Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order at any time to consider in the House, House Resolution 989; that the resolution shall be considered as read; and that the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution to its adoption without intervening motion except 10 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration, or their designees.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the previous order, I call up House Resolution 989 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I would ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

On February 12, the Committee on House Administration unanimously recommended dismissal of the election contest relating to the 13th Congressional District of Florida.

The late chairwoman, Juanita Millender-McDonald, established a task force to investigate this contested election in which over 18,000 ballots did not show a vote cast in the United States congressional race in Sarasota County, Florida. The task force consisted of Representative Zoe Lofgren and Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, and I had the honor of serving as the Chair of the task force.

After the task force established the need to conduct an investigation, every vote by the task force to determine the scope and direction in the investigation was, in fact, unanimous.

I want to thank the members of the task force for their dedication to the investigation and the Government Accountability Office for a systematic investigation of the voting equipment. I would also like to thank both the majority and the minority staffs, along with the House recording studio.

The task force authorized the GAO to investigate whether the voting machines used in Sarasota County contributed to the unusually high number of undervotes. The task force also directed the GAO to evaluate whether additional testing was needed. After the GAO recommended further testing in October, the task force directed the GAO to design and execute testing to determine the reliability of the Sarasota voting equipment.

The GAO presented its final findings to the task force on February 8, 2008, when the GAO reported the Sarasota County voting machines did not contribute to the large undervote in the congressional race for the 13th District of Florida.

The GAO acknowledged that the undervote could have been caused by other elements, such as voters who intentionally did not vote in the race or voters who unintentionally did not cast their ballots because of poor ballot design.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I just do want to have some parting words to the members of the task force, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, and, of course, my colleague from California, Congressman McCarthy, because they really worked very hard. As I indicated, all decisions were unanimous, which made the process go smoothly.

I also want to recognize Congressman Dan Lungren from California, who is not an official member of the task force but was present during some of the briefings and was very instructive.

The last thought is, of course, that the task force and the full committee simply were acknowledging the responsibility that is laid before this body, and that is to determine the qualifications and who actually will sit and take the oath and have the great privilege of joining us here in what is often referred to as the people's House.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the chairman and ranking member and my colleagues for their efforts on behalf of H.R. 4040. This hard work and dedicated service has produced a strong, bipartisan Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. Congress and the American people can be proud of this significant and needed accomplishment.

While this legislation includes many important reforms of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and I strongly support its passage, the bill does not address one important issue that I think deserves further attention in any House-Senate Conference Committee deliberations. That issue involved the labeling or packaging of a product which may reference a product safety standard. It is important we address this issue for the well-being and safety of our citizens.

In some cases a product may bear a label or packaging material referencing a safety standard, when the product was not tested or certified to meet the standard listed on the label or packaging. This deceptive labeling can be a grave threat to the safety of many consumer products on the market, and must be addressed as part of this comprehensive legislation.

I hope that as this important piece of legislation moves its way through the Conference Committee process we will further examine and address this labeling and packaging issue.

Mr. Speaker, I have known Dean for a number of years, and we share a passion for the Spurs and he's homegrown, San Antonio.

And Dean will tell you the story that his interest in politics was a result of watching my father, the late Henry B. Gonzalez, on Sundays when Dean was just a little boy. Now, I remember watching Dad. I was a lot older. But the thing was they didn't exactly give my father prime time. It was very early on Sunday mornings. And the reason that many of the children in San Antonio watched my father was that he came on right before the cartoons.

So, Dean, I'm on to you. I know exactly why you were watching the television, and I'm glad that you watched Dad before the cartoons.

Dean had the hardest job of anyone on Speaker Pelosi's staff. Every Thursday at 11:30, he would report to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus weekly luncheon meeting, at which time we were able to express ourselves and say many things that we couldn't say to the Speaker. We are confident that he conveyed some of it in more diplomatic terms.

But, seriously, I think he took our message back to the Speaker. He was the conduit. The Speaker can't be in 200 places at one time, though we wish she could. So Dean was a very valuable player, obviously, in this whole organization and made, I believe, the Speaker's Office much more responsive to the needs of so many different Members of our very, very diverse caucus.

And for that, Dean, we extend our grateful appreciation. We wish you well, but we have a sense that we are going to be seeing you, of course, and I am definitely going to see you when the Spurs are in the championship round again.

Madam Speaker, every Member of the House of Representatives has a cherished friend and mentor back home. That dear friend is what keeps a member grounded to the realities of his or her district which can sometimes become obscure in the heat of legislative debate. With the passing of that friend, a huge void is created which often cannot be filled.

Harold Samuel Nelson was born on June 18, 1918, and left this mortal world on May 29, 2006. It has now been more than a year that I, and many others, no longer have the benefit of his wisdom and advice. I now rise to honor him and how he lived his life.

Throughout his long life, Mr. Nelson engaged in a number of different professions: farmer, philanthropist, and attorney. In 1952, he married Helen Ridgway, and they made their lives on a dairy farm in New Braunfels where they raised their daughters, JoMerre and Elizabeth. On September 19, 2001, Elizabeth blessed the Nelson family with their first grandson, Samuel Wilder Nelson who will carry forward the proud tradition of the Nelson name.

