Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the purpose of this amendment today is two- fold: one, to protect young children and, two, to force better accountability from the fast food industry.

My amendment exempts those 8 years of age and under from the provisions of this bill as it relates to fast food restaurants.

Mr. Chairman, in 2001 the U.S. Surgeon General proclaimed childhood obesity a health issue rivaling cigarette smoking. The Surgeon General further stated that the rate of overweight children in America doubled in the past 20 years and tripled among its adolescents. But apparently few here in Washington seem to have taken notice or cared, and predictably rates have continued to rise across the country.

Today, one in three children is overweight. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I said one in three, almost 35 percent. And what has been Congress's response to the growing epidemic? Has it provided more funding for obesity awareness or tried to implement programs to improve nutrition in schools? No. Instead, Congress brings forwards a bill to immunize fast food companies. Where is the logic?

Those supporting the bill talk about choice, the freedom to eat. Well, we are talking about young children and, of course, we want them to eat correctly, healthy, and that is not the primary responsibility of the fast food industry. Childhood obesity is best tackled at home through improved parental involvement, increased physical exercise, better diet and restraint from eating.

However, as a parent, as a grandparent, as a former educator, I know that these practices alone when we are dealing with young children are insufficient. We will never control this rising epidemic without greater accountability from the food industry.

Congress is headed in the wrong direction with this bill which removes any and all incentives from the food industry to improve their products for children. Congress has allowed the greed of big corporations to come before the need of our children. Today, the younger generation faces a litany of health issues that generations before just never did. Heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, joint problems, asthma, diabetes and cancer are on the increase with these young children; and a steady diet of fast food is the last thing they need. Unfortunately, fast food restaurants are bombarding our children with advertisements that encourage overconsumption of unhealthy eating choices.

The average child views 20,000 television commercials every year. That is about 55 a day. More disturbingly, the commercials for candy, snacks, sugared cereals and other food with poor nutritional content far out-number commercials for more healthy food choices. So it is not just a matter of individual responsibility, of individual choice when we are talking about young children under 8.

Studies indicate that these children are more susceptible to advertising and even less likely to understand the purpose of this advertising. So why is so much advertising at home done during the cartoon hours? It is no coincidence that major fast food chains routinely run their advertisements during this time. Experts in this field unequivocally state that the fear of litigation and regulation prompts the industry to rethink how it markets and sells food to children. This has been evidenced by some of the recent changes made within the industry.

Unfortunately, the bill as presently written forecloses the opportunity to

hold the industry accountable and thus puts any future improvements in jeopardy, assuring continued high rates of childhood obesity, leaving me to wonder whether we in Congress are here to represent the people or big business.

The bill is entitled Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act. Personal responsibility is a two-way street: both the consumer and the executives of the industry, both should act in a personally responsible manner. So I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment to hold fast food companies accountable and to protect our young children.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, my friend from Utah (Mr. Cannon) should be writing advertisements for the fast food industry. Throwing out red herrings, probably which would not give us obesity, about families becoming millionaires and all this stuff. It is just a side show.

We are talking about young children. Sure, they ought to make the right choice and, sure, their parents ought to make the right choices; but the pressure is on them through television. Parents cannot always be there. The schools are bringing in the fast food restaurants so they can make some more money and they encourage it. And lastly and most importantly, the advertising that is aimed at these children: Where is the responsibility for the adults who are running these advertisements? They are aimed at our children.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Filner

Amendment No. 1. At the end of the bill, add the following

new section:

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 520, on H. Con. Res. 248, I was in route to my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have vote ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for the bill that is before us, H.R. 3200, the ``Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act'' of 2005, a bill that I have cosponsored.

This bill will increase federally subsidized life insurance for military personnel to $400,000, and that increase will be permanent.

If one of our Nation's finest men and women is killed in the line of duty, it is our Nation's obligation to provide an insurance policy that can assist the family in meeting expenses. These changes make the insurance more in line with today's economy, and I support the passage of H.R. 3200.

