[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 30 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H1019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, today is day 404 of 
incarceration for two former United States Border Patrol agents. Agents 
Ramos and Compean were convicted in March of 2006 for shooting a 
Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across our 
border into Texas.
  These two decorated Border Patrol agents who were doing their duty to 
protect the American people from an illegal alien drug smuggler have 
now served more than a year of their 11- and 12-year prison sentences.
  On December 3, 2007, the Fifth United States Circuit Court of Appeals 
in New Orleans heard oral arguments for the agents' appeal. During the 
hearing, one of the three judges on the case, Judge E. Grady Jolly, 
said, ``It does seem to me that the government overreacted here. For 
some reason, this one got out of hand.'' A ruling on their appeal is 
now expected any day, and the American people are anxiously awaiting 
the result.
  Many of us in Congress and millions of American citizens feel that 
the United States Attorney's Office in the Western District of Texas 
was not justified in indicting these agents.
  Nothing can erase the suffering these agents have undergone and the 
many months they have spent in prison away from their families. 
However, a judgment in favor of Ramos and Compean in this appeal would 
be the first act of justice these agents have seen since their arrest.
  Madam Speaker, the injustice of this case should not go unexamined. A 
number of days ago, I hand-delivered a letter to John Conyers, the 
chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a man I greatly respect, 
to request a hearing on this case. There have been many letters sent to 
the White House by Members of Congress and the American people calling 
on the President to pardon these agents. As of this time, the White 
House has not even responded to any of these calls from the American 
people. That is why it is critical that Chairman Conyers hold hearings 
to examine the injustice. The comments by the appeals judge are 
justification enough for the House Judiciary Committee to review this 
case to determine exactly why this case ``got out of hand.''
  Madam Speaker, as the American people eagerly await a ruling by the 
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, my prayers are with the agents and 
their families. It is my hope that the judge's decision will rectify 
this gross miscarriage of justice, and faith in our judicial system may 
be restored.
  Madam Speaker, before I close tonight, I would like to say to the 
families of Agents Ramos and Compean that many of us here in the House 
of Representatives of both parties have not forgotten this injustice 
that has befallen your families, and we promise to do our best to see 
the injustice become a justice for the Compean and Ramos families.

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