[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4883-H4892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN AND SUPPORTED 
 OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM IN AFGHANISTAN AND OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM 
                                IN IRAQ

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 177) recognizing and commending the 
members of the United States Armed Forces and their leaders, and the 
allies of the United States and their armed forces, who participated in 
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom 
in Iraq and recognizing the continuing dedication of military families 
and employers and defense civilians and contractors and the countless 
communities and patriotic organizations that lent their support to the 
Armed Forces during those operations, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 177

       Whereas the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the 
     United States, which killed thousands of people from the 
     United States and other countries in New York, Virginia, and 
     Pennsylvania, inaugurated the Global War on Terrorism;
       Whereas the intelligence community quickly identified Al 
     Qaeda as a terrorist organization with global reach and the 
     President determined that United States national security 
     required the elimination of the Al Qaeda terrorist 
     organization;
       Whereas the Taliban regime of Afghanistan had long harbored 
     Al Qaeda, providing members of that organization a safe haven 
     from which to attack the United States and its friends and 
     allies, and the refusal of that regime to discontinue its 
     support for international terrorism and surrender Al Qaeda's 
     leaders to the United States made it a threat to 
     international peace and security;
       Whereas Saddam Hussein and his regime's longstanding 
     sponsorship of international terrorism, active pursuit of 
     weapons of mass destruction, use of such weapons against 
     Iraq's own citizens and neighboring countries, aggression 
     against Iraq's neighbors, and brutal repression of Iraq's 
     population made Saddam Hussein and his regime a threat to 
     international peace and security;
       Whereas the United States pursued sustained diplomatic, 
     political, and economic efforts to remove those threats 
     peacefully;
       Whereas on October 7, 2001, the Armed Forces of the United 
     States and its coalition allies launched military operations 
     in Afghanistan, designated as Operation Enduring Freedom, 
     that quickly caused the collapse of the Taliban regime, the 
     elimination of Afghanistan's terrorist infrastructure, and 
     the capture of significant and numerous members of Al Qaeda;
       Whereas on March 19, 2003, the Armed Forces of the United 
     States and its coalition allies launched military operations, 
     designated as Operation Iraqi Freedom, that quickly caused 
     the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, the elimination of 
     Iraq's terrorist infrastructure, the end of Iraq's illicit 
     and illegal programs to acquire weapons of mass destruction, 
     and the capture of significant international terrorists;
       Whereas in those two campaigns in the Global War on 
     Terrorism, as of May 1, 2003, nearly 330,000 members of the 
     United States Armed Forces, comprised of active, reserve, and 
     National Guard members and units, had deployed for Operation 
     Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas as of May 1, 2003, some 224,500 Reserve and 
     National Guard members of the Armed Forces had been called to 
     active duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas in the conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom and 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom, as of May 1, 2003, 67 military 
     servicemembers and other United States personnel had given 
     their lives in Afghanistan and 140 had been lost in Iraq, 
     while over 700 had been wounded and 8 were held as prisoners 
     of war;
       Whereas success in those two campaigns in the Global War on 
     Terrorism would not have been possible without the 
     dedication, courage, and service of the members of the United 
     States Armed Forces and the military and irregular forces of 
     the friends and allies of the United States;
       Whereas the support, love, and commitment from the families 
     of United States service personnel participating in those two 
     operations, as well as that of the communities and patriotic 
     organizations which provided support through the United 
     Services Organization (USO), Operation Dear Abby, and 
     Operation UpLink, helped to sustain those service personnel 
     and enabled them to eliminate significant threats to United 
     States national security while liberating oppressed peoples 
     from dictatorial regimes;
       Whereas the civilian employees of the Department of 
     Defense, through their hard work and dedication, enabled 
     United States military forces to quickly and effectively 
     achieve the United States military missions in Afghanistan 
     and Iraq;
       Whereas the commitment of companies making their employees 
     available for military service, the creativity and initiative 
     of contractors equipping the Nation's Armed Forces with the 
     best and most modern equipment, and the ingenuity of service 
     companies assisting with the global overseas deployment of 
     the Armed Forces demonstrates that the entrepreneurial spirit 
     of the United States is an extraordinarily valuable defense 
     asset; and
       Whereas the Nation should pause to recognize with 
     appropriate tributes and days of remembrance the sacrifice of 
     those members of the Armed Forces who died or were wounded in 
     Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as 
     well as all who served in or supported either of those 
     operations: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) conveys its deepest sympathy and condolences to the 
     families and friends of the members of United States and 
     coalition forces who have been injured, wounded, or killed 
     during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom;
       (2) commends President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense 
     Donald H. Rumsfeld, and United States Central Command 
     commander General Tommy Franks, United States Army, for their 
     planning and execution of enormously successful military 
     campaigns in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom;
       (3) expresses its highest commendation and most sincere 
     appreciation to the members of the United States Armed Forces 
     who participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
     Iraqi Freedom, including the members of the organizational 
     elements specified in section 2 of this resolution;
       (4) commends the Department of Defense civilian employees 
     and the defense contractor personnel whose skills made 
     possible the equipping of the greatest Armed Force in the 
     annals of modern military endeavor;
       (5) calls upon communities across the Nation--

[[Page H4884]]

