Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, just a few minutes ago the House passed a budget that puts this body on record as effectively turning our back on future generations, saddling our children and grandchildren with mounting deficits and debt, with no end in sight.

The majority's management of this Nation's finances has resulted in more than $2.2 trillion in additional debt since 2001. With this budget, the majority party has made a bad problem worse.

Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle who control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency are in total command of our economy. The majority continues to talk about fiscal responsibility, about waste, about fraud, and about the abuse of the American people's money. Yet they have proposed a budget that is fundamentally dishonest, a budget that omits the cost of the war in Iraq and masks the costs that we will incur down the road as the deficit continues to explode.

Our men and women in uniform sacrifice each day. They leave behind their jobs and their families, often on very short notice, and at great personal and financial cost. Unfortunately, too many of them have made the ultimate sacrifice for this Nation. Yet this Congress continues to demonstrate a complete lack of fortitude to ask the American people to also make a sacrifice during this time of

war; and it has the indignity to ask our children to bear the burden alone.

For years, members of the Blue Dog Coalition have warned that we were spending money we did not have; that the administration had no economic plan; and that tax cuts were not a substitute for an economic program for our country's future; but the majority in Congress continue to reject our budget reform proposals, efforts to budget in the same way that your family and mine do, by paying as you go.

This year the Blue Dog Coalition developed a clear 12-step plan to put our fiscal house back in order by restoring discipline and accountability to the budget process. A few days ago, a proposal to include 11 of these 12 steps in the budget resolution was wholly rejected by the majority in the House Committee on Rules.

By rejecting consideration of the Blue Dog reforms, the majority turned its back on the call to return to some measure of fiscal discipline. Since no debate was permitted, I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the key features of this plan with the American people.

The Blue Dog 12-point reform plan embraces the first rule of holes: when you find yourself in one, stop digging. Our plan takes the shovel away from Congress by imposing tough new rules to restrain congressional spending. The plan also stops Congress from buying on credit and restores PAYGO, strongly supported by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

The Blue Dog plan also puts a lid on spending by holding down discretionary spending to the levels proposed by the President in this year's budget. It closes a giant loophole that allows almost any spending to be designated an emergency by requiring Congress to have a separate vote on items designated as such.

Every day, I hear from my constituents who ask me where are their tax dollars going. The Blue Dog plan answers this call with a number of commonsense reforms to keep the taxpayers better educated about where their hard-earned dollars go.

The plan says that if Congress wants to increase the national debt we should do it completely out in the open with a separate vote. The plan says that if Congress wants to call for more than $50 million in new spending, that bill gets a roll call vote. It says if Congress wants to push through earmarks for pet projects we should require clear written justification for those projects.

Madam Speaker, this year's deficit is projected to be at much as $589 billion, not counting the Social Security surplus, almost 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. By 2009 interest payments alone on our national debt will exceed what we spend on discretionary spending on national parks, public schools, fire fighters, law enforcement and our veterans.

We owe it to the American people to stop imperiling the Nation's economic future by borrowing money to pay for irresponsible policies.

Yesterday the Judiciary Committee on which I sit spent an entire day working on the massive bankruptcy bill. During the debate revolving around issues of debt and finances, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle often talked about the importance of personal responsibility.

If your family or mine budgeted in the same way this House demonstrated today, we would all go bankrupt. Our constituents know exactly what it is like to balance a checkbook at the end of each month and at the end of the year. It is now time for the majority to exercise some of the personal responsibility they are so fond of and balance our Nation's books.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today In honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, the Honorable Adele Andrade-Stadler. For many years, Adele has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Adele instantly recognize her enthusiasm and commitment to education and children.

A native of Southern California, Adele was raised in Monterey Park. She attended Alhambra public schools, graduated from East Los Angeles College and attended California State University, Los Angeles. While attending college she worked part time for the Los Angeles Unified School District as a bi-lingual instructional aide. She also studied early childhood development at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena.

