E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2007 No. 86 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was last day’s proceedings and announces The message also announced that the called to order by the Speaker pro tem- to the House his approval thereof. Senate has passed a bill of the fol- pore (Mr. LYNCH). Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- lowing title in which the concurrence f nal stands approved. of the House is requested: DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER f S. 1352. An act to designate the facility of PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE the United States Postal Service located at PRO TEMPORE 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, Illinois, The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the as the ‘‘Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office fore the House the following commu- gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LAHOOD) Building’’. nication from the Speaker: come forward and lead the House in the f WASHINGTON, DC, Pledge of Allegiance. May 24, 2007. Mr. LAHOOD led the Pledge of Alle- ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER I hereby appoint the Honorable STEPHEN F. giance as follows: PRO TEMPORE LYNCH to act as Speaker pro tempore on this I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the day. United States of America, and to the Repub- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The NANCY PELOSI, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Chair will entertain up to ten 1-min- Speaker of the House of Representatives. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. utes per side. f f f PRAYER MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE WAR IN IRAQ The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. A message from the Senate by Ms. Coughlin, offered the following prayer: Curtis, one of its clerks, announced (Mr. SESTAK asked and was given Lord God of sacred revelation, the that the Senate has passed without permission to address the House for 1 poetic and pathetic story of Job raises amendment bills and a concurrent res- minute.) for every generation the mysterious Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I have question of human suffering: Why do olution of the House of the following titles: served this Nation in combat in Af- bad things happen to good people? ghanistan and Iraq. The first was a just In our own day, Lord, we hear Job in H.R. 414. An act to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at war; the second was a tragic misadven- the African cry of the poor, in the con- ture. flicted mind of the wounded Marine 60 Calle McKinley, West in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, as the ‘‘Miguel Angel Garcia Mendez After 31 years of military service, I and in the silence of the abused child. Post Office Building’’. ran for this office. I have never devi- Make the Members of Congress true H.R. 437. An act to designate the facility of ated from believing that a date certain comforters of Job, who not only talk the United States Postal Service located at to redeploy from Iraq is the only strat- about suffering but are in anguish to 500 West Eisenhower Street in Rio Grande egy which can change the incentives relieve his fate. Lift them from the il- City, Texas, as the ‘‘Lino Perez, Jr. Post Of- for the Iraqis, the Iranians and Syria, lusion that virtue is directly linked to fice’’. to change their behavior and to work public notoriety and comparative H.R. 625. An act to designate the facility of for a non-failed state in Iraq. But I wealth. Rather, by the infusion of the United States Postal Service located at 4230 Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park, Cali- have run the Navy $67-billion-a-year faith, Lord, plunge them into a deeper fornia, as the ‘‘Atanacio Haro-Marin Post Of- warfare program. And I understand solidarity with the war-torn poor and fice’’. that money is only so fungible, and we the heroic innocents so that Job’s H.R. 988. An act to designate the facility of will run out. blessing may truly be their own: the United States Postal Service located at ‘‘Naked I came from my mother’s 5757 Tilton Avenue in Riverside, California, There is a greater good than me, womb and naked I shall return. The as the ‘‘Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post than my office, than my caucus, than Lord has given and the Lord has taken Office’’. this Congress, and that is those that away. Blessed be the name of the Lord H.R. 1402. An act to designate the facility still wear the cloth of this Nation in forever.’’ of the United States Postal Service located Iraq that we Americans sent to fight at 320 South Lecanto Highway in Lecanto, Amen for us. Florida, as the ‘‘Sergeant Dennis J. Flana- I cannot vote to place their security f gan Lecanto Post Office Building’’. between us and someone we hope might THE JOURNAL H. Con. Res. 128. Concurrent resolution au- thorizing the printing of a commemorative blink, because I do believe, however, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The document in memory of the late President of after this, that I have great faith that Chair has examined the Journal of the the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford. there are those Americans on both b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H5727 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 06:04 May 25, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A24MY7.000 H24MYPT1 hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSE H5728 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 24, 2007 sides of the aisle that will work to- for responsible leadership in this WHY THERE IS A MEMORIAL DAY wards ending this open-ended commit- House. (Mr. POE asked and was given per- ment for their security and America’s. It has now been 107 days since the mission to address the House for 1 f President called for Congress to minute.) produce a supplemental bill that will LANCE CPL. BEN DESILETS Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, this Memorial adequately fund the war on terror. And Day, we honor the warriors of America (Mr. LAHOOD asked and was given after more than 3 months of political whose lives were taken in their youth permission to address the House for 1 theater and grandstanding, we have a for their country’s future. In Southeast minute and to revise and extend his re- leadership that hasn’t produced any- Texas, 18 of these men have been killed marks.) thing. A bill will come before us today, in Iraq in sacrifice and service for the Mr. LAHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise hopefully that will fund the troops, and rest of us. One of those was 20 year old today to pay tribute to Lance Cpl. Ben quite simply this will hurt our men and Lance Corporal Anthony Aguirre of Desilets. women in uniform. Channelview, Texas. Ben was killed in Iraq on Tuesday. These are not my words but those of While on patrol with 20 other Ma- He was from Elmwood, Illinois, which a sergeant first class from Tennessee rines in the desert sands of Al Anbar is just west of Peoria, Illinois. He was serving in Iraq who wrote to me re- Province, Lance Corporal Aguirre a 2004 graduate of Elmwood High cently. She has said this, and she is stepped on an improvised explosive de- School. frustrated with some of the things in vice. Since America’s enemies hide in In a statement from his family, it Iraq but is committed to her duty. And caves and won’t face off with our was described that Ben was killed be- I would like to quote from her letter. troops, these cowards of the desert use hind the wheel of a Humvee when he She writes, ‘‘I believe that before these explosives to kill Americans. died in the early morning hours. His Congress keeps pushing to get us out of Rather than immediately jump off the mother is quoted as saying in an arti- here just to get their sons and daugh- IED, however, Aguirre stood firm and cle in a local paper today, ‘‘He thought ters home, they need to take a step told his fellow Marines to clear the he was doing good. I was proud of him. back, talk to the soldiers.’’ She con- area. When his buddies were safe, he It made him grow up a lot.’’ tinues, ‘‘I have lost several good took his foot off the bomb. He died so Today, as we honor Ben and all those friends, brothers and sisters in arms, to others could live. Amazing men, these who have fallen, and we remember our this place, but I do not want my chil- young Marines of the United States veterans on Memorial Day, we thank dren to come back here and clean up Marine Corps. them for their service. We thank their this mess if I had the capability to Later, as the funeral procession families for their service and the great take care of it myself. I know that if passed through the streets of sacrifice that people like Ben and oth- we pull out now, the next generation Channelview, the crowds, estimated at ers have made in the name of freedom.