Congressional Record—House H489
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February 2, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H489 believe in the power of truth, the power two White Socialists—this was the maybe 3, days, if you are not doing of God,’ said Boji. He is part of the De- comment from this person—and in the much and it is really not very hot, troit area’s Chaldean community, Republican primary, the first and third without water. It is essential. This is a which became the largest outside Iraq vote-getters were Cuban, Hispanic bottom-line security issue. after the sectarian bloodshed that fol- Americans, and the fourth was African If you don’t have water, you are inse- lowed the U.S. invasion in 2003. Iraq’s American. Isn’t that interesting the cure. If you don’t have water, you will Christian population has dropped from way things have turned? very soon be dead. If you have poi- 1.3 million then to 300,000 now, church Well, I have enjoyed coming to love sonous water, you may not die imme- authorities say.’’ the people of Iowa, and I look forward diately, but it will certainly affect you. Christians are under persecution, to the days ahead because of them. Let’s take a look at this. This is being killed in greater numbers than Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal- water from Flint, Michigan, United any time in our history. Yet, it is not ance of my time. States of America. There are roughly the Christians being persecuted in f 100,000 human beings in Flint, Michi- greater numbers than any time in his- WATER SECURITY gan. tory. It is not the group that many in Well, among the most essential of all The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the world recognize are the most per- of the things we need for life, for secu- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- secuted religion in the world. rity, is water. That is Flint, Michigan, uary 6, 2015, the gentleman from Cali- This administration wants to wel- water, a city of 100,000 people in the fornia (Mr. GARAMENDI) is recognized come those of the religion of persecu- United States. for 60 minutes as the designee of the tion rather than the most persecuted minority leader. b 1915 group in the world, that being Chris- Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, I tians, although just recently this arti- Oh, we would like to think of our- want to pick up on some issues of secu- selves as being the most advanced cle from CNS News, ‘‘550 Syrian Refu- rity. We have heard for the last hour gees Admitted to U.S. Since the Paris place in the world. That is Flint, discussions of security, and there are Michigan, water. Nine thousand chil- Attacks’’—and, of the most persecuted many different aspects to the question highest number killed in the history of dren under the age of 4 or 5 have been of security. drinking that water contaminated with the world, Christians, this administra- Are we secure in this world in which tion admitted two. lead for about 14 months. we live? Well, there are a lot of prob- I am not going to go into the reasons An article from the Texas Tribune lems. To be sure, we can worry about why that tragedy is occurring. There points out that Governor Greg Abbott China and the South China Sea, and we are many. There is an FBI investiga- and my friend, Democrat U.S. Rep. do. Certainly, in the Middle East, tion and there are questions about the HENRY CUELLAR, ‘‘pressed the U.S. De- where I recently visited the Gulf States Governor of Michigan and the way in partment of Homeland Security on and Iran, there are a lot of concerns which it was done, but I am not going Monday to explain why the agency there. to go there today. plans to reduce its aerial surveillance As you move into Iraq, there are the I want to go to something else that on the Texas-Mexico border.’’ issues of ISIL, al Qaeda and, of course, we are responsible for here in the ‘‘Monday’s request comes as CBP is the great tragedy that is occurring in House of Representatives and our col- reporting a new surge in the number of Syria where, basically, cities are sim- leagues across the Capitol in the U.S. undocumented immigrants crossing the ply being destroyed, obviously, the Senate. I want to talk about our re- Rio Grande. From October to December churches, the monasteries, the sponsibility here because this is our of 2015, about 10,560 unaccompanied mi- mosques—boom—housing. nors entered Texas illegally through There are well over 270,000 people— business. the Rio Grande Valley sector of the Christians, Muslims, and others—killed If we are concerned about security— U.S. Border Patrol. That marks a 115 in the Syrian civil war and the result- and we are—we should—and we do— percent increase over the same time ant desire by people to get out of there. talk about al Qaeda. We should—and frame in 2014.’’ Immigration issues are abounding. Cer- we do—talk about ISIS. We should— Madam Speaker, what is clear is tainly, they affect us here in the and we do—talk about refugees and that, as this administration says, oh, United States. whether they are safe or not. We talk we are arresting fewer people coming There are many other security issues about San Bernardino and the great into the country illegally, these kind beyond those that make the headlines. tragedy there. We should talk about it, of reports make clear, well, yeah, if There are security issues in our homes. and we should do something about it. you close your eyes, you will keep ar- For example, do we have a job? Well, There is another side of security that resting even fewer. That is what they that is a big issue. we have specific responsibility to deal are doing. They are closing our eyes to Often here on the floor, in days gone with. In 1974, we set out to clean up the our ability to see people that are vio- by, I would stand with my colleagues waters of the United States with the lating our law. and we would talk about creating jobs Clean Water Act. Over the years, it has At the same time, we get this report in the United States. We would talk been amended. In 1996, we set standards from the Washington Examiner that about strategies of Make It In Amer- for clean water and we provided some sanctuary cities now cross the 300 ica, strategies to use our tax dollars to funding. mark, with Dallas and Philadelphia buy American-made products and serv- If someone were to grade us on our added to it. ices so that our money could be used to success in addressing one of the funda- Madam Speaker, with so much to be employ our own people and to support mental security issues, that is, the depressed about, I want to commend our own businesses. ability to have clean, drinkable water, the people of the State of Iowa, where These are all very, very important here is the scorecard. Let’s take a look I spent a couple of days last week and strategies. They do happen to do with at it. Let’s see. where I have spent other times many individual security, community secu- We can run down through aviation, days in the past. When I am among the rity, and family security. So security bridges. Oh, by the way, this is from Iowans, I feel like I am back home in has many, many pieces. the American Society of Civil Engi- East Texas. The people are wonderful. Tonight I want to talk about one neers. They produce a scorecard on how I had somebody ask earlier today type of security. This is something well this great Nation, the United about: What do you think about your that affects every human being, every States of America, is doing on pro- party? animal, large or small, from an ele- viding fundamental security. I said: What do you mean? phant to the smallest mouse. This se- Aviation, bridges, dams, drinking He said: Well, you look at the people curity issue is one that affects every water: D. Today, at a hearing on water, that won the Iowa caucuses. form of life. It is called water. It is the Society of Civil Engineers said we So? called water. have got a D on drinking water. The comment was made: Well, in the This is the most basic of security Somebody asked them: Is that the Democratic caucus or primary, you had issues. You don’t go but a day or 2, bottom grade? VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:43 Feb 03, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K02FE7.093 H02FEPT1 emcdonald on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H490 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 2, 2016 They said: Well, pretty much because You wonder why we have a D? You This is the critical issue that really if you go to an F, it is too much paper- wonder why the water systems break. determines whether we are competitive work. So they just stop at D. D. 240,000 water mains broke last year in as a Nation. But it goes beyond com- We fancy ourselves to be the greatest the United States. You see the pictures petitiveness.