E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 161 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 No. 10 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was an effort to make good on a campaign prohibit transfers of terror suspects to called to order by the Speaker pro tem- promise to increase the number of a foreign country if there has been a pore (Mr. MCCLINTOCK). Guantanamo detainee transfers. Last confirmed case where an individual was f night during his State of the Union Ad- transferred from GTMO and engaged in dress, the President reaffirmed his any other terrorist activity. DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO commitment to close this facility once The bill would also prohibit the TEMPORE and for all, and he is releasing pris- transfer of terror suspects considered The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- oners at an alarming rate. Twenty-one to be high or medium risk. Some of the fore the House the following commu- terrorists have been released just in most recent transfer detainees fell into nication from the Speaker: November alone to foreign countries. those categories. This comes at the expense of our own In addition, this bill would stop the WASHINGTON, DC, transfer of detainees to Yemen because January 21, 2015. national security. I hereby appoint the Honorable TOM H.R. 401, the Detaining Terrorists to the country has become a hotbed for MCCLINTOCK to act as Speaker pro tempore Protect America Act of 2015, would sus- terrorist activities. It makes no sense on this day. pend the transfer of high- and medium- to send terrorists to a country where JOHN A. BOEHNER, risk detainees and prohibit any de- there is an active al Qaeda network Speaker of the House of Representatives. tainee transfers to Yemen as well as in- that we know has been engaged in tar- f crease transparency regarding the re- geting the U.S. Most importantly, Yemen’s branch of MORNING-HOUR DEBATE maining Guantanamo detainees. Detainees at GTMO pose a real al Qaeda, commonly known as AQAP, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- threat to our national security. When I was founded by former GTMO detain- ant to the order of the House of Janu- speak with folks at home, my constitu- ees. Counterterrorism experts have de- ary 6, 2015, the Chair will now recog- ents, moms and dads, and they ask me clared AQAP to be al Qaeda’s most ef- nize Members from lists submitted by how safe we really are, this rate of re- fective affiliate, posing the greatest the majority and minority leaders for engagement comes to mind. The U.S. danger to the American homeland. We cannot risk trusting the world’s morning-hour debate. intelligence community reports that most dangerous terrorists to its most The Chair will alternate recognition the number of former GTMO detainees dangerous places, nor should we simply between the parties, with each party who reengage in terrorism has steadily limited to 1 hour and each Member cut them loose in rich, stable countries increased since 2002. with no security safeguards in place. other than the majority and minority According to the Office of the Direc- We have to ask ourselves today: How leaders and the minority whip limited tor of National Intelligence, they re- much are we really willing to risk with to 5 minutes, but in no event shall de- ported the combined and suspected bate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. our own national security in our Amer- confirmed reengagement rate of former ican homeland? f GTMO detainees has risen to more I want to thank Senator AYOTTE for than an alarming 30 percent. Before we PRISONERS ARE BEING RELEASED working with me, and I look forward to proceed with any more additional working with her to advance this legis- FROM GUANTANAMO AT AN transfers, we must ensure the transfer ALARMING RATE lation. I look forward to continuing process is further examined and im- our partnership to prevent the release The SPEAKER pro tempore. The proved. of dangerous terrorists who seek to re- Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from In order to protect our fellow Ameri- engage in terrorism against the U.S. Indiana (Mrs. WALORSKI) for 5 minutes. cans, we must stop releasing some of and our allies. This bill ensures our Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise the world’s most dangerous terrorists, homeland remains safe from those ter- today in support of legislation I intro- especially given the fact that they are rorist attacks. duced last week as a companion piece already reengaging in hostilities I urge my colleagues to support this to a bill offered by Senator KELLY against the United States and our al- bill. AYOTTE to protect the safety of the lies. f United States and its allies and re- This measure would repeal current strict the transfers of detainees from law that has allowed the administra- CONGRESS CAN LEARN FROM Guantanamo Bay. tion to transfer prisoners to foreign CHERYL STRAYED Since mid-November, the President countries and reduce the population at The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. and his administration have ramped up GTMO down to 127. The bill also would FORTENBERRY). The Chair recognizes 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. H433 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:31 Jan 22, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21JA7.000 H21JAPT1 rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H434 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 21, 2015 the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. BLU- BATTLE OF THE BULGE 70TH ered, exactly what Hitler had counted MENAUER) for 5 minutes. ANNIVERSARY on, as the winter would only add to the Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The element of surprise. last night for the State of the Union Chair recognizes the gentleman from The German 5th and 15th Panzer Ar- address by President Obama, my guest Pennsylvania (Mr. PERRY) for 5 min- mies, 6th SS, and 7th Army attacked was a Portlander, Cheryl Strayed, the utes. the U.S. 8th Army in a line between author of the best-selling book, Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to Aachen and Bastogne with a plan to go ‘‘Wild,’’ who is currently being por- remind everybody about a real-life as close as possible down the seam be- tween American, Canadian, and British trayed on the big screen by Reese story of being outnumbered 10 to 1, a forces to split them. Witherspoon. This epic story is about story of courage, will, discipline, suf- After crossing the Meuse River, the how a young woman, reeling from the fering, immense sacrifice, and success, attacking Panzers were to turn north loss of her mother and the cascading a tale of two great militaries, surprise, and capture the port city of Antwerp, challenges of her life, undertook a weather, overwhelming force, and sheer thus collapsing the supply lines and journey 1100 miles along the Pacific resolve. It is marked with the graves of thousands and exemplifies the struggle the alliance. Coast Trail. It was 96 days of an amaz- The timetable established by the ing struggle, overcoming all sorts of for the very future of freedom in our world. German general staff and German high difficulties, adversities, as she helped command called for the capture of the work out her own challenges and The story ends with the 101st Air- borne and Patton’s Armor being vic- entire 28th Division sector early in the issues. torious in January and February of morning of 16 December and the cap- I invited her because I thought the 1945, and I think it is important to rec- ture of Bastogne by the same evening story that she portrayed, the experi- ognize the accomplishments of all the of that day. Bastogne was a major road ence that she had, was an interesting units who struggled and suffered great- junction which was needed by the Ger- metaphor for the sorts of things that ly under the German siege of a small mans for armor and resupply units. we should be doing here. Perhaps we town in Belgium named Bastogne. This In the early morning hours of 16 De- might be able to come together as a January and the recent December cember, the 28th Division received a Congress, supporting legislation that marks the 70th anniversary of the Bat- message telling them to hold at all would help protect some of those spe- tle of the Bulge. costs. Keystoners, as they were known, cial places that are portrayed in her Most people know of the 101st Air- were dug in and began the slow and powerful book and in the excellent borne, nicknamed the ‘‘battling Bas- painful art of trading space for time, movie. tards of Bastogne,’’ and the plight of trading space for time and life. The 110th Regiment was soon sur- In the course of her visit, another Patton’s Armor, as chronicled in so rounded and fought to the last round. thought has made its way to me as I many stories and movies now bur- From 0530 that morning of the 16th watched her interact with dozens of nished into the collective conscious- until sometime late in the afternoon of young people in a variety of meetings ness of our Nation, and rightly so.