After his experiences with other dairy organizations, Mr. Nelson formed Associated Milk Producers Inc., AMPI, so that dairy farmers could market milk and dairy products. Under his management, AMPI grew to encompass the better part of our Nation with over 40,000 members. He persuaded small dairy farmers to work together and thereafter, he was referred to as the ``grandfather of the dairy industry.'' He saw that organizing would strengthen each dairy farmer individually.

In the late 1960s, Mr. Nelson convinced livestock farmers to cooperate to eradicate the screwworm, a dreaded livestock parasite. He helped organize and elicit funds to implement a novel strategy. Sterilized screwworm flies would be released at a rate of 150 million per week until they ceased to exist. His efforts resulted in a never before seen level of coordination among dairy farmers throughout the Americas to end the blight of the screwworm.

Later in his life, Mr. Nelson set his energies and talents to honoring his mother's commitment to education. He established the Clara Freshour Nelson Foundation so that students, hundreds by now, could afford tuition for a fine arts education.

I had the privilege of giving words of remembrance at Mr. Nelson's service. It was a sad day for everyone gathered in the church who had to confront our sorrow in missing his physical presence, love, support and wise counsel.

While acknowledging that no one had any control over Mr. Nelson leaving our physical presence, we had complete control of keeping him spiritually alive within us by living the ``life lessons'' he had taught us.

Mr. Nelson taught through example. He was generous to a fault. Not merely financially generous, but generous with his time, energy and empathy. Simply put, if it was important to you, it was important to him. He was forthright and made no excuses for who he was and what he believed in. He ``told it like it was'' and could size up a person or business transaction with clarity and precision.

His greatest love was love of family; as a loving son, caring brother, devoted father and doting grandfather. Yet he was known to share his love with his ``extended family'', from dear friends Paul Alagia and Jose ``Pepe'' Gonzalez to name a couple, to those devoted caretakers that were near him as his days grew shorter: Alice, Ada, Brenda, Quolonda, Beverly, Rhonda and Emily.

He was the consummate gentleman; he tipped his hat, stood when a lady walked into a room; simple gestures of something greater which was a genuine respect. He was a voracious reader, loved poetry and he could play the piano and violin. He encouraged and supported students in the study and appreciation of music.

Imbued with a powerful social conscience, he was a ``yellow dog Democrat'' who firmly declared that ``you had to be a Democrat to believe in the Beatitudes''.

Mr. Nelson was part of what is referred today as ``the Greatest Generation''. Tom

Brokaw in his book was describing Harold S. Nelson when he wrote: ``The World War II generation did what was expected of them. But they never talked about it. It was part of their code.''

The character of Mr. Nelson was formed on the anvil of adversity. His innate sense of justice and fairness made him ``a man ahead of his time.'' Yet, I believe he shared the same philosophy expressed by the late and former Congressman Carl Elliott who upon receiving the JFK Profile in Courage Award for fighting segregation at great personal cost said: ``There are those who said I was ahead of my time, but they were wrong. I believe that I was always behind the times that ought to be.''

Harold S. Nelson taught us about fundamental values and behavior: that your word was your bond, your handshake was a contract, you conducted business ``standing and facing''. As Paul Alagia said ``Harold never ran out on a friend.'' Again, just like Congressman Carl Elliott, Mr. Nelson ``never swapped an old friend for a new one''. With the advent of computers and all the new technological gadgets designed to help us get through an ever increasingly complex world, Mr. Nelson's approach was ``Give me a Big Chief tablet and a pencil.''

An observer of modern American life recently lamented: ``We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years.''

May Mr. Nelson's greatest ``life lesson to us spare us this dilemma. So when the world overwhelms us, the pace too hectic, let us heed Mr. Nelson's advice ``give me a Big Chief tablet and a pencil''. Let us return to the basic goodness of life: honesty, integrity and compassion.

Harold Samuel Nelson (known and loved as Daddy, Grandpa, Harold and Mr. Nelson) would have even helped us grieve. He would have told us not to be sad, then cry with us; he would have told us to march on, then he would have taken the first step, and lastly, knowing his love for poetry, he would have read ``When I Must Leave You'' by Helen S. Rice:

When I must leave you

For a Little while

Please do not grieve

And shed wild tears

And hug your sorrow to you

Through the years,

But start out bravely

With a gallant smile; And for my sake

And in my name

Live on and do

All things the same,

Feed not your loneliness

On empty days,

But fill each waking hour

In useful ways,

Reach out your hand

In comfort and in cheer

And I will comfort you

And hold you near; And never, never

Be afraid to die,

For I am waiting for you in the sky.

Harold Samuel Nelson lives on in our hearts and souls.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, it is a momentous day. Sixty years ago, there was a brave young lawyer named David Marcus who took a very unpopular case to court that basically was the dress rehearsal for Brown v. Board of Education.

This whole situation was borne of discrimination which was sanctioned and promoted and recognized by the government. You would say, what does that all mean?

The family of the Munemitsus, Japanese Americans, owned a certain piece of property. They grew asparagus on about 40 acres in Westminster, California. They were absent from that property as a result of a government directive. They were Japanese Americans; and, of course, we had the Japanese American internment camps. They were shipped off, dispossessed. The Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez family were given an opportunity to then lease the properties, a great opportunity, borne of a discriminatory act. Gonzalez had fled the Mexican Revolution in 1916, and like many of our grandparents, came to this country seeking a new life. Their daughter, Sylvia, as my colleague, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez has already pointed out, wanted to go to a certain school but California law specifically prohibited Japanese Americans, Mongolian Americans, and Asian Americans from attending school with white children.

