Justice is Served: The Death of Osama bin Laden

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I want to really focus today on an extraordinary event that took place on Sunday, that is, American time, but before I do that, I just want to take a couple of minutes having sat here listening to the last 45 minutes on energy policy, just a couple of things.

The President is not suggesting that we raise taxes on fuel but that we eliminate subsidies to the oil industry that has received, for a century, American taxpayers' support, and those subsidies are no longer needed given the extraordinary profits that they are making. We ought to also consider that last year, ExxonMobil paid zero Federal income tax, yet they had billions, about $11 billion, of profit.

The second point, the oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is up this year compared to the previous year, and even though there is more production of oil out of the Gulf of Mexico, we've still seen this spike in gasoline prices. So the notion that somehow more drilling in the Gulf of Mexico will drive prices down is just not the case, because we've seen more production and yet a spike in prices.

Finally, with regard to the bills that were just announced during the middle of this discussion about drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the Democratic Party wants to make sure that that drilling is done safely; the President wants to make sure that drilling is done safely. And what we have suggested, that when these bills come to the floor, they be amended so that the recommendations made by the commission that studied the blowout on the BP platform, that those safety recommendations be put into the law. I guess that's not such a bad idea, but I want to just get that out here just so we have some understanding about what was discussed over this last hour.

But what I really want to do--and I see my colleague from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) here--is focus on an extraordinary and extremely important event that took place on Sunday, American time, and Monday, Pakistani time. The United States persevered for a decade to get Osama bin Laden. The President of the United States, Barack Obama, was determined during his campaign for Presidency and in the very first moments of his Presidency that he would focus like a laser beam on getting Osama bin Laden. It took some time. It took an extraordinary effort by the intelligence community, by the military, by this Congress in providing the necessary support and by our colleagues in other branches of government to get the job done. It was accomplished, and finally that banner on that aircraft carrier has real meaning--Mission Accomplished.

Mission Accomplished. Osama bin Laden is no more. The man that was responsible for the biggest mass murder ever in this Nation's history is no more. President Obama, we thank you. We thank the men and women of this military and the intelligence community that made this happen. We applaud the courage of all that were involved and the wisdom and the determination to get the mission accomplished.

Let me now turn to our colleague from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Mr. Clyburn, for your heartfelt and very, very appropriate words.

The mission that was carried out was not something that came about just in a matter of days. It had been planned over the course of many, many years, and, with determination, the intelligence community, led by most recently Mr. Panetta, worked tirelessly to track down Osama bin Laden. It took a great deal of time and many, many years but ultimately succeeded in ways that the news media is now beginning to report. We can only give thanks and congratulations to that part of this mission and their determination and steadfastness to stay on the track, to follow every lead and to find every stone that needed to be turned over so that ultimately success could be had in locating Osama bin Laden.

I think we all now know a great deal more about Abbottabad and what it is, a community, not large, but what was this strange new compound doing in that particular location? We found out precisely what it was doing and we took the steps necessary.

I think all of us have seen pictures of the Situation Room at the White House, with American leaders surrounding a table, looking at the television screens, watching in real time what was going on half the world away. I think all of us could see the concern on the faces of those leaders, the President, the Secretary of State, Mr. Panetta and others who were there who had spent their previous hours preparing for the mission and making a very difficult decision.

They knew that this was an extremely risky program that could quite possibly fail, and I'm sure they had the failure of the mission that President Carter ordered three decades before to go into Iran to rescue the hostages, I'm sure that weighed heavily on their minds.

But nevertheless, the President made a very, very courageous decision to accept the risk of failure and quite possibly to succeed in finally dealing with the mass murderer Osama bin Laden. We must keep in mind that it wasn't just Americans who were murdered here on the shores of this Nation, but in Pakistan and in other countries around the world, al Qaeda murdered far more people in those countries.

I notice now that I'm joined here by my colleagues. I'd like to turn to my colleague from San Diego. SUSAN, if you would care to join us, thank you.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Mr. Clyburn, for your heartfelt and very, very appropriate words.

