H186 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 13, 2009 

to get this amount of money, cutting 

out the taxes, and then I can spend it 

on this. We do just the opposite. We decide how to spend money, oh, and then 

we’ll just get the money. We’ll tax it or 

go into debt. Uncle Sam needs to budget like other Americans. 

These are some considerations and 

some New Year’s resolutions for Uncle 

Sam. I hope we impose a few of those. 

I think it’s time we stop the credit 

card government. 

And that’s just the way it is. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF SENATOR 

MITCH MCCONNELL’S YEARS OF 

SERVICE IN SENATE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. CHANDLER) 

is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today in recognition of the now longest-serving Kentucky Senator in the 

history of the United States Senate. 

This is truly a historic milestone for 

both the Commonwealth of Kentucky 

and Senator MITCH MCCONNELL. 

Recently, Senator MCCONNELL celebrated 25 years in the United States 

Senate, surpassing the great Senator 

Wendell Ford’s previous record. By no 

means is this a small accomplishment, 

as our State has been the home to such 

noted Members of the Senate as Henry 

Clay, John J. Crittenden, Alben Barkley, and John Sherman Cooper, just 

to name a few. 

The Senator did not become the influential man that he is today without 

hard work, dedication, and determination. He started his career as an intern 

on Capitol Hill, moved to legislative 

assistant, eventually deputy assistant 

attorney general under President Ford, 

to County Judge-Executive in Jefferson 

County, the largest county in our 

State, all before being elected by the 

people of Kentucky to serve in the 

United States Senate in 1984. 

He led his classmates as student body 

president in college and then went on 

to be the president of the Student Bar 

Association in law school. He has garnered the respect of his peers for years; 

so it comes as no surprise that he has 

risen to be the leader of his party in 

the Senate, an accomplishment only 

one other Kentuckyan in history has 

ever achieved. 

Parties aside, Senator MCCONNELL

has fought for what he believes in with 

the same dedication and fervor as he 

did when fighting polio in his early 

childhood. He can point to a number of 

achievements, such as aiding struggling Kentucky tobacco farmers by orchestrating the tobacco buyout and 

providing significant aid to Kentucky’s 

colleges and universities. His influence 

also extends outside the Congress and 

the Commonwealth with his work on 

the Appropriations, Agriculture, and 

Rules Committees, opposing dictators 

in Myanmar and fighting for human 

rights in Egypt and Cambodia among 

others. Like Senator Wendell Ford, 

Senator MCCONNELL won his first 

statewide election by a small margin, 

but since that time he has become a 

mainstay in Kentucky. 

Senator MCCONNELL and I are both 

students of history, and regardless of 

political differences, and we have a few 

of those, I believe it’s important to recognize his truly outstanding achievements. 

Mr. Speaker, today I ask the House 

to join me in recognizing the accomplishments of the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky, Senator MITCH

MCCONNELL. 

f 

STATEMENT ON A PRESIDENTIAL 

COMMUTATION FOR FORMER U.S. 

BORDER PATROL AGENTS 

RAMOS AND COMPEAN 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 

JONES) is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, before 

President Bush leaves office next week, 

he has the power to correct a terrible 

injustice. 

Over the past 2 years, Members of 

Congress have written to the President, as a group and individually, asking him to commute the sentences of 

imprisoned U.S. Border Patrol Agents 

Ramos and Compean. 

It is well known that these border 

agents were convicted and sentenced to 

11 and 12 years in prison for shooting 

and wounding a Mexican drug smuggler 

who brought $1 million worth of marijuana across the U.S. border in 2005. 

This Saturday, January 17 of 2009, will 

mark the beginning of the agents’ 3rd 

year in Federal prison. 

On November 24, 2008, President Bush 

granted 14 pardons and two 

commutations. Clemency was granted 

to individuals convicted of crimes such 

as drug conspiracy, tax evasion, poisoning bald eagles, dumping hazardous 

waste, bank embezzlement, and theft of 

government property. 

On December 22, 2008, the President 

issued 19 additional pardons and one 

commutation. Unfortunately, Mr. 

Speaker, Ramos and Compean have not 

made the list. 

With the help of Lou Dobbs and 

countless other news outlets, Americans across this Nation have learned of 

the unjust prosecution of these two 

men who were doing their job to protect our border. Since the agents’ convictions, the White House has received 

thousands of phone calls from outraged 

citizens and letters sent by Members of 

Congress on both sides of the political 

aisle. 

On November 20 of 2008, I joined Congressman BILL DELAHUNT, DANA ROHRABACHER, and others in a letter to pardon Attorney Ronald Rogers, which 

outlined the reasons for our request. 

And most recently on December 11, 

2008, I wrote the President that he 

commute the agents’ sentences before 

they have to spend another Christmas 

in Federal prison, and, Mr. Speaker, I 

submit the letter for the RECORD. 

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

Washington, DC, December 11, 2008. 