But it left out African American and Mexican American children; and believe it or not, that really is what the court did hang its hat on. So we have a Japanese American family and a Mexican American family, and Earl Warren comes into the picture because he is Governor of the great State of California. As Ms. Sanchez pointed out, a few years later he did away with those particular laws of separate but equal. Thurgood Marshall actually has a little-known role in this case because he filed a brief in support of Dave Marcus' brief seeking that this law would be held unconstitutional. But as I pointed out, it was held invalid for another reason, as far as it pertained to Sylvia and the other Mexican American children.

The lesson for all of us here is when you discriminate against one, you discriminate against all. Whether it is Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, it does not matter. One country under God. And we hear this often enough when we pledge our allegiance. But really, truly, 60 years ago it took the Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez family to give true meaning and breathe life into that dream. And because of them, I truly believe you see Members of Congress here today with the names of Sanchez and Gonzalez.

Mr. Chairman, I'm glad that the chairman of the committee pointed out that this is an ongoing issue.

In 2004, 2007, when it was requested, it may have been denied, but in San Antonio, we've had such a rash of accidents for the past 5 years that finally railroad safety came to the forefront and we are recognizing some progress. Let's not go backward and allow these waivers.

When the FRA denied the UP waiver in 2004, it did so because they found that documentation on employee training was insufficient and unsatisfactory. When they withdrew their request in 2007, the company spokesman commented that the political climate was wrong for them to push for the waiver.

But let us make sure that the political climate remains unfavorable and that common sense will prevail and only so if we pass this amendment, and I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Napolitano amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Martin Cuellar, Jr., on his retirement from the Texas State Department of Public Safety, where he served in law enforcement for the past 25 years.

Lieutenant Cuellar has an extensive background in criminal justice and has trained with the Webb County Basic Peace Officer Training Academy, and the Department of Public Safety Trooper Academy. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and earned an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice from Laredo Community College. His criminal justice background helped him serve as a lieutenant with the Department of Public Safety in the narcotics service as a part of the Directed Intelligence Group, and as deputy sheriff with the Webb County Sheriff's Department.

Lieutenant Cuellar has worked in open and covert investigations resulting in seizures of thousands of pounds of narcotics throughout the State of Texas. He also has worked in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies in cases involving murder, kidnappings, and extortion, and in international investigations regarding shipment of narcotics with Federal and State law enforcement agencies in the United States and Mexico. He has also been recognized by the Department of Defense and the United States Army for his assistance in the return of a wounded U.S. soldier to the United States.

While working in law enforcement, he met his wife, Veronica Cuellar, who is employed with the United States Probation Office. They have two beautiful children, Zachary and Casey, both of whom currently attend St. Augustine School in Laredo, Texas. I wish him and his family the best in his well-deserved retirement from an accomplished and highly regarded law enforcement career.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication and commitment of Lieutenant Martin Cuellar, Jr., to the law enforcement community in south Texas.

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to recognize the passing of a distinguished Texan and member of the San Antonio community, Mr. Jose Luis Flores, Sr. Mr. Flores passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at the age of 84. He was a friend, a husband, a father, and an inspiration to many in San Antonio, and he will be missed.

Mr. Flores's life was devoted to service to both his community and our country. He was an active parishioner of his church for 47 years, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others by serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps, and courageously served our nation during the Second World War. For these reasons, we'll forever be grateful for all that he did on behalf of others, and San Antonio will deeply miss one of its native sons.

His life of service epitomizes the word ``American.'' He gave back to his community and served his country to the best of his ability with the hope that he could better the lives of others. His life and legacy provide a great example for all that we as a Nation to strive to accomplish, and he will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity today to rise and speak on a subject that has been conspicuously absent from legislative debate over the issue of immigration reform. Over the length of this debate, the proponents of the enforcement-only approach, some of which you heard earlier this evening, have repeatedly referred to immigrants as dangerous to the American economy, as dangerous to our society and dangerous to our culture.

A number of my colleagues argue that immigrants take away jobs from American citizens and that immigration has a net effect of shrinking the middle class. They suspect immigrants generally of bringing crime, drugs, and even terrorism into our country. And they suggest that immigrants weaken our patriotic culture by failing to assimilate into American society.

Fear characterizes all of these sentiments and arguments. Fear of change, both economic and social change. Fear of new contributions to the fabric of American culture. Generally, a fear of the ``other.''

Fear can be a powerful and dangerous force. It can motivate hate. It can impede toleration and understanding. Fear can paralyze us with paranoia and blind us to reasoned and logical argument. Fear in the media and in the Halls of Congress have distorted the image of immigrants in this country.

Much as sensationalist TV programming can make us believe that our communities are more dangerous than they really are, sensationalist characterizations of the immigrant population based on anecdotal examples or predictions of worst-case scenarios can falsely lead us to negative, reactionary, and unfounded opinions about immigrants.

I can no longer tolerate the blanket generalizations used to cast our Nation's immigrant population in a universally negative and threatening light. They do not reflect reality. They misrepresent our national interest with respect to immigration. These arguments polarize the public and prevent reasoned and productive dialogue, and they promote a legislative climate that distracts us from our national interest in reforming our broken immigration policies.

