gerous work, he gave me the standard were young, very young, as young as I sincerely hope that the President response of our incredible all-volunteer the two Army sergeants who were ac- and his Attorney General rethink their force: ‘‘It’s my job, sir.’’ companying us on this trip. current approach which, I believe, Mr. At a dinner hosted by America’s am- I was grateful for the opportunity to Speaker, is very dangerous for Amer- bassador, Mr. Eikenberry, with female tell those sergeants how much their ica. members of the Afghan parliament, we service means to me and to all Ameri- were called on to offer comments. I cans, and I was grateful to remember f used my remarks to remember Geoff why freedom is worth fighting for. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a Whitsitt of Travelers Rest, who was f previous order of the House, the gentle- killed last month by an improvised ex- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a woman from Ohio (Ms. KAPTUR) is rec- plosive device in Afghanistan. I wanted previous order of the House, the gen- ognized for 5 minutes. them to hear his name in Afghanistan, tleman from Washington (Mr. (Ms. KAPTUR addressed the House. exactly one week to the hour after the REICHERT) is recognized for 5 minutes. Her remarks will appear hereafter in Upstate paused for his funeral. I want- (Mr. REICHERT addressed the House. the Extensions of Remarks.) ed them to know how precious his life His remarks will appear hereafter in f was to his parents, to his brother, and the Extensions of Remarks.) to our mutual friends. I wanted them f AMERICA’S BEST DOING INCRED- to understand that Geoff died for the IBLE WORK IN AFGHANISTAN protection of America. AND PAKISTAN I told them that we were willing to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a give our treasure in Afghanistan to the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- previous order of the House, the gen- help build their nation because we are uary 6, 2009, the gentleman from tleman from South Carolina (Mr. ING- sure that, using our creativity and en- (Mr. CARTER) is recognized for 60 min- LIS) is recognized for 5 minutes. trepreneurship, we will make the utes as the designee of the minority Mr. INGLIS. Mr. Speaker, I’m just money back. But, I told them we are leader. back from a trip led by our colleague, willing to give the lives of our sons and Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I hail STEVE LYNCH, to Afghanistan and daughters only for America. from Central Texas, and I am very, Pakistan, and what we saw there, Mr. On this point, Mr. Speaker, we must very proud to say that I have the larg- Speaker, was America’s best doing in- be clear. While we are hunting down est military facility in the world in my credible work. The U.S. military is terrorists, we are going to give the Af- district, Fort Hood, Texas. If you are in clearly the best trained, best equipped ghan people the opportunity to reject the Army, you know where Fort Hood and most disciplined fighting force in al Qaeda outsiders and to build a future is. In fact, I think if you find any 20- the world. free of the Taliban. The Afghan people year veteran of the Army, you will find I’m committed to keeping it that should seize the opportunity, as it will out they have been to Fort Hood, some way and to supplying them with the re- not last indefinitely. of them once, twice, three, four times, sources they need to get their work At present, more of America’s best because it is a huge training post. And done. I’m also committed to confining are arriving in Afghanistan. They are it is the great place, as they call it, in their mission to achievable objectives there to kill terrorists. They are there Central Texas. and to the protection of America’s na- to facilitate the work of an army of The great place had a great disaster tional security interest. American civil servants and contrac- happen to us on of last There are many memorable moments tors who can show a way forward to a year, when Nidal Hasan attacked from this trip, Mr. Speaker. When we stable constitutional republic. They and killed 13 soldiers and a baby in the stepped off the plane in Pakistan, the are there to serve America’s national womb, and wounded 43 others before first person I saw was Lieutenant Colo- security interests by draining a ter- two courageous police officers, re- nel Rick Simmons of Pickens, South rorist cesspool. sponding to this violence at Fort Hood,

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