September 20, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6159 

think most Members support Israel. 

Maybe one or two other countries. 

Let’s vote ‘‘up’’ or ‘‘down’’ country 

by country. And some of these countries that we’ve had unrest in in the 

last couple of weeks—like Libya, like 

Egypt—maybe we need to reevaluate 

the money we send to them. At the 

very least, what we ought to do in 

countries like Libya and Egypt, and in 

some of these other countries that are 

destroying American property as we 

speak, who have looted, pillaged, and 

destroyed our embassies, like in Egypt, 

the money that we’re going to give 

them in aid, take a portion of it out to 

help rebuild the embassies that are in 

that country and pay for the property 

damage, and probably even take money 

out we’ve given to Libya and pay reparations to the four Americans that 

were killed in Libya. 

Let’s use some common sense when 

we’re spending money overseas. And 

maybe we shouldn’t be trying to go all 

over the world and play nice with people. We’ve had a foreign aid problem 

since before I was born. We continue to 

give money to countries in the hope 

that they will like us. Well, how’s that 

working for you? Not too good, is the 

way that I see it. 

Mr. Speaker, we don’t need to continue to support countries like Pakistan. I’m astonished we will still give 

money to Pakistan. They harbored 

Osama bin Laden. They put in prison 

the informant that told us where he 

was hiding. I believe some of the 

money we give Pakistan ends up in the 

hands of the Taliban and corrupt military government. But yet we keep paying them. 

This summer the House did vote to 

cut $625 million from Pakistan. But yet 

when the CR came through last week— 

the continuing resolution—that money 

is back in, going to Pakistan. Pakistan 

is just one of many examples, Mr. 

Speaker. We don’t need to pay these 

countries to hate us. We don’t need to 

pay them to betray us. They will do it 

for free. 

And that’s just the way it is. 

f 

b 1050 

VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Arizona (Mr. GRIJALVA) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, this 

week marks the United States Constitution’s 225th anniversary. 

Our Constitution is a product of realistic compromise and intelligent consensus—a trait, I might add, sorely 

missing in this Chamber. 

It lays out the central principles for 

a democratic government and the 

rights that citizens can expect to enjoy 

in that government. With the inclusion 

of six voting rights amendments, we 

have formed a more solid democracy. 

The voting rights amendments fundamentally changed our system of government—outlawing poll taxes in Federal elections, giving ordinary Americans the right to elect their Senators, 

allowing the citizens of our Nation’s 

Capital to vote for President, and guaranteeing that all Americans—regardless of race, religion, gender, or age— 

would enjoy these protections. 

With these protections and these 

amendments, we affirmed the inherent 

values of our Constitution and our democracy. 

The right to vote is still, to this day, 

the essential piece of our democracy. 

Think about it. To deny an eligible 

voter the opportunity to vote is to undermine the very freedom that defines 

us as a Nation. The right to vote is essential to our democracy. 

However, while the marches of student demonstrators and religious leaders once drove electoral reform in the 

United States, a new and dark movement is sweeping across the country. 

State lawmakers have been pushed by 

corporate interests and driven by a 

cynical point of view that says: We 

must deny other people the right to 

vote in order to continue to keep our 

power, and we must target those 

groups and individuals who may not 

agree with our point of view. With this 

cynical selective process, we keep 

power and we only concentrate on the 

people and extend the privileges to 

those that agree with our point of 

view. 

New voter laws that are now being 

proposed and have passed in State legislatures make voter registration more 

difficult and cumbersome, cut the 

availability of early voting, and require voters to present current government-issued identifications as a prerequisite to casting a ballot. These efforts threaten the integrity of our 

democratic system and are very clearly 

targeted. 

The new restrictions on voting would 

disproportionately burden African 

Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, 

young voters, and Americans new to 

the political process. 

Plain and simple, these restrictive 

voter laws threaten to disenfranchise 

young, poor, minority, and elderly voters who lack formal government-issued 

IDs despite the fact that it is more 

likely that an American will be struck 

and killed by lightning than he would 

impersonate another voter at the polls. 

We know exactly what these voter suppression laws mean. 

In Texas, a Federal court recently 

found that the Texas voter ID law violated the Voting Rights Act because it 

made it harder for African Americans 

and Latinos to vote. The court stated 

that evidence conclusively shows that 

the cost of obtaining a qualified ID will 

fall more heavily on the poor, and a 

disproportionate number of African 

Americans and Latinos in Texas live in 

poverty. 

In Pennsylvania, a July 5 Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that 

758,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania do not have an ID, a new State 

law requirement for voting. That figure 

represents 9.2 percent of the State’s 

voters that could be stopped from voting. 