We can all agree that we need comprehensive immigration reform, but we must also come to an understanding that demonizing immigrants will not get us there. Ostracizing immigrants in this country with venomous and inapt rhetoric will not move us toward the integration of newcomers into our economy, or the promotion of safe streets for our children to play in, or assimilation of the immigrant population into American society.

It can only delay the time when the immigrant population becomes a fully functional and participatory component of our American society. It can only set back the day when we can guarantee the security of our borders and documentation of all individuals that cross those borders.

Like my colleagues that emphasize tough border enforcement, I, too, believe in reform that provides security for our country and documentation for all the individuals that enter American territory. I think that we speak with a common voice regarding our homeland security goals. Our approaches to talking about the issues of immigration and the methods for solving the problem may differ, but we share common goals in promoting our national and economic security. Debate over approaches to immigration reform is a topic for responsible legislative discourse.

Today, my colleagues and I speak on a related topic about some of the immigrants that are the subjects of our larger debate over immigration. The immigrants we want to talk about are not threats to our national security, they are not threats to our economy, and they are not threats to our people. They, in fact, have demonstrated their solidarity with our Nation. Unquestionably, they wish to contribute to our security and to our economy. And the individuals we speak of cannot be considered separately as friend or foe to the American people, because they demonstrate daily that they are, in fact, Americans in their own right.

The individuals we rise to speak of today are the tens of thousands of brave men and women in the American Armed Forces that were not born in the United States. Like the courageous sons and daughters born and raised in my home State of Texas and throughout this country, these individuals have taken an oath to defend the United States of America with their very lives if necessary.

These immigrant soldiers may differ from their native-born brothers and sisters in terms of location of their birth and even in their citizenship status; however, on the battlefield, they are united by a common purpose.

Among the soldiers in the United States military, there is no distinction between those that are born in Texas, in the Philippines, or in Mexico. They all take an oath. They all assume the same risks. They all make the same sacrifice. All are worthy of honor and distinction, and we must thank them all equally for giving so generously that we, living in communities across this great Nation, may do so peacefully.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege tonight and a true honor that the first member of the United States Armed Services that we are about to honor is Lance Corporal Jose Antonio Gutierrez, and this is the photo of Jose Antonio when he was a little boy, an orphan and I will be a little more specific in a minute, to the time he put on this uniform of the United States Marine.

He was the first member of the United States Armed Forces killed in Iraq. He was not a citizen of this country.

Marine Lance Corporal Jose Antonio Gutierrez, like most Guatemalans, was born into poverty. He was orphaned in 1983 at the age of 9 and taken in by Casa Alianza, or Covenant House, in Guatemala City. The causes and dates of his parents' deaths are unknown to us today.

For the next 10 years, Lance Corporal Gutierrez led a tragic and tumultuous life, bouncing from the orphanage to the street and back again. His adulthood, like his childhood, was characterized by hardship. He worked for a time in a maquila plant, a sweatshop, operating a sewing machine. Even as a single person, making ends meet at such a job was incredibly difficult for this young man.

In early 1997, Lance Corporal Gutierrez made a decision to travel to the United States to seek a better life. He arrived in California an undocumented immigrant. He attended North High School in Torrance, California.

In March 2002, Lance Corporal Gutierrez enlisted in the United States Marine Corps because he wanted to become a citizen of this great country. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the Expeditionary Forces of the United States Marines 1st Division.

Lance Corporal Gutierrez was killed a year later, close to the city of Umm al Qasr in southern Iraq, on March 21, 2003. He was 28 years old.

This man's sacrifice, the first life laid down in the sands of Iraq on behalf of the United States, is testament to the belief of immigrants in the promise of America. It is a symbol of patriotism, of commitment to defending a dream that we all share.

In May of last year, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, nearly 69,000 foreign-born soldiers, 5 percent of the entire military, are on active duty. Five percent are foreign born.

Can it be said of these immigrants that they are a threat to our national security? Clearly, no. They ensure our national security.

Can it be said that these immigrants threaten American workers? Clearly, no. They ensure that American workers can go to their jobs in peace.

Can it be said of these immigrants that they threaten the safety of our communities with drugs or violence? Again, clearly, no. They are the pillars of their communities when home and defenders of their communities when abroad.

Why then have so many in this debate over immigration missed the contributions these brave individuals make to the peace, the prosperity, and the security of our country? Do examples of immigrants' courage and sacrifice occur as seldom as those acts of violence some use to characterize an entire immigrant population? Is their heroic service anecdotal in the larger discussion about the contributions of immigrants to our society?

Once again, I hardly believe so. One out of every 20 soldiers in the United States military was born outside the United States. Two members of an average platoon immigrated to this country and now serve us all honorably.

What more can we ask of these young people? Lance Corporal Gutierrez not only gave his life for his adopted country; he was the first to do so in this war.

What more can we ask of immigrant parents when they have already given up their brave sons and daughters for the defense of an adopted homeland?

Mr. Speaker, these immigrant soldiers are among the most prominent faces of immigration today, but they are not uncharacteristic of the larger immigrant population. They represent the honest work ethic, the ambition and the patriotism characteristic of immigrants of all national origins and across all eras.

They represent the frontier spirit that built our country and continues to bring the best the world has to offer here to our shores, to the United States, in pursuit of our common American Dream.

