Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2009

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1377) honoring the accomplishments of Norman Yoshio Mineta, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield all the time that he may want to consume to the distinguished author of this proposed resolution, the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda).

Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a California conspiracy here in considering this important legislation. But be that as it may, I am honored to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished lady from California (Ms. Chu).

Mr. Speaker, from California to Massachusetts, I gladly yield 3 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, not wanting to be repetitious, and I think all has been said by our previous speakers, I do want to thank the gentleman from California for his support of this legislation, and Chairman Brady as well and members of the House Administration Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I learned something that I don't think was ever mentioned in my personal and close association and in knowing this giant named Norm Mineta and my former colleague, the late Congressman Bob Matsui. The interesting thing about the history of these two distinguished gentleman, Mr. Speaker, is that they were both incarcerated in these relocation camps that I call concentration camps when they were in their early years, 5, 6, 7 years of age.

One of the distinguished things that I always remember that Norm shared with us, the story about being in these relocation camps when they were in their youth, was the nature of how these machine gun nests were being placed within the compound. The interesting thing is they asked what is the purpose of having these machine gun nests on these compounds where the Japanese Americans were being interned. They were told these were to protect them from outsiders who may come to do them harm. What is even more ironic about this is the fact that the machine guns were pointed inward into the compound, rather than having any sense of concern to worry about what may happen outside the compound.

Mr. Speaker, as a former member of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Group in the State of Hawaii, it has been my privilege to serve as a proud member of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry.

Just to give you a little sense of history of what the legacy and what Norm Mineta represents as far as American history is concerned, despite all the height of racism and bigotry that was heaped against Americans who happened to be of Japanese ancestry--they were herded like cattle, over 100,000 Americans, men, women, and children, put in several of these camps for fear that they might cause problems and whatever they felt was necessary--but despite all of that, despite all of that, some 10,000 Japanese American men volunteered to serve and fight our enemy during World War II, and as a result, the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry were organized. And get a load of this, Mr. Speaker, there were 18,000 individual medals, 9,000 Purple Hearts, some 560 Silver Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, and only one Medal of Honor. Only one Medal of Honor, Mr. Speaker.

I am so happy that during the Clinton administration this was corrected. When there was a review process, 19 additional Medals of Honor were awarded to these Japanese American soldiers who fought for our country in World War II, and it so happens that Senator Inouye was one of those recipients of the Medal of Honor.

So I want to share that little bit of history with my colleagues. Norm Mineta is truly a giant of a man, and among the 15 million Asian Pacific Americans, we are so proud to see what he has done, not only as a leader, but providing tremendous service to our Nation.

I want to say that, Mr. Speaker, respectfully, and with my good friend from Massachusetts and the delegation from California for their support of this proposed legislation.

We gather today to honor a special man--a dear friend and mentor to me--Mr. Norman Yoshio Mineta. I thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Honda, for sponsoring this resolution, and I thank my fellow Members of Congress who join us today.

Norman Mineta is a ground-breaker and a pioneer. His accomplishments and his character make him a role model to former colleagues, to Members of Congress and other government leaders, to his former constituents and his community, to Asian-Pacific Americans, and to anyone wanting to make a contribution to their country through public service.

As a pioneer, Mr. Mineta is a man of many ``firsts.'' He was the first Asian-Pacific American mayor of a major U.S. city, serving as mayor of San Jose from 1971-1975. He was also the first Asian American to hold a post in the presidential cabinet, appointed as Secretary of Commerce in 2000 by President Clinton. In 2001, Mineta was appointed to a cabinet post once again as Secretary of Transportation in the Bush Administration, also becoming the first Asian-Pacific American to hold the position, and the first Secretary of Transportation to have previously served in a cabinet position. At the end of his term in 2006, Mineta was the longest-serving Secretary of Transportation since the position's inception in 1967.

