WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Culberson issued the following statement regarding the case of jailed border agents, Ramos and Compean:

“Today 31 of 34 current members of the Texas Congressional Delegation and 2 former members signed and delivered a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to commute the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Even their prosecutor, U. S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, has admitted that he believes their prison sentences were excessive. The Texas Congressional Delegation is united in our sincere hope that President Bush will be compassionate towards these two men and their families and that he will commute their sentences to time served and free them from prison before he leaves office on Tuesday at noon.”

Congressman John Culberson spearheaded this letter with the Texas Congressional Delegation and delivered it to the White House on their behalf this afternoon. A copy of the letter is attached.

Motion to Recommit YES

Adoption of Democrat Rules Package (15 minutes) NO I voted against the Rules package for the 111th Congress because it repeals term limits for committee chairmen, restricts the Minority’s right to offer a Motion to Recommit legislation on the House floor, and changes Pay-Go making it easier to raise taxes.

H.R. 11 --Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009– NO This bill would amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to allow an employee to seek damages for wage discrimination. Under current law (recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court), a wage discrimination claim must be filed within 180 days of the initial discrimination violation. This bill would effectively do away with the statute of limitations on initiating pay-discrimination lawsuits. I voted NO on this bill because, as noted by the Supreme Court, the filing time limit is an important legislative feature of Title VII that was put in place to ensure swift action in cases of discrimination. Cost: Not available.

Congressman John Culberson affirmed his support for Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks in the following statement:

"I do not believe that the United States has a stronger ally in the Middle East than Israel. Israel gained the West Bank and other occupied territories in response to attacks on its borders, and had a right to defend itself under normal terms of war. I believe that criminals who use violence to achieve their ends deserve any type of similar reprisal. Finally, Palestinian leadership must show that they are serious about stopping terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel so the Middle East peace process can move forward."

In the following opinion piece, Michael Gerson writes that "Israel's immediate goal is simple: to stop missile barrages by Hamas on southern Israel." This goal is justified under international law and Israel has an obligation to take necessary action for self-defense against terrorism.

Defining Victory for Israel

January 02, 2009

By Michael Gerson

There is no question -- none -- that Israel's attack on Hamas in Gaza is justified. No nation can tolerate a portion of its people living in the conditions of the London Blitz -- listening for sirens, sleeping in bomb shelters and separated from death only by the randomness of a Qassam missile's flight. And no group aspiring to nationhood, such as Hamas, can be exempt from the rules of sovereignty, morality and civilization, which, at the very least, forbid routine murder attempts against your neighbors.

Israel's response has been criticized as "disproportionate," which betrays a misunderstanding of proportion's meaning. The goal of military action, when unavoidable, is not to take one life in exchange for each one unjustly taken; this is mere vengeance. The goal is to remove the conditions that lead to conflict and the taking of life. So far, Israel's actions have been proportionate to this objective. And the convoys of fuel, medical supplies and food sent by Israel into Gaza show an appropriate concern for Palestinian suffering, even during a broad assault on Hamas forces.

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Yesterday, Congressman Culberson and 25 other Members of Congress sent a letter to President Bush urging him not to use tax payers’ funds to bail out the Big Three Detroit Automakers. The letter stated the Members’ concerns that “a federal bailout of the automobile industry…would put taxpayer money at risk, shield the companies from making the reforms necessary to restore competitiveness again, and set a costly precedent that the federal government will bailout other failing companies and industries.”

“I remain unconvinced that providing a bridge loan at taxpayer expense will effectively fix the deep-seated problems facing the auto industry,” Congressman Culberson said. “I urge President Bush to support mandating a Chapter 11 reorganization for the Big Three, which would prompt a reshuffle in management and a complete restructuring of current operations.”

The letter reiterates that the Emergency Economic Stability Act allocated $700 billion to provide stability to the nation’s lending system by supplying leverage to “financial institutions,” not favored, private businesses.

The Treasury released the 2008 Financial Report of the U.S. Government yesterday as well, revealing that our budget is in dire straits. According to the report, “using accrual accounting (the method used by American businesses and states), the nation’s annual deficit exceeded $1 trillion this year. That would be 7% of GDP.”

Coinciding with the report, the U.S. Comptroller stated that “the current recession could significantly affect the federal government’s future tax revenues and the value of certain of its assets and liabilities, such as loans and loan guarantees. The ultimate effect [of the recent unprecedented actions] and the recession on the federal government’s financial condition are not yet known.”

As a member of the Appropriations Committee and a fiscal conservative, Congressman Culberson makes balancing the budget a top priority. He co-authored the Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment, which would amend the Constitution and require Congress to pass a budget that balances projected expenditures with incoming revenue.

“We have to stop spending money and stop bailing out failed private companies with debt our children and grandchildren will have to repay,” Congressman Culberson has said. “I hope President Bush will consider the concerns set forth in our letter before increasing America’s alarming unfunded liability.

Following the letter, the American Conservative Union released the following statement: "The American people do not want their tax money spent on failing businesses who were failing long before our nation entered economic uncertainty. We join these Members of Congress in hoping these American companies can survive and eventually thrive. However, a taxpayer funded bailout is not the answer.”

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Governor Rick Perry released the following statement last week regarding federal assistance to state governments. I wholeheartedly agree with the Governors' position, which is why I continue to strongly oppose these endless and unaffordable bailouts:

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

R i c k P e r r y

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 10, 2008

Washington, DC – Texas Governor Rick Perry issued the following statement regarding the House Appropriations Committee Hearing on a Federal Spending Plan. Governor Rick Perry: “As the House Appropriations Committee takes up the issue of federal assistance to the states, I hope that they will keep in mind the basic laws of economics. Nowhere, in any business, organization or home, is it prudent to pile debt on top of debt. However, the federal government seems to think it operates under a different set of rules, all seemingly intended to increase dependence on its generosity with other people's money.

