[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6038-H6040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       EXPRESSING SYMPATHY FOR VICTIMS OF CAMP LIBERTY SHOOTINGS

  Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 471) expressing sympathy to the victims, 
families, and friends of the tragic act of violence at the combat 
stress clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq, on May 11, 2009, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 471

       Whereas on Monday, May 11, 2009, the Nation experienced a 
     tragedy when a soldier at the combat stress clinic at Camp 
     Liberty, Iraq, reportedly killed five innocent American 
     servicemen, and wounded three others;
       Whereas the shooting resulted in the tragic loss of Navy 
     Commander Charles K. Springle, Army Major Matthew P. Houseal, 
     Army Sergeant Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, Army Specialist 
     Jacob D. Barton, and Army Specialist Michael E. Yates;
       Whereas the lives of the victims were taken while they were 
     bravely and honorably serving the United States on the front 
     lines in Iraq;
       Whereas the combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq, and 
     similar clinics in theater and at home provide essential 
     mental health services to the Nation's servicemen and women;
       Whereas the Nation's protracted military engagements in 
     Iraq and Afghanistan call for increased attention to the 
     mental health challenges faced by the courageous members of 
     the Armed Forces; and
       Whereas honoring the Nation's commitment to those who serve 
     the Nation and their families means offering these heroic 
     soldiers not only first class medical care for physical 
     injuries, but also first class mental health services: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families and 
     friends of the victims of the May 11, 2009, shooting at the 
     combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq;
       (2) conveys its ongoing deep gratitude to the brave members 
     of the Armed Forces who risk their lives in service of 
     protecting the Nation;
       (3) recognizes the important work of the medical 
     professionals and staff members, who provide essential mental 
     health services to our servicemen and women, at Combat Stress 
     Control Center in Camp Liberty, Iraq, and other clinics in 
     theater and at home; and
       (4) commits to focus on the mental, in addition to the 
     physical, well being of the Nation's military servicemen and 
     women, and veterans, and to support the policies, resources, 
     and funding necessary to successfully combat the mental and 
     physical healthcare challenges that they may confront.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Kratovil) and the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. Fallin) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KRATOVIL. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a tragedy our Nation 
experienced on Monday, May 11, 2009, at the combat stress clinic in 
Camp Liberty, Iraq, when a soldier reportedly killed five innocent 
American servicemen and wounded three others.
  The shooting resulted in the tragic loss of Navy Commander Charles K. 
Springle, Army Major Matthew P. Houseal, Army Sergeant Christian E. 
Bueno-Galdos, Army Specialist Jacob D. Barton, and a native of my 
district

[[Page H6039]]

and Maryland's Eastern Shore, Specialist Michael E. Yates.
  This resolution expresses heartfelt condolences to the families and 
friends of the victims of this tragic act, and it conveys Congress' 
ongoing deep gratitude for all of the brave members of our Armed Forces 
who have risked their lives in the service of our Nation. This 
resolution also recognizes the important work of medical professionals 
and staff who provide essential mental health services to servicemen 
and women at Camp Liberty and at other clinics both in theater and at 
home.
  Now is the time to give increased attention to the mental health 
challenges faced by the courageous members of our Armed Forces, 
especially given our Nation's protracted military engagements in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. Our servicemen and -women and their families make 
extreme sacrifices each day in order to keep our Nation safe. Honoring 
our commitment to those who serve our Nation means not only offering 
first-class medical care for physical injuries but also in providing 
first-class mental health services.
  Congress must commit to focusing on both the mental and physical 
well-being of the Nation's active military as well as of its veterans, 
and it must commit to supporting the policies, resources, and funding 
necessary to successfully combat the mental and physical health care 
challenges that they may confront.
  As a result of this tragic accident, Maryland's Eastern Shore lost a 
native son in Specialist Michael Yates of Federalsburg. Growing up on 
the Eastern Shore, Michael was an avid hunter and fisherman. Like many 
of my constituents, he held a deep love for his country and a desire to 
serve in the defense of freedom. At the young age of 17, Michael joined 
the Army. He was then sent to Fort Knox, Germany and then to Iraq where 
he served as a cavalry scout. Michael had recently returned to 
Federalsburg where he was able to visit with family and friends one 
last time before returning to Iraq and ultimately to the counseling 
center at Camp Liberty.
  It was here that a fellow soldier, whom Michael had described to his 
stepfather as a ``fairly decent guy who had some major issues,'' 
reportedly shot and killed Michael.
  We must make soldiers' and veterans' mental health a priority and 
heed Secretary of Defense Gates' recommendation to support funding for 
traumatic brain injury and psychological health exams for our 
servicemen and -women.
  We owe this to Specialist Yates, to Commander Springle, to Major 
Houseal, to Sergeant Bueno-Galdos, and to Specialist Barton, as well as 
to the friends and families of those involved in this tragic event.

