[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 142 (Tuesday, November 1, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H9453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SEEKING OUT THE TRUTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, before I begin my focused 
remarks, I would like to join my colleague from Ohio, Congresswoman 
Kaptur, and ask the same questions of FEMA and the Department of 
Homeland Security. Having just toured the region in Texas and having 
been in part of Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and 
now Hurricane Rita, we now are fully aware of the Department of Defense 
leaving behind people who are in essence homeless.
  In the city of Houston, we expect that some 44,000 to 50,000 
individuals now housed in hotel rooms will be subsequently evicted 
because of the time running out. All of these individuals have been 
hard-working, tax-paying Americans who are now looking not for a hand 
out, but a hand up. We cannot seem to get FEMA and all of the good 
works that many of the individual FEMA staff persons have done to 
recognize that we have a crisis and that we need to engage in some of 
the catastrophic solutions. That means finding trailers across America 
wherever they might be. Do not wait and tell us that you cannot find 
them because they are not manufactured when there are places across 
America housing or holding various facilities that could be moved. You 
cannot tell us that you cannot use some of the military bases that have 
been designated for closing. So I join my colleague, and we will 
hopefully join in a sense of Congress that will ask FEMA and Homeland 
Security to move expeditiously to house the thousands of individuals 
who are not yet housed.
  Let me now suggest that as we look to the tragedy in America that 
some of our citizens have fallen on hard times, might I lift again our 
praises and respect for the men and women on the front lines in Iraq 
and, of course, Afghanistan. We have always said when we have come to 
the floor to raise a question about the Iraq war that this is 
completely separate from our respect for the men and women who have 
offered their lives and certainly offered their service on behalf of 
this country. But it is important, as we have passed this enormous 
milestone, to be able to again remind America, and of course our 
colleagues, on the negative impact and negative results of this war.
  For each number, a face and family. The front page of our local 
newspaper, we are reading the names of Jonathan David Rozier, Adolfo C. 
Carballo, Pedro Contreras, Andrew Houghton, Dexter Kimble, and William 
M. Amundson. Those are just a few names and pictures on the front page. 
As well, might I again cite the young man who is buried in my 
congressional district, Sergeant Michael Robinson.
  It is important now, as the American public begins to look for some 
answers, both to the President and the United States Congress, that we 
fulfill our duty and our obligation to give them the answers. I think 
the action of the Senate today, led by the minority leader, Senator 
Reid, was, in fact, a very positive step. It was a step toward telling 
the truth: what and how was the intelligence used, and how was it 
represented to the United States Congress for a decision to be made 
statutorily, by a vote on this floor, not a constitutional vote, to 
move toward Iraq.
  Now, it is obviously true that the American public wants to find 
solutions; but as we find solutions, we must be keenly aware of finding 
out the truth. It is important as well to be able to go back and 
understand how this Congress was able to do its job effectively or not 
effectively because of the representations and misrepresentations that 
were made by the administration and others.
  So I am calling upon this Congress to do the right thing. Whether we 
establish a bipartisan select committee to investigate the cooked 
intelligence to be able to find out the truth or whether or not we 
instruct a number of our jurisdictional committees to hold hearings, we 
should begin our work. Doing this work on the past, on how the 
representations were made and how the ultimate decisions were made does 
not in any way take away the responsibility that we have for a 
successful exit strategy for our men and women to be able to come home.
  We understand that the American people are serious people. They 
understand as well that we have responsibilities, and I know that many 
are concerned about any precipitous action; but we do need a 
deliberative approach to be able to find a way to bring our young men 
and women home.
  My deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones on the 
front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan. This country will be forever 
indebted to you. And that is why in these names we promise you that we 
will find out the truth so that America, as she moves forward to defend 
herself in years to come, will have the respect and as well the success 
that is deserving of the military and the people of the United States 
of America.

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