Adele was the Director of the Foothill Developmental School, a non- profit pre-school that provided special services for disabled and non- disabled children in Monrovia, California. During the 1990s, she developed and implemented a curriculum for the Union Bank Child Care Center, one of the first centers in the San Gabriel Valley area to provide on-site childcare to its employees. In 1999, Adele became a Field Representative for then State Senator Hilda Solis, continuing on as a Field Representative and Caseworker, then District Director for Congresswoman Solis. In that capacity, Adele advocated for children, families, women, immigrants, senior citizens, veterans, and other constituents that needed federal assistance.

Ms. Andrade-Stadler's volunteer record in education is truly impressive. She has been in the Alhambra Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for nearly ten years, serving as PTA Council President. She has volunteered in the Alhambra Unified School District, at the Methodist Cooperative Preschool, and has been a long-time Sierra Club member and volunteer. Adele was a key organizer for the Alhambra School Bond Measures A and AA and led and coordinated the School Traffic Safety Plan at Fremont Elementary School. Currently, she is an advisor to the School Site Title I Council and Chair of the Traffic Commission for the City of Alhambra. In 2004, Adele was elected to the Alhambra Unified School Board.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Adele Andrade-Stadler. The entire community joins me in thanking Adele for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, Alice Lan-Hua Hwang. For many years, Alice has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Alice instantly recognize her dedication and commitment to education.

Raised in a diplomatic family, Alice lived in Asia and Latin America before coming to the United States in 1967 when her father was assigned to the Los Angeles Chinese Consulate. Her parents, who were educators, instilled in Alice the spirit of altruism and the importance of education. Alice received her education under 5 different educational systems on 3 continents.

Alice moved to South Pasadena, California in 1983. In 1989, Alice was elected to the South Pasadena Board of Education and was the first Asian American woman to be elected to that body. She served on the board for 8 years, serving as President for one term, until her retirement in 1997.

Together with her late husband, Dr. Karl J. Hwang, and former South Pasadena City Councilman Paul Zee, Alice co-founded the South Pasadena Chinese American Club. The club has been successful in fostering understanding between the Chinese American community and other ethnic groups, raises funds to provide grants to South Pasadena teachers, and awards college scholarships.

After her husband's untimely death, Alice returned to school and earned a multiple subjects and bi-lingual teaching credential in 1993. Currently an ESL teacher in the Adult Division of the Alhambra School District, she is also a member of the California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages and a presenter at their annual state conference in 2003.

Alice has served as a board member of the Young Men's Christian Association, the South Pasadena Educational Foundation and the South Pasadena Chinese American Club, and on the committee to protect the South Pasadena Public Library system. She is also a volunteer for the Pacific Asia Museum and serves as an interpreter for parents in the local schools. In 1993 she received the Outstanding Woman of the Year Award from the Kiwanis Club and an award from the Los Angeles County Commission on the Status of Women in 1996.

In addition to her service to the community, Alice sings in her church choir, is a classical pianist and guitarist and a former member of the Arroyo Singers. She is the proud mother of Victor and Michael.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Alice Lan-Hua Hwang. The entire community joins me in thanking Alice for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, Ms. Debra A. Johnson. For many years, Debra has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Debra instantly recognize her joy, enthusiasm and passion for helping others, especially young people.

Born in New York, Debra moved to California in 1974, while working as a Marketing Representative for Pacific Bell, now SBC. She began her nearly 30 year volunteer career in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD)

in 1978. She has been a parent/student advocate, a youth mentor, Etiquette Institute volunteer and has served on PUSD's Youth Motivational Task Force--in fact, she has volunteered at nearly all of PUSD's elementary, middle and high schools. Additionally, Debra has volunteered for South Pasadena High School, serving as a swim/track team motivator and the historian for the Parent Teacher Student Association.

In 1992, Debra founded SMILE Productions Inc., a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to supporting, motivating, investing, loving and educating youth. Her main goal is to help youth fulfill their dreams and to express themselves in creative ways through poetry, music, drama and dance, and to teach them basic etiquette, oral communication, job grooming, interviewing skills and self-esteem. Ms. Johnson also produces her own SMILE cable television talk show.