There are a few other insurance changes, beyond H.R. 3200, that I believe are also the right steps to take. These changes would, first of all, affect the Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance, SDVI.

When this insurance began in 1951, the premiums were based on the 1940 mortality rate. Current standard life insurance policies have premiums based on the 2001 mortality rate--except for the SDVI, which still charges premiums based on a table that is 60 years out of date. This results in higher premiums, premiums that can be as much as 3 times what veterans should be paying.

The Independent Budget, prepared and endorsed by many Veterans' Service Organizations, has recommended that the mortality table be updated. I have introduced a bill, H.R. 2747, the ``Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act'', that would make this important change and decrease this premium payment for disabled veterans.

A second part of H.R. 2747 affects the mortgage life insurance for severely service-disabled veterans (VMLI). Currently, this insurance covers only about 55 percent of the outstanding mortgage balance. We know how the cost of houses has skyrocketed in many areas of our country. In May, 2001, an evaluation by the Department of Veterans Affairs recommended increased coverage. H.R. 2747 implements those recommendations by increasing the maximum which would be expected to cover 94 percent of mortgage balances.

Let us begin to update and fix the insurance for our service members and our veterans by passing H.R. 3200. And I also encourage my colleagues to cosponsor my insurance bill, H.R. 2747, which expands what we are doing here today to additional insurance provisions and programs.

Mr. Speaker, Augustine ``Augie'' Gallego has provided decades of leadership to our community through his distinguished career in higher education.

Named chancellor of the San Diego Community College District in 1990, Augie exemplified the values of lifelong learning. A leading proponent of improving diversity in education and the workplace, Augie collaborated with elementary and secondary schools, universities and employers to broaden access for all individuals.

In 2002, Augie led the $685 million capital improvement campaign for the San Diego Community College District. As the bond campaign leader and chief fundraiser, Augie met with community groups, business and community leaders, giving more than 50 presentations during a three- month period. During that time, he raised a vast majority of the $600,000 needed for the ``Yes on Proposition S'' public awareness campaign and endorsements from both Democrat and Republican members of Congress, the State Legislature, San Diego City Council and the San Diego Taxpayers Association. Today, the San Diego Community College District has experienced many improvements as a result of Augie's efforts.

Augie continues to initiate efforts within the Community College District and to assist other community colleges to expand international programs, exchanges and expanding curriculums to improve understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures throughout the world. He has served as the chairman of the board of directors for the International Community Foundation, a San Diego-based organization committed to fostering lasting philanthropy to benefit international communities throughout the Americas and Asia in the areas of education, community development, health, the environment and cultural endeavors. The organization recently granted awards to support projects in Mexico, China, India, EI Salvador, Ecuador and Canada.

Augie has an extensive background in public service and has served on the board of directors for the San Diego Dialogue (a public policy organization based at the University of California, San Diego), the International Community Foundation, United Way of San Diego County and the Commission on Children, Youth and Families.

He has clearly demonstrated dedicated, selfless and meaningful work that has made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of people in our community and throughout the world.

Congratulations, Augie, on this Award for Lifetime Achievement!

Mr. Speaker, Sam Duran has devoted more than 30 years of his life to empowering, advocating and improving the lives of inner city youth. As the founding chief executive (CEO) of the Urban Corps of San Diego, Sam has grown the organization from its original budget of $120,000 to more than $5 million. Under his direction, the organization has been responsible for training, employing and providing educational opportunities for 5,700 at-risk youth.

The mission of the Urban Corps of San Diego is to provide job training and educational opportunities to young adults in the fields of conservation, recycling and community service, which assists them in becoming more employable, while protecting San Diego's natural resources and instilling the importance of community involvement.