Hon. GEORGE W. BUSH, 

The White House, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I am writing to express my deep disappointment that the 14 

pardons and two commutations you granted 

on November 24, 2008, did not include 

commutations for imprisoned U.S. Border 

Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose 

Alonso Compean. Instead, clemency was 

granted to those convicted of crimes such as 

drug conspiracy, tax evasion, poisoning bald 

eagles, dumping hazardous waste, bank embezzlement and theft of government property. 

Mr. President, this week I opened a Christmas card which pictured two beautiful families with three children each. I was deeply 

saddened when I realized these were photos 

of the Ramos and Compean families—who 

will face another Christmas with husbands 

and fathers locked away in federal prison if 

you fail to intervene on their behalf. Knowing that it has become customary during the 

final days of a president’s term to grant pardons and commutations in criminal cases, I 

urge you to take the time to personally review the prosecution of agents Ramos and 

Compean. I am confident the facts of their 

case will lead you to the same conclusion 

countless American citizens have already 

reached: there are no individuals more worthy of presidential commutations than 

agents Ramos and Compean. The facts of the 

case will show—as Judge E. Grady Jolly 

stated on December 3, 2007, during the 

agents’ appeal—‘‘the government overreacted here * * * for some reason, this one 

got out of hand.’’ By attempting to apprehend an illegal alien drug smuggler, agents 

Ramos and Compean were enforcing our 

laws—not breaking them. Simply put, the indictments against these men were unjustified. 

As countless Americans and many in Congress have brought to your attention over 

the past two years, agents Ramos and 

Compean were convicted and sentenced to 11 

and 12 years respectively for shooting and 

wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who 

brought 743 pounds of marijuana across the 

U.S. border in 2005. Both men entered prison 

on January 17, 2007, and have served nearly 

two years of their sentences. Since the 

agents’ convictions, your office has received 

thousands of phone calls from concerned 

citizens and numerous letters from members 

of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Most 

recently, on November 13, 2008, I wrote a letter urging you to commute the agents’ sentences to time served. On November 20, 2008, 

I also joined Congressmen Bill Delahunt, 

Dana Rohrabacher and others in a letter to 

Pardon Attorney Ronald Rodgers which outlined the rationale for this request. 

Many disturbing details of the Ramos and 

Compean case have garnered national attention and raised serious concerns over the 

lack of fairness in the proceedings against 

these two men—including the prosecution’s 

efforts to seek out and offer immunity to a 

habitual Mexican drug smuggler, a sealed indictment of the smuggler’s subsequent drug 

offenses and insufficient proof of whether or 

not the smuggler was unarmed, as he 

claimed at trial. All of these factors strongly 

call into question whether justice was 

served. 

Among the most serious matters warranting your consideration is the U.S. Attorney’s decision to charge Ramos and Compean 

with violations of 18 U.S.C. §924(c)—which 

pertains to the use of a firearm during and in 

relation to the commission of a crime of violence and carries a mandatory 10–year sentence. Any failure by the agents to report 


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January 13, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H187 

the shooting of the drug smuggler constitutes an administrative error that should 

have been addressed. However, the application of 18 U.S.C. §924(c) to two U.S. Border 

Patrol agents in lawful possession of their 

firearms appears grossly inappropriate. Because agents Ramos and Compean were required to carry firearms during the course of 

their duties, I urge you to consider commuting this 10–year mandatory minimum 

sentence enhancement. 

Mr. President, the end of your term is 

quickly approaching and time is running out 

for you to heed the calls of the American 

people and reverse the grave injustice committed against agents Ramos and Compean. 

No useful purpose is served by the continued 

incarceration of these distinguished law enforcement officers. During this Christmas 

season, a time of peace and thanksgiving for 

the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, I urge 

you to open your heart to the pleas of the 

American people and commute the sentences 

of these two Hispanic-American heroes. 

Sincerely, 

WALTER B. JONES, 

Member of Congress. 

A response from the White House 

said that the agents’ requests for commutation ‘‘are receiving a careful and 

fair review.’’ If the President takes the 

time to personally review the agents’ 

case, I am confident the facts will lead 

him to the same conclusion that the 

majority of Americans have already 

reached: The indictments against these 

men were unjustified. 

The President should carefully consider one of the most troubling aspects 

of this case: The agents were charged 

under a statute intended for violent 

criminals carrying guns, not for law 

enforcement officers acting in the line 

of duty. Because the border agents 

were required to carry firearms during 

the course of their duties, I urge the 

President to commute the 10-year mandatory sentence for these charges. 

Mr. Speaker, time is running out for 

the President to reverse this grave injustice committed against Ramos and 

Compean. I pray that he will open his 

heart to the pleas of the American people and commute the sentences of these 

two deserving men. 

f 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO) is 

recognized for 5 minutes. 

(Mr. DEFAZIO addressed the House. 

His remarks will appear hereafter in 

the Extensions of Remarks.) 

f 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. BURTON) is 

recognized for 5 minutes. 