Debra is active in numerous organizations, including the Altadena Branch of the NAACP, Black Child Development Institute Inc. Pasadena, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Rosemary Children's Services, HearZero Deaf Advocates, Los Angeles County Probation Department's Operation Read, NewCo Youth Pasadena, and St. Mark's Episcopal Church, where she teaches Sunday School.

In addition to her service to the community, Debra attends Pasadena City College, working to obtain her degree in forensic social work and public relations. She and her husband Landy reside in Altadena and together they have five children and four grandchildren.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Debra A. Johnson. The entire community joins me in thanking Debra for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, Ms. Donna Anderson. For many years, Donna has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Donna instantly recognize her joy, enthusiasm and passion for helping others.

Donna was born in Glendale and grew up in the Glendale/Burbank area along with her 11 sisters and brothers.

As a young mother of Angela and Mark, Donna volunteered as a teacher's aids at Mountain View Grade School, as an office worker at Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School, and visited patients twice weekly at Queen of Angeles Hospital in Los Angeles. She was a co-leader of her daughter's Girl Scout troop and a co-leader of her son's Cub and Boy Scout troops for many years.

Donna began working for the City of Burbank in 1986, and in 2001 was elected as Burbank's City Treasurer, a position she holds today. She returned to college during this time and received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Finance. A long-time board member of the Burbank National Management Association, she is active in the Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis Club, where she is currently Vice President-Elect, and in the Zonta Club of Burbank, where she will become President in May of 2005. In 2001 Donna received the Hixon Fellowship Award from the Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis Club for her service to the community.

Ms. Anderson actively participates in the annual Burbank Police Officers' Relay for Breast Cancer Walk and walks for the ALS Foundation of Los Angeles. Other organizations that Donna supports are the Guide Dogs of America, the Burbank Family Service Agency, Friends of the Griffith Park Observatory, and the John Burroughs High School Vocal Music Association.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Donna Anderson. The entire community joins me in thanking Donna for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, Ms. Flora Dunaians. For many years, Flora has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Flora instantly recognize her enthusiasm and passion for helping others, especially on behalf of the Armenian American community and the arts.

Born and raised in Pasadena, Flora Jane Calusdian married George Dunaians in 1958 and they had 2 daughters, Gigi and Suzie. In 1968 the Dunaians formed their own business, Western Medical Supply, Inc., where Flora is currently the Vice President and Secretary.

Flora is devoted to her church and community. For over 40 years, Flora has been active at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church, serving as Trustee and member

of the St. Gregory Auxiliary. On the occasion of the visit of His Holiness Vasken I, Catholicos of All Armenians to the United States in 1987, Flora and George donated to the new cathedral fund for the Diocese. In 1988 following the devastating earthquake in Armenia, the Dunaians arranged for donated emergency goods to be flown to Yerevan on Armand Hammer's private plane. She has been involved in many church- related projects throughout the Diocese, such as the Operation Karabakh Fund, Operation Winter Rescue and Operation Fuel, and continues to support various projects throughout the Diocese and the Holy See of Etchmiadzin.

Constantly finding ways to improve the social condition for children in Armenia, Flora co-founded Developmental Services for Armenia, a non- profit organization that helps schools, orphanages and short term projects. She also established and continues to support a dental clinic at the Nork Military Academy in Yerevan.

Flora and George are both founding members of the Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles. Flora is also a board member of the Armenian Assembly of America, the National Board of Team Armenia, and the Armenian Professional Society, where she and her husband have opened their home to raise funds for student scholarships for the last 25 years.

In addition to her extensive community service, Flora is a supporter of the Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art, the Pasadena Playhouse, and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Flora Dunaians. The entire community joins me in thanking Flora for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, Ms. Gloria Guerrero. For many years, Gloria has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Gloria instantly recognize her joy, enthusiasm and passion for community service.