The mission that was carried out was not something that came about just in a matter of days. It had been planned over the course of many, many years, and, with determination, the intelligence community, led by most recently Mr. Panetta, worked tirelessly to track down Osama bin Laden. It took a great deal of time and many, many years but ultimately succeeded in ways that the news media is now beginning to report. We can only give thanks and congratulations to that part of this mission and their determination and steadfastness to stay on the track, to follow every lead and to find every stone that needed to be turned over so that ultimately success could be had in locating Osama bin Laden.

I think we all now know a great deal more about Abbottabad and what it is, a community, not large, but what was this strange new compound doing in that particular location? We found out precisely what it was doing and we took the steps necessary.

I think all of us have seen pictures of the Situation Room at the White House, with American leaders surrounding a table, looking at the television screens, watching in real time what was going on half the world away. I think all of us could see the concern on the faces of those leaders, the President, the Secretary of State, Mr. Panetta and others who were there who had spent their previous hours preparing for the mission and making a very difficult decision.

They knew that this was an extremely risky program that could quite possibly fail, and I'm sure they had the failure of the mission that President Carter ordered three decades before to go into Iran to rescue the hostages, I'm sure that weighed heavily on their minds.

But nevertheless, the President made a very, very courageous decision to accept the risk of failure and quite possibly to succeed in finally dealing with the mass murderer Osama bin Laden. We must keep in mind that it wasn't just Americans who were murdered here on the shores of this Nation, but in Pakistan and in other countries around the world, al Qaeda murdered far more people in those countries.

I notice now that I'm joined here by my colleagues. I'd like to turn to my colleague from San Diego. SUSAN, if you would care to join us, thank you.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Representative Davis. I share your enthusiasm. Not too long ago, I also represented San Diego but in a different role, not as a Representative but as Lieutenant Governor.

Indeed, Coronado is an extraordinary place, and the naval forces that are such a prominent part of San Diego did play a role in this in many, many ways. I was trying to recall whether the aircraft carrier that ultimately did the final burial at sea was stationed in San Diego. I think it was a San Diego aircraft carrier.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. So what we have here is another way in which the American Armed Forces, in the many different ways, in the case that you talked about, the role of the Special Forces, the special operations, and the SEALs that actually participated, carried out the mission, and the aircraft carrier, and then in between the Air Force and the Army, all of them playing a role. It's an extraordinary example of the way in which military power, properly focused on a very important task, is able to carry it out.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Absolutely correct, and I thank you so very much for your participation tonight in honoring and congratulating President Obama and the special operations and the American intelligence community for what they were able to accomplish. Finally, mission accomplished.

I'd like now to turn to our new colleague just a little less experienced than myself, Mr. Clarke from the State of Michigan and the city of Detroit.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Mr. Clarke.

Your concern about the economy of Detroit and, in a larger sense, the economy of the United States is very, very well founded. There is no doubt that the economic and social strength of America is the foundation upon which every other aspect of the war on terrorism must be fought. We have to deal with our economy. And you're quite correct about the allocation of resources.

I notice that New Jersey and RUSH HOLT, who has been a stalwart in dealing with the policies of protecting America in many ways, energy policy and the rest, has joined us. Mr. Holt, if you would care to join in and share your thoughts on this most important event, the elimination of the world's greatest mass murderer.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Holt, thank you very much.

A couple of things about your discussion really struck me as being very, very important. You reminded us of the men and women that died not only on September 11, the impact on the community that you represent there in New Jersey, and other communities but also the fact that men and women died in the previous attacks that were sponsored and planned by al Qaeda. You also reminded us that there were men and women not of this country but of other countries, Kenya, Tanzania, Iraq, Pakistan, and other countries, that were also the victims of the vicious evil attacks that were planned and carried out by al Qaeda.

It's not just Americans that were the targets of this organization. And you also reminded us of the importance of our own first responders and police and others here in the United States. We know that the reach of al Qaeda is not just Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan. It includes Yemen and Somalia and other countries and America, that there are Americans that have been radicalized by the message. We need to deal with that and address those individuals and organizations that may exist within our own country.

Mr. HOLT. If the gentleman would yield, I will add one more comment which is, I hope that this will bring the world closer together. The recognition
that the killings, the evil worked by this man affected many thousands--really, hundreds of thousands around the world. I'm sure many of these people are grateful to families of those who have been killed in other countries, and so forth, are grateful for the actions of these brave Americans. But I hope that what this does is bring the countries of the world and the peoples of the world more closely together in fighting such evil.

Mr. GARAMENDI. If I might take it from there, you reminded me that in the newspapers here in Washington and I think across this Nation, there was what we call an op-ed, an article that appeared on the editorial pages written by the President of Pakistan who congratulated President Obama and the United States for ridding Pakistan of a terrible problem.

I thought that that was a remarkable article that he wrote. He noted that his own wife was the target of al Qaeda, not once, not twice, but three times. The final effort resulted in her assassination.

So the point that you made about bringing all of us closer together to deal with terrorism, wherever it may be, and whatever rationale it may perceive itself to have, is a threat to every peaceful person and every country that desires peace. Point well made and well taken, Mr. Holt. Thank you so very much for joining us this evening.

You're welcome to stick around and join us after we hear from my colleague from the State of California, Lois Capps, who represents the Santa Barbara region of the Golden State.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Representative Capps, thank you for your words. As you were talking, you were talking about families. I remember a discussion you and I had just a couple hours ago as we were sitting here in the Chamber and you told me about the birth of your granddaughter.

Mrs. CAPPS. Grandson. Little Oscar Walter. But you are absolutely right.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Congratulations on that. Our own tenth grandchild was born just 8 months ago. And I was thinking about them in the context of what has happened this last week and about what we here in Congress, the people's House, representing 350 million, 360 million Americans, about the task that we have to assure that those children of the next generation will have a world that is peaceful, safe, in which they can live out their dreams as we have been fortunate enough to do ourselves.

I notice that an extraordinary woman like yourself, Mrs. Capps, has joined us representing the great State of Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee. I think you would like to make some comments on the subject of the extraordinary courage that our President and our intelligence and our military have displayed this last few days.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Ms. Lee. Your comments are so well taken and so well said.

I was thinking earlier when I was talking about the Situation Room and what led up to the actual moment that the program was being carried out, the extraordinary and very difficult decision that the President had to make. But it was a decision that he had made months and years earlier when he spoke to the American people as he was asking them for their vote to become President that he was going to focus like a laser on the man that caused the problem; that he was going to go wherever it may take and do whatever is necessary to settle the score and to bring to justice Osama bin Laden. And when the moment came, when the information was presented and all of the potential disasters that could occur, international relationship issues, loss of men, and even thinking back on the Jimmy Carter incident in Tehran, he stuck by his determination and completed a mission that was accomplished.

As you were talking and as I was listening to your very fine presentation, I noticed that an extraordinary leader had joined us here on the floor of the House, a leader who, in her own way, set a very unique circumstance for America--the very first woman Speaker of the House, who led this Chamber and this Nation to accomplish tasks that had not been accomplished in the previous 40 years but which were highly desired by the United States citizens: a health care plan that would provide service to nearly every American, Wall Street reform, and women's rights in the workplace. It was a privilege for me to join during the time she was the Speaker. Now she is the leader of our caucus, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Congresswoman and Leader Pelosi. I'll say, ``Speaker.'' Is that okay? We thank you for your leadership. We thank you for your remarks.

We have a couple of additional members of our caucus who would like to speak. I think we've claimed the next hour. I believe that it will be available. We're out of time at this point, so I will simply wrap up with these three or four words, which are:

It is with gratitude that I and my colleagues congratulate all who were involved in bringing to justice Osama bin Laden. A job well done. Mission accomplished.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.

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