       (A) to prepare appropriate homecoming ceremonies to honor 
     and welcome home the members of the Armed Forces 
     participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
     Iraqi Freedom and to recognize their contributions to United 
     States homeland security and to the Global War on Terrorism; 
     and
       (B) to prepare appropriate ceremonies to commemorate with 
     tributes and days of remembrance the service and sacrifice of 
     those servicemembers killed or wounded during either of those 
     operations;
       (6) expresses the deep gratitude of the Nation to the 21 
     steadfast allies in Operation Enduring Freedom and to the 49 
     coalition members in Operation Iraqi Freedom, especially the 
     United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, whose forces, support, 
     and contributions were invaluable and unforgettable; and
       (7) recommits the United States to ensuring the safety of 
     the United States homeland, to preventing weapons of mass 
     destruction from reaching the hands of terrorists, and to 
     helping the people of Iraq and Afghanistan build free and 
     vibrant democratic societies.
       Sec. 2. (a) Operation Iraqi Freedom.--The organizational 
     elements of the Armed Forces referred to in paragraph (3) of 
     the first section of this resolution members of which 
     participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom are the following:
       (1) From the Army--
       (A) Army Forces Central Command--3rd United States Army.
       (B) V Corps Command Element.
       (C) 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).
       (D) 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
       (E) 82nd Airborne Division.
       (F) 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized).
       (G) Elements of the 1st Infantry Division, 10th Mountain 
     Division, and 1st Armored Division.
       (H) 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
       (I) 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
       (J) 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep).
       (K) 11th Aviation Group.
       (2) From the Marine Corps--
       (A) Marine Forces Central Command.
       (B) 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
       (C) 1st Marine Division.
       (D) 3rd Marine Air Wing.
       (E) 1st Force Service Support Group.
       (F) 2nd Force Service Support Group/Marine Logistics 
     Command.
       (G) 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force Tarawa).
       (H) The following Marine expeditionary units:
       (i) 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (ii) 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (iii) 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (3) From the Navy--
       (A) Naval Forces Central Command--United States 5th Fleet.
       (B) Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Force.
       (C) Nimitz Carrier Strike Force.
       (D) Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Force.
       (E) Constellation Carrier Strike Force.
       (F) Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Force.
       (G) Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Force.
       (H) Amphibious Task Force East.
       (I) Amphibious Task Force West.
       (J) Nassau Amphibious Ready Group.
       (K) Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group.
       (L) Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.
       (M) Amphibious Group 3.
       (N) The following maritime prepositioning squadrons:
       (i)  Maritime  Prepositioning  Squadron 1.
       (ii) Maritime   Prepositioning Squadron 2.
       (iii) Maritime Prepositioning Squadron 4.
       (4) From the Air Force--
       (A) Air Forces Central Command--9th Air Force.
       (B) The following air expeditionary task forces:
       (i) 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force.
       (ii) 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force.
       (C) The following air expeditionary wings:
       (i) 39th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (ii) 40th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (iii) 64th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (iv) 320th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (v) 321st Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (vi) 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (vii) 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (viii) 376th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (ix) 379th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (x) 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xi) 384th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xii) 386th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xiii) 401st Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xiv) 405th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xv) 410th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xvi) 484th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xvii) 485th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xviii) 486th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xix) 487th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (D) The following air expeditionary groups:
       (i) 387th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (ii) 398th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (iii) 407th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (iv) 409th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (v) 444th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (vi) 447th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (vii) 449th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (viii) 457th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (ix) 458th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (x) 506th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (E) The following expeditionary air support operations 
     groups:
       (i) 3rd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group.
       (ii) 4th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group.
       (iii) 18th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group.
       (F) 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group.
       (G) 86th Contingency Response Group.
       (H) 15th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron.
       (5) From the United States Special Operations Command--
       (A) Special Operations Command Central.
       (B) From the Army Special Operations Command--
       (i) 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (ii) 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (iii) 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (iv) 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
       (v) 75th Ranger Regiment.
       (vi) 350th Civil Affairs Command.
       (vii) 352nd Civil Affairs Command.
       (viii) 304th, 308th, and 358th Civil Affairs Brigades.
       (C) From the Naval Special Warfare Command--
       (i) Naval Special Warfare Group One.
       (ii) Naval Special Warfare Group Three.
       (D) From the Air Force Special Operations Command--
       (i) 16th Special Operations Wing.
       (ii) 193rd Special Operations Wing.
       (iii) 919th Special Operations Wing.
       (iv) 352nd Special Operations Group.
       (v) 720th Special Operations Group.
       (vi) 123rd Special Tactics Squadron.
       (vii) 280th Command Control Squadron.
       (6) From the Coast Guard--
       (A) The following vessels:
       (i) USCGC Boutwell.
       (ii) USCGC Dallas.
       (iii) USCGC Walnut.
       (iv) USCGC Aquidneck.
       (v) USCGC Adak.
       (vi) USCGC Wrangell.
       (vii) USCGC Baranof.
       (viii) USCGC Bainbridge Island.
       (ix) USCGC Grande Isle.
       (x) USCGC Knight Island.
       (xi) USCGC Pea Island.
       (xii) USCGC Sapelo.
       (B) Mobile Support Unit.
       (C) The following port security units:
       (i) Port Security Unit 313.
       (ii) Port Security Unit 311.
       (iii) Port Security Unit 309.
       (iv) Port Security Unit 305.
       (D) Law Enforcement Detachments (101, 202, 204, 205, 404, 
     406, 411).
       (E) Atlantic Strike Team Detachment.
       (F) Law Enforcement Attachment (augmenting PCs).
       (G) The following Harbor Defense Command units:
       (i) Harbor Defense Command Unit 114.
       (ii) Harbor Defense Command Unit 206.
       (b) Operation Enduring Freedom.--The organizational 
     elements of the Armed Forces referred to in paragraph (3) of 
     the first section of this resolution members of which 
     participated in Operation Enduring Freedom are the following:
       (1) From the Army--
       (A) Army Forces Central Command.
       (B) Combined Joint Task Force 180.
       (C) 10th Mountain Division.
       (D) 101st Airborne Division.
       (E) 82nd Airborne Division.
       (2) From the Marine Corps--
       (A) Marine Forces Central Command.
       (B) Commander Joint Task Force--Horn of Africa.
       (C) Combined Joint Task Force 58.
       (D) The following Marine expeditionary units:
       (i) 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (ii) 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (iii) 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (iv) 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (v) 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
       (E) Detachments, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-
     Terrorism).
       (3) From the Navy--
       (A) Navy Forces Central Command--United States 5th Fleet.
       (B) Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Force.
       (C) Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Force.
       (D) Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Force.
       (E) Enterprise Carrier Strike Force.
       (F) Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Force.
       (G) John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Force.
       (H) John F. Kennedy Carrier Strike Force.
       (I) George Washington Carrier Strike Force.
       (J) Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group.
       (K) Bataan Amphibious Ready Group.
       (L) Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group.
       (M) Wasp Amphibious Ready Group.
       (4) From the Air Force--
       (A) Air Forces Central Command--9th Air Force.
       (B) The following air expeditionary task forces:
       (i) 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force.
       (ii) 13th Air Expeditionary Task Force.
       (C) The following air expeditionary wings:
       (i) 28th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (ii) 40th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (iii) 64th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (iv) 320th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (v) 321st Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (vi) 322nd Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (vii) 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (viii) 366th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (ix) 376th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (x) 379th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xi) 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xii) 384th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xiii) 386th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xiv) 405th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (xv) 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.
       (D) The following air expeditionary groups:
       (i) 416th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (ii) 438th Air Expeditionary Group.
       (iii) 451st Air Expeditionary Group.
       (E) 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group.

[[Page H4885]]

       (5) From the United States Special Operations Command--
       (A) Special Operations Command Central.
       (B) From the Army Special Operations Command--
       (i) 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (ii) 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (iii) 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (iv) 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (v) 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
       (vi) 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
       (vii) 75th Ranger Regiment.
       (viii) 350th Civil Affairs Command.
       (ix) 354th, 360th, and 403rd Civil Affairs Brigades.
       (x) 310th Psychological Operations Brigade.
       (C) From the Naval Special Warfare Command--
       (i) Naval Special Warfare Group One.
       (ii) Naval Special Warfare Group Three.
       (D) From the Air Force Special Operations Command--
       (i) 16th Special Operations Wing.
       (ii) 352nd Special Operations Group.
       (iii) 193rd Special Operations Wing.
       (iv) 919th Special Operations Wing.
       (v) 720th Special Operations Group.
       (vi) 123rd Special Tactics Squadron.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Hunter) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).