Raised in a politically active and community-minded family, Gloria began volunteering in her youth in Monterey Park. Although she was employed full time working for Medicare/Occidental-Transamerica for 25 years, then later at the Chino Valley Independent Fire District for 13 years, she always found time for her community.

Gloria is a 51-year resident of Monterey Park and her involvement with the city of Monterey Park is extensive and impressive. She served on the city's Community Relations Commission for 7 years, serving as chair and vice chair, and on the Arts and Culture Commission for 6 years. She has served on several city committees, including the City with a Heart Committee, Cinco De Mayo Committee, Budget Task Force Committee, Harmony Month Committee and the Fourth of July Committee. In addition, she served as a Panel Judge for the city's Crystal Youth Awards event and an Essay Contest Judge for the Cherry Blossom Festival. She is a long-time member of the Los Angeles Monterey Park Optimist Club, having served as president and vice president. In addition, Gloria volunteered for the House of Ruth and Para Los Ninos.

Ms. Guerrero's dedication to the Monterey Park Public Library is evident. She is currently a Library Board of Trustees Member of the Bruggemeyer Memorial Library and a board

member of the Friends of the Monterey Park Library.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Gloria Guerrero. The entire community joins me in thanking Gloria for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, the Honorable Judy S. Wong. For many years, Judy has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Judy instantly recognize her dedication and passion for helping others, especially women and children.

Born in Taiwan, Judy moved to the United States in 1977 and to Temple City in 1986. She was an active member of the Temple City Chinese American Association for several years, serving as President for 2 terms. For several years, Ms. Wong has been a member of the Gang Advisory Committee and the Asian Community Advisory Committee for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Temple City station. Also a volunteer at the Asian Pacific Family Center, she works with parenting classes.

In 2003, Judy was elected to the City Council of the City of Temple City and is the first

Chinese American member to be elected to that body.

Judy is an advocate of valuing diversity and embracing the richness of all cultures represented in our country. She organized a ``Support our Kids'' forum to help address common problems faced by people from different ethnic backgrounds. Utilizing her skills in the Chinese language, she volunteers her services as an interpreter to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Temple City station, assisting victims of domestic violence. Judy also provides interpretation for many different schools in the San Gabriel Valley area.

In addition to her many civic duties and responsibilities, Judy is the proud mother of Anthony, who attends Arcadia High School, where she is also a volunteer.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Judy S. Wong. The entire community joins me in thanking Judy for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, Louise Wilson Lewis. For many years, Louise has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Louise instantly recognize her dedication toward helping others.

Born and raised in the Glendale area, Louise worked at Walt Disney Studios for 14 years until she cofounded Iwerks Entertainment. She was able to retire at an early age, which gave her more time to devote to her real career--helping other people.

Louise's description of herself as a ``professional volunteer'' is an apt one. She began her volunteer career while in elementary school as a math and reading tutor, and an assistant in the Vice Principal's office. At age 12, she started teaching Sunday School and continues to do so today. At age 16, Louise began volunteering as a candy striper at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center. This year she is celebrating 42 years of continuous service, having served several terms as President of the hospital's Guild, on the hospital's Community Board of Directors, and is the first woman to chair the hospital's Foundation Board. In addition, she served 2 terms as President of the San Gabriel Area Council of Hospital Volunteers and 2 years on the Volunteer Board of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. Louise also volunteers for Las Candelas, an organization which assists emotionally disturbed children.

Devoted to her church, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Louise has volunteered in every volunteer capacity--the Altar Guild, the Thrift Shop, Girl's Youth Group, Vacation Bible School, Rose Garden, Junior Warden and Senior Warden and is currently Bishop's Warden. She is also a Lay Eucharist Minister, a Stephen Minister, and in her spare time visits shut-ins and the elderly in retirement homes and convalescent hospitals.

Louise has received several awards over the years including the First Volunteer at Glendale Memorial Hospital to serve 500 hours at age 17, Uni-Health Hospital System Volunteer of the Year in 1997, recognition from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, and the Glendale Young Women's Christian Association Woman of Heart and Excellence in 2004.

