nancy pelosi speaker of the house of representatives pursuant to the order of the house of january fourth two thousand and seven the chair will not recognize members from this submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to thirty minutes and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip are limited to five minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from new mexico mr udall for five minutes thank you thank you thank you madam speaker i i rise today to honor army sergeant james taken a true american hero with lost his life while serving his country in iraq james was one of four soldiers killed near baghdad on sunday june third two thousand and seven when a roadside bomb detonated alongside the home the he was driving he was killed less than a month before his twenty fourth birthday james was a successful businessman who sold his retail cell phone company at an age when most americans are just beginning their professional career but he was always more interested in serving the public than himself james felt that a public servant is effective through action and experience rather than rhetoric to that end the enlisted in the army and was deployed to iraq in the fall of two thousand and four he was honored to serve his country and in visioning a future political life  wanted to understand issues of military conflict from the perspective of a war veteran i regret that i did not know james personally for those who did describe him with love and they do so passionately the many messages posted on his personal web page by those who knew him convey the tremendous admiration they had for him and illustrate that caring influential and thoughtful man he was they describe a father figure of brotherly adviser and a considerate deeply loving and equally loved husband a current member of my staff sarah cobb who worked with james on the congressional campaign in albuquerque said of him he truly was what said of him gregarious outgoing and effervescent the loves james had for his country and his countrymen was infectious he openly and honestly told anyone he met his future desire to run for president of the united states he encouraged those he knew and those he did not to stay informed and to be involved and government and the electoral process from what i have learned of james i believe that if his life had not been cut short he may indeed have addressed the nation from the floor of this great chamber today there is a void in the lives of all who knew him and new mexico is a lesser place for having lost him yet james will live on in the hearts and minds of those he touched and new mexico is lucky to call him a native son in two thousand and four james managed the new mexico state senate campaign of my friend victor rigaud so although they did not win that tough political battle james showed the true measure of his character when he sent the following words of wisdom and encouragement to mr ago so live life to serve as you can dissent because you can enjoy freedom because you can remember always that the measure of our progress is not whether we can provide more for those who have plenty but whether we can provide enough for those who have little my heartfelt condolences go out to james's family and james his wife teresa his father and namesake james and the large number of friends and extended family members and fortunate individuals whose lives he touched i spoke to serie the last friday and told her how much the nation appreciates james service to his country to sir read in james's family thank you for your sacrifice i believe i speak for all new mexicans when i say our nation will always maintain a priceless debt of gratitude and the upmost respect for the service and sacrifice of army sergeant james saken he will be may asked madam speaker thank you very much and y pursuant to cause twelve a of rule one the chair declares the house in recess until two p m today