Sam's passion is empowering youth. He inspires leadership by helping young people provide for themselves through solid education and environmental job training within a structured environment. It has been through Sam's continuous personal belief and commitment to empowering underprivileged youth from all walks of life, and giving back to the community through integrity and hard work, that the Urban Corps of San Diego has had the honor of being the only conservation corps to have ever received a grant from the Smithsonian Museum to conduct a survey of all outdoor sculptures in the county of San Diego. The Urban Corps assessed and cataloged the condition of San Diego's outdoor sculptures in order for the Smithsonian to begin the important and much-needed work of repairing and preserving them for future generations to cherish and enjoy.

He has been a committed community leader, environmentalist and activist for his entire adult life. During his tenure as Academy Superintendent for the California Conservation Corps from 1978-1980, Sam oversaw the life skills training for 740 youth per month. As a board member of the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, Citizens for Clean Air Policy and EarthShare of California, he is actively involved in statewide conservation efforts and has contributed to the empowerment of youth in the conservation and environmental fields through education and vocational job training.

Sam also served as the Deputy Director of Eureka Communities, a nonprofit organization created by San Diego philanthropist Deborah Szekely, to increase the capacity of executive directors of community- based organizations to improve the lives of children, youth and families in need. In that role, he encouraged other nonprofit leaders to raise environmental awareness in their organizations and communities; to better the lives of disadvantaged children and youth; and to create forums for learning exchanges that would expose leaders to effective methods and best practices throughout San Diego and the nation.

In addition to his service on the task force created to advise President Bill Clinton on AmeriCorps, Sam serves on the boards of the San Diego Juvenile Justice Prevention Commission, the San Diego Maritime Museum, the Conservation Corps State Museum, San Diego Riverpark Foundation and the Farmworkers Institute for Education & Leadership Development (FIELD).

Sam is also a decorated Vietnam veteran who holds a Bronze Star and an Air Force Commendation with two Oak leaf clusters.

Congratulations, Sam, on this Award for Community Service!

Mr. Speaker: Passionate. Visionary. Bold. These are a few of the words used to describe Marisa Ugarte in a recent column in the San Diego Union-Tribune. As the executive director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (BSCC), Marisa epitomizes all of these and more in her fervent quest to save children from pimps who pander them to pedophiles on both sides of the US-Mexico border.

With more than 20 years of experience advocating for exploited men, women, children and at-risk youth, Marisa has made her vision a global crusade over the past several years. While the BSCC is best known for its fight against sex trafficking, Marisa reports there are other issues that need attention drawn to them. They include the fate of sweatshop workers and young women working as maids and housekeepers, who Marisa says serve as indentured servants, working off the enormous debts made to get them into this country.

With a mission of `preserving the dignity and well-being of commercially and sexually exploited women and children through prevention, intervention and education,' Marisa's organization collaborates with about 80 government and nongovernmental agencies in Mexico and the United States that strive to reduce slavery and human trafficking. They include the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Border Patrol Victims Unit, the University of San Diego, Departamento de Integraccion Familiar (DIF), and more.

The BSCC's vision is `to live in a world where there is zero tolerance for exploitation and where women and children's lives are protected and held in high esteem.' Recently, the organization received a grant from the State Department to work on both sides of the border.

Marisa grew up in Mexico City and New York City. For the past three years she has created social service programs in Tijuana, Mexico. Marisa is the founder of the Binational Crisis Line in Tijuana, as well as the Domestic Violence Crisis Center for Sistema Nacional para el Desarollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), Tijuana. It was there that she became interested in advocating for those who have become victims to sex trafficking. (Marisa continues to be an advisor to DIF and to the Civil Protection and Disaster Crisis Prevention Program in Mexico.)

In the US, Marisa convenes annual anti-trafficking conferences in San Diego, and is an active speaker at similar conferences nationwide and internationally on human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children. Her public speaking engagements have included: Artesana, (Successful Coalition Building), Texas; the Millennium Conference, and the International Institute (Restructuring the Justice System in Mexico). She was a presenter at the follow-up conference at the Yokohama Children's Rights Conference (for Latin America and Costa Rica) and at conferences in Mexico, San Salvador and Costa Rica.