During the last few years, Louise has managed to maintain her active volunteer work while battling cancer. Her courage and determination is an inspiration to us all. Louise and her husband Tim have been married for 32 years and reside in Glendale.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Louise Wilson Lewis. The entire community joins me in thanking Louise for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women during the month of March. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.

I would like to recognize an outstanding woman in my Congressional District, the Honorable Mary Cammarano. For many years, Mary has brought an abounding spirit and energy to her service in the community. Those fortunate enough to meet and work with Mary instantly recognize her joy, enthusiasm and passion for helping others in her community.

A native New Yorker, Mary moved to San Gabriel in 1964 with her husband Mike. As a young mother, Mary was active in her children's activities, volunteering for 3 different Parent Teacher Associations, Little League, Girl Scouts of America, Boy Scouts of America and a foreign exchange student program. Her past involvement also included board memberships on the American Heart Association, the YMCA, the American Red Cross, and the Italian Catholic Federation, where she served as President.

Elected to the San Gabriel City Council in 1989, Mary served on the council for 16 years, serving as Mayor for 3 terms, until her retirement in 2005. She was a long-time member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and the Independent Cities Association.

Ms. Cammarano's current volunteer service with the City of San Gabriel is extensive and impressive. A 30 year member of the San Gabriel Historical Association, where she provided her homemade lasagna for 15 years for the association's annual fundraiser; she also successfully brought the Ramona Museum to San Gabriel. For 35 years, she has been a member of the San Gabriel Coordinating Council and the Women's Division of the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, where she's brought her homemade minestrone soup for

the last 10 years. Additionally, she is active in the San Gabriel Kiwanis Club, serves on the San Gabriel Valley Medical Center Foundation Board, is President of the San Gabriel Valley Music Theatre, and assists at the La Casa Community Center's annual fundraiser, the San Gabriel Mission's Annual Fiesta and the Mission's St. Joseph's Day Festival.

Mary has received several awards over the years including the Woman of the Year from the 49th Assembly District, Woman of the Year from the City of San Gabriel, San Gabriel Business and Professional Women's Woman of Achievement, and a National Lifetime Membership in the Parent Teacher Association, as well as many others.

Mary and her husband Mike have been married for 47 years, have 5 children, and 11 grandchildren.

I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Mary Cammarano. The entire community joins me in thanking Mary for her success and continued efforts toward making the 29th Congressional District a more enjoyable place in which to live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Glendale Adventist Medical Center for a century of providing outstanding health care services to the City of Glendale and surrounding communities.

Glendale Adventist Medical Center was founded on a tradition of faith-based health care. Its mission has been to educate the community about the link between health and lifestyle decisions and to provide compassionate, professional health care services for the whole person-- body, mind, and spirit.

Glendale Adventist Medical Center has been offering families excellent health care for more than one hundred years. The hospital

provides care not just within its walls, but throughout the community-- in churches, schools, workplaces, and homes. The hospital is proud of the relationships it has fortified throughout the years with local organizations, groups, and individuals. Through the unified strength of these partnerships, Glendale Adventist continues its primary focus of meeting the health needs of our communities.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today to congratulate Glendale Adventist Medical Center for 100 years of exemplary public service, and for its immense commitment to the health and well-being of the City of Glendale and its residents.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a devoted public servant who served some of the communities I represent for several decades. Scott McKeown lost his life in the recent Metrolink crash in Glendale, California. He spent 20 years with the City of Glendale and just recently celebrated his first year of service in the City of Pasadena's telecommunications department.

His exceptional attitude was an inspiration to all who knew him and his compassion and positive outlook were infectious. He had a passion for trains, especially locomotives, and instilled this love for the ``iron horse'' in his children. Scott McKeown is survived by his wife and two young children.

Working in the public sector is challenging and rewarding, and Scott embodied the spirit of public service through his longstanding service in our community. The tragic train crash last week was indeed a sad day for our community, and Mr. McKeown will be sorely missed.