At this time I would like to recognize a dear friend, a colleague, the dean of the Texas delegation, Congressman Solomon Ortiz of Texas.

I yield at this time to my colleague from Colorado, an Army veteran himself. I do want to point out, without his permission, but knowing this particular fact, that the Salazar family, I know that he lost his uncle during World War II, and that was incredible and brave service by the Salazar family, Congressman John Salazar of Colorado.

At this time I would yield to my dear friend, a fellow Texan, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Ciro Rodriguez.

Thank you very much for your attention and for your story of Israel Garcia.

At this time I would like to yield to the gentlelady, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, from the great State of California.

Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure at this time to yield to my colleague and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca).

Thank you very much, Mr. Baca.

There is another individual that I want to recognize tonight, an extraordinary individual from an extraordinary family. This is Specialist Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza. He comes from San Antonio. He died on February 25, 2003, when the Black Hawk helicopter in which he was riding crashed during a night mission 30 miles north of the Kuwaiti border. He was 26 years young.

Specialist Gonzalez-Garza was born in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and was brought to the United States by his parents as an infant.

He graduated from San Antonio's Fox Tech High School in 1996 and joined the Army in 1998. Specialist Gonzalez-Garza, like many other casualties of the Iraq war, did not die an American citizen. He died defending the United States and pursuing a dream to become a citizen of this country. Only in death was his goal finally achieved. After he gave his life, Specialist Gonzalez-Garza was awarded posthumous citizenship.

Specialist Gonzalez-Garza's sacrifice on our behalf is remarkable and perhaps only matched by the contribution that his parents have made to this great country. Specialist Gonzalez-Garza's parents, Ramiro and Orelia Gonzalez, have three other sons in the military, Staff Sergeant Ramiro Gonzalez, PVT Roland Gonzalez, and PVT Ricardo Gonzalez, Rodrigo's twin brother.

One would find it difficult to find a family more devoted to the United States and our American way of life than the Gonzalez family. Specialist Gonzalez-Garza has given his life. His three brothers continue to defend our security and liberty with their lives, and the parents, they have given not one, not two, but all four of their sons to the service of their adopted country.

I would like to share some of the sentiments posted on fallenheroesmemorial.com, a Web site devoted to the memory of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan during operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

The following are postings from fellow Americans who apparently did not know Specialist Gonzalez-Garza, but wished to express their gratitude for his service.

From Grayslake, IL: ``Thank you Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza. You will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences on your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around

the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. Signed, a very appreciative fellow American.''

From Wells, NV: ``To the family and friends of Specialist Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza, may God's grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share your sorrow. Bless Rodrigo for his sacrifice he has made to make a better life for the rest of us in this country.''

From Montrose, ME: ``Thanks for stepping forward when America needed you. To the family, thank you for your contribution to our liberty and to our freedom. I'm so sorry for your tremendous loss.''

From Houston, TX: ``Specialist Gonzalez-Garza, goodbye soldier, and thank you. You are my hero.''

All those individuals that didn't know Specialist Rodrigo Gonzalez- Garza, they didn't know about his background. They didn't know about an undocumented family that came to this country and made the grandest sacrifice of all with four sons in the armed services, and one of those that gave his life in service of this country, their adopted country.

Did any of these individuals that posted those sentiments on that Web site ask is he documented or undocumented?

Had they known he was undocumented, or that the family had been undocumented, it would not have mattered, because we are united in purpose. We are united in spirit. And this is what the whole immigration reform debate is all about. Not what separates us. Not that which differentiates us, but rather, what binds us as a country, a country of immigrants, each making his unique contribution, wanting to be part of this country.

I want to join all those individuals that posted on the Web site to share my gratitude for Specialist Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza's service and sacrifice.

Thank you, Specialist Gonzalez-Garza. Thank you also to Ramiro and Orelia Gonzalez, the parents, for the service of your sons. You emigrated from Mexico, but you have devoted yourselves and your family to the United States of America. We owe you comprehensive immigration reform. We owe you the opportunity to make your contribution in this country.

Before we took the floor here tonight to highlight the lives of these individuals, you may have heard previous speakers. One felt great pride that a town in the State of Texas had passed a law that will make it an offense to rent accommodations to undocumented individuals that may find themselves in that particular township.

What pride can be derived from a law of that nature? Who are you shutting the door to? In whose face are you slamming that door? I'll tell you. You are slamming it in the faces of Lance Corporal Gutierrez, Specialist Gonzalez-Garza, Lance Corporal Evenor Herrera, Sergeant Israel Devora-Garcia, SGT Henry Meraz, Corporal Douglas Jose Marencoreyes, and PFC Rey Cuervo. Those are the individuals.

What is it that binds us, truly? Is it the color of our skin, our appearance, our ethic origin? No, it's what beats within us all.

We are a Nation of laws. Our obligation as Members of Congress is to pass just and fair laws, and that's what we are seeking. Not those that will demonize, criminalize and punish individuals that are coming to this country at our behest. And make no mistake about that. They are coming because we are asking them to come and to be employed by fine, upstanding Americans.

And so they come, not to take but to give, to contribute.

What we are attempting to do tonight is put a human face on this immigrant that so often is criticized, demonized, characterized as a threat to our way of life. Do not be so concerned. People are so concerned: Is the face of America changing? That should not be our concern. Is the heart and the spirit and the soul of America changing? That should be our concern. And I am here to tell you and we give testament tonight that it is not.