                             General Leave

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Con. Res. 177, the concurrent resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 177, a 
resolution commending the members of the Armed Forces and our allies, 
their armed forces and all those who were involved in Operation 
Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  As we stand here today, U.S. forces are deployed around the world 
engaged in the global war on terrorism. The first two campaigns in that 
war, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, proved our 
resolve in taking the fight to anyone, anywhere, who wishes to do us 
harm. The results showed that the United States military remains the 
most powerful and effective military in the history of mankind.
  The after-action reports will show many reasons for our success. 
However, I believe that the most important factor is the simplest one: 
our people. The United States is blessed to have the most highly 
trained, equipped and motivated force in the world. It is through the 
dedication, creativity and ability of our young men and women in 
uniform that we were able to prevail. I, and all my colleagues, commend 
them for their service.
  Through both these operations, our forces stood shoulder to shoulder 
with 21 allied nations in Afghanistan and 49 coalition members in Iraq. 
And I might mention specifically the 40,000-plus troops of Great 
Britain and the 2,000-plus troops from Australia and the 200 Special 
Operators from Poland, who aided us in this fight. And without the help 
of these allies who contributed so much, we would not have enjoyed the 
success that we have had at this point.
  Neither could we have succeeded without the support of the civilian 
employees of the DOD, industry employees and leadership. Of course, we 
had lots of contractors working our systems, helping out in that 
operation and, of course, we had community organizations and employers. 
Very importantly, Mr. Speaker, employers who made their Guardsmen and 
Reservists available for these endeavors and those employers who 
accommodated their absence to go out and defend our country. Their 
support to the men and women in the field made these operations 
possible.
  H. Con. Res. 177 commends the bravery, dedication and resolve of all 
those who contributed to the success of these two operations. In 
particular, however, I want to express the condolences and thanks of a 
grateful Nation and a grateful Congress to the families of those 
American service personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during these 
operations. Nothing we do here today can adequately express our sorrow 
at the loss of these brave men and women. The sole consolation that we 
can offer is that it is our conviction that they did not die in vain. 
Our country and the entire world is safer and freer today because of 
their sacrifice. We honor their service and we mourn their loss.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, just one last point. I was in Iraq a couple of days ago. 
And in talking at our last visit in Kirkuk, in getting our briefings 
from the commander of the 4th Infantry Division, I asked him the 
inevitable question. That is, of the 26,000 folks you have in theater 
right now, how many incidents have you had of mistreatment of Iraqi 
citizens? Of course, these things happen when you have hundreds of 
thousands of people deployed, you now and again have incidents like 
that. But he looked surprised when I asked the question, and he 
answered not one, not one incident of mistreatment of Iraqi civilians 
by our military forces.
  Mr. Speaker, that reflection on the professionalism and the goodness 
of our people during this occupation following the war is itself 
another reason for us to commend our troops and commend their service 
to our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As a stalwart supporter of our troops and as cosponsor of House 
Concurrent Resolution 177, I am pleased to join my colleague and my 
friend, the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Hunter), in support of this bill.
  This resolution commends and expresses the Nation's sincere 
appreciation to the men and women in uniform and our allies who served 
and are serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. It also recognizes the outstanding contributions of the 
Department of Defense civilian employees and civil and defense 
contractors who have contributed tremendously to the success of these 
operations. And it urges communities across the country to honor and 
welcome home these brave and courageous patriots.
  Today we have an all-volunteer force that proudly stands watch over 
the Nation's interests both here and abroad. Over 1.4 million active 
duty service members and an additional 875,000 citizen soldiers, 
National Guardsmen and Reservists, part-time volunteers, comprise the 
finest, best-trained fighting force the world has ever seen.
  Let me say I am especially proud of the men and women in uniform from 
my home State of Missouri. Over 289,000 Guardsmen and Reservists have 
been activated since September 11, 2001, and nearly 220,000 have been 
called to active duty for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. And as these fine young men and women return home, I 
urge my colleagues to visit an active duty base, Reserve center or 
National Guard armory and spend some time with these dedicated 
individuals to thank them and their families for their commitment and 
for their sacrifice. I promise you will never forget the experience of 
meeting these fine men and women. I know my visits to bases in Missouri 
always make a lasting impression on me.
  When we send our fathers and our mothers and our sons and daughters, 
sisters and brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins in defense of this Nation, 
we are reminded that the price of freedom is not free.
  I would also like to commend our Nation's civil servants and 
contractors who provide support to our service members. Americans may 
be surprised to learn that there are also civil service and civilian 
contractors serving overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom and 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Our Nation also calls upon its dedicated and 
committed civil service personnel and contractors to support those 
serving in a combat zone. Their contributions were also important to 
the success of these operations, and they too deserve our recognition 
and our respect for their service to our Nation's security.
  While those in uniform volunteer to make these sacrifices, their 
families are the ones that must shoulder these burdens as well. 
Anxiety, frustration,

[[Page H4886]]

sadness, anger, pride, happiness, satisfaction, understanding, and 
reassurance are all feelings that military families must face during 
the months of separation. Hundreds of babies have been born while a 
parent was deployed to Afghanistan or to Iraq. Tragically, some will 
never know their parent who died while serving.
  Yet, time continues on, missed birthdays, proms, graduations, 
holidays; the loss of a loved one is normal hardship that military 
families endure. Military families endure much hardship and sacrifice, 
and to that end, they too serve.
  Reservists and National Guardsmen and their families often face 
similar problems when called to active duty. But Reservists and 
National guardsmen are also dependent on support from their employer. 
Thousands of employers across the country have gone the extra step and 
provided additional support in a number of ways. That includes paying 
the difference between civilian pay and military pay when an employee 
is activated, and continuing health care coverage for families that are 
left behind. Without the support of our Nation's employers, Reservists 
and National Guardsmen would not be able to volunteer to defend this 
Nation.
  I believe that it is of paramount importance to support the troops, 
the men and women in uniform who are literally putting their lives on 
the line for our country. More than 200 service members have died since 
the global war on terrorism began, and over 700 have been wounded or 
injured, and eight were held as prisoners of war. These individuals and 
their families have sacrificed for our freedom, and our thoughts and 
our prayers are truly with them. The Nation will not forget the price 
they paid to defend our country and the freedoms we all enjoy.
  While there are no words that can adequately express the Nation's 
appreciation for their sacrifice, our sympathies and our prayers go out 
to these families.
  It does not take too many hours of watching our troops in action on 
television to know that they are demonstrating acts of personal 
sacrifice and heroism on a daily basis. We have an obligation to let 
them know that we appreciate and admire their contribution to our 
national security.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. McInnis).
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Hunter) for sponsoring this resolution. I thank the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for also cosponsoring it.

                              {time}  1315

  This resolution, I think, covers the ground of a way for us to say 
thanks to those people who answered the call to arms.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). The gentleman will suspend.
  Will the conversations in the gallery please terminate.
  The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious resolution, and I 
think it demands appropriate attention. Every generation is concerned 
about the generation behind them, will they answer to the call of arms, 
will they be able to protect this country, will they have this feeling 
of patriotism; and this resolution is going to pass unanimously because 
we can all say with a great deal of pride that generation did rise, 
they were prepared and they have responded and they have delivered.
  I am so proud of those young men and women who did rise and were 
willing to serve this country and unfortunately in some cases were 
killed in action defending the principles and the people of this 
country.
  As the chairman has pointed out, there is a lot of thanks not only to 
the people who are on the front line of combat but for the families 
across this country that support and believed in the American flag and 
the symbolism and the pride of this Nation and the history of this 
Nation, and also a special thanks as my colleague pointed out and as 
the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) has pointed out, thanks to 
all the civilian employees and all the defense employees and the people 
in the armed services that were not on the front line, but also 
participated in this nationwide effort and a big thanks to our 
communities. I know in Colorado, where I come from, all the small 
towns, it is a big parade. They are welcoming these people back, those 
brave men and women that have come home. They are coming home with open 
arms.
  This is a Nation that strongly supports its military. This is a 
Nation that sends a message out to the rest of the world, and that is, 
when the call comes, this Nation will respond. This Nation has 
principles, and it is willing to defend those principles. It has 
friends, and it is willing to defend those friends; and it will defend 
freedom.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Hunter), the chairman; and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), 
the ranking member, for bringing this important resolution to the floor 
today. Like all Members, I will strongly support this resolution; but 
let none of us forget, while the battle of Baghdad has been won, the 
peace that all of us hope for in Iraq is yet to be achieved and our 
brave men and women in uniform and our allies are still in harm's way.
  Today, The Washington Post reports that another American soldier died 
on Tuesday after being attacked by a small arms fire and rocket-
propelled grenade at an Army checkpoint 50 miles north of Baghdad. May 
God bless his soul and provide comfort to his family. Our grateful 
Nation will forever be indebted to his service and sacrifice, as it is 
to the service and sacrifice of those comrades mentioned by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) who also lost their lives and 
were injured in the defense of freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, having witnessed Operation Enduring Freedom in 
Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, there can be little 
doubt that the United States of America has the finest, best-led, best-
equipped and best-educated fighting force in the history of the world. 
Our military is smarter, faster, and more lethal than it was 12 years 
ago during Desert Storm, and it was very good then. It took 250,000 
troops to topple Saddam Hussein and liberate the Iraqi people. Twelve 
years ago, it took 500,000 troops to oust him from Kuwait. About 90 
percent of our bombs and missiles were precision-guided in Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. In Desert Storm, that figure was 10 percent.
  I want to congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter); I 
want to congratulate the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and all 
the members of the Committee on Armed Services for giving our troops 
the tools to become better, better equipped, better able to defend 
freedom and protect themselves.
  It is evident, therefore, that assertions regarding the American 
military being in decline, hollowed out, are not ready, are and always 
were patently wrong. Moreover, only an uninformed person, I think, 
would deny that our Commander in Chief led a fighting force which was 
bequeathed to him by his predecessor President Clinton and bequeathed 
to him by his predecessor George Bush and also by President Reagan.
  As Vice President Cheney remarked at the Air Force Academy 2 years 
ago, ``No President ever deploys the force he builds. There is nothing 
quick about preparation.'' That is a message that we must always remain 
ready, that we must always support the strength of our military and the 
safety of our personnel.
  As the Taliban or the Hussein regime could attest, the myth of a 
hollowed-out American military is nothing more than that, a myth. I 
rise with my colleagues to thank, to support and commend our brave men 
and women in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Hefley), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr.