Mr. Speaker, last month I introduced with the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) the Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act of 2005, a comprehensive bill to increase gang prosecution and prevention efforts. Our legislation is virtually identical to the Feinstein-Hatch bill that was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 108th Congress and has since been reintroduced.

The number of gangs continues to grow in communities across the country with substantial increases in the numbers of cities and counties with gang problems between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s. Since my days as a Federal prosecutor in California, I have been increasingly concerned with the growing public safety threat posed by organized street gangs, and I have also seen the destructive impact that street gangs continue to have on families, on our youth, and on our communities.

In 2002, it was estimated that youth gangs were active in over 2,300 major cities across America, with a total of over 21,000 gangs and over 730,000 gang members. Gang activity is still, regrettably, on the rise.

The gang problem is no longer a local issue but a national one, requiring a national strategy. Our legislation is designed to facilitate this strategy by bringing together Federal, State, and local law enforcement, providing them with new tools to combat gang violence, making available new funds to keep kids out of gangs to begin with.

Street gangs are increasingly focusing on running full-service criminal enterprises in the neighborhoods where they reside, terrorizing those who live in the community. Some have shown increasing levels of sophistication, exhibiting characteristics common to organized crime, and will likely continue to expand their criminal enterprises in new ways and places throughout the country. This requires new and creative ways of attacking the problem.

In 2002, the city of L.A. announced that it would begin to go after gangs in the same way law enforcement brought down traditional organized crime figures, using the Federal racketeering statute RICO to its full capacity. These racketeering laws, however, were designed to prosecute organized crime with Mafia-style organizations in mind. The Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act would create a similar tool, but tailored specifically to violent street gangs by criminalizing violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of criminal street gangs.

The most lucrative criminal enterprise for street gangs has been the retail distribution of illicit narcotics. Our legislation would attack this problem by making murder and other violent crimes committed in connection with drug trafficking a Federal crime.

Street gangs also engage in a host of other criminal endeavors. Gangs are responsible for a large portion of the violent offenses, and the use of firearms is a major feature of gang violence, with gang members far more likely than other delinquents to carry guns and to use them.

Our legislation increases penalties for criminal use of firearms in crimes of violence and drug trafficking. The bill also allows for the detention of persons charged with firearms offenses who have been previously convicted of crimes of violence or serious drug offenses.

Unfortunately, gangs have strong links to the youth in our country. The FBI reported that 819 juvenile gang killings occurred in 2003, up from 580 in 1999; and law enforcement reports the problem is getting worse.

Our youth are being held hostage by gangs. Gang involvement takes a heavy toll on adolescent development and life-course experiences.

In order to prosecute an entire gang, it is sometimes necessary to prosecute multiple defendants in the same case, including juvenile gang members. Our bill proposes a limited reform of the juvenile justice system to facilitate Federal prosecution of 16- and 17-year-old gang members who commit serious acts of violence.

Our legislation also provides more resources to bolster the fight against gangs and attack the problem at its roots, with $650 million over 5 years to support Federal, State, and local law enforcement efforts, as well as intervention and prevention programs for at-risk youth.

Mr. Speaker, the time to crack down on the gang epidemic in our country is now, and I urge my colleagues to join the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) and me in this effort by cosponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Providence High School for 50 years of outstanding dedication to education and the community.

Providence High School opened as an all girls Catholic High School in Burbank, California, in September 1955. Principal, Sister

Maria Theresa, Sister Isabella, and Sister Esther administrated at the new school which then had its first class of 81 students. The first school building was completed on November 2,1955. The first class of students graduated in 1959. By 1960, the number of students swelled to 495. The staff continued to grow and formed a young, enthusiastic group who worked tirelessly to attain the highest standards, not only in the academic field, but also in athletics, music and other extracurricular activities. Identifying the need for values-based education for all young people, Providence began welcoming young men, as well as women, to the school in 1974.