A report by the Brennan Center for 

Justice found that allegations of widespread voter fraud often proved greatly 

exaggerated. Moreover, these claims of 

voter fraud are frequently used to justify policies that do not solve the alleged wrongs but could well disenfranchise legitimate voters. 

In some States, veterans’ ID cards 

won’t be sufficient as a photo ID to 

vote. 

In the last 12 months in my State of 

Arizona, there has been an accelerated 

effort to suppress the vote. These new 

efforts represent a coordinated effort 

clearly designed to suppress the vote of 

those people who need to make sure 

that their government is paying attention to their needs. 

People of color, women, young people 

literally risked, and some lost, their 

lives to gain the right to vote in this 

Nation of ours. Throughout its history, 

our country has tried to remove obstacles to voter participation, making the 

right to vote accessible to all eligible 

citizens. 

We cannot turn our back on that fundamental right. Our legacy as a Nation 

demands better of us. 

f 

SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Ohio (Mr. AUSTRIA) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. AUSTRIA. Mr. Speaker, thank 

you for this opportunity to publicly 

recognize September as Suicide Prevention Month. 

As a member of the Military Mental 

Health and Suicide Prevention Caucus, 

my goal is to increase awareness and 

aid in the prevention of suicide. 

Although suicide affects thousands of 

Americans each year, I would like to 

take a moment to focus specifically on 

our veterans and the men and women 

who are currently serving in our 

United States military. 

Suicides are increasing at an alarming rate this year for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Recent data 

shows that suicides are occurring at a 

rate of approximately one per day for 

the military. This makes suicide the 

second-leading cause of death for our 

troops, surpassed only by combat. 

The Army, in particular, has seen a 

22 percent suicide increase when comparing the first 7 months in both 2011 

and 2012. 

But these are not just numbers and 

statistics. These are real soldiers and 

real families impacted by this growing 

tragedy. 

This increase became very personal 

for me again last weekend when I attended a memorial dedication for 

Lance Corporal Bobby Wiley. Lance 

Corporal Wiley was a Lima Company 

marine and the son of my classmate 

and friend. As a result of Bobby’s 

death, a loving family and Nation 

grieve with loss. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE
H6160 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 20, 2012 

On behalf of Bobby and his family, I 

stand before you today to briefly discuss this growing trend and associated 

symptoms, as well as highlight prevention efforts within my district and nationwide by both the Departments of 

Defense and Veterans Affairs. 

More than 2 million troops have 

served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that’s a lot of people who 

have seen war up close and personal. It 

can affect some of them adversely 

when they come back home. 

In fiscal year 2009 alone, 1,868 veterans of these wars made suicide attempts. 

Faced with the stigma of post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment 

rates tipping 12 percent for our veterans, and a loss of the military camaraderie, many veterans report feeling 

purposeless upon returning home. 

We are aware of three conditions that 

contribute to many of the suicides of 

our veterans, and they are post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD; traumatic 

brain injury, TBI; and depression. We 

know that veterans with these three 

medical conditions are at a higher risk 

of succumbing to suicide behavior. 

As friends and family members of our 

veterans and those serving our country, there are some things that we can 

do: first, recognize the symptoms that 

could lead to serious problems; understand where and how to get assistance 

while still part of the military; and 

know the availability of treatment 

after service. 

As members of the Veterans’ Affairs 

Subcommittee, my colleagues and I on 

both sides of the aisle have had the opportunity to meet and discuss some of 

these very important issues, and I’m 

pleased with Secretary of the VA 

Shinseki’s recent outreach efforts such 

as Stand By Them and Side By Side. 

The purpose of the joint DOD and VA 

Stand By Them campaign and public 

service announcement, Side By Side, is 

to increase awareness with focus on 

support networks for military members. 

Detection and treatment are key 

components required for resolution. 

Those closest to the military member 

can often see signals of distress before 

the member recognizes it himself or 

herself. The quicker the detection, the 

quicker the treatment. 

Yesterday, I joined back in my home 

district Director Costie and Dr. Napp 

at the Dayton VA Medical Center to 

bring awareness to Suicide Prevention 

Month. With a large geographic span of 

responsibility in my district, the Dayton VA Medical Center provides services to veterans from 16 counties. 

b 1100 

During the joint press conference at 

the VA, we announced the ongoing efforts and helped in the promotion of 

the VA and DOD programs. I know 

communities across our Nation are 

doing similar awareness and education 

programs. 

