Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, today many Members of Congress and their families will attend the Congressional Picnic hosted by President and Mrs. Bush at the White House.

However, for two imprisoned Border Patrol agents, this day will not be a picnic. Today is day 505 of a terrible injustice in America. Agents Compean and Ramos have been in Federal prison in solitary confinement since January 7 of 2007.

These two U.S. Border Patrol agents were convicted in March of 2006 for wounding an illegal alien drug smuggler from Mexico. The smuggler brought $1 million worth of marijuana across our border into Texas, and the drug smuggler was given immunity by the Federal prosecutor to testify against the two border agents. Since then, the prosecutor's star witness, the Mexican drug smuggler, returned to America with more illegal drugs. He has now been arrested and has pled guilty to four felony counts for smuggling drugs. Ramos and Compean were doing their job to protect the border and to protect the American citizens. Yet, through a questionable prosecution, the agents were convicted and sentenced to 11 and 12 years in prison.

Many of us in Congress have called on the White House to pardon these two border agents. They are heroes, yet the administration has done nothing to reverse this injustice.

Those of us who have been speaking out on behalf of these agents for more than a year are waiting on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to render its decision in this case. During an oral argument for their appeal on December 3 of 2007, one of the judges considering the case, Judge E. Grady Jolly said, and I quote the judge, ``It does seem to me that the government overreacted here. For some reason, this one got out of hand.''

Madam Speaker, I hope that those attending The White House Congressional Picnic have a wonderful time this evening. I'm sure that Agents Compean and Ramos would also like to be home having a picnic with their family.

Madam Speaker, this injustice needs to be corrected. I hope that the American people will continue to care about Compean and Ramos, to let the White House know that these men should be free.

It is my hope and prayer that one day soon, this injustice will be corrected and these two heroes will be home with their families, maybe to have a picnic.