[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5568]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE EMPLOYEES OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this is an interesting day. 
Earlier today on the floor of the House, we rose to pay tribute to the 
5-year anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security and to 
express our appreciation for the employees for their extraordinary 
efforts and contributions to protect and secure our Nation. Security 
protection is not perfect.
  And there have been challenges and, if you will, mountains to climb 
in preparing this Nation for its own security. Having been on the early 
established Homeland Security Committee and having gone to Ground Zero 
as the smoke was simmering, I know full well the value and purpose of 
all of these front-line employees.
  I offer them today my greatest appreciation and would say to all of 
them, I would wish that all of our jobs relating to security would be 
extinguished, but we know that it cannot, and our task is to protect 
Americans. For that, we must be diligent and transparent. We must value 
civil liberties, but as well, we must be sure on security.
  Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that when we bring our troops home, we 
will have a civilian Homeland Security Department that can truly help 
secure America.

                          ____________________