(Mr. BURTON of Indiana addressed 

the House. His remarks will appear 

hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.) 

f 

IT’S TIME TO GIVE DIPLOMACY A 

CHANCE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. WOOLSEY) 

is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Ms. WOOLSEY. A breath of fresh air 

filled the Capitol this morning. It happened during the confirmation hearings 

for HILLARY CLINTON. The Secretary of 

State-designate in her testimony said 

that ‘‘diplomacy will be the vanguard 

of foreign policy’’ in the Obama administration. 

b 1945 

This is exactly what the American 

people have been waiting 8 long years 

to hear. The current administration 

never used diplomacy, and the results 

have been devastating for us and for 

the world. The occupation of Iraq 

hasn’t made us any safer. It has cost 

over $1 trillion so far, helping to put 

our economy into a deep recession. It 

has devastated our reputation in the 

world. All of this is clear to just about 

everyone except our current leaders in 

the White House. 

At his press conference yesterday, 

President Bush insisted that the occupation of Iraq hasn’t damaged America’s moral standing in the world. But 

his administration’s policy of shooting 

first, asking questions later, has badly 

damaged our Nation’s moral authority. 

The use of torture has damaged it 

even more. Yesterday President Bush 

called the human rights abuses at Abu 

Ghraib a disappointment. But in recent 

weeks we have seen convincing evidence that Abu Ghraib was the result 

of deliberate administration policy. 

Talk about disappointment. 

In February of 2002, the President 

signed an order stating that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to members of al Qaeda or the Taliban. Then 

high-ranking American officials took a 

series of actions that made torture a 

part of our interrogation practices in 

Iraq and elsewhere. Former Defense 

Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was one of 

the officials who gave his stamp of approval. 

A bipartisan report issued by the 

Senate Armed Services Committee on 

December 11 documented this illegal 

action and how these actions came 

about. According to the committee, the 

authorization of aggressive interrogation techniques by senior officials conveyed the message that it was okay to 

retreat and degrade. 

Then a week after the committee 

issued its report, Vice President CHENEY gave a shocking interview to the 

Washington Times. In the interview, he 

admitted that 33 prisoners were subjected to what he called ‘‘enhanced interrogation techniques.’’ That’s fancy 

bureaucratic language for torture. He 

even admitted that prisoners were subjected to waterboarding, which has 

been considered a form of torture ever 

since the Spanish Inquisition. 

I know that conservatives like Vice 

President CHENEY have looked backwards for their policies, but the 15th 

century, Mr. Speaker, is much too far 

back. Look at the consequences of 

these policies of war, occupation and 

torture. The Middle East continues to 

be in turmoil and flames. Iran’s influence continues to spread. People all 

around the globe have a negative opinion of the United States, which makes 

it much harder for us to get their help. 

When America loses its moral authority, Osama bin Laden and other 

terrorists find it a lot easier to recruit 

new members. But with the change in 

our Nation’s leadership on January 20, 

America has new hope. We have new 

hope for the future. 

In addition to her comments about 

diplomacy this morning, HILLARY CLINTON said that ‘‘We must build a world 

with more partners and fewer adversaries,’’ and she promised to work with 

Congress and not to treat us with contempt, as the current administration 

has. She said, and I quote her, ‘‘For me, 

consultation is not a catchword—it’s a 

commitment.’’ 

And she quoted Terence, the Roman 

playwright, who said, ‘‘In every endeavor, the seemly course for wise 

(people) is to try persuasion first.’’ 

The current administration tried war 

and occupation for 8 years, and it 

didn’t work, so it’s time to give diplomacy a chance. 

f 

YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY 

BELONGS TO YOU 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. NEUGEBAUER) 

is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, 

this summer, spring, we sent Americans a stimulus check to help stimulate the economy. We actually gave 

them some money. We had already 

spent the money that they had given us 

for taxes, and so we went and borrowed 

some money and sent that money to 

the American people to let them try to 

stimulate our economy. 

Evidently that didn’t work as well as 

a lot of people thought it would, and so 

now there is a movement to spend 

much more, larger amount, triple, 

quadruple the amount of money that 

was spent this spring. Guess what? We 

don’t have the money, and so we are 

going to go and borrow it. 

So what we are on is this system of 

tax, spend, borrow. Tax, spend, borrow. 

It isn’t working. The American people 

know that that’s not the right prescription for getting us out of this economic slump. Yet that is the plan that 

will be brought before this body possibly this week. 

This is going to be a big week for 

your children and grandchildren. We 

are going to have a $350 billion second 

half of the stimulus or the bailout program, and now we are talking about 

nearly $1 trillion in new spending for a 

stimulus package, $1.3 trillion. 

My friend from Texas spoke about 

the fact that Members from Congress 

are using their voting cards as credit 

cards. It’s time, actually, for Members 

of Congress to start using their cards 

not as credit cards and mortgaging the 

future of our young people, but investing and beginning to spend money that 


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