Marisa also taught at the University of California, San Diego; the University of San Diego, and the University of Xochicalco, Mexico.

Congratulations, Marisa, on this Award for Community Service.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

I just would read the amendment: ``Not later than one year after implementation of the Head Start teacher qualifications and development under amendments made by this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on Head Start teacher retention levels.''

I rise to support this amendment, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), my good friend, who for the 13 years she has been here has been a tireless advocate for Head Start and all other education programs that provide access of all our country's children to the quality education that they deserve. I know she looks forward to the day, as I do, that we do get full funding for the Head Start program for all children who are eligible in this Nation, and we will work with the gentlewoman toward that end.

We all know and we have heard today from both sides of the aisle about the importance and quality of Head Start. It has played, for four decades now, a vital role in the lives of thousands of children and parents across the country, and certainly in my home area of San Diego and Imperial Counties of California.

The government gets it right on Head Start. We are providing opportunities for children in underserved areas where parents may not be able to afford preschool so they can begin their schooling with a running or Head Start.

I have witnessed Head Start's benefits firsthand at different levels. Before entering Congress, I taught for 20 years as a history professor at San Diego State University, and I will tell my colleagues that, even at that level, the students who had been through Head Start as children owe that program a great deal for their getting through college, and they may not even have been able to get through high school without it.

I was on the San Diego school board for 4 years, where I watched children successfully matriculate into elementary schools from Head Start programs from all around our city. It was clear then, and remains equally clear today, that the work of Head Start plays an enormously significant role within our education community.

Now, as we know, in this year's reauthorization, Congress is implementing the strongest requirements for teacher qualifications and development in Head Start's history. Teachers will have to have more incoming experience and face more on-the-job professional development than ever before.

I commend the committee and I commend this Congress for taking that action, but we have to remember that, as we add these more stringent requirements and more accountability and more professional development, we are going to have to fund the resources necessary to achieve that.

In fact, we have to answer the question: Might we be pricing Head Start right out of the teaching market? Right now, teaching is a profession that has more openings than can be filled. When we drastically increase the work requirements without increasing the salary levels, there is a risk of running many successful and experienced teachers right out of the program. If we narrow Head Start's hiring pool, it may be forced to compete with institutions that have greater funding and resources to hire. So without providing far more funding than this bill offers, hiring may become difficult as prospective teachers may go elsewhere.

We have seen that, in another unfunded mandate, the so-called No Child Left Behind Act, which created tougher standards, and we all support that, but Congress did not provide the money to attract and hire the best teachers. So since there is a real possibility of increased teacher requirements leading to a dropoff in the number of experienced Head Start teachers, I hope the House will accept my amendment, which calls for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress a study reporting on Head Start's teacher retention levels. This study will be completed within 1 year of the enactment of the new regulations.

With this study, we will have an early look at the impact of these regulations. It will paint a picture of whether Head Start teachers are staying and meeting the new requirements or whether these new requirements are inadvertently driving experienced teachers from such an important program as Head Start. These early results will tell us if we are on the correct path or if we need to modify some of the rules before there is more damage.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman both for his support and for his commitment to Head Start. I also have fond remembrance of being a graduate student at the University of Delaware, which the gentleman knows very well, and appreciate the education in his State of Delaware.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to join my colleagues: the Gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Delahunt; the Gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. LoBiondo; the Gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Coble; and the Gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Taylor, to pay tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard. Let me also add a personal note to the Distinguished Gentleman from Mississippi, (Mr. Taylor) to express my deepest concerns for him and his family after the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Speaker, as the Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I have the privilege of working closely with our men and women who bravely serve in the Coast Guard.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday September 16th, I had the privilege of joining my subcommittee's Chairman, Mr. LoBiondo, on a tour of New Orleans and the disaster area impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Mr. LoBiondo and I came together, put aside our political differences, and focused all of our attention on the needs of the Coast Guard. Even before we toured the Gulf Coast, Mr. LoBiondo and I, along with Chairman Young and Ranking Member Oberstar, added language to the Coast Guard and Maritime Authorization Act to honor and commend the Coast Guard for their valiant work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to listen to crew members, pilots, and other Coast Guard personnel describe to us the horrific and tragic events that happened in the days following the hurricane.

