[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7869-H7870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1245
    SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RED CROSS TO THE 
                                MILITARY

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 937) expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives that the emergency communications services 
provided by the American Red Cross are vital resources for military 
servicemembers and their families, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 937

       Whereas the emergency communications services provided by 
     the American Red Cross are free for military families 
     experiencing a crisis;
       Whereas the Red Cross can provide notification of 
     emergencies and other important events to over 1,400,000 
     active duty personnel, and 1,200,000 members of the National 
     Guard and Reserves, on behalf of their family members;
       Whereas in an emergency, the Red Cross reaches out to 
     verify the emergency and provides third-party objective 
     information to commanding officers;
       Whereas the Red Cross provides timely and accurate 
     information 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, 
     and such information can assist a commander's decision 
     whether to release a service member from duty in order to 
     join with his or her family in a time of hardship;
       Whereas whether that service member is a reservist in 2 
     weeks of Arctic training in Alaska, a sailor on a ship in the 
     Indian Ocean, or a member of an advanced team on patrol in 
     Iraq, the Red Cross messaging system can communicate messages 
     between family members when and where other civilian services 
     cannot;
       Whereas whether it is a birth or death notification, the 
     Red Cross bears the emotional mission to deliver accurate and 
     timely messages between family members;
       Whereas the Red Cross ensures the delivery of the message 
     and provides the family with the needed support until the 
     service member returns home; and
       Whereas the Red Cross provides services through 756 
     chapters in the United States and on 58 military 
     installations around the world to United States Armed Forces 
     personnel, including our troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and 
     Iraq: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives appreciates the 
     vital emergency communications services provided by the 
     American Red Cross between military service members and their 
     families during emergencies or other important events.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  First let me commend my colleague from Texas, Dr. Michael Burgess, 
for introducing this important resolution and for his work in support 
of the American Red Cross. All of us have watched the American Red 
Cross reform itself, but we have also known that its brand name has 
represented the aid to help, the anchor in the time of storm.
  In times of emergency and other important events, the American Red 
Cross has the important and at times difficult duty of notifying 
military servicemembers on behalf of their families about such events. 
The Red Cross provides critical information to commanding officers to 
help them decide whether to release a servicemember from duty in order 
to join with his or her family in time of crisis.
  Regardless of whether it is a birth notice or a tragedy, such as the 
devastating floods in the Midwest, the Red Cross ensures the timely 
delivery of vitally important messages and ably provides the families 
of military servicemembers with the support and assistance they need 
until the servicemember returns home. This resolution recognizes the 
critical mission that the American Red Cross undertakes in providing 
information about these events to military servicemembers. We are all 
thankful to the Red Cross for carrying out this important work.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of House Resolution 937. 
This measure recognizes the vital communication services provided by 
the American Red Cross to U.S. servicemen and servicewomen serving 
overseas. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the 
American Red Cross provides notification of family emergencies and 
other important events as to birth and death notices to our forces that 
are in the field in lands far away.
  Whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan or aboard a ship in the Indian 
Ocean, the Red Cross messaging system can communicate between members 
of military families where other civilian means of communication 
cannot. American Red Cross officials are able to verify emergencies and 
relay information that is critical to a commander's decision whether to 
release a servicemember to allow him or her to return home during a 
time of family hardship. In addition to providing notification, the Red 
Cross often provides families in crisis with support until a 
servicemember can return home.
  I want to thank the author of this resolution, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Burgess), for giving us this opportunity to commend the 
American Red Cross for its outstanding service to our country's troops 
and their families. The people of the United States are grateful for 
the dependable support that the American Red Cross has provide us in 
times of crisis for the past 127 years.
  I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 937.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), the author of this resolution.

[[Page H7870]]

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I 
appreciate the efforts of both of my colleagues from Texas on the 
Foreign Relations Committee for helping bring this resolution to the 
floor today so that it could be done in the time we have remaining in 
the United States Congress this year.
  I do ask my colleagues to support House Resolution 937. This 
resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
emergency communications services provided by the American Red Cross 
are vital resources for military and servicemembers and their families.
  For more than a century, the American Red Cross has provided an 
emergency messaging system free of charge to all military 
servicemembers and to their families. Through 756 chapters in the 
United States and on 58 military installations around the world, the 
American Red Cross serves over 1.4 million active duty personnel and 
1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserves with emergency 
communication.
  Twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, American Red 
Cross volunteers transmit emergency messages between military 
servicemembers and their families. This resource provides not only a 
notification system for the servicemember, but it also offers third-
party verification of the emergency. In an emergency, commanders in the 
field rely on this unbiased third-party verification when deciding 
whether to release a military servicemember from their duties.
  In addition to keeping more than 1,000 military families connected 
each day, the Red Cross delivers emergency messages regarding serious 
illness of a loved one or the good news on the birth of a 
servicemember's child or grandchild. I know this because I had personal 
service during my career as an obstetrician back in Texas, and I cannot 
tell you the number of times where the Red Cross provided this vital 
function.
  The Red Cross emergency communications services are also available to 
the families of civilian personnel working overseas under contract to 
the Department of Defense. This service to the Armed Forces assists an 
active duty servicemember or veteran every 3 minutes, receives a call 
from someone in need every 1\1/2\ minutes, and assists those in need 
with one phone call placed or received every minute of every day of 
every year.
  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the volunteers, 
the supporters, the military servicemembers and their families who rely 
on the American Red Cross to communicate messages in a family 
emergency. This vital service could not happen without the sincere 
support of the Red Cross and the dedication to our troops and families. 
I ask you to commend them by voting in support of House Resolution 937.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me say that 
the Red Cross has often been the comforting arm for the United States 
military families. I want to thank Dr. Burgess and his cosponsors for 
the great work he has done on this legislation. I would like to also 
thank the staff of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the chairman, Mr. 
Berman, and the ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
  I would also like to add on H. Con. Res. 334, the global food crisis 
legislation, that I would also like to thank the staff of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee and my staff, Johannes Tsehai, for their hard work on 
that.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to ask for strong support on 
the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 937 as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. 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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