I voted to support H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT Act.  First signed into law on the heels of 9-11, this legislation would make permanent many of the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act set to expire this year and strikes a delicate balance between protecting the rights and civil liberties of American citizens while enabling the government to crack down on suspected terrorists.  This legislation enhances the ability of federal authorities to conduct criminal and intelligence investigations, bars and expels foreign terrorists from the United States, separates terrorists from their financial support, punishes terrorist acts, and addresses the needs of terrorist victims.  Since the USA PATRIOT Act was enacted in 2001, providing law enforcement the resources they need to combat terrorism, there has not been a single terrorist attack on American soil.   

I also voted in support of H.R. 1815, the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Appropriations bill which allocates $435.5 billion for defense programs, including $50 billion in emergency spending for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Additionally, this legislation provides $1.3 billion in emergency funding for National Guard and Reserve equipment.  The Defense Appropriations bill includes a provision that bans cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of prisoners and would establish the Army Field Manual as the standard for military interrogations.   

Included in the Defense Appropriations Conference Report was a provision to provide for an additional $29 billion for relief and recovery efforts for the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, in addition to the $62.3 billion Congress allocated earlier this year.  Also included in this bill is language to allow oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).  Ultimately, drilling in ANWR will increase domestic oil and gas production, thereby reducing our dependency on foreign oil.  80 percent of the income from initial petroleum leasing and development in ANWR will establish a Gulf Coast Recovery Fund to provide financial assistance for recovery and rebuilding efforts in the devastated Gulf Coast.  This legislation also provides $2 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and mandates an additional $2 billion from initial ANWR petroleum leasing.   

Finally, I voted to strengthen and protect American borders by supporting the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act, H.R. 4437.  This bill controls the flow of immigration into the United States by taking steps to tighten border controls and provides all employers with a reliable method of determining whether job applicants are legally eligible to work.  This legislation also increases physical barriers and incorporates widespread, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in order to ensure coverage of the entire border, authorizes 1,000 new, full-time port of entry inspectors over the next four years, and the training of 1,500 additional K-9 units over the next five years. 

As the first session of the 109th Congress draws to a close and with the holiday season upon us, I ask that you join me in praying for our men and women in uniform serving abroad and for their families here at home.  When Congress returns to the nation’s capital in January, I will be there each and every step of the way, fighting for the solutions that will be the most beneficial to the citizens of Arkansas's Fourth Congressional District.   I wish you and your family a very safe holiday season and a happy New Year.