[[Page H4887]]

Hunter) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for bringing this 
to us today.
  After 9/11, the President stood right up there, and he said we will 
go anywhere we have to go to get people who would perpetrate the kind 
of action that occurred on September 11. We will go get him, and he 
meant what he said; and that is what we have been in the process of 
doing, and Iraq was part of that pattern. They were a threat to us, but 
they were a threat to the world; and we know they had weapons of mass 
destruction. What they have done with them we are not quite sure at 
this point, but we know they had those; and we know they had a hatred 
for the United States and would have had no compunction about giving or 
selling those weapons to people who would actually use them against the 
United States or the free world.
  What we saw in 21 days of war and the aftermath that has come since 
then and the Afghanistan activity before that was the ultimate in 
professionalism and training and equipment and planning; and I think we 
can all be very proud of that. We do not want war, but we will defend 
ourselves wherever we have to go to do that. We have shown that we have 
the capability to get the job done.
  We also have seen a tremendous dedication among these young troops 
that we have deployed. We are so proud of them and all the troops that 
we have over there that are willing to uproot their lives and leave 
their families and risk their lives in the pursuit of freedom.
  I spend a lot of time, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) 
and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) do, with the troops; and 
I have never seen a better attitude than they have today. They feel 
like they are doing something that is meaningful for world peace.
  Our prayers and our support, of course, go to the families that have 
lost loved ones. We always hate that. We do not want to lose one single 
person, but we know in war we do lose some people and we are sorry for 
that, and we want to extend our appreciation to them for giving their 
loved ones to the cause.
  So our thanks go to all of the coalition forces. What we are doing 
today is a small way to say thanks from a grateful Nation.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Harman), who is one of the original cosponsors of this 
legislation together with the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Cunningham).
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time, and I commend him for his leadership on this issue and so many 
others.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, which 
honors our troops and calls on communities all across the Nation to 
warmly welcome home the service women and men serving in Operation 
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
  Such an expression is critically important. Many of us who grew up 
during the Vietnam War are haunted by memories of the treatment 
afforded returning veterans of that conflict. Painted by an unpopular 
policy, many who risked their lives for their country and suffered 
physical and emotional wounds were ignored and their courage and 
sacrifice dishonored and ridiculed.
  We must not let that happen again.
  The resolution before us, like the one introduced earlier by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) and me, recognizes the 
service of more than 380,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, 
comprised of active component forces, National Guard and Reserve 
personnel, who were deployed thousands of miles from home as part of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
  Thirty-five service members from the Los Angeles Air Force base 
located in my district were sent to the Persian Gulf. Many more were 
local Guard and Reserve members who were required to take indefinite 
leave from places of employment. All left loved ones behind and faced 
danger. And as my colleagues have heard, our Armed Forces suffered a 
number of casualties, including deaths, injuries and incarceration as 
prisoners of war.
  One of the first casualties of Operation Iraqi Freedom was Marine 
Corps Lance Corporal Jose Gutierrez, who came from his native Guatemala 
to my district in California, lived with a foster family before joining 
the Marines to ``pay back a little of what he'd gotten from the U.S.'' 
Our condolences go out to his family and all families who lost loved 
ones during war.
  Mr. Speaker, the homecomings have already begun. The city of 
Torrance, California, dedicated its May 17 Armed Forces Day parade to 
the returning servicemembers. Other cities have scheduled 4th of July 
festivities, and families throughout my district are planning 
neighborhood block parties and other celebrations to welcome home sons, 
daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers.
  I commend the Committee on Armed Services, its chair and ranking 
member especially, for bringing this resolution to the floor today. We 
must never forget the courage and selfless sacrifice of the women and 
men in our Armed Forces. We must always undertake efforts to protect 
their safety as they continue to be deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, 
Korea, and other theaters in which they will continue to face danger; 
and we must afford them a warm welcome home.
  These are important steps. This resolution does this. Again, I 
commend its passage and hope our vote will be unanimous.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman and assure her that her and the 
gentleman from California's (Mr. Cunningham) resolution is very much 
embodied in what the committee produced and thank her for her great 
efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Bartlett).
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, in a former life I worked for 
the military for 18 years in a number of capacities. During that time, 
I gained an enormous respect for our military personnel.
  For the last 11 years since coming to the Congress, I have had the 
privilege and the honor of serving on the Committee on Armed Services 
where I gained even more respect for our military personnel.
  I would have thought that this long association with the military 
would have prepared me for an event of a couple of years ago, but it 
really did not. This event was a paralyzed veterans reception in Cannon 
Caucus, and I knew what I was going to see when I went there, but I 
really was not prepared for the emotional response that I had.
  I went to that big conference room, and there were many, many service 
personnel on crutches and in wheelchairs. It finally struck me that 
they were paralyzed, and they were there so that I could continue to 
live in this great free country, I and 280 million other Americans; and 
then I thought of those that were not so lucky, that were filling 
graves in foreign countries or in this country who, in Abraham 
Lincoln's words, gave that last full measure of devotion for their 
country.
  Less than one person in a hundred serves in our military, but to this 
very small percent of our population this grateful Nation owes an 
enormous debt. I thank my colleagues for bringing this resolution to 
the floor today.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Doggett).
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, how very timely is the old warning of 
Abraham Lincoln about those ``trusting to escape [the] scrutiny [of 
war] by fixing the public gaze upon the exceeding brightness of 
military glory.'' Our troops deserve our fullest support for their 
tremendous sacrifices, and they certainly have mine. Let us truly honor 
American sons and daughters in uniform, not with mere words, but with 
adequate health care and a thriving economy, not an Everest of public 
debt for their children. Let our nation-building begin here at home 
with adequate schools, jobs, and opportunity.
  What this Administration calls a ``coalition'' is, in fact, the U.S., 
the UK, and hefty advertising. No war in American history has been 
better marketed.

                              {time}  1330

  The very weakness of our new ``first strike,'' ``security through 
attack'' policy and the repeated failure to connect Iraq with the 
outrage of 9/11 necessitates resolutions like this that must

[[Page H4888]]