Before his successes in the Clinton and Bush administrations, Mineta represented California's Silicon Valley area in the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years. During his years of outstanding leadership, Mineta also chaired the House Public Works and Transportation Committee between 1992 and 1994. Before becoming Committee Chair, he served as Chair for the Committee's Aviation Subcommittee from 1981 to 1988, and its Surface

Transportation Subcommittee from 1989 to 1991.

In my own life, Mr. Mineta has played an influential role, setting the path for future Asian-Pacific Americans who serve in this Chamber. In 1994, Mineta founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and served as its first Chair. Since inception, CAPAC has been a strong advocate for the Asian-Pacific American community on critical issues such as housing, healthcare, immigration, civil rights, economic development, and education, just to name a few. I am honored to serve with Mr. Honda and our fellow members in this body of advocates, continuing the groundbreaking path that Norman Mineta helped to pave for the Asian-Pacific American community.

Truly Norman Mineta's service is remarkable. Yet what makes his story even more remarkable is his example of overcoming hardship while maintaining a heart of service. Born in San Joe to Japanese immigrant parents, a young Mineta, along with thousands of other Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans, spent the early years of his life in Japanese internment camps. Yet Mineta continued with a spirit of service and excellence, graduating from business school, serving as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, and later reaching unprecedented heights in his service to his Silicon Valley community, the Asian American community, and the nation.

Today I ask my fellow Members of Congress to honor a man whose character, patriotism, and heart of service calls for our sincere respect and gratitude. Norm, today I celebrate and thank you for your service. More importantly, I thank you for your example to the citizens of this nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, as the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I rise in support of House Resolution 1377 and to pay tribute to my dear friend and mentor, Norman Yoshio Mineta.

Throughout his career, Norm, a distinguished former Member of this House, has broken through many glass ceilings, not just for himself, but also for the rest of us.

Norm was the first Asian American mayor of a major city, the first Asian American to hold a Presidential Cabinet position, trusted by both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Norm has dedicated and continues to dedicate much of his energy toward the building of the infrastructure needed for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to grow and thrive to what they are today.

When I think of Norm's legacy in our community, Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of the poem, ``Footprints in the Sand.'' The poem's last line reads: ``During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.''

Norm was one of the first in our community to see a light at the end of our path, a path cleared by so many greats before him, and to lead us forward. As with many movements, at times we

stumbled and wanted nothing more than to forget the past and bury our heads in shame. But Norm never let us stop from moving forward on our path to claim our rights as Americans. In good times, Norm marched beside us. When times were tough, Norm carried us, strengthened only by his vision of the possible and his undying patriotism and loyalty to this country.

Norm had a hand in establishing and strengthening so many of our community's key national organizations and, hence, deepened those footprints. These span from policy advocacy coalitions like the National Health Council of Asian Pacific Americans, to voter engagement organizations like APIA Vote, to organizations and fellowship programs that develop the future leaders of our community, such as the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, to the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation and the Japanese American Citizens League, to establishing the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, which I chair today.

Some of the national accomplishments, because he is so connected to our communities, Mr. Speaker, it is easy to forget what a major player Norm has been on a national level.

During his 20 years in Congress, Norm rose to the chairmanship of the House Transportation Committee, where he authored the landmark Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.

And Norm was instrumental in the passage of H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided an official government apology and redress for Japanese Americans interned during World War II, people like Norm, and the late Congressman Bob Matsui, his wife, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and myself.

In his last year in office, President Clinton appointed Norm Secretary of the Commerce Department, making him the first Asian American to hold a Cabinet post.

The following year, when President George W. Bush was organizing his Cabinet, he searched the country for the most qualified person on transportation issues and a leader who could put the interests of the country above party politics. President Bush found that leader in Norm and appointed him Secretary of Transportation. Norm served as Secretary of Transportation from 2001 to 2006, the longest serving Secretary in the history of the Department.

How fortunate our country was, Mr. Speaker, to have had a tested, experienced leader like Norm Mineta at the helm of the Transportation Department during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Norm issued a historic order to ground all civilian air travel on that fateful day and had the skill to get the thousands of planes back up in the air and the passengers safely home to their families.

