H378 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 15, 2009 

And that’s just the way it is. 

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, 

Washington, DC, January 15, 2009. 

Hon. GEORGE W. BUSH, 

The White House, 

Washington, D.C. 

DEAR PRESIDENT BUSH: As Members of the 

Texas Congressional Delegation, we are writing to ask for your personal intervention to 

commute the sentences of United States Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose 

Compean. 

As you are aware, these two agents were 

prosecuted and convicted for shooting an illegal immigrant drug smuggler in Texas near 

the border with Mexico and were each sentenced to over 10 years in prison. Ramos and 

Compean have been incarcerated since January 2007 and in that time, Ramos has been 

assaulted in prison and both men have been 

placed in solitary confinement because of 

the danger they face as a result of their law 

enforcement backgrounds. 

Many of us have written to you over the 

past few years with concerns about this case, 

and as your administration comes to an end, 

we respectfully request that you use the exclusive authority given to you under Article 

II, Section 2 of the Constitution. We appeal 

to your good reason and sound judgment as 

fellow Texans and ask that you correct this 

injustice by commuting the sentences of U.S. 

Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and 

Jose Compean. 

Sincerely, 

John Culberson, John Cornyn, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Michael McCaul, Kenny 

Marchant, Kevin Brady, Pete Olson, 

Pete Sessions, Ralph Hall, John Carter, 

Bill Archer, and Kay Granger. 

Ted Poe, Louie Gohmert, Gene Green, 

Lamar Smith, Sam Johnson, Henry 

Bonicca, Mac Thornberry, Michael Burgess, Michael Conaway, Randy 

Neugebauer, and Jeb Hensarling. 

Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chet Edwards, 

Solomon Ortiz, Sam Johnson, Joe Barton, Henry Cuellar, Rube ́n Hinojosa, 

Sheila Jackson-Lee, Ciro Rodriguez, 

and Al Green. 

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AGREEMENT ON MUTUAL FISHERIES RELATIONS—MESSAGE 

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 

UNITED STATES 

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 

from the President of the United 

States; which was read and, together 

with the accompanying papers, without 

objection, referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources: 

To the Congress of the United States: 

In accordance with the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), 

I transmit herewith an Agreement between the Government of the United 

States of America and the Government 

of the Russian Federation Extending 

the Agreement Between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Russian Federation on 

Mutual Fisheries Relations of May 31, 

1988, with annex, as extended (the ‘‘Mutual Fisheries Agreement’’). The 

present Agreement, which was effected 

by an exchange of notes in Moscow on 

March 28, 2008, and September 19, 2008, 

extends the Mutual Fisheries Agreement until December 31, 2013. 

In light of the importance of our fisheries relationship with the Russian 

Federation, I urge that the Congress 

give favorable consideration to this 

Agreement at an early date. 

THE WHITE

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HOUSE, January 15, 2009. 

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL 

EMERGENCY RELATING TO 

CUBA—MESSAGE FROM THE 

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 

STATES (H. DOC. NO. 111–9) 

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 

from the President of the United 

States; which was read and, together 

with the accompanying papers, without 

objection, referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be 

printed: 

To the Congress of the United States: 

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides 

for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the 

anniversary date of its declaration, the 

President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a 

notice stating that the emergency is to 

continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice 

to the Federal Register for publication, 

stating that the national emergency 

declared with respect to the Government of Cuba’s destruction of two unarmed U.S.-registered civilian aircraft 

in international airspace north of Cuba 

on February 24, 1996, as amended and 

expanded on February 26, 2004, is to 

continue in effect beyond March 1, 2009. 

GEORGE W. BUSH.

THE WHITE

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HOUSE, January 15, 2009. 

LEAVE OF ABSENCE 

By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted to: 

Mr. SESSIONS (at the request of Mr. 

BOEHNER) for today on account of attending a funeral. 

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SPECIAL ORDERS GRANTED 

By unanimous consent, permission to 

address the House, following the legislative program and any special orders 

heretofore entered, was granted to: 

(The following Members (at the request of Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD) to revise 

and extend their remarks and include 

extraneous material:) 

Mr. CUMMINGS, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, for 5 minutes, 

today. 

Ms. WOOLSEY, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. DEFAZIO, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. KAPTUR, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. SHERMAN, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. SCHIFF, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, for 

5 minutes, today. 

Mr. KUCINICH, for 5 minutes, today. 

(The following Members (at the request of Mr. WOLF) to revise and extend 

their remarks and include extraneous 

material:) 

Mr. POE of Texas, for 5 minutes, January 22. 

Mr. JONES, for 5 minutes, January 22. 

Mr. BILIRAKIS, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. GOHMERT, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. BURTON of Indiana, for 5 minutes, 

January 21 and 22. 

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ADJOURNMENT 

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I 

move that the House do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o’clock and 53 minutes 

p.m.), under its previous order, the 

House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, January 16, 2009, at 4 p.m. 

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EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, 

ETC. 

Under clause 8 of rule XII, executive 

communications were taken from the 

Speaker’s table and referred as follows: 

115. A letter from the Assistant to the 

Board, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the System’s 

final rule — Home Mortgage Disclosure [Regulation C; Docket No. 1341] received January 

7, 2009, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); to 

the Committee on Financial Services. 

116. A letter from the Assistant to the 

Board, Board of the Federal Reserve System, 

transmitting the System’s final rule — Community Reinvestment Act Regulations 

[Docket ID: OTS-2008-0021] (RIN: 1550-A29) received January 7, 2009, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

801(a)(1)(A); to the Committee on Financial 

Services. 

117. A letter from the Secretary, Federal 

Trade Commission, transmitting the Commission’s third interim report on an ongoing 

study of the accuracy and completeness of 

information contained in consumer reports 

prepared or maintained by consumer reporting agencies and methods for improving the 

accuracy and completeness of such information, pursuant to Section 319 of the Fair and 

Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003; to 

the Committee on Financial Services. 

118. A letter from the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department’s report on the 

Community Services Block Grant for fiscal 

year 2006, pursuant to Section 674 of the 

Community Services Block Grant Act; to the 

Committee on Education and Labor. 

119. A letter from the Deputy Secretary, 

Department of the Treasury, transmitting as 

required by section 401(c) of the National 

Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), and section 204(c) of the International Emergency 

Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), a 

six-month periodic report on the national 

emergency with respect to North Korea that 

was declared in Executive Order 13466 of 

June 26, 2008; to the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs. 

120. A letter from the Deputy Secretary, 

Department of the Treasury, transmitting as 

required by section 401(c) of the National 

Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), and section 204(c) of the International Emergency 

Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), and 

pursuant to Executive Order 13313 of July 31, 

2003, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to the Western Balkans that was declared in Executive 

Order 13219 of June 26, 2001; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

121. A letter from the Deputy Secretary, 

Department of the Treasury, transmitting as 

required by section 401(c) of the National 

Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), and section 204(c) of the International Emergency 

Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), and 


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