borrow strength from the bold courage of our troops. Surely the 
thousands combing Iraq today for weapons of mass destruction will find 
at least a trace, but an honest assessment requires asking whether this 
second-rate tyrant, unable to effectively defend himself, really ever 
had the capability to endanger our families.
  Americans continue to do most of the dying and will do almost all of 
the paying for this indefinite engagement. Let us guard against it 
becoming a war without end. With unlimited dollars, we have mastered so 
well the terrible technology of death, but true security demands wisdom 
as well as strength.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to say to my 
colleague who just spoke, and I would like to get his attention, 
because when the gentleman gets up on these resolutions and implies 
that there is somehow a political agenda behind them, it tends, I 
think, to do a disservice to the resolutions.
  This resolution came about because lots of Members, like the 
gentlewoman from the party of the gentleman who just spoke, have asked 
to put resolutions forward commending our troops and recognizing their 
sacrifice. The Committee on Armed Services, seeing all these 
resolutions being put out, with Members on the Democrat and Republican 
side wanting to commend this unit or that unit coming back to their 
country, we took all of those and we looked at them and we decided to 
do one large resolution that commended everyone in these operations. 
And we have, literally, at the end of this resolution, we have named 
every single American unit that participated in the operation.
  There is no political agenda here. This is a consolidating of all of 
the efforts and the input from Members of this body, Democrat and 
Republican, some of them for the war, presumably some against the war, 
who wanted to commend the people who participated in it. It is that and 
it is nothing more. And by implying a political agenda, the gentleman, 
in fact, injects a political agenda into the debate.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cunningham), who is so closely associated with that 
great aircraft carrier which steamed into San Diego a couple of days 
ago at the end of its career, the Constellation, America's Navy, along 
with Willy Driscoll from the Vietnam War.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks back, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Harman) came to me with an idea for this resolution. It 
was not my idea, Mr. Speaker; I am just flying wing on the gentlewoman 
from California at this time, and I thank her for her foresight in 
bringing this forward.
  Many of the words that the gentlewoman and myself placed in it are 
supported both by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) in this resolution, and I thank 
them both.
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) spent his life supporting 
our troops, and what better person to bring a resolution. His father 
was a Marine, he was a combat veteran in Vietnam, and his young son is 
in the United States Marine Corps.
  And, Mr. Speaker, I owe great homage to the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Skelton). I served on the authorization committee and learned to 
love and support him. When we were in the minority at one time, I was 
just hotter than a hatter because the majority was stopping me from an 
amendment, and I was about ready to go to battle stations. The 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) pulled me aside and he sat me 
there in that third row chair and started talking to me about his 
heritage as a descendant of Daniel Boone. After 30 minutes of speaking 
and calming me down, he said, ``Duke, are you settled down now?'' It 
was his way of saying ``Ease up, Duke,'' and I will never forget that.
  But many of us have tears in the well. It is difficult to send men 
and women to combat. And the most difficult thing is that we may have 
to do it again; that as long as we have an al-Qaeda, a Mujahedin, a 
Hamas, a Hezbollah, and people that want to hurt not only us overseas 
but even in our own homeland, it is a difficult choice.
  I know that the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) flew out to 
the U.S.S. Constellation, and then I heard the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Skelton) the other day say that he also flew out to the carrier 
that pulled into the East Coast, and the troops really appreciate that.
  I know there was a lot of heyday made when the President flew out to 
a carrier, but I was with Major Dan ``Knuckles'' Shipley, this weekend 
when he flew in off the Connie. And he said, ``Duke, tell the President 
that we love him. We know that he supports us.'' Many of us criticized 
President Clinton at times, and sometimes I think we were wrong. I 
never did it after we got into conflict. But you need to stand behind 
the President, especially at a time of war, whether it is Bill Clinton 
or President George W. Bush.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Skelton) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) for this 
resolution.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to first say that this resolution has no political agenda. We are here 
merely to say ``thank you.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Rangel).
  (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I join in the praise of the chairman, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) and my dear friend, the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) in bringing this to the floor. I 
am one of the politicians that do not find anything wrong with 
politics. And if it is politically right to laud the efforts of our men 
and women overseas that are coming home, then no matter how it is 
described, I want to be among those that would do it.
  These young men and women are dedicated, and we have to make certain 
that we give them a little more than praise and a parade. Because I 
recall in 1952, when I came home from Korea, those medals did not get 
me a job; it was people reaching out, trying to help me to put my life 
together. And so I think this is what we have to do.
  My friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), says how 
difficult it is to send our young people into harm's way and that we 
may have to consider doing this more in the future. Well, I hope not, 
because if we take a good look at those that will be coming home, we 
will be taking a harder look at those that we sent.
  Most of my colleagues know that I really truly believe that what is 
in the best interest of the United States of America is that we 
consider draft legislation, where everyone would be exposed to 
defending this great Republic, rather than seeing who will be coming 
home, and worse still who will not be coming home, those that come from 
our inner cities, our rural areas, and those that we are now trying to 
further recruit.
  While patriotism is up in this House of Representatives, recruitment 
is not up. We are now giving mandatory extensions to those people who 
have volunteered, and we are bringing out the Reservists. Sure, they 
are dedicated, but we are asking them to serve two and three times a 
year, or a 2-year period, and of course, our National Guard are being 
called. So as we find expanded need for military, we ought to expand 
the pool from which they come.
  So what I am saying is that I want to join in the spirit of this 
resolution. I will be there at the parades, I am there at the armories. 
But for God's sake, let us have something of substance in the 
legislation.
  I know that most of the Members are not aware that that the tax bill 
that we passed on this floor excluded benefits for members of the 
military for extended child credits for those people that have incomes 
of $26,000 or less. Let me share with my colleagues the Catch 22 that 
our members of the Armed Forces are in.
  One, if they were under $26,000, and we know most of them are, they 
were cut out of the bill. They were dropped out of the bill, and the 
leadership said they may not come back. For those people who served in 
combat and had a larger amount of their income to be tax exclusive, 
they would get over $26,000 and once again lose the tax credit.

[[Page H4889]]

  Let us pay tribute, but let us have some substance and benefits for 
our beloved veterans.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is good to hear Members such, as our friend from New York (Mr. 
Rangel), the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Hunter), all veterans, speaking so well today for 
the young men and young women in the armed services. We appreciate it 
and their words so very, very much.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos).
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, while I am pleased we are here to applaud 
our Nation's businesses and business owners for the support they have 
provided our troops and our military families, I am disappointed that 
in this resolution Congress is simply voicing thanks. We had an 
opportunity to do something truly meaningful when we considered the 
Defense authorization legislation 2 weeks ago. Rather than doing 
something to help our Reservists and National Guardsmen and -women, 
this resolution simply expresses empty thanks.
  According to a survey conducted by the Pentagon, four in ten members 
of the Reserves or National Guard suffer a loss of salary when they are 
activated. For instance, Russell Wright, a father of two and a sergeant 
in the Marine Reserves, was activated for a year and, as a result, will 
lose about 50 percent of his civilian salary.
  Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleagues will agree that this is a 
deplorable comment on how our country treats its Reserves and National 
Guardsmen. Instead of merely praising the Nation's businesses for their 
support of our troops, we should be helping our activated men and 
women.
  An amendment offered by my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Bell), and myself to require the Federal Government to pay its 
employees the difference between their civilian and military salaries 
passed unanimously by voice vote in a recent Committee on Government 
Reform meeting. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, that amendment was excluded 
from consideration of the Defense authorization bill that we passed 2 
weeks ago.
  It is a grave disappointment to me that instead of making up the 
salary loss suffered by numerous Federal employees who are also 
Reservists, we are only offering a meaningless tribute to our Nation's 
businesses for doing what we in Congress are not willing to do.
  Mr. Speaker, because I support House Resolution 201, I wanted to take 
a moment to commend the nearly 200 conscientious businesses that have 
taken the initiative to pay their employees the difference between 
their military and civilian salaries. These companies include the 
Oracle Corporation, located in my own congressional district.
  Mr. Speaker, when my colleagues come down to vote on this resolution, 
I want them to think about the families which are suffering as a result 
of the pay gap, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in 
rectifying this outrageous problem.

