January 14, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E85 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. GENE GREEN OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam 

Speaker, I rise to explain the reason for missing three votes on January 13, 2009. I was attending the swearing in ceremony for the 81st 

session of the Texas Legislature that took 

place yesterday in Austin, TX, where two 

former staff members from our office were 

sworn-in as newly elected State Representatives. 

Carol Alvarado and Armando Walle were 

elected to represent Districts 145 and 140, respectively, on November 4, 2008. State Representative Alvarado worked in our office prior 

to working in Houston City Hall, and for the 

last six years as a member of the Houston 

City Council. Prior to being sworn in, State 

Representative Walle also worked in our office 

for over six years as Community Liaison. 

Both these newly elected members of the 

State House have a tremendous record of 

service through their civic involvement, their 

time working for elected officials, and as elected officials. I wish them the best as they continue to serve the people of Texas in the State 

Legislature. 

On the three votes I missed: 

I would have voted ‘‘aye’’ on H. Res. 41, 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National 

Mentoring Month 2009; 

I would have voted ‘‘aye’’ on H. Res. 50, 

Honoring the life of Claiborne Pell, distinguished former Senator from the State of 

Rhode Island; and 

I would have voted ‘‘aye’’ on H. Res. 43, 

Recognizing the efforts of those who serve 

their communities on Martin Luther King Day 

and promoting the holiday as a day of national 

service. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF MR. CHARLES 

E. ALLEN 

HON. SILVESTRE REYES OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

pay tribute to one of the unsung heroes of the 

Intelligence Community. Mr. Charles E. Allen, 

who has ably and admirably served our Nation 

over the past fifty years, will soon retire from 

a long and legendary public service career. 

Charlie began his career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) back in 1958 and 

climbed the ranks from analyst to liaison to 

program manager and beyond. He was assigned to the Department of Defense in 1982 

and became a senior adviser on strategic mobilization planning for the Secretary of Defense. He returned to the CIA in 1985 to take 

on the responsibility of National Intelligence 

Officer for Counterterrorism and, a year later, 

was appointed the first Chief of Intelligence for 

the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center. 

Charlie’s depth of expertise and dedicated 

professionalism led to the position of National 

Intelligence Officer for Warning, where, in July 

1990, he made his mark as the guy who accurately predicted Saddam Hussein’s invasion of 

Kuwait in August 1990. Dismissed as a 

contrarian by others within the CIA, the conclusions in Charlie’s ‘‘warning of war’’ memorandum bore out his sharply analytic judgment. 

In recent years, I have had the pleasure of 

working with Charlie as he undertook the Herculean challenge of organizing and integrating 

the Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence programs and coordinating these activities with the Intelligence Community writ 

large. When he first came to the Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS) as the Chief Intelligence Officer and the Department’s thenAssistant Secretary for Informational Analysis, 

Charlie worked tirelessly to focus resources on 

counterterrorism and find a new way to move 

forward in the aftermath of 9/11. For all of his 

efforts, Charlie was rewarded with an elevation to Under Secretary for Intelligence and 

Analysis, where he continued to—and will continue to—mold, shape, and guide the identity 

of DHS’s intelligence operation. He created 

the foundation for all who will come after him. 

On one occasion in August 2007, Charlie 

came down to the University of Texas El 

Paso’s Border Security Conference to speak 

on the critical area of diversity in the intelligence workforce. I was really excited to hear 

him speak, because I understood that he is a 

great speaker, and he certainly always has 

something of substantive importance. As it 

turned out, though, I never got to hear his 

speech, because my daughter went into labor 

with my third grandchild. Charlie was gracious 

and understanding about it, since he’s a 

grandfather himself. Every time I see him, he 

remembers to ask about that grandson. 

I would be remiss if, outside of his exemplary resume, I didn’t honor Charlie for his singular commitment to our country. Charlie has 

proved himself a dedicated public servant with 

a reputation as a workaholic, intent on giving 

America his best. While he has been honored 

time and time again for his service, receiving 

the CIA’s highest and most coveted award, 

the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, he neither seeks recognition nor expects accolades. 

Charlie is a straight-shooter. He will always 

give you the truth. And I will deeply miss his 

leadership in the Intelligence Community. 

f 

CONDEMNING RECENT VANDALISM 

AND THREATS AGAINST JEWISH 

INSTITUTIONS IN CHICAGO 

HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise 

to draw my colleagues’ attention to recent attacks on synagogues and Jewish day schools 

in my district and the Chicagoland area. These 

acts of intimidation and destruction are hate 

crimes, and I strongly condemn them. 

On Saturday, January 10th, vandals shattered windows, broke down doors, and 

scrawled slogans including ‘‘Death to Israel’’ 

on Jewish synagogues and schools in the Chicago area, including Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation, Lubavitch Mesivta, Young Israel 

Synagogue of West Rogers Park, Congregation Anshe Motele, and Hanna Sacks Girls 

High School. 

These recent attacks came just over a week 

after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at Temple 

Sholom in Chicago, Illinois; and a bomb threat 

naming several area Jewish schools was 

mailed to the Ida Crown Jewish Academy. 

Local police are working with the FBI to determine if these attacks are linked. 

Regardless of anyone’s political views, attacks against religious groups, threats to 

schoolchildren, and the desecration of places 

of worship are contrary to the principles of religious tolerance upon which our country was 

founded and are serious crimes. 

Similar crimes have been reported in other 

cities and communities across the country. In 

Knoxville, Tennessee, vandals threw rocks at 

two synagogues, smashing four stained glass 

windows. Signs supporting Hamas and comparing Israeli actions in Gaza to the Holocaust 

were reportedly posted at two synagogues in 

Irvine, California. 

As a proud member of Chicago’s Jewish 

community, I know that we are strong, vibrant, 

and resilient. The day after the vandalism, 

synagogue members put tarps over windows 

and returned to classes and other activities, 

while several hundred people gathered to denounce the attacks. Both the American Jewish 

Committee and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee have condemned the 

vandalism, and local and national groups, including the Jewish Federation of Chicago and 

the Anti-Defamation League, are working tirelessly in support of our community. I am proud 

that people of all religions in my district have 

come together to decry these hate crimes, just 

as they have come together in the past to 

condemn attacks on people of other religions. 

Madam Speaker, what we have seen in Chicago in recent days goes beyond politicallymotivated demonstrations. The intimidation 

and terrorization of the Jewish community is a 

hate crime, perpetrated against these institutions because of their religious identity. I hope 

that these prove isolated incidents and not a 

pattern of violence. I have every confidence 

that the police and FBI, working with the local 

community, will find and prosecute those responsible for these crimes. 

f 

HONORING MICHAEL MUSSER 

HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH 

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to posthumously honor Michael Musser. 

Mr. Musser passed away on November 3, 

2008. 

Michael Musser was born and raised in 

Fresno, California. He graduated from Fresno 

High School in 1968. Just four years later he 

was married to Anna. They lived a happy life 

together. They have two children; Jason and 

Julie. His children and five grandchildren still 

live in the Fresno area. Mr. Musser was an 

avid golfer. However, if there was a family 

event, his family would always come first. 

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael Musser. I invite my colleagues to join 

me in honoring his life and wishing the best 

for his family. 


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