Upon the announcement that a category 5 hurricane was on a path for the Gulf Coast region, the Coast Guard acted diligently to activate a plan of redeploying their forces and resources so that they could be on the ground operating as soon as the path of the storm had cleared.

The Coast Guard's plan exceeded expectations, and because of their resolve to respond to the country's needs, the Coast Guard was operational and in-place allowing the very first air rescue to take place within two hours of the hurricane passing the region.

The numbers speak for themselves: since Katrina hit the Gulf Coast the Coast Guard has saved or evacuated 33,500 people. One helicopter crew rescued 150 during a single shift!

Mr. Speaker, with incredible resolve and expertise, the U.S. Coast Guard brought order and infrastructure to the unstable region. Because of their strategic planning, training, and leadership the Coast Guard was able to implement and carry forth a plan of action that saved lives.

Before, during, and after the events of Hurricane Katrina the Coast Guard clearly showed the nation that their motto, Semper Paratus-- Always Ready, is very well-earned.

In addition to exceptional performance in the Gulf Coast, the Coast Guard continues to serve our nation across the seas and borders of U.S. waters. On a daily basis, the Coast Guard is intercepting drug smugglers, monitoring illegal immigration, and rescuing hundreds lost at sea.

In recent years, the Coast Guard has been charged with some very difficult tasks. Since being moved to the Department of Homeland Security, their role has grown and expanded. To date, they have met many challenges, and exceeded every expectation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring the service men and women of the Coast Guard. They are the ones who foresaw the dangers that threaten our soil and they are the ones that responded.

Let us never forget, that all of our service members, regardless of department, serve our nation bravely. They volunteer, without hesitation, and I join all Americans in gratitude for their service.

Offered By: Mr. Filner

Amendment No. 1: At the end of the bill, add the following

new section:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 889, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2005, and in strong support of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mr. Speaker, I have never been more proud of the men and women that serve in the United States Coast Guard. In the past 2 weeks, these valiant men and women have shown their dedication to our Nation. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Coast Guard was the very first government entity to arrive. The Coast Guard is solely responsible for saving thousands of Americans from the destruction and flood waters brought by Hurricane Katrina.

The Coast Guard, whose motto is Semper Paratus, always ready, was prepared to respond to this storm. Before levees ever broke, the Coast Guard was flying additional helicopters and extra aircrews to the Gulf region. Once the storm hit, the Coast Guard air and boat crews were operating 24 hours a day to save their fellow citizens.

The best decision that the President has made in the past 2 weeks is to place Vice Admiral Thad Allen in charge of the emergency response to the Katrina disaster. To the Coast Guard, being prepared to respond to a disaster is not just a paper exercise to sit on the shelf when the big one comes. Responding to emergencies and tragedies is a part of the daily routine for the Coast Guard. By working to create relationships with State and local government officials, and those in the private sector, the Coast Guard has the resources to respond in times of crisis. To date, the Coast Guard has saved over 12,500 lives with their air resources, and in using boats or other surface transportation methods has saved over 11,500 lives. They have also evacuated over 9,400 people to hospitals.

And when the storm had passed, they remained on the scene helping to cleanup the mess and protect the environment. In New Orleans, they are coordinating the cleanup of 15 significant oil spills, and helping to coordinate the removal of sunken ships and barges.