                     [From USA Today, May 15, 2003]

                     Reservists Under Economic Fire

                            (By Kathy Kiely)

       Washington.--Drastic pay cuts. Bankruptcy. Foreclosed 
     homes. They aren't exactly the kind of challenges that 
     members of America's military reserves signed up for when 
     they volunteered to serve their country.
       But for many, the biggest threat to the home front isn't 
     Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden. It's the bill collector.
       Four in 10 members of the National Guard or reserves lose 
     money when they leave their civilian jobs for active duty, 
     according to a Pentagon survey taken in 2000. Of 1.2 million 
     members, 223,000 are on active duty around the world.
       Concern is growing in Congress, and several lawmakers in 
     both parties have introduced legislation to ease it.
       Janet Wright says she ``sat down and cried'' when she 
     realized how little money she and her children, Adelia, 5, 
     and Carolyn, 2, would have to live on when her husband was 
     sent to the Middle East. In his civilian job with an 
     environmental cleanup company, Russell Wright makes $60,000 a 
     year--twice what he'll be paid as a sergeant in the Marine 
     Forces Reserve. Back in Hammond, LA., his wife, who doesn't 
     have a paying job, is pouring the kids more water and less 
     milk. She is trying to accelerate Carolyn's potty training 
     schedule to save on diapers.
       She doesn't know how long she'll have to pinch pennies. 
     Like his fellow reservists, Russell Wright has been called up 
     for one year. He could be sent home sooner, or the military 
     could exercise its option to extend his tour of duty for a 
     second year. Even so, Janet Wright considers her family 
     lucky: She can still pay the mortgage, and the children's 
     pediatrician accepts Tricare, the military health plan.
       Ray Korizon, a 23-year veteran with the Air Force Reserve 
     and an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration, says 
     his income will also be cut in half if his unit ships out. 
     Korizon, who lives in Schaumburg, Ill., knows the financial 
     costs of doing his patriotic duty from bitter experience. 
     Before the Persian Gulf War in 1991, he owned a Chicago 
     construction company with 26 employees. He was sent overseas 
     for six months and lost the business.
       Still, he never considered leaving the reserve. Korizon 
     says he enjoys the work and the camaraderie. But he worries 
     about whether his two kids can continue to see the same 
     doctor when he shifts to military health coverage. ``It's 
     hard to go out and do the job you want to do when you're 
     worried about things back home'' he says.
       Once regarded as ``weekend warriors,'' they have become an 
     integral part of U.S. battle plans. Call-ups have been longer 
     and more frequent.
       ``The last time you saw this type of mobilization activity 
     was during World War II,'' says Maj. Charles Kohler of the 
     Maryland National Guard. Of the Maryland Guard's 8,000 
     members, 3,500 are on active duty. Kohler knows several who 
     are in serious financial trouble. One had to file for 
     bankruptcy after a yearlong deployment, during which his 
     take-home pay fell by two-thirds.
       Stories like that are the result of a shift in military 
     policy. Since the end of the Cold War, the ranks of the full-
     time military have been reduced by one-third. The Pentagon 
     has increasingly relied on the nation's part-time soldiers. 
     More than 525,000 members of the Guard and reserves have been 
     mobilized in the 12 years since the Persian Gulf War. For 
     the previous 36 years, the figure was 199,877.
       The end of fighting in Iraq isn't likely to lessen the 
     pressure on the Guard and reserves. They'll stay on with the 
     regular military in a peacekeeping role. Nobody knows how 
     long, but in Bosnia, Guard members and reservists are on duty 
     seven years after the mission began.
       Korizon, who maintains avionics systems on C-130 cargo 
     planes, has been told his Milwaukee-based reserve unit may be 
     called up for humanitarian missions.
       Some of the specialists who are in the greatest demand--
     physicians and experts in biological and chemical agents--
     command six-figure salaries in civilian life. The average pay 
     for a midlevel officer is $50,000 to $55,000.
       ``They were prepared to be called up. They were prepared to 
     serve their country,'' Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, says. 
     ``They were not prepared to be part of a regular force and be 
     away from home 200 to 300 days a year.''
       Concerns are growing on Capitol Hill. As the nation's 
     reliance on the Guard and reserves has increased, ``funding 
     for training and benefits simply have not kept up,'' says 
     Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, a member of the 
     Armed Services Committee.
       The General Accounting Office, Congress' auditing arm, is 
     studying pay and benefits for Guard members and reservists. A 
     report is due in September. Meanwhile, members of Congress 
     are pushing several bills to ease the burden:
       Closing the pay gap.--Some employers make up the difference 
     in salary for reservists on active duty. But many, including 
     the federal government, do not. A bill sponsored by 
     Democratic Sens. Mikulski, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Mary 
     Landrieu of Louisiana would require the federal government to 
     make up lost pay. Landrieu is doing that for one legislative 
     aide who has been called up for active duty.
       She has also introduced a bill to give private employers a 
     50% tax credit if they subsidize reservists' salaries.
       Closing the health gap.--Once on active duty, reservists, 
     Guard members and their families are covered by Tricare.
       But for the 75% of reserve and Guard families living more 
     than 50 miles from military treatment facilities, finding 
     physicians who participate in Tricare can be difficult. A 
     measure sponsored by Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, would give 
     reservists and Guard members the option of making Tricare 
     their regular insurer or having the federal government pay 
     premiums for their civilian health insurance while they are 
     on active duty. Several senior Democratic Senators, including 
     Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Edward Kennedy of 
     Massachusetts, support the idea.
       Keeping creditors at bay.--The Soldiers and Sailors Relief 
     Act caps interest rates on mortgages, car payments and other 
     debts owned by military personnel at 6% while they are on 
     active duty. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina 
     Republican who is the Senate's only reservist, says the act 
     doesn't apply to debts that are held in the name of a spouse 
     who is not a member of the military. He plans to introduce 
     legislation to cover spouses.
       Despite a groundswell of support for troops, none of the 
     bills is assured of passage. There's concern among some 
     administration officials about the cost of some of the 
     proposals. In addition, some at the Pentagon think morale 
     would be hurt if some reservists end up with higher incomes 
     than their counterparts in the regular ranks.

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have left?

[[Page H4890]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). The gentleman from California 
(Mr. Hunter) has 6\1/2\ minutes remaining, and the time of the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) has expired.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I will be happy to yield some time to my colleague in a minute.
  But I want to say to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), 
before he leaves the floor, that he mentioned this important issue, 
that I know he had taken up with me and he feels is very important, to 
try to give what I think we could call pay parity to folks in the Guard 
and the Reserve. I think there is merit in his proposal. But I did want 
to mention that we do some meaningful things in this Defense bill in 
which we marked up this particular resolution.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. Speaker, it was not just commendations that we gave our troops. 
We also marked up a 4.1 percent pay raise, decreased the out-of-pocket 
expenses for our folks, increased the amount of money for family 
housing, and we did a number of things that will accrue to the benefit 
of our troops, both active Guard and Reserve.
  Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I thought one thing that I might do at 
this point is yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) to 
close, and then I wanted to read the units that participated in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and put on the 
record the folks who participated in these operations.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Skelton), who is my partner on the Committee on Armed Services who has 
done so much great work.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, a great Roman orator once said that gratitude is the 
greatest of all virtues, and that is what this resolution does; no 
more, no less. It expresses gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness to 
those young men and women in uniform, to those civilian employees who 
back them up, as well as civilian contractors. It is our way of saying 
thank you from the Congress of the United States. They are the pride of 
our country, and we wish to express our deep and sincere appreciation 
to them through this means.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just conclude this resolution by reciting the 
units that participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom. From the Army: Army 
Forces Central Command--3rd United States Army; V Corps Command 
Element; 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized); 101st Airborne Division 
(Air Assault); 82nd Airborne Division; 4th Infantry Division 
(Mechanized); Elements of the 1st Infantry Division; 10th Mountain 
Division, and 1st Armored Division; 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment; 3rd 
Armored Cavalry Regiment; 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep); 11th Aviation 
Group.
  From the Marine Corps: Marine Forces Central Command; 1st Marine 
Expeditionary Brigade; 1st Marine Division; 3rd Marine Air Wing; 1st 
Force Service Support Group; 2nd Force Service Support Group/Marine 
Logistics Command; 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force 
Tarawa); 15th, 24th, and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units.
  From the Navy: Naval Forces Central Command--United States 5th Fleet; 
Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Force; Nimitz Carrier Strike Force; 
Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Force; Constellation Carrier Strike 
Force; Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Force; Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike 
Force; Amphibious Task Force East; Amphibious Task Force West; Nassau 
Amphibious Ready Group; Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group; Iwo Jima 
Amphibious Ready Group; Amphibious Group 3; Maritime Prepositioning 
Squadrons 1, 2, and 4.
  From the Air Force: Air Forces Central Command--9th Air Force; 9th 
Air Expeditionary Task Force; 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force; and 
the following air expeditionary wings: 39th, 40th, 64th, 320th, 321st, 
332nd, 363rd, 376th, 379th, 380th, 384th, 386th, 401st, 405th, 410th, 
484th, 485th, 486th, and 487th Air Expeditionary Wing. And the 
following Air Expeditionary groups: 387th, 398th, 407th, 409th, 444th, 
447th, 449th, 457th, 449th, 457th, 458th, and 506th.
  The following Expeditionary Air Support Operations Groups: 3rd, 4th, 
18th, 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group, the 86th Contingency Response 
Group, 15th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron.
  From the United States Special Operations Command: Special Operations 
Command Central; 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne); 3rd Special 
Forces Group (Airborne); 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne); 160th 
Special Operations Aviation Regiment; 75th Ranger Regiment; 352nd Civil 
Affairs Command; 350th Civil Affairs Command; 304th, 308th, and 358th 
Civil Affairs Brigades.
  From the Naval Special Warfare Command: Naval Special Warfare Group 
One; Naval Special Warfare Group Three.
  From the Air Force Special Operations Command: 16th Special 
Operations Wing; 919th Special Operations Wing; 193rd Special 
Operations Wing; 720th Special Operations Group; 352nd Special 
Operations Group; 123rd Special Tactics Squadron; 280th Command Control 
Squadron.
  From the Coast Guard: U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Boutwell, Dallas, 
Walnut, Aquidneck, Adak, Wrangell, Baranof, Bainbridge Island, Grande 
Isle, Knight Island, Pea Island, and Sapelo.
  The following port security units: Port Security Units 313, 311, 309, 
305.
  Law Enforcement Detachments 101, 202, 204, 205, 404, 406, and 411; 
Atlantic Strike Team Detachment; Law Enforcement Attachment; Harbor 
Defense Command Units 114 and 206.
  Operation Enduring Freedom--
  From the Army: Army Forces Central Command, Combined Joint Task Force 
180; 10th Mountain Division; 101st Airborne Division; and 82d Airborne 
Division.
  From the Marine Corps: Marine Forces Central Command; Commander Joint 
Task Force--Horn of Africa; Combined Joint Task Force 58; and the 
following Marine Expeditionary Units: 11th, 13th, 15th, 22nd, 26th.
  Detachments: 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
  From the Navy: Navy Forces Central Command--U.S. 5th Fleet; Theodore 
Roosevelt Carrier Strike Force; Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Force; 
Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Force; Enterprise Carrier Strike Force; 
Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Force; John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Force; 
John F. Kennedy Carrier Strike Force; George Washington Carrier Strike 
Force; Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group; Bataan Amphibious Ready 
Group; Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group; Wasp Amphibious Ready Group.
  From the Air Force: Air Forces Central Command--9th Air Force. The 
following Air Expeditionary task forces: the 9th and the 13th. The 
following Air Expeditionary Wings: 28th, 40th, 64th, 320th, 321st, 
322nd, 363rd, 366th, 376th, 379th, 380th, 384th, 386th, 405th, and the 
455th.
  The following Air Expeditionary Groups: 416th, 438th, 451st, the 
First Expeditionary RED HORSE Group.
  From the United States Special Operations Command: 5th Special Forces 
Group (Airborne); 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne); 19th Special 
Forces Group (Airborne); 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne); 2nd 
Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne); 160th Special 
Operations Aviation Regiment; 75th Ranger Regiment; 350th Civil Affairs 
Command; 354th, 360th, and 403rd Civil Affairs Brigades; 310th 
Psychological Operations Brigade.
  From the Naval Special Warfare Command: Group 1 and Naval Special 
Warfare Group Three; 16th Special Operations Wing; 352nd Special 
Operations Group; 919th Special Operations Wing; 193rd Special 
Operations Wing; 720th Special Operations Group; and 123rd Special 
Tactics Squadron.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing us to, in the words of the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), give this thanks from a grateful 
Nation to the people who carried freedom to very difficult and remote 
parts of the world in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for his 
participation.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, today I choose to vote present on H. 
Con. Res. 177. I support our brave soldiers who served or are currently 
serving in the war against terrorism.

[[Page H4891]]

Whether they are in Iraq, In Afghanistan, or here at home, I praise our 
courageous men and women for risking their lives to defend our country 
and our freedom. However, I believe that the war on Iraq was 
unnecessary. I cannot vote in favor of a resolution that commends the 
President for putting American soldiers' lives in harm's way because of 
bad policy and misguided decision making.
  I will continue to support efforts that support our troops, their 
families, and our veterans. Each one of them is an American hero and 
each one of them makes me proud to be an American.
  Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Speaker, Iowans should be proud of the tremendous 
accomplishments of our dedicated troops over the last couple of years, 
particularly those serving with Operation Enduring Freedom and 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. These men and women have risked their lives 
and made sacrifices to keep their country safe and secure.
  We should thank each and every one of them, and welcome them home 
with honor.
  Our thanks must also extend to the loved ones of those who serve. 
Family members do their best to carry on with their lives while they 
wait, worry, and sometimes watch, what their son, daughter, wife, 
husband, father or mother is facing on the other side of the world. 
Some families have been changed forever by tragic loss. Steve and 
Marilyn Korthaus of Davenport, Iowa will always miss their son Bradley, 
a Marine sergeant who died bravely in Iraq in March. They will also be 
forever proud of him. May they find comfort in knowing he died with 
honor, and may all of us join them in appreciating the sacrifice he 
made in the name of freedom.
  While our men and women in uniform have accomplished so much in Iraq 
and in the overall war on terror, important work remains. They may not 
be in front of us 24 hours a day on television, but it is vital to 
remember and support those troops still deployed to the Persian Gulf 
and other areas around the world.
  The Ohnesorge family of Dubuque, Iowa is keenly aware that many of 
our troops remain in danger. Their son, Army Specialist Abraham 
Ohnesorge, was seriously injured just last week by a rocket-propelled 
grenade in Iraq.
  As members of Congress, we can show our gratitude to Brad, Abraham 
and the thousands of other troops serving us by providing whatever 
resources are necessary to defend our nation and win the continuing war 
against terrorism. It is an unquestioned priority for Iowans and for 
all Americans. Our armed forces need the newest and best tools 
available to meet the challenges they face. We should also provide fair 
and equitable pay, housing and tax policies for members of the 
military. As House Budget Committee chairman, I take each of these 
responsibilities very seriously.
  The excellent work accomplished in support of both Operation Enduring 
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom by the employees of the Rock Island 
Arsenal also deserves our gratitude. These dedicated workers rose to 
the challenge.
  Many members of military reserve units and the National Guard were 
called from the civilian world. The employers and coworkers who support 
their service should also be commended.
  America is blessed to have such well-trained individuals of 
excellence who are willing to serve not only our interests, but the 
interests of the entire world. May we see a day when all our troops 
deployed in the far reaches of the world are home safely with the 
people they love.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the members of our armed 
forces, who serve our country in the most difficult of circumstances. 
They endure terrible hardships in the course of their service: they are 
shipped thousands of miles across the globe for everything from border 
control duty to combat duty, enduring terribly long separations from 
their families and loved ones.
  I believe it is appropriate for Congress to recognize and commend 
this service to our country and I join with my colleagues to do so. I 
am concerned, however, that legislation like H. Con. Res. 177 seeks to 
use our support for the troops to advance a very political and 
controversial message. In addition to expressing sympathy and 
condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in 
service to our country, for example, this legislation endorses the kind 
of open-ended occupation and nation-building that causes me great 
concern. It ``recommits'' the United States to ``helping the people of 
Iraq and Afghanistan build free and vibrant democratic societies.'' 
What this means is hundreds of thousands of American troops remaining 
in Iraq and Afghanistan for years to come, engaged in nation-building 
activities that the military is neither trained nor suited for. It also 
means tens and perhaps hundreds of billions of American tax dollars 
being shipped abroad at a time when our national debt is reaching 
unprecedented levels.
  The legislation inaccurately links our military action against 
Afghanistan, whose government was in partnership with Al-Qaeda, with 
our recent attack on Iraq, claiming that these were two similar 
campaigns in the war on terror. In fact, some of us are more concerned 
that the policy of pre-emptive military action, such as was the case in 
Iraq, will actually increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks 
against the United States--a phenomenon already predicted by the CIA.
  Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that some would politicize an issue 
like this. If we are to commend our troops let us commend our troops. 
We should not be forced to endorse the enormously expensive and 
counter-productive practice of nation-building and pre-emptive military 
strikes to do so.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H. Con. 
Res. 177, a resolution commending the members of the United States 
armed forces for their brave and successful actions against the Taliban 
in Afghanistan and the forces of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. I support this 
bill because I believe it is important for the U.S. Congress to express 
its thanks to the tireless men and women of our armed forces. I also 
believe Congress has an absolute duty to demand that outstanding 
questions be answered by the Administration about the evidence used to 
justify a war in Iraq that put our troops in great danger.
  The valiant men and women of the U.S. armed forces left their homes 
and families to take up arms against two tyrannical regimes. Some 
members of the Reserves were activated for the war and took time away 
from their jobs--often taking significant cuts in their pay--to 
contribute to this endeavor. These men and women were given the call to 
duty, met it confidently, and returned as victors.
  Although the United States was victorious in Iraq, our job is far 
from over. Indeed, some members of our military remain in Iraq, 
attempting to establish law and order and a true peace. I believe the 
Administration owes it to the brave men and women of our military and 
to the American people to answer difficult questions about its 
justifications for war.
  Leading up to the Iraq war, President Bush, Vice President Dick 
Cheney, and Secretary of State Colin Powell repeatedly stated that 
Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction and ties to Al Qaeda 
posed a direct threat to American national security.
  On March 16, 2003, Vice President Cheney unambiguously told Meet the 
Press that Iraq had ``reconstituted nuclear weapons.'' Despite American 
control of Iraq, the United States has found no evidence of an Iraqi 
nuclear program. Even worse, some of the intelligence cited by the 
Administration about Iraq's nuclear program has turned out to be 
fraudulent.
  Between January and March 2003, both President Bush and Secretary 
Powell linked Iraq to Al Qaeda. In the State of the Union, the 
President warned that Iraq was harboring members of Al Qaeda. At the 
United Nations, Powell claimed that Iraq was sheltering Al Qaeda 
lieutenant Abu Musab Zarqawi, proving a ``sinister nexus between Iraq 
and the Al Qaeda terrorist network.'' No proof has been produced to 
verify either of these statements.
  The lynchpin of the Administration's justification for war in Iraq 
was the presence of biological and chemical weapons of mass 
destruction. The President, Vice President Cheney and Secretary Powell 
all repeatedly spoke of Hussein's stockpile of biological and chemical 
munitions. Iraq was described as having such weapons labs across the 
country. No evidence has been found that Hussein possessed or was 
producing any biological or chemical weapons, much less the stockpiles 
asserted by the Administration.
  Congress has an obligation to ask questions about the statements made 
by the Administration to justify the war in Iraq and the Administration 
has a responsibility to answer them truthfully and honestly. The 
justifications for war matter. They matter to the men and women of the 
armed forces, whom we are saluting today, because the Administration 
used them to destroy a threat it maintains existed against the United 
States. They matter to the families and friends of those brave men and 
women who watched as their loved ones shipped off to war. They matter 
to the American people who are, after all, the final authority in this 
government.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of this resolution to recognize the efforts of those who have 
contributed to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  Today we recognize and thank those soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
marines, and all the individuals in our defense and intelligence 
communities whose commitment and dedication ensure our continued 
success. They are members of the greatest fighting force the world has 
known, representing not only our Nation's strength, but our bravery, 
skill, honor and resolve. We also thank their families, who so 
graciously share their loved ones with their country.
  Liberty must be guarded and defended, and no nation has given more in 
this defense than America. Throughout our history, our Nation has been 
blessed to have individuals willing to