What impresses me most about Norm's leadership as Secretary of Transportation after the attacks, and perhaps what many do not know, is his strong opposition to racial and religious profiling. Having grown up in a time when Norm and his family were led away from their homes by rifles and bayonets and interned in Wyoming solely because of their ancestry, he refused to allow the same injustices to happen to innocent Muslim and Arab Americans.

From his time in local government as mayor of San Jose, to his years in Congress rising to the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, to his leadership as Secretary of Commerce for President Clinton and Secretary of Transportation for President Bush, Norm has remained rooted in social justice and love of country.

In 1980, Mr. Speaker, with the help of Norm Mineta, Congress established the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. This commission was charged with the duty of examining executive order 9066, which led to the internment of over 120,000 American citizens during World War II.

Three years later, in 1983, the commission issued its findings in the book ``Personal Justice Denied,'' concluding that the internment was based on racial prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership.

Let me repeat, Mr. Speaker, a failure of political leadership.

Throughout his long and distinguished service to our Nation, Norm Mineta has committed himself to making sure that our country never has a failure in political leadership like it did 7 years ago.

Every time I step into the well of this House, I'm reminded of the example Norm set for me and for others throughout his life in public service.

It is telling that during this heated political climate, both Republican and Democrats can come together to honor a man whose service supersedes party affiliation.

I thank Norm for his years of friendship and mentorship. I thank his family, his wife, Deni, his two sons, David and Stuart, his stepsons, Robert and Mark, his grandchildren, and his sister, Etsu, and four other brothers and sisters for giving Norm a life outside of work. And we know that Norm still has many years of advocacy and leadership still in him.

Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank Chairman Brady and the House leadership for bringing this resolution to the floor.

And before I ask my colleagues to support this passage, and before I yield back the balance of my time, I just want to make it clear that this is not a memorial resolution. This is a resolution to recognize a man and his work while he's still alive and appreciated. And I know that, quite frankly, he's not prepared to accommodate a memorial.

And so with that, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, the leadership, for this opportunity to be able to recognize and honor an American first, a man who understands that ethnicity is important, nationality is important, our flag is important. But most of all, our allegiance to the Constitution is utmost. For that I thank you.

Madam Speaker, this August, I had the honor of traveling to Kangwon National University in South Korea, where I was awarded an honorary doctorate in Education. As a former high school teacher, principal, and school board member, education has always been my top priority. I believe education is a powerful investment in our future, and I have continued my pursuit of both learning and teaching during my tenure in Congress. I was humbled to receive the high honor of an honorary doctorate from Kangwon National University, an institution I have come to deeply respect.

During my visit to Korea, I met with Prime Minister Seung-Soo Han, whose passion for moving President Myung-Bak Lee's ``Low Carbon, Green Growth'' initiative forward is something that I admire. As a representative from Silicon Valley, which is at the forefront in our country's efforts in renewable energy, I know the importance of Korea's investments in green technologies.

Many individuals helped make my visit to Korea successful and memorable, and I would like to thank the following people who helped to make my degree and visit possible: Prime Minister Seung-Soo Han; Foreign Minister Myung-Hwan Yu; Kangwon Province Governor Jin-Sun Kim; Kangwon National University President Yong-Jung Kwon; National Assemblywoman Nak-Kyun Shin; National Assemblywoman Mi-Kyung Lee; U.S. Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens; former Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Tae-Sik Lee; American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairman David Ruch; House of Sharing, Comfort Women Survivors and Grandma Koon-Ja Kim; Sokcho City Mayor Yong-Sang Chae; and Korean American Voters' Council of New York and New Jersey Leader Dong-Suk Kim.

During my visit, I delivered the following remarks upon accepting my honorary doctorate at Kangwon National University.

It is a pleasure to be here with you here in Korea at Kangwon National University. Thank you for the warm welcome and the kind introduction, and for this wonderful honor.