Every dollar the government taxes and spends is a dollar a family could invest in their children's education or an employer could have used to create more jobs. Pouring those dollars as well as dollars borrowed from future generations into the coffers of mismanaged companies is just bad public policy. This same bailout mentality also fails to justify the rush to mortgage a massive new spending plan for the states onto future generations. Instead of giving away more dollars they don't have or will take from taxpayers, the federal government should press for the best economic stimulus of all: a tax cut.”

On Monday, the House of Representatives reconvened to discuss a new plan that would provide up to $15 billion in emergency loans to the Big Three Detroit automakers. While it may be described as a compromise between the auto industry and Congress, I will not support the federal government’s continued bailing out of private businesses with taxpayer dollars.

The American automobile industry is a vital part of the national economy, but no amount of additional taxpayer money can fix the Big Three's outdated business models. It is worth noting that none of the foreign owned auto makers who build cars in America are asking for a bailout. They had the foresight to avoid the union contracts that are burying Detroit, and they build cars that consumers want. If we would simply keep the tax collectors, lawyers, regulators and bureaucrats away from the auto industry, I am confident it would thrive.

Congress has gotten no assurance that a $15 billion “bridge loan” will not lead to a $34 billion “bailout,” as auto executives requested last week, further down the road. Detroit’s problems are myopic. Their platinum level union contracts put them at a competitive disadvantage with foreign auto makers (click hereto see a brief NPR comparison between GM and Toyota). Since the unions are not offering any major concessions in exchange for the bailout, the Big Three will still go broke once the money is all spent.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy has been used successfully by other struggling corporations over the years and would allow for the renegotiation of these crushing labor contracts. New management and common sense would lead to prompt restructuring and innovative, new products that can compete in today's markets.

Instead of increasing the debt burden on taxpayers, Congress should give American car manufacturers an immediate and drastic cut in their corporate tax rates and relief from the strict fuel economy standards passed last year. I also support the temporary tax incentive proposal set forth by Democrat Senator Barbara Mikulski, which would reward car buyers with tax deductions on interest payments, car loans, and sales and excise taxes on cars purchased through the end of 2009. These tax breaks would reduce the purchase price of a $25,000 Dodge minivan by an estimated $1,553, and would apply to loans of up to $49,500.

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Congressman Culberson offers his deepest sympathies and condolences to the innocent people of India and victims from around the world, whose lives were affected by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. America shares a tragic common bond with India, and we will continue to show our solidarity as you grieve and recover from these cowardly attacks.” Congressman Culberson said.

The attacks were planned methodically targeting innocent civilians and invoking terror in the cultural, commercial, and tourism hub of Mumbai. The victims were simply going about their lives in Mumbai’s hotels, train station, hospitals and cafes until they were brutally executed by members of a militant, extremist Islamic group. We are obliged to remember that the primary goal of terrorism is to demonstrate power by unleashing fear, chaos, and violence into civil societies and these senseless acts cannot and should not be tolerated.

The Congressman offers his support to the government of India as it works to bring the terrorists responsible for this atrocity to justice.

“India has our full and unequivocal support as it recovers from this bitter tragedy,” Culberson said.

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Congressman Culberson, along with Congressmen Ted Poe, Dana Rohrabacher, William Delahunt, and Ed Royce, held a press conference this morning to continue to shed light on the case of Texas Border Agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. They, along with five other Members of Congress, have sent a letter to U.S. Pardon Attorney Ronald Rogers, asking again for the commutation of the agents. (Click here to read the Houston Chronicle's article on the press conference.)

Ramos and Compean are currently serving 11 and 12 year prison sentences, respectively, for shooting and wounding a self -admitted illegal alien drug smuggler. Both men have already spent almost two years in solitary confinement. They have lost their jobs and their imprisonment has caused tremendous hardship upon their families.

They were arrested and charged with multiple crimes in connection to the February 2005 shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was caught with over 700 pounds of marijuana on the Texas-Mexico border. The agents did not report the incident to their superiors and were charged with deprivation of civil rights and tampering with an official.

Months after the original charges were made against Ramos and Compean, the Prosecution then drastically increased the charges by imposing an indictment under 18 U.S.C. 924 (c) which carries with it a mandatory ten year imprisonment sentence. Prosecutor Johnny Sutton based his case heavily on the testimony of Aldrete-Davila, who was later caught with another load of drugs after the conclusion of the trial.

Congressman Culberson has actively sought to commute the undue sentences of Ramos and Compean. Thus far, eighty one, bi-partisan Members of Congress have joined him and signed onto H.Con.Res 267 in support of commutation. This morning’s press conference highlighted the injustices of the case and publicly called upon Pardon Attorney Rodgers to grant commutation.

For a timeline of the events of this case, please click here.

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In 2006, Congressman Culberson supported the Secure Fence Act that authorized construction of 700 miles of double-layer reinforced fencing along the southwest border as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, ground sensors, satellites, radar, and cameras for border surveillance. Here is an update on the construction of the fence as of October 31, 2008:

Miles completed:

Miles currently under contract:

Miles left to build under contract:

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If you are interested in attending the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., please complete the following form and fax to (202) 225-4381. If you have any questions please call (202) 225-2571. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is responsible for overseeing these historic events, and will distribute tickets for the 44th Presidential Inauguration in Janurary 2009.

Please note: any website or vendor claiming to be selling tickets to the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony or to the Inaugural parade is a scam. The Inaugural swearing-in ceremony tickets are free and ONLY distributed by congressional offices on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are not required to attend the parade.

For further information from the Joint Committee, please click here.