Mr. Speaker, the Coast Guard has responded with all of the resources at their command to the Katrina disaster. It is time for the

House of Representatives to respond to the Coast Guard by ensuring they have the resources they need to carry out their missions in the coming year.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have joined with my Committee Chairman, Mr. LoBiondo, in crafting language in this bill that not only provides the appropriations and authorizations for the Coast Guard, but more importantly, gives proper recognition and gratitude for their efficient response to the Hurricane disaster. Make no mistake of it Mr. Speaker, while there was confusion and chaos, it was the Coast Guard that was there, on the ground saving lives.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for all his expertise, his help, and his mentoring on these and other transportation issues for so long. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo) for his leadership on the subcommittee, and of course, the chairman, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), on the full committee.

Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo) when he said this is a committee that is working well together. The collegiality, the input that is provided from our side is greatly appreciated, and the mutual respect is evident. So we thank the Chair of both the subcommittee and the full committee for that.

Mr. Chairman, I have never been more proud of the men and women that serve in the United States Coast Guard than in recent weeks. What we have seen are valiant men and women stepping up to the plate and saving thousands of Americans from the destructive flood waters brought by Hurricane Katrina. The Coast Guard, whose motto is ``Semper Paratus,'' always ready, was prepared and ready to respond to this storm. Before levees ever broke, the Coast Guard was flying additional helicopters and extra air crews to the gulf region. Once the storm hit, their air crews and boat crews were operating 24 hours a day to save their fellow citizens.

The best decision that the President has made in the past 2 weeks was to place Vice Admiral Thad Allen in charge of the emergency response to the Katrina disaster. To the Coast Guard, being prepared to respond to a disaster is not just a paper exercise to sit on a shelf when the big one hits. Being prepared is something they do every day. They develop relationships with State and local government officials. They know who in the private sector can help provide resources quickly to respond, and they make decisions quickly so they can implement an effective response.

What we know to date of Katrina is that the Coast Guard has saved over 12,000 lives with their air resources and over 11,000 lives were saved by boats and other surface resources. They evacuated over 9,000 people to hospitals. When the storm passed, they remained on the scene helping to clean up the mess and protect the environment. In New Orleans, they are coordinating the cleanup of 15 significant oil spills. The Coast Guard is helping to coordinate the removal of sunken ships and barges.

Mr. Chairman, the Coast Guard has responded with all of the resources at their command to this disaster. It is time for the House of Representatives to respond to the Coast Guard by ensuring they have the resources they need to carry out their missions in the coming year and to continue to help American citizens, whether it is a disaster on the scale of Katrina or in a boating accident, to which they respond thousands of times.

H.R. 889 authorizes a total of $8.7 billion for the Coast Guard in the coming fiscal year. It includes $5.6 billion for operating expenses and almost $2 billion for acquisition, construction, and improvement. Funding for the Integrated Deepwater System is increased above the President's request to make sure this vital system stays on schedule.

I want to thank Chairman Young and Subcommittee Chairman LoBiondo for including my request for $39 million to establish an additional helicopter interdiction tactical squadron, or HITRON, on the west coast. Currently, the Coast Guard operates only one HITRON squadron out of Jacksonville, Florida. We need another on the west coast to protect the eastern Pacific Ocean and interdict vessels attempting to smuggle drugs into the United States. The east coast squadron has interdicted over $6 billion in drugs to date, and I think we can do even more on the west coast.

So I thank the Chair for working on this bill so cooperatively. I thank the Coast Guard for not only responding to Katrina but for the work they do every day in all of our districts, whether it is search and rescue, cleaning up oil spills, interdicting drugs, or enforcing our fishery laws.

Mr. Chairman, I hope every one of my colleagues votes for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, when I introduced H.R. 23, the ``Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act'' the positive response was overwhelming. Many of these Merchant Mariners have shared their harrowing, 60-year-old stories and experiences with me, and each personal account strengthens my resolve to see that these brave heroes are treated with respect by the U.S. government.