                              {time}  1615

  We owe this to each and every brave soldier and their families who 
make sacrifices daily and face the intense stress that comes with the 
defense of our Nation.
  House Resolution 471 was introduced along with fellow colleagues who 
lost constituents in this incident honoring their service and 
recognizing mental health issues among servicemen and veterans. I urge 
all of my colleagues to support this resolution in honor of the those 
who lost their lives and all who serve in our Armed Forces.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FALLIN. Madam Speaker, I am here today to lend my support to 
House Resolution 471 expressing my sympathy to the victims, the 
families, and the friends of the victims of the tragic act of violence 
at the combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty in Iraq on May 11, 2009. 
And, Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that we come to the floor 
of the House of Representatives today to recognize five of our brave 
members of our Armed Forces who answered the call of duty and 
ultimately gave their lives to preserve our freedom and our way of 
life.
  We may never understand what led to the tragic events at Camp 
Liberty, but what we do know is that five honorable men lost their 
lives; men who were husbands, who were fathers, sons, and brothers: 
Navy Commander Charles K. Springle of Wilmington, North Carolina; Army 
Major Matthew P. Houseal of Amarillo, Texas; Army Sergeant Christian E. 
Bueno-Galdos of Paterson, New Jersey; Army Specialist Jacob D. Barton 
of Springfield, Missouri; and Army Specialist Michael E. Yates of 
Federalsburg, Maryland.
  Madam Speaker, there is no question that serving in combat is a 
profoundly life-altering experience. Men and women who face the 
challenges of combat are forever changed, and our Nation is eternally 
indebted to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who fight to 
preserve our freedoms. But we also owe them more than just our 
gratitude. We owe them our commitment to protect them and to provide 
support and services to help them deal with the emotional and physical 
effects of combat.
  And with that, I would like to extend my personal deepest sympathy to 
the family and friends of the servicemembers who lost their lives at 
Camp Liberty in Iraq on May 11, 2009, and would like to urge all 
Members of Congress to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), as much time as he may 
consume.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Maryland, the gentlewoman from Oklahoma.
  This resolution, H. Res. 471, is a resolution that deserves all of 
our support. The legislation expresses our sympathies to the five 
victims and their countless friends and families of the violent acts 
that took place at Camp Liberty in Iraq in May. Many of us have been 
there many times.
  These are senseless deaths. In a book that just came out 2 months 
ago, Joshua Cooper Ramo, ``The Age of the Unthinkable,'' wrote, Our old 
way of war is increasingly useless. It is senseless to aspire to 
periods of peace on Earth during the lifetime of anyone who reads the 
book unless we begin to change how, where, and why we do fight.
  These deaths took place at a very particular spot at Camp Liberty, 
and both the gentlewoman and the gentleman who spoke of the names and 
places where these five soldiers came from are on the Record.
  One of these soldiers, one of these brave men, came from the city I 
have lived in all my life. Army Sergeant Christian Bueno-Galdos was 25 
years old. I honor, and we all honor, his sacrifice and his service. It 
exemplifies the deep sense of commitment that so many immigrants have 
for America. He was the youngest of four. He was born in Peru, and came 
here when he was 7 years old. He and his family settled in a gray house 
in a neighborhood I grew up in--Paterson, New Jersey. It was just 
across the street from the county road department in south Paterson.
  He attended high school at Passaic County Tech. After graduating, he 
considered studying premed but instead decided to serve his country and 
joined the U.S. Army Reserves. It was in this service to his Nation 
that Sergeant Bueno-Galdos became a citizen of the United States of 
America. He went into the service before he was a citizen. His 
dedication and love for this country was so great, he voluntarily 
signed up for a second tour of duty. How many times have we heard this?
  Then, on May 11, Sergeant Bueno-Galdos tragically lost his life, and 
Paterson and New Jersey and the United States lost a fine citizen. His 
parents first considered laying him to rest in their home country of 
Peru. But upon reflection of their son's love of America and commitment 
to this great Nation, Sergeant Bueno-Galdos was laid to rest in New 
Jersey with full military honors.
  So we extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt gratitude to his 
surviving wife Greisyn, his mother Eugenia, his father Carlos, and his 
three siblings.
  Sergeant Bueno-Galdos was a courageous soldier, a loving husband, a 
son, a brother, a fine American citizen. He will be greatly missed but 
never forgotten in Paterson. We have already erected a monument on 
Memorial Day for him.
  But my friends, today something else happened. We promoted from 
Lieutenant Colonel, Mike Jaffee, who is now a full Colonel in the Air 
Force. Dr. Jaffee is a neurologist, psychologist. He's a leader in the 
Department of Defense to respond to traumatic brain injury and 
posttraumatic stress disorder. Isn't it ironic that these killings took 
place in