Sr. Lucille Dean became the school's principal in 1986. Providence continued in the next few years to build on the tradition of excellence. Providence High School has received recognition throughout its history for its academic achievement. It was designated a Blue Ribbon School in 1997 and received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1996. In 2001, the school opened the Fritz B. Burns Student Activity Center featuring a state-of-the-art gymnasium, weight room, exercise room, boys and girls locker rooms, and conference center. Providence has a proud history of carrying out its unique mission of education. The school continually strives for academic excellence and the total development of the individual.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in congratulating Providence High School for 50 years of exemplary public service, and for its immense commitment to educating young people of all cultural and economic backgrounds for academic achievement, compassionate service, ethical standards, Christian leadership, global awareness, and life-long learning.

Mr. Speaker, today I am reintroducing the Detention of Enemy Combatants Act. This legislation authorizes the detainment of ``enemy combatants'' in the war on terrorism while guaranteeing that they are granted timely access to legal counsel and judicial review.

Earlier this week, a federal judge in South Carolina ruled that the Administration lacks statutory and constitutional authority to indefinitely imprison without criminal charges a U.S. citizen designated as an ``enemy combatant.'' Last month, another federal judge ruled that holding individuals indefinitely as ``enemy combatants'' unconstitutionally violates their right to due process and that some foreign terror suspects held in Guantanamo Bay can challenge their confinement in U.S. courts. That ruling came some eight months after the U.S. Supreme Court held in Hamdi that while the President has the authority to detain ``enemy combatants'' captured in the battlefield, detainees are entitled to lawyers and the chance to challenge their imprisonment.

The Court, however, left a host of unanswered questions that Congress should seek to resolve. Justice Scalia, in his dissent, called on Congress to act, noting: ``I frankly do not know whether these tools are sufficient to meet the Government's security needs, including the need to obtain intelligence through interrogation. It is far beyond my competence, or the Court's competence, to determine that. But it is not beyond Congress's.''

The Supreme Court also side-stepped the case of Jose Padilla and will likely be forced to speak again on these issues should a vacuum still exist due to congressional inaction. Until then, enemy combatant law will continue to be written in a piecemeal fashion through a series of conflicting lower court decisions.

I believe that the federal government must have the authority to detain terrorists as ``enemy combatants'' to protect the public, gather intelligence and safeguard national security. But we must also ensure that the accused are afforded the due-process rights guaranteed under the Constitution. I am particularly concerned with the detention of U.S. citizens and lawful residents.

In the last Congress, I introduced the Detention of Enemy Combatants Act to authorize the government to detain suspected members or associates of al Qaeda, but requiring that U.S. citizen detainees be granted access to legal counsel and due-process hearings. The bill called for standards to be set for such detentions that distinguish these cases from other Americans held for trial on criminal charges.

While we must grant broad latitude to our armed forces when it comes to protecting national security, American citizens should not be held indefinitely upon the sole determination of one branch of government without access to counsel or proper judicial review of those determinations.

These same concerns have even been echoed by Michael Chertoff, the newly-confirmed Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and former head of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, who has suggested that policymakers now ``may need to think more systematically and universally about the issue of combatants'' and to ``debate a long-term and sustainable architecture for the process of determining when, why, and for how long someone may be detained as an enemy combatant, and what judicial review should be available.''

In addition, Viet Dinh, former head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy has called ``unsustainable'' the government's current insistence on detentions without meaningful oversight or any sort of due process.

I am currently examining ways to heed this invitation for congressional action and hope to introduce a piece of legislation in the near future that establishes specific standards and procedures under which terrorism suspects may be detained as enemy combatants and provided due process.

In the interim, I am reintroducing this piece of legislation in the hope that Congress and the Administration will finally work together to create a workable framework to deal with these matters of significant constitutional import. In addition, I have renewed my call for congressional hearings to examine proposals for congressional action in this area. After the shameful internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, we must be vigilant to protect against the government's decision to detain, perhaps indefinitely, any American without adequate review of the basis of its decision.