In my ongoing fight to correct the injustice being done to the U.S. Merchant Marines--men who have yet to be given full benefits as World War II veterans--I would like to submit the following article from The American Legion by Dan Allsup, a freelance writer from the St. Louis area, entitled, `We Deliver the Goods':

It's not that Bob Bodine wanted to avoid the World War II

draft in 1943. He just didn't think being an Army infantryman

sounded like a whole lot of fun.

Bodine tried to join the Army Air Corps but failed the

vision test. He talked to a Navy aviation recruiter, but the

Navy was bringing on 17-year-olds at the time. Bodine was too

old at 18.

``What else is there?'' he asked the recruiter. ``Well,

there's the Merchant Marine, but they've got a hell of a

casualty rate,'' the recruiter said.

Bodine, now 80, recalls the conversation. ``What does a

teenager care about casualty statistics? I always liked

boats, so the Merchant Marine sounded pretty good to me.''

He secured a slot at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at

Kings Point, NY. In his second year, Bodine sailed off on a

required 9-month cruise to the Mediterranean. It didn't take

long for him to realize that if he was trying to avoid the

draft, he could have taken an easier route. Bodine was a

crewmember aboard the USS Fleming, which was hauling a dozen

P-51 aircraft and a huge load of vehicle and aviation fuel to

the troops. The Fleming was part of a 110-ship convoy. While

it escaped the war unscathed, 50 of her sister ships were

sunk by German U-boats and floating mines.

Bodine is one of the more than 243,000 civilian volunteer

mariners who served aboard ships that provided the greatest

sealift in history. Critical to the war effort, the U.S.

merchant fleet delivered troops, supplies, ammunition and

equipment all over the world. It took part in every invasion

from Normandy to Okinawa, often becoming sitting-duck targets

for enemy submarines, mines, bombers and kamikaze pilots.

Fighting was especially fierce in the Atlantic, where

``wolf packs'' of German submarines and deadly U-boats

prowled the ocean destroying Merchant Marine ships in an

attempt to isolate Great Britain. Closer to home, enemy

submarines sank hundreds of ships off the eastern coast of

the United States.

In the first 6 months of 1942, German U-boats alone sank

more than 400 U.S. merchant ships. Because no official

history has been written of the Merchant Marine in World War

II, casualty numbers vary from source to source. It is

believed, however, that about 9,300 mariners were killed

during the war, and more than 1,500 of their ships were sunk.

Fortunately, because most Merchant Marine ships traveled in

convoys, many of the mariners aboard wounded vessels were

fished from the sea by nearby ships. About 600 mariners were

prisoners of war and another 11,000 were injured.

Susan Clark, public-affairs officer for the U.S, Maritime

Administration--the Federal agency most involved with the

Merchant Marine--said that other than the U.S. Marines,

mariners had a higher death rate than any other branch of the

service during the war. (Some mariners may take exception to

that statistic. A web site for Merchant Marine veterans says

their death rate was 1 in 26 and the Marine Corps was 1 in

34.)

President Franklin Roosevelt summed up the war

contributions of the U.S. Merchant Marine: ``The (mariners)

have written one of its most brilliant chapters. They have

delivered the goods when and where needed in every theater of

operations and across every ocean in the biggest, the most

difficult and most dangerous job ever taken.''

Despite their losses and their importance to the war

effort, surviving mariners weren't met with parades and flags

when they returned home. They weren't considered veterans.

They couldn't take advantage of the GI Bill, small business

loans or medical care for disabilities. Officially, they were

civilians. If they were lucky, they received a thank you

letter and a lapel pin from the President. After years of

fighting the system and a long court battle, some World War

II mariners finally received limited veteran status on Jan.

19, 1988.

Sixty years after he last hung up his Merchant Marine

uniform, Bodine and many of his Academy classmates still

can't believe they weren't considered members of the U.S.

Armed Forces during the war. ``I didn't know otherwise until

I realized that I wasn't eligible for the GI Bill or any

other veterans benefits,'' he said.

Although some bitterness about the lack of recognition

remains, the Merchant Marine sails on today. After the Sept.