[[Page H6040]]

a stress area where American soldiers were trying to help those in 
need?
  Twenty percent of those who have fought, who have been on the front 
lines, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, have posttraumatic stress 
disorder. Most are misdiagnosed, most are undiagnosed, and the stigma 
is slowly peeling away. They need our help. Their families need our 
help.
  So not only did we go into a war unprepared, but we did little for 
those who put their lives on the front line while we, supposedly gray 
men, decided where they would go and when they would return and how 
many times they would return to the battlefield. We are fools, to say 
the least.
  We need to think about what's going on. These brave men and women 
have taken the entire burden while we act as if nothing happens. These 
senseless deaths will not be forgotten.
  I ask all of us to vote for this legislation and remember their 
families
  God bless America. Thank you.
  Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, the tragic events that occurred at Camp 
Liberty in Iraq are a sad and prominent reminder that the mental health 
needs of our service men and women are simply not being met.
  I have co-sponsored H. Res. 471 not only to express my sympathy, but 
because I know that such a tragedy could have been avoided.
  A month ago, 46 of my colleagues in the House and I sent a letter to 
Chairman Murtha and Ranking Member Young of the defense appropriations 
subcommittee, supporting Secretary Gates' recommendations to increase 
mental health funding in the FY10 DOD budget by $300 million.
  I hold fast to this request and hope that this increase will 
contribute to an increase in mental health professionals to treat the 
invisible wounds of our men and women in uniform.
  Mental Health screenings should be confidential, mandatory and 
comfortable for those who have witnessed the unimaginable on the 
battlefield. H.R. 1308, The Veterans Mental Health Screenings and 
Assessments Act, which I have introduced with my colleague, Congressman 
Tom Rooney aims to do just this by eliminating the stigma of mental 
treatment through mandating screenings for all returning service men 
and women.
  Again, my heart goes out to the families of the victims of the Camp 
Liberty shootings. We, in the Congress, must act to ensure that such a 
tragedy does not happen again.
  Through granting Secretary Gates' request and enacting H.R. 1308, we 
will ensure that the victims of the awful Camp Liberty tragedy will not 
be forgotten and hopefully, prevent such catastrophes from occurring in 
the future.
  Ms. FALLIN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Kratovil) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 471, 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.
  Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that 
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is 
not present.
  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.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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