I'd like to thank the President, distinguished members of the faculty, and students of Kangwon University. I would also like to express my appreciation to Governor Jin-Sun Kim of Kangwon province, and Mr. Dong-Suk Kim of the Korean American Voters' Council.

This is my fourth time in this great country, and each time I leave with stronger friendships and a deeper understanding and connection to Korea. My visits to Korea and the warmth of the Korean people have made a long lasting impression me.

This trip is especially meaningful to me, and I am extremely honored to receive an honorary doctorate in education here at Kangwon National University. As a former teacher, principal, and school board member, education has played an integral role throughout my life, so receiving this degree is very personal.

Education is my passion, and I believe it is the most powerful tool and investment we can provide children with. Quality education assures the economic competitiveness of any nation, advances the arts and sciences, and provides the means for people to achieve individual success. I have worked hard towards providing every child with a high quality education, both as a former educator and as a Member of Congress.

Education also means being able to teach others in order to learn from past mistakes, and flourish as a society. If society cannot look back and learn from previous mistakes, trust and progress between nations is stunted.

To this end, I have spent a portion of my career in Congress educating and working on a historical issue that has grown very close to my heart: that of the 200,000 sex slaves known as comfort women. These comfort women, many of whom were Korean, were forced into dehumanizing sexual slavery, forced to serve up to 30 soldiers a day in some cases. They suffered serious physical, emotional, and psychological damages as a result.

Yesterday, I had the chance to visit with some of the comfort women survivors. I have met these women on several occasions, both in the United States and in Korea at the House of Sharing, and each time I meet them, I am renewed by how strong they are. I cannot emphasize enough how much I admire their perseverance.

The hope of the comfort women is an extremely modest one: That the government of

Japan formally acknowledges, apologizes and accepts full historical responsibility for this crime. To date, they have still not received such a formal apology. That is why I introduced House Resolution 121, which calls on Japan to do so.

I believe the U.S. must have a strong founding in historical reconciliation. For example, in 1988, Congress passed, and President Ronald Reagan signed into law, H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which was a formal apology to United States citizens of Japanese ancestry who were unjustly put into internment camps during World War

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1377, honoring the accomplishments of Norm Mineta. I am glad the gentleman from California made it clear that, while we honor him, Mr. Mineta is not yielding back his time; he is very much with us.

Mr. Speaker, Secretary Mineta has had a distinguished and praiseworthy career in public service, and I am pleased to join my colleagues in honoring him.

Born in San Jose, California, in 1931 to Japanese immigrant parents, it was during World War II, due to Executive Order 9066, that he and his family were deemed enemy aliens and were forced to leave their home and live in the Santa Anita racetrack paddocks for 3 months before they were then sent to their permanent location at the Heart Mountain internment camp near Cody, Wyoming. And as was suggested by the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), despite this humiliation, Secretary Mineta persevered.

In 1953, he graduated from the University of California Berkeley School of Business Administration and joined the United States Army, serving as an intelligence officer in Japan and Korea. In 1967, he became the first person of minority descent to serve on the San Jose City Council. In 1971, he was elected mayor of San Jose, thereby becoming the first Asian American mayor of a major U.S. city.

In 1975, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 15th District of California. He served in this House until 1995. In Congress, he chaired the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, and was a key author of the landmark Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. He also, as was said, helped establish the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week and Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, which rightly recognizes the role and participation of Japanese immigrants and Chinese laborers in our country.

It was through his leadership, along with others, including Senator Inouye on the Senate side, that the Commission of Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians was established in 1978, and 10 years later the Civil Liberties Act was passed, offering appropriate apology for the actions taken against Japanese Americans during World War II.

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to serve as vice chairman of that commission. It was at the urging of Mr. Mineta and Bob Matsui that I agreed to serve on

that commission. I remember with great pride that while the issue was somber and tragic, the pursuit of truth and justice was something we all shared, guided by the leadership of Norm Mineta.