11, 2001 terrorist attacks, 29 Merchant Marine Academy

students operated a fleet of boats into New York Harbor,

transporting firefighters and other emergency workers, along

with food and medical supplies.

Today, more than 8,000 mariners serve in the Military

Sealift Command, most of them working in support of the Iraqi

war. An average vessel moves the equivalent of about 300 C-17

cargo aircraft, freeing up aircraft for other critical

missions.

From the Revolutionary War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the

U.S. Merchant Marine has delivered the goods.

Mr. Speaker, today I acknowledge a great friend of labor--Macario Colmenero.

``Mac'' was born just south of downtown San Diego in Barrio Logan, formerly known as Logan Heights, to Ben and Guadalupe Colmenero. As a child, he helped out in his father's meat and grocery store at the corner of National and Sigsbee Streets. He also sold newspapers for the Tribune Sun and later delivered other newspapers in town.

Mac attended Our Lady of Guadalupe School and was a graduate of their first class in June of 1950. He attended high school at Saint Augustine but left before graduating to join the Navy in 1952.

After his tour of duty, he found a job at Harbor Box Company which manufactured wooden boxes and crates for tomatoes grown in Chula Vista. His starting wage was a $1.25 an hour with no benefits.

In 1956, he worked for T. Claude Ryan and Rohr Aircraft Co. In 1957, he enrolled in the

Cement Finisher Apprenticeship Program with Cement Masons Local #744 at the old Craftsmen Hall on Centre Street. Construction work was slow in San Diego, so he went to work for a Custom Auto repair shop for a short time. In August 1959, Mac went to work for Benton Roofing Co. as a roofer loader, then as a roofer for Veteran's Roof Co. He then advanced to journeyman, foreman and superintendent with Witherow Roofing Co.

In 1978, he was elected as a delegate to the Roofers International Convention in Miami. In December of that year, he was elected to the office of Business Agent of Roofers Local #45 where he served also as the Apprentice Coordinator and Secretary of the JATC. He held this office for three terms, a total of nine years. In 1986, due to the finances of the local, the position of business agent was eliminated and he was voted in as president, a non-paying position.

In 1987, he obtained a C-39 Roofing Contractor's license and signed an agreement with Local #45. In 1993, he was unanimously voted to the office of Business Manager, where he also serves as the Financial Secretary-Treasurer, Agent, Organizer, Apprentice Coordinator, Chairman of the Apprenticeship JATC, and Apprentice classroom instructor.

Mac also serves as a trustee to the Roofers Trust and is one of the directors at the National City Parks Apartments. Mac re-joined the ``Johns'' in 1993 and plans to be a lifetime member. After serving 12 years in Roofers Local #45 as Business Manager, Mac plans to retire in December of this year, but will continue to assist with the Apprenticeship Program.

Mac has been married to his wife Karen for 31 years and they have lived in North Park since 1974.

I am proud to salute Mac Colmenero on his recognition with the Johns Fellowship Award!

Mr. Speaker, by the time Bea began her career in 1984 with the AFL-CIO Community Services Department with United Way of San Diego County, she had already learned that families have special needs due to unexpected events and circumstances. Those things she learned while she was a member of UFIWU and Seafarers International.

Addressing those special needs gave her an advantage when chairing the Federal Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, Catholic Charities' SDG&E Utilities Program, and working in cooperation with the San Diego Food Bank. Under her leadership, the Adopt a Family Program and the Toy & Holiday Food Drive were developed and still continue to be a success.

Bea Avina has always been dedicated to bringing her fellow brothers and sisters social and economic justice. She is a prime example of a person who always puts her neighbor's needs first.

Since retiring in December 2003, Bea has not sat idle. She currently volunteers approximately four to six days a month as a Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP) for the San Diego Police Department and remains energetic in church and family activities.

I am proud to salute Bea Avina on her recognition as the Johns Retiree of the Year.