For the next few weeks, my colleagues and I will take this floor, and we will demonstrate to you over and over again the contribution of the immigrant to this country, that their sons and daughters have donned this uniform. We have placed them in harm's way, and they have performed honorably and with great courage. There is no difference in that courage or the contribution that they make because of their ethnicity or undocumented status of a parent.

You saw the face of that young boy from Guatemala who was an orphan who came to the United States illegally. Now, he wasn't good enough, brave enough, strong enough to maybe deserve getting an apartment in a certain town in Texas; but he was good enough and brave enough to serve as a United States Marine and give his life up defending this country. Where is the justice and fairness?

Our soldiers are dying and protecting a way of life. And it is our obligation that that way of life is reflected in our laws, fair and just laws. That is what this debate is all about.

So I ask that my colleagues give careful thought as we debate this issue, and at the conclusion of this debate we will have a meeting of the minds and come up with a plan that doesn't accommodate those that are breaking the law, but rather allows them an opportunity to redeem themselves and to serve this country in a capacity that will utilize their unique talents and contributions, and I look forward to that time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be allowed to submit a supplemental report on H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to recognize the passing of a true pioneer and champion of the common man. Pete Torres, Jr., was a great man who played a vital role in ensuring that everyone had a voice in their government. Mr. Torres passed away on Friday, April 27, 2007 at the age of 73. He was a friend, mentor, and inspiration to many in San Antonio, and he will be missed.

It was the late 1960s when Mr. Torres made history in south Texas and San Antonio. Mr. Carlos Guerra of the San Antonio Express-News best described the climate and challenges that Mr. Torres faced.

``In the 1960s, virtually every South Texas city and town was firmly in the grip of some chamber-backed clique that was neither attuned to the concerns of regular people nor particularly interested in letting minority people speak for themselves.''

``San Antonio was hardly the exception,'' said Guerra.

It was this climate in which Mr. Torres broke down barriers for the common man and took the San Antonio City Council by storm in 1967. At a time when the city council was run by a select group of privileged citizens who in no way accurately reflected the diversity and dynamic of the city of San Antonio, Mr. Torres was an agent of change. His election to the San Antonio City Council taught all of south Texas a lesson in governing by advocating for causes that benefited the majority of San Antonio's people, not a select few.

While he served as a member of the San Antonio's City Council for 4 short years, his impact transcended generations and is still felt today. After his public service career, he continued to represent the disenfranchised and vulnerable as an attorney who was respected and beloved by all. He will forever be remembered as a pioneer and champion of causes for the common man and minorities. While he will be missed, his legacy will live on and the extraordinary contributions he made to south Texas and San Antonio will never be forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the May 7, 2007 opening of the San Antonio Food Bank's new facility. The Food Bank is vital to those in the greater San Antonio area who need help providing food for themselves and their families. I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to this charitable organization on the opening of its new and improved facility.

The Food Bank's new space will allow them to expand the critical services they provide to San Antonio and its neighboring communities. The Food Bank's food storage capacity will increase five fold--from two million pounds of food to storage space for ten million pounds. The facility will house a community center, enabling the center to enlarge its community outreach and improve access to its services. Its large cold storage capacity will allow the Food Bank to further diversify its food selection, maximizing the nutritional value of the products it provides. Additionally, a state-of-the-art kitchen, capable of preparing 50,000 meals is located in the new facility, greatly enhancing the organization's ability to offer Texans emergency food assistance during natural disasters or other emergencies.

This crucial organization began serving southwest Texas in 1980, and its operations continue to grow to meet the needs of Texans facing food-shortage emergencies. As one of the largest operations of its kind in the United States, the Food Bank works with its 380 partner organizations, which include senior citizen centers, church pantry programs, soup kitchens, emergency food shelters, orphanages, after school programs, day care centers and rehabilitation facilities spread across 16 southwest Texas counties, to make over 21 million meals available annually. The Food bank also delivers 40 pound boxes of food to over 40,000 Texas families each month.

The Food Bank is consistently recognized for its good work, including its effective use of funds. In fact, for two years in a row, the Food Bank has received a four-star rating for financial management from Charity Navigator, the country's largest independent evaluator of charities. I am very proud of the important work that the Food Bank conducts, as well as the effective manner in which such work is done.

The message of caring this organization sends through its gift of food to those in need

must be heard and acted upon by us all. The San Antonio Food Bank, and organizations like it, provide success stories that inspire us to action. While its new expanded facility is evidence of a growing need for emergency food services, it also demonstrates a will on the part of our community to address these needs.

On the occasion of the opening of the San Antonio Food Bank's new facility, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the organization's hard working staff on their service to the community and to congratulate them on their continuing efforts to ensure that all Texans are fed.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 1332, the Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007.

I want to express my special thanks to the chairwoman of the Small Business Committee, Nydia Velazquez, as well as Ranking Member Steve Chabot, for their leadership in bringing this important bill which has strong bipartisan support to the floor today. I am honored to work with these fine leaders as we strive to support the small business community of this Nation.

The Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007 will boost our economic might by expanding entrepreneurs' access to capital through the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 programs. The 7(a) and 504 programs are the SBA's largest in terms of number of loans made and amount of funds made available to small businesses. In fact, over the last decade, the SBA has approved more than 424,000 loans for over $90 billion. Furthermore, the programs operate as public-private partnerships to provide important financing for small firms through private sector lenders, greatly limiting costs to the United States Government.

Despite the positive impact of these programs, they must now be modernized and strengthened in order to continue to meet their goals. The Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007 provides much- needed changes to these programs. Provisions of this bill will give the SBA the authority to contribute funds for the purpose of reducing the burden associated with borrower and lender fees on 7(a) loans. It will also make it easier for rural lenders to assist local small businesses. It will increase access to capital for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. It will improve access to the program for medical professionals in health professional shortage areas. And, finally, it will expand opportunities for veterans to obtain such loans.

I think all of us in this Chamber often enough go back to our districts, and all small businesses will tell us that the greatest challenge is the lack of access to capital. This is a first step in addressing that very important challenge.

Madam Speaker, I want to express my thanks of course to my colleague Ciro Rodriguez, my neighbor and fellow San Antonian for his great service in this Congress and, of course, as past chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

I first would like to digress from the remarks that I have had here prepared to highlight the life of a great man. The individual that I will be highlighting taught me as a very young man and as a young lawyer that if you have something to say, say it; if you believe in something stand up and state it.

While we were awaiting our call to have our Special Order, some of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle were representing certain figures and facts, demonstrating that the practices of the Democratic party and Democratic leaders simply resulted in deficit spending, not having a balanced budget, runaway spending and so on. The only problem with those facts and those figures is that the Republicans have been in the majority since 1995. It was only last year in 2006 that we were able to take back the majority. So, if there was too much spending, if there was irresponsibility in the way of fiscal policy, they had the majority.

Let us talk about the expiration of certain tax programs that were passed back in 2005. Was it truly necessary to say they would expire in 2005? Now, I understand that we do things in 5-year increments often enough, but they had the majority. Make them permanent; they never did. Extend them; they never did. You wonder why.

It is complaining that this bus is being driven in an erratic manner and the wrong destination. The problem is you were driving it. They controlled Congress and nothing was done.

The last time we had a balanced budget was under the Clinton administration, and it was because of President Clinton's leadership that we were able to balance the budget because of good, solid economic policy and tax policies that really were fair to all Americans.

I leave you with a couple of thoughts here. First of all, what we are proposing in the first few months of being in the majority is to maintain and make sure that we still have the child tax credit that would not expire, that we make sure that the marriage penalty relief would not expire. Why? Because that truly is just. That truly is fair.

What is not fair is what I am going to read to you now that appeared back in 2005. Back on the 8th day of December 2005, the Republican tax reconciliation bill, the Tax Policy Center, run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute has concluded that the bottom 80 percent of households would receive 15.5 percent of the House tax cuts. The top 20 percent would receive 84.2 percent of the benefit. Households earning more than $1 million would get 40 percent of the tax cut relief, or an average reduction of nearly $51,000. If you believe that is fair tax policy, something is truly, truly wrong, and we are going to correct that as we assume the majority.

Now, who taught me that? I will go now into my remarks because we are

here to honor and to spotlight the service of Hispanics and especially in World War II.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure today to participate in this Special Order honoring Hispanic veterans of the Second World War. As we have already heard, the contributions made by Hispanic Americans to the war effort against the Axis Powers were significant. A half million Hispanics served, and I fear that their contributions are often forgotten.

It is important that all Americans, including Hispanics, enjoy recognition and our historical dialogues commensurate with the contributions they made to our Nation. When we fail to be inclusive, our histories are incomplete. They are only half-truths. We owe it to past and future generations to make our histories whole. When history is complete, it is also fair and it is just.

Today, I am honored to make a small contribution to our country's World War II dialogue on behalf of the war's Hispanic veterans in hopes that their stories come to occupy a place in history proportionate to their service and to their sacrifice.

Like their African American brothers-in-arms, Hispanic Americans served the United States in World War II with honor and distinction, despite the fact that they had yet to enjoy the full fruits of the liberty they defended.

Back in the 1940s, in the late 1940s also, most of the services offered to the American public by our national, State and local governments were segregated between whites and minorities, including Hispanics. But despite the fact that the services to which they were entitled were often withheld or inferior, Hispanics did not withhold their service to the American people. They fought for our country even as schools they attended, jobs they worked, wages they earned, and living conditions they tolerated reflected systematic inequality that denied them full rights of citizenship. Despite the inequality endured by Hispanic veterans before and after World War II, their stories of courage and heroism during that troubling time are the equal of any that can be told.

I regret that I have time to share with you the story of but one of the hundreds of thousands of Hispanic veterans who so courageously defended the liberty of humankind during those darkest hours.

The Honorable Mike Machado enjoyed a lengthy career of public service to the United States, to the State of Texas and to the residence of his beloved home city of San Antonio. He was born in San Antonio on September 4, 1923, and attended Sydney Lanier High School where he excelled as a student athlete.

Like so many young men of his generation, Mike Machado entered service to his country during the earliest days of his adulthood by enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps at 17. He became a nose gunner on a B-24, battling the Germans over the skies of Nazi-occupied Europe. By the summer of 1944, he had flown over 40 missions.