In 2000, Secretary Mineta became the first Asian American to hold a post in a Presidential cabinet, as he served as Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton, and then, of course, in 2001 became the first Asian American to serve as our Secretary of Transportation.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006, that of course the highest civilian award given in the United States, and granted the Grand Cordon, the Order of the Rising Sun, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual of Japanese descent by the Japanese government.

Norm Mineta has lived a great life of service, of sacrifice, and dedication to this country. This resolution appropriately honors his accomplishments, his legacy, and it also inspires and encourages us to reflect upon and remember the lessons of his distinguished life.

I might say it was a pleasure to serve in the House of Representatives during the 1980s with Norm Mineta. You may have differences of opinion with him, but he never allowed it to rise to a level of being disagreeable. He was someone that you could always speak with. And even though you may have different positions on issues on this floor, I don't think I ever heard a cross word come from Norm Mineta with respect to other Members in this House.

I certainly thank Congressman Honda and Congresswoman Chu, both from the great State of California, for offering this resolution, and I am proud to be a cosponsor and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) to make sure this is not just an all-California event.

If the gentleman from American Samoa has no other speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I came to the floor to do a Special Order, which I will do subsequently, but I then saw that this was on the agenda and I was moved to speak.

I had the great honor of being the chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative Law when the Japanese reparations and apology bill was passed. Norm Mineta and the late Bob Matsui approached me when I became chairman, this was several years after the report had come out, and we talked about it.

I had, in college, read the case, which appalled me, when the U.S. Supreme Court denied any relief to the Japanese Americans who had been so brutally mistreated with no justification, so I was well aware of it when I came here, and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with two great men, Norm Mineta and Bob Matsui, to undo this.

I had the enormous honor, Mr. Speaker, inspired by them, of being

able to read on the floor of this House the words from that bill, ``On behalf of the Nation, Congress apologizes.'' I cannot think of a greater example of the true strength of this Nation than for us to have voted, Yes, we apologize. We did wrong. So I was very pleased to work with Norm.

But here is the point I wanted to add. I had been the chairman. It was my job to do this, and we got the bill through. Several years after that, at the Japanese American Citizens League, a group of younger people offered an amendment to support the right of gay men and lesbians, people like myself, to express their love for each other by marrying. That was early in the movement for this, and there was kind of a generational divide, I believe, about what should happen.

Norm Mineta, by then a senior Member of Congress, was involved. Now, he got involved voluntarily. Members here will understand. We have enough controversy here on the floor. We don't generally seek out controversies that don't involve our formal duties. Indeed, we tend to duck them.

Norm Mineta intervened in that debate, not inappropriately, but in the formal sense of an intervention, and said, in words that move me to this day, that a gay man, myself, had been the chairman of the committee that brought forward this bill, and after that, how could he and how could an organization in which he played a major role deny our basic rights?

Now, obviously that meant a great deal to me, but it meant something of universal appeal. Here was Norm Mineta, having worked hard and led us to deal with the grave injustice to which he had been subjected, making a point that I hope Members will understand: Injustice cannot be divided and fought by some and not by others. It cannot be that people will object only when they are treated unfairly but turn their backs when others are treated the same.

Norm Mineta, in a very uncharacteristic act, not for Norm, who was a great, generous man, Norm Mineta, in an act uncharacteristic for a Member of Congress, involved himself in that debate to make the point--not simply about me; I was incidental to the broader point he was making--that human rights ought to be treated as indivisible, that it is not for this group and that group, and that people should, yes, fight for themselves, but having fought for themselves, they should not stint from fighting for others.

That was a lesson that Norm taught a whole lot of people in, as has been said, not an obnoxious way, a loud way, but with a genuine warmth and sincerity.

As I look back at some point on my congressional career, having had the opportunity to work with Norm Mineta on that bill and having watched the way in which he dealt with it, the way in which he turned what could have been a source of anger into a lesson for all of us about the indivisibility of the fight for justice, will be one of the highlights.

I thank all of those involved for bringing this forward.