[[Page H4892]]

make the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep the flames of freedom and 
liberty burning brightly throughout the world. They selflessly dedicate 
their life to protecting freedom, ensuring liberty, and defending the 
principles of this country through great personal sacrifice. On behalf 
of a grateful Nation, we pay tribute to these brave men and women.
  Today, as we recognize and commend the actions already taken, we also 
renew our commitment to ensuring the security of our homeland. We renew 
our commitment to destroying Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations 
that threaten the free world. We do not know what the future holds, 
however we can say with certainty that because of the men and women we 
honor with this resolution, we will prevail.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hunter for introducing this 
important resolution. Today, we recognize, support, and commend our 
brave service men and women for their dedication, for their sacrifice, 
and for their supreme love of country. We thank and honor those, 
including our allies, who serve on behalf of liberty and freedom, and 
remember those who have been wounded or died in the line of duty.
  Our Nation has committed our military to defend the world from grave 
danger and to assure the security for all nations. These men and women 
have risen to the highest level and have succeeded in overthrowing the 
Taliban in Afghanistan and the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. While 
they are working diligently to bring peace, stability and prosperity to 
the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, our men and women of our armed 
forces continue to face danger each and every day.
  In the coming weeks and months, it will be critically important for 
our Nation to continue our support and pray for the safety of our 
troops. Their mission may not be completed for a long time, and it is 
important that we reiterate our strong support. At the same time, I 
would like to commend the military families, the employers and the 
communities around the United States for their sacrifices and 
patriotism.
  Our focus must be on working with the world community to fight the 
war against terrorism, and to rebuild Afghanistan and Iraq following 
the military actions. As we move forward in Iraq, and in other crisis 
spots around the world, I am hopeful that the United States will 
continue to strengthen its unity with the international community and 
provide hope to those nations that have been trapped under dictatorial 
regimes.
  Today, we stand firmly behind our armed forces and our allies. We 
thank the brave men and women who risk their lives to keep our Nation 
free and safe. We offer our respect, our utmost gratitude, and the 
promise that we shall not forget your bravery and your sacrifice. We 
are proud of you. May God bless you and keep you safe.
  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
honoring our brave men and women of the Armed Services. Their duty and 
sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan are appreciated by all Americans.
  New challenges facing our Nation demand increased vigilance on the 
part of our Armed Services. With these increased demands, the role of 
the National Guard and Reserve Forces is critical in providing the 
total force necessary to ensure our security. Over the past year, I 
have had the opportunity to meet with many National Guard and Reserve 
members from western Wisconsin who have been called up for service 
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom 
in Iraq.
  Over 2,300 members of the Wisconsin Air and Army National Guard are 
serving on active duty. The people of western Wisconsin are proud of 
their service and the service of all the men and women of our Armed 
Forces during this important time in our Nation's history.
  We still have much to do in terms of peacekeeping and rebuilding in 
Iraq and Afghanistan. In this effort, it is important that we engage 
our allies to share responsibility and pursue an effective, sustained 
commitment to peace and stability in the region. If we can do this 
right, we will not have to again, sometime down the road, send our 
military forces over to fight.
  In addition, we recognize today all of the `round-the-clock' work put 
in by the military personnel and DoD civilian employees at military 
mobilization platforms around our Nation. In western Wisconsin, I 
represent Fort McCoy, one of the Army Reserves' power projection 
platforms. Ft. McCoy has been continuously processing and training 
mobilized members of the National Guard and Reserve for the past six 
months. Their efforts have been key in getting our forces ready for 
combat.
  It is also important that we recognize the support and sacrifice of 
the families and employers of our troops. They are the backbone of our 
fighting forces, and we appreciate their commitment during these 
challenging times.
  The American people and the Congress of the United States stand 
behind our Armed Service Members and those that support them. As our 
military effort continues, I and other Members of Congress will 
continue to work to ensure that our service men and women have all the 
resources necessary to fulfil their mission.
  My thoughts and prayers are with those serving our Country overseas, 
as well as their families. America is firmly behind our troops, and 
we're all hoping to see them home safe, secure and soon.
  May God continue to bless the United States of America.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
177, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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