As our young men and women are 

fighting to protect our freedoms, while 

they’re often faced with multiple and 

lengthy employments, exposed to 

stressful situations in combat—including death—we cannot look the other 

way and hope that these issues disappear. The reality is we are faced with 

a growing number of PTSD, TBI, depression, and suicide within our military and veterans. This is a real problem. And if we can alleviate one of the 

symptoms and causes of suicide, PTSD, 

we may see a change in the current 

trendline before the problem becomes 

completely systemic across our fighting force. 

Let me just say, as members of the 

grateful communities to which our 

brave men and women return, we need 

to do whatever is possible to recognize 

these veterans at risk and help them 

get the assistance they need. 

f 

NEW MEXICO CENTENNIAL 

RESOLUTION 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

New Mexico (Mr. LUJA ́ N) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. LUJA ́ N. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to celebrate a proud milestone in 

the history of the great State of New 

Mexico. This year marks the centennial anniversary of the ‘‘Land of Enchantment.’’ 

Filmmakers have spent years documenting the history and beauty of New 

Mexico, sharing the importance of our 

acequias, stories of history and tradition in ‘‘Canes of Power,’’ stories and 

tales told by Rudolfo Anaya, and art 

and landscapes captured by Georgia 

O’Keefe. 

New Mexico has a long and rich heritage that is rooted in the shared history of a diverse population, a history 

that respects diversity and language, a 

land whose State constitution was 

drafted and adopted in both English 

and Spanish. And while Santa Fe, the 

City of Faith, holds the distinction as 

the oldest capital city in the country, 

celebrating 400 years last year, statehood came later in 1912, when a territory known for its beautiful scenery, 

natural wonders, and pristine landscapes was admitted into the Union as 

the 47th State. 

New Mexico is blessed with rich cultural landmarks: Chaco Canyon, Bandelier, the Taos Gorge and Blue Lake, 

and the Plaza in Santa Fe. Thousands 

of visitors each year travel to learn of 

the unique traditions and spirit that 

make New Mexico such a special place 

with blue skies, sunsets and sunrises 

and starry nights you won’t find anywhere else in the world. 

The Land of Enchantment is home to 

a diverse population that can trace its 

roots back to Spanish, Mexican, and 

Native American cultures, amongst 

others. As home to one of the richest 

indigenous tribal populations in the 

United States, New Mexico is proud of 

the influences and contributions of the 

19 Pueblo Nations, two Apache Nations, and the Navajo Nation. These diverse cultures coming together to 

share a common bond of calling New 

Mexico home has served as a source of 

strength for our State, as the influence 

of art, agriculture, and architecture 

can be felt to this very day. 

During the past 100 years, New Mexico has had a proud tradition of service 

to our country. In World War II, Navajo Code Talkers contributed to victory for the Allied Forces, while many 

native sons of New Mexico sacrificed in 

the Battle of Bataan. In the Korean 

Cold War, Hiroshi Miyamura of Gallup 

was awarded the Medal of Honor for his 

distinguished service. Most recently, 

Santa Fe native Sergeant Leroy Petry 

earned the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions in the face of great 

danger in Afghanistan. And in every 

war in between, New Mexicans have 

proudly defended our Nation and answered the call of duty when they were 

needed most. 

New Mexico has also served our Nation as a center for scientific innovation and research. Los Alamos and 

Sandia National Laboratories have 

been home to a number of scientific endeavors that have been important priorities for our Nation. 

Mr. Speaker, as New Mexico celebrates 100 years of statehood, we’re reminded of how special this beautiful 

land we call home is. As a native New 

Mexican, it is with great pride in our 

past and hope for our future that I 

come to this floor to recognize the enduring contributions of New Mexicans 

during the course of our State’s history. 

A special love for our land and water 

helps shape our lives. A land of faith 

and family, culture and tradition—and, 

Mr. Speaker, the best chili found anywhere in the world—ours is a special 

story, an American story, one passed 

from one generation to the next, with 

our most precious lessons coming from 

our elders: our parents and our grandparents. In the words of my parents, 

Ben and Carmen, when they send me 

off on any journey when I depart from 

home: Y que Dios les bendigan—may 

God bless you. 

f 

SEQUESTRATION TRANSPARENCY 

ACT 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 

Oregon (Ms. BONAMICI) for 5 minutes. 

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, during 

the month of August, I had held several 

town hall meetings throughout my district in Oregon. In these meetings, I’ve 

done a summary of the work that we’re 

doing here in Congress and then opened 

the floor for questions from and discussions with my constituents. 

Without fail, in every town hall 

meeting at least one person would ask 

about the partisan rancor and the gridlock that’s come to characterize Washington. They would ask me: Can you 

tell us something that’s bipartisan 

that you’ve done, something where 

you’ve worked together, some achievement that everyone’s agreed on. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE