[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 29043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                RECALCITRANT STATE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL

  (Mr. HUNTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, today it became apparent that the employees 
of the State Department of the United States, or at least a large 
number of them, are resisting being assigned to Baghdad. They say it's 
too dangerous, and they have asked for a town hall meeting to explain 
their recalcitrance.
  You know, when we go to Walter Reed and we go to Bethesda Hospital 
and we meet with our wounded warriors, our marines, our Army personnel, 
our naval personnel, our Air Force personnel, most of them say this to 
us: They say that they would like to return to fight side by side with 
their buddies, with their companions, in those warfighting theaters in 
Iraq and Afghanistan. They want to serve this Nation.
  So I have recommended to the President today that we do this: That we 
fire those recalcitrant State Department personnel who say it's too 
dangerous for them to go back to Baghdad; they want another assignment. 
Let's let them leave the service, and let's go down to Walter Reed and 
Bethesda Hospital and let's recruit that wonderful team of American 
warriors who have been wounded in the service of their country and who 
have patriotism and devotion to duty and have a high enthusiasm for 
public service, and let's hire them into a bright new career in a new 
State Department.

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