On June 13, 1944, Mike Machado's B-24 was heavily damaged over Munich. Despite the desperate nature of their situation, the crew stayed with their aircraft rather than parachute into enemy hands.

Mike Machado and his comrades crossed the border into northern Italy before they were forced to make a crash landing. Upon impact, fire engulfed the B-24. Mike Machado carried two of his fellow airmen to safety that day, saving them from the flames. In the process, he received severe burns to his upper body and arms that would limit the use of his hands for the rest of his life.

My personal observation that I would like to make is that even I practiced before Judge Machado. It was obvious that this is someone who had suffered horrific, disfiguring and incapacitating injuries.

The French Underground provided sanctuary for Mike over the following months, hiding him from Nazi forces and eventually securing his return to the United States Army. His strength and his resilience, combined with the rudimentary medical care provided by his French companions, allowed him to survive his injuries from the fire and the flack.

After his return to the United States Army, he began a 36-month long recuperation at Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso. The ordeal included 23 skin graft operations that only partially repaired the injuries incurred during his heroic rescue efforts. Mike Machado's story of heroism does not end with his discharge from the Army. His injuries did not deter him from his pursuit of an education, in law, especially, and a career of public service, as a city attorney and as a judge at the municipal and State district court levels.

Judge Machado used the GI Bill to enroll at Saint Mary's University and graduated from Saint Mary's University Law School in 1952. He soon became a prosecutor. In 1957, he was appointed as a municipal court judge where he served for 20 years. In 1977, he became a judge for the newly created 227th State district court. That same year he was honored by Pope Paul VI with a knighthood in the Pontifical Order of Saint Gregory the Great. He served as a district judge for 21 years until the time of his death.

When he died on July 29, 1998, Judge Machado had amassed over a half century of public service to our country, as an airman, and as an assistant DA, and a municipal and district court judge. He was just shy of his 75th birthday and would have been retired from the bench, as Texas law requires, on September 4 of that year.

While Texas law mandated his retirement from the judicial branch, it could not squelch Judge Machado's desire to serve the public, knowing that mandatory retirement was fast approaching.

What did he do? Well, prior to the brain aneurysm that took his life, he had announced at the age of 74 his candidacy for district attorney in Bexar County on the Democratic ticket. Judge Machado was highly regarded in the community, as evidenced by the over 1,000 mourners that attended his funeral.

As a judge, he performed marriage ceremonies for thousands of San Antonio couples. He welcomed the public into his chambers with open arms, often quite literally. What I mean by that, it was a big giant bear hug that he would give you, and he made himself available to individuals in need of help.

Believe it or not, even ex-convicts that he had sentenced would seek his advice at times. He was a man of the people and a man who befriended everyone. I am honored to have had the opportunity to share with you the story of Judge Mike Machado, a courageous man and a servant of his country.

My colleague, Congressman Rodriguez, who organized this opportunity to recount the bravery of Hispanic veterans of World War II, should be commended for his efforts today and in the past, because this is not the first time that Congressman Rodriguez has risen to the defense of the Hispanic warrior in recognizing and remembering these servicemen, including Judge Mike Machado.

As I indicated earlier, we did not offer these comments tonight solely to highlight the virtues of specific individuals. We realized as Judge Machado's son has said of his dad, ``My father and many more of his generation would be embarrassed at the prospect of receiving special attention for doing what they consider to be a privilege, that is, serving this great country.'' When we honor individuals like Judge Mike Machado, we honor a symbol really of something much more. We honor them because their courage symbolizes the courage and sacrifice to which the Hispanic community and the Nation at large aspire.

We honor the service of Hispanic veterans of World War II specifically today in order to solidify their place in World War II history and ensure that their patriotic virtues receive the appreciation they deserve, that Judge Machado and hundreds of thousands of his fellow World War II veterans, Hispanic and non-Hispanic alike, look back on their valiant service to our country as a privilege and an honor, and should be an inspiration to all Americans.

Let our recognition of their sacrifices motivate us to a greater appreciation of the contributions made during World War II by Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. None of their brave soldiers will ever be forgotten.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of Texas's 20th Congressional District, it is my honor to welcome the Smithsonian Institution to San Antonio as it officially launches its first formal affiliate, the Museo Alameda, from April 12 to 15, 2007. The National Center for Latino Arts and Culture is the only organization in the country that maintains formal partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts--important milestones in the development and appreciation of the diversity of the United States of America. Through its programming, the Museo will showcase stories of the Latino experience through art, history and culture.

The 4 days of opening festivities will begin with Tito Puente, Jr.'s Orchestra, the Latino Giants of Jazz, at the Gala Pachanga in Historic Market Square. It continues with John Quinones of ABC as master of ceremonies for the opening festivities and concludes with Linda Ronstadt as headliner for Canciones de mi Padre, a concert for the people. I along with the Museo Alameda thank the Ford Motor Company, AT&T, and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation for their commitment and friendship in making the museum a reality.

From its inception as the vision of its founding chairman, Henry R. Munoz III, to its designation as the first of more than 150 affiliates bridging the Smithsonian Institution across the country, the museum has impacted our country and our historic city. Through the years of planning and development, the unique and vibrant Museo Alameda has captured the imagination and inspired the support of countless admirers. The Nation's families are invited to visit our museum, to be inspired by it, and to appreciate the diversity, contributions and pride which Latinos bring to our Nation's greatness. It is time for these stories to be told.