Thank you for reading The Conaway Chronicle, a review of my activities in Congress and the 11th District.
Visit to the Border:
I visited the border near McAllen on July 18th with three of my fellow Texas House members. During the seven hours that we were there, we talked with Border Patrol agents about the resources that they have and the challenges that they face. This firsthand look at the situation, will be helpful as I continue to urge administration officials to use the resources and authority they have to quickly address this crisis. It will also be helpful as I evaluate what my fellow lawmakers and I can do to stop the flood of illegal immigrant children. I want to thank the United States Border Patrol agents for meeting with us and Congressman Sam Johnson for organizing this visit.
Using the National Guard to Support the Border Patrol:
On July 21st, Gov. Rick Perry announced that he was activating the Texas National Guard to support the Border Patrol. President Obama should follow Gov. Perry's example and send National Guard members down to Texas's border with Mexico to help stem the tide of illegal immigration. While I was meeting with Border Patrol agents near McAllen on July 18th, the agents said if Guard members could take care of some tasks, the Border Patrol could focus on interdiction. This is a national issue and Texans should not have to assume the cost and responsibility for stopping this flood of illegal migrant children.
Addressing the Border Crisis:
On July 24th, I signed onto legislation that would address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border and make it easier to send illegal migrant children from Central America back to their home countries. The bill would amend a 2008 law that was intended to help protect young refugees from exploitation and human trafficking. The Obama Administration has interpreted the law in such a way that it has exacerbated the crisis. Under the bill, illegal migrant children from Mexico and Central America would be treated the same and quickly returned home. The bill also includes provisions to protect illegal migrant children from adults with bad intentions. Finally, the bill, which was written by U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), would require the administration to have a plan and provide additional resources needed to secure our southern border. It is heart-breaking to look at the hopelessness in these illegal immigrant's eyes, but what is happening is not good for them or for America. We should never apologize for doing what is in America's best interest. This is in America's best interest. It also happens to be in the best interest of the illegal immigrant children. Once we begin to quickly send people home, a clear message will be received in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras and we will have fewer people sending their children on a dangerous and illegal trip to the United States.
Situation in Ukraine:
When it comes to the situation in Ukraine, we are in a position where we do not have a lot of good options. Some of that is self inflicted. Early on President Obama basically blinked when he and President Putin had a stare down. He agreed to remove our missile defense program from Eastern Europe, when he should have stood his ground. This conflict in Ukraine could lead to other conflicts. If we provided the Ukrainians with things like night vision goggles, it would be important strategically and provide them with moral support. I talked about the situations in Ukraine and Gaza on C-SPAN on July 24th. To see the full interview, please click on the below picture.
Sgt. Ryan Pitts Awarded the Medal of Honor:
"Valor was everywhere that day and the real heroes are the nine men who made the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us could come home."
That is what former Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts said after receiving the Medal of Honor on July 21st. Before dawn on July 13th, 2008, Sgt. Pitts was seriously wounded in what has been one of the fiercest battles fought in Afghanistan. Despite his wounds, he continued to fight and by radio asked other soldiers to fire at his position to prevent the enemy from gaining ground. "It just seemed like the only option," Sgt. Pitts told CNN before today's ceremony. "Stay and fight. For whatever reason." I am proud that our country produces soldiers like Ryan Pitts. They are the reason that America is the greatest country on the face of God's earth. Sgt. Ptts is on the left in the photograph. The soldier on the right is Sgt. Israel Garcia. Sgt. Garcia is one of the nine men who died in the battle.
West Point Visitors Board:
I am a member of the West Point Board of Visitors which was established by an act of Congress in 1972. According to the law, the board "shall inquire into the morale and discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods, and other matters relating to the academy that the board decides to consider." In my capacity as a member of the Board of Visitors, I spend a lot of time in meetings in conference rooms. On July 21st, I took a more hands on approach. I spent a good part of the day with cadets. I joined them in rappelling down a 75 foot cliff and ate the same MREs that they eat. These cadets are outstanding young men and women. In the photograph with me and the cadets is my fellow house member Congressman John Shimkus. Congressman Shimkus is a graduate of West Point.
Meeting With the Leaders of Goodfellow Air Force Base:
Goodfellow Air Force Base's 17th Training Wing Commander Col. Kimberlee Joos and Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Good came in to meet with me on July 23rd. We had a good conversation about Goodfellow Air Force Base. The base is a valuable member of the San Angelo, Texas, community and plays a vital role in our country's defense. Col. Joos and Chief Master Sgt. Good are exceptional leaders and we are blessed to have them serving our country.
Final Flight of the 21st Cavalry Brigade:
On the morning of July 21st, the Fort Hood-based 21st Cavalry Brigade thanked the residents of Brownwood, Brady, and Midland for their support. The 21st Cavalry, which flies Apache helicopters, will be disbanded in June 2015. The 21st Cavalry is tasked primarily with the initial training of units fielding new aircraft. When the unit is disbanded, rather than entire units deploying to Fort Hood for training under the 21st Cavalry, an Army team will travel to the posts where Apache units are based to provide training. The men and women that worked in 21st Cavalry are true professionals and their talents will be utilized as they are reassigned back to other units. The flights to Brownwood, Brady, and Midland were their last flight to these two cities in the 11th District. In an e-mail to Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes, Col. White wrote, "The partnership that developed between Brownwood, the 21st Cavalry Brigade and III Corps is a relationship that demonstrates the patriotism of the citizens of Brownwood and the love you have for our soldiers and the nation." Thank you to the 21st Cavalry for all you do and thank you to the residents of Brownwood and Brady for supporting our service men and women. If you click on the below photograph, you can watch a short video that my Brownwood-based regional director Hilary took.
50th Anniversary of Ethicon:
Congratulations to Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon subsidiary on their 50th anniversary in San Angelo. On July 18th at the Foster Communications Coliseum there was a celebration of the anniversary. Ethicon makes medical products and the San Angelo plant is their main source of products for states east of the Mississippi River. Because of my trip to the border between Texas and Mexico, Suzanne and I were unable to attend. My San Angelo-based regional director JoAnne Powell attended and says, "It was a tremendous evening." Ethicon is a great company and a solid member of the San Angelo community.
This photograph of the gala ran in the San Angelo Standard-Times.
Passing of San Angelo's Kenneth Gunter:
Downtown San Angelo would not be the vibrant place it is today if not for Kenneth Gunter. Mr. Gunter, who passed away on July 21st, led the effort to rebuild the city's 19th Century downtown. As the San Angelo Standard-Times reported, as recently as 2007 downtown San Angelo was deserted at night and on the weekends. "At sundown you could take a 105 howitzer and shoot it down the street and not hit a bird, much less a car," Mr. Gunter once said. He and his wife, Brenda, decided to do something about it. They took what had been Miss. Hattie's Bordello from 1902 to 1952 and turned it into a museum and an upscale restaurant. Mr. Gunter was a San Angelo native and a graduate of Central High School. He was a pioneer of the cable television industry. As he established a nationwide company, he stayed in San Angelo. When asked by a reporter why he stayed in San Angelo, he replied, "I live here. I was born here." The heart and soul of the towns and cities in the 11th District is not the land and it is not the buildings. It is the men and women who love the land and buildings are committed to preserving that land and those buildings.
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Sincerely,
Rep. Mike Conaway, 11th District