S5976 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 2, 2012 

Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore, Majority Leader, and Minority Leader 

of the United States Senate. 

POM–130. A resolution adopted by the 

House of Representatives of the State of Illinois urging the President and Congress to 

begin an expedited withdrawal of forces from 

Afghanistan; to the Committee on Armed 

Services. 

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 824 

Whereas, the United States of America was 

attacked in a well-coordinated operation by 

a group of terrorists on September 11, 2001; 

and 

Whereas, almost 3,000 innocent men, 

women, and children were killed as a result 

of the airplanes that were hijacked by the 

terrorists and subsequently crashed into the 

World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and an 

open field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania; and 

Whereas, the terrorists were proven to be 

members of the terrorist organization known 

as al-Qaeda, which was led by Osama bin 

Laden; and 

Whereas, the al-Qaeda terrorist organization had operated for years from sanctuary 

locations based in Afghanistan; the group 

conducted numerous acts of terror over the 

years against U.S. targets both on the U.S. 

mainland and in other locations throughout 

the world, which had been planned in those 

sanctuary locations; and 

Whereas, in order to disrupt and destroy 

the al-Qaeda terrorist organization and capture or eliminate its leaders, it was necessary to attack the organization’s sanctuary bases; and 

Whereas, in October of 2001, the United 

States military, acting under orders issued 

by Commander-in-Chief President George W. 

Bush, attacked al-Qaeda sanctuary bases in 

Afghanistan in conjunction with local Afghan forces opposed to the terrorist organization operating in their country; and 

Whereas, the United States military, in 

the finest traditions of America’s fighting 

forces, had great success in disrupting, dispersing, and destroying al-Qaeda operations 

and eliminating many of its senior leaders; 

and 

Whereas, President Barack Obama, succeeding President Bush as Commander-inChief, did continue and strengthen the efforts to completely destroy al-Qaeda; such 

efforts resulted in the killing of Osama bin 

Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, bringing the 

world’s leading terrorist to justice for the 

many acts of murder which he and his organization carried out; and 

Whereas, the United States, having joined 

forces with nations from around the world, 

led an effort to stabilize Afghanistan by supporting infrastructure projects beneficial to 

all Afghans and by helping the Afghans understand the positive benefits of equal rights 

for all, judicial due process, and the rule of 

law; and 

Whereas, after more than a decade of extended military operations to enhance security and with contributions of hundreds of 

billions of dollars of nation-building resources having been put into the country to 

foster development, much progress has been 

made toward the goals of a free and secure 

society within Afghanistan; and 

Whereas, while this progress has come at a 

high financial cost, it has also cost the lives 

of more than 1,500 brave American service 

members and dozens of fighting forces of 

other nations, all of whom made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country; 

and 

Whereas, despite this progress, it appears 

from recent events involving all the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) 

that the presence of the United States military and that of other countries, as well as 

the civilian consultants that are working to 

help the Afghan people, has not been accepted by a broad spectrum of the Afghanistan 

population; and 

Whereas, this lack of acceptance places all 

foreign military and civilian consultant personnel in grave danger, which results in an 

inability for those personnel to properly conduct the types of operations in which they 

are engaged; and 

Whereas, there is already in place a plan to 

withdraw most forces from Afghanistan in 

the 2014 time frame; therefore, be it 

Resolved, by the House of Representatives of 

the Ninety-Seventh General Assembly of the 

State of Illinois, That we urge the President 

and Congress to begin an expedited withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan, to the 

fullest extent possible consistent with strategic military objectives, thus accelerating 

the current withdrawal plan set in place; and 

be it further 

Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent to the President, the Speaker 

of the United States House of Representatives, and the President pro tempore of the 

United States Senate. 

POM–131. A resolution adopted by the 

Pecos River Commission requesting that 

Congress fully fund the National Streamflow 

Information Program (NSIP) gages associated with the Pecos River Basin and the U.S. 

Geological Survey place a priority on funding these gages under NSIP; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 

POM–132. A resolution adopted by the 

Pecos River Commission requesting that 

Congress reauthorize the Water Resources 

Development Act of 2007, Section 5056, and to 

appropriate sufficient funds to carry out 

work related to that legislation; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 

f 

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES 

The following reports of committees 

were submitted: 

By Mr. ROCKEFELLER, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, with an amendment in the nature of 

a substitute: 

S. 1956. A bill to prohibit operators of civil 

aircraft of the United States from participating in the European Union’s emissions 

trading scheme, and for other purposes 

(Rept. No. 112–195). 

By Mr. INOUYE, from the Committee on 

Appropriations, with an amendment in the 

nature of a substitute: 

H.R. 5856. A bill making appropriations for 

the Department of Defense for the fiscal year 

ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 112–196). 

By Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, from the 

Committee on Appropriations, with an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute: 

H.R. 5882. A bill making appropriations for 

the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 

ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 112–197). 

By Mr. AKAKA, from the Committee on 

Indian Affairs, without amendment: 

S. 546. A bill to extend the Federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, and for other purposes 

(Rept. No. 112–198). 

By Mr. AKAKA, from the Committee on 

Indian Affairs, with an amendment in the 

nature of a substitute: 

S. 1065. A bill to settle land claims within 

the Fort Hall Reservation (Rept. No. 112–199). 

By Mr. AKAKA, from the Committee on 

Indian Affairs, without amendment: 

S. 1218. A bill to provide for the recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, 

and for other purposes (Rept. No. 112–200). 

S. 379. A bill to extend Federal recognition 

to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the 

Chickahominy Indian Tribe—Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe (Rept. 

No. 112–201). 

By Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, with an amendment: 

S. 772. A bill to protect Federal employees 

and visitors, improve the security of Federal 

facilities and authorize and modernize the 

Federal Protective Service (Rept. No. 112– 

202). 

By Mr. LEAHY, from the Committee on 

the Judiciary, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute: 

S. 225. A bill to permit the disclosure of 

certain information for the purpose of missing child investigations. 

By Mr. LEAHY, from the Committee on 

the Judiciary, without amendment: 

S.J. Res. 44. A joint resolution granting 

the consent of Congress to the State and 

Province Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Understanding. 

f 

EXECUTIVE REPORTS OF 

COMMITTEES 

The following executive reports of 

nominations were submitted: 

By Mr. LEAHY for the Committee on the 

Judiciary. 

Thomas M. Durkin, of Illinois, to be United 

States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. 

William H. Orrick, III, of the District of 

Columbia, to be United States District Judge 

for the Northern District of California. 

Jon S. Tigar, of California, to be United 

States District Judge for the Northern District of California. 

By Mrs. MURRAY for the Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs. 

*Thomas Skerik Sowers II, of Missouri, to 

be an Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Public and Intergovernmental Affairs). 

*Nomination was reported with recommendation that it be confirmed subject to the nominee’s commitment to 

respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate. 

(Nominations without an asterisk 

were reported with the recommendation that they be confirmed.) 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND 

JOINT RESOLUTIONS 

The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the first 

and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated: 

By Mrs. MCCASKILL (for herself and 

Ms. AYOTTE): 

S. 3481. A bill to appropriately limit the 

authority to award bonuses to employees 

and to require approval of high cost Government conferences and reporting regarding 

Government conferences; to the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

By Mr. LEE (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mr. 

DEMINT, Mr. COBURN, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. 

RISCH, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. 

ISAKSON, Mr. VITTER, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. 

CORNYN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Wisconsin, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. 


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