Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, tonight we will be highlighting the courage and honor of our Hispanic World War II veterans.

But before we begin tonight, I would like to take this moment to honor the victims of the unbelievable tragedy at Virginia Tech University. We have only just begun to hear the incredible stories of the heroism and tragedy, and begun to learn the names and faces of those who died and those whose survived, but whose lives will forever be changed.

Today we have also seen how remarkable and how resilient they are. To the Virginia Tech University community, the students, the staff, the family members and the loved ones who are suffering today, please know that you are in our prayers and thoughts tonight.

I ask for a brief moment of silence.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order tonight.

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening, joined by my colleagues, to honor and pay respect and tribute to the contributions of the Latino and Hispanic soldiers who served so valiantly during World War II.

World War II was a major turning point for the United States Latinos, changing the world views of an entire generation. Approximately half a million Hispanics served in the Armed Forces during World War II. Unfortunately, many Latino soldiers who returned home found the same discrimination they had left behind, a system that held Latinos to a lower status.

Latinos and Latinas who worked in military installations and in other jobs previously denied them also questioned the status quo.

Understanding the importance of getting an education to better adapt after their tour of duty, many veterans used the GI bill to earn college degrees. In the years following World War II, those men and women made astonishing civil rights advancements for their people through school desegregation, in voting rights, and in basic civil rights.

Powerful organizations grew out of this era, including the American GI Forum founded by Dr. Hector Garcia of Corpus Christi in 1948 to advocate for veterans' rights.

Another organization that came out of the World War II generation of Latinos was the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund in 1968. This came about after Mexican American World War II veterans, including people such as Pete Tijerina; Gregory Luna, a Senator from Texas; Ed Idar and Albert Armendariz, among others, found that their clients, mostly low-income Mexican Americans, were being denied justice in the legal system.

For Puerto Ricans, World War II brought new questions in which the United States came to appreciate Puerto Rico's military importance in the Caribbean. The United States maintained that it needed to keep its sovereign power over the islands for reasons of national security, and World War II strengthened that position. However, over 53,000 Puerto Ricans served within the United States military with dignity. Soldiers from the island, serving in the 65th Infantry Regiment, participated in combat in the European theater in Germany and central Europe.

World War II was also the first conflict in which women other than nurses were allowed to serve in the United States Armed Forces. However, when the United States entered World War II, Puerto Rican nurses volunteered for service, but were not accepted into the Army or the Navy Nurse Corps, and it was not until 1944 that the Army Nurse Corps decided to activate and recruit Puerto Rican nurses so the Army hospitals would not have to deal with language barriers.

Sadly, Madam Speaker, the stories of these men and women have been virtually untold either in the mass media or in the scholarly writings, and that is why my colleagues and I are here this evening to begin sharing the stories of the Hispanic and Latino World War II veterans, so all Americans can learn about and appreciate their contributions.

Within our own body of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus I am proud to honor, to recognize the service of four of our own who have served the military with dignity: Chairman Silvestre Reyes, Chairman Solomon Ortiz, the Honorable John Salazar, and the honorable chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Joe Baca.

Chairman Joe Baca, who represents the 43rd District of California, was drafted in 1966 and served in the Army as a paratrooper with both the 101st and the 82nd Airborne Divisions from 1966 through 1968.

I want to take this opportunity to yield to our chairman, and I thank him for being here tonight.

Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity also to congratulate Congressman Baca not only as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus but for his service to his country, and he continues to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. I thank Congressman Baca.

Let me take this opportunity also to just share with you that also I mentioned earlier Chairman Sylvestre Reyes, who also served in the military, now chairman of the Intelligence Committee, who represents the 16th District of Texas. He is a Vietnam combat veteran, and he was stationed in Marble Mountain in DaNang, and he served as a helicopter crew chief within the 282nd Combat Assault Helicopter Company from March 1967 to April 1968. I know that he was unable to be here tonight, but I know that he also cherishes and recognizes those individuals who served our country.

Let me take this opportunity to recognize a friend from San Antonio, Texas, which represents a community that has multitude and is known as Military U.S.A., San Antonio, because of the support that we have for our military with Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston, Brooks that used to be here, and the military support and all the families there, Congressman Charlie Gonzalez.

Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, I want to personally thank you tonight for bringing the story of Judge Machado, a great leader

in San Antonio. I also want to thank you for your comments as you regressed and talked a little bit in terms of the deficit. You have talked in eloquence, and I couldn't help but remember your dad, Henry B. Gonzalez, as he spoke in this House about the important issues that confront us.

I know that previous groups had talked about the deficit, knowing full well that this particular administration went into office with a surplus, one of the largest surpluses in recorded history. Now we find ourselves without that surplus and find ourselves in an $8.9 trillion debt.

That being said, let me also take this opportunity to mention a little bit about some of our own veterans here on the House, Chairman Solomon Ortiz, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, represents the 27th District of Texas.

As a result of his father's death at the age of 16, Chairman Ortiz dropped out of school to find a job to assist his mother in paying the family bills. Shortly thereafter, Chairman Ortiz joined the Army, because, as he put it, it was the one place that would give him free room and board and let me send my check back home to my mother.

It was in the Army that Mr. Ortiz, Solomon, ever conscious of the needs for an education, got his GED. He received his basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, and was sent overseas to France for his tour of duty. He later found himself reassigned to the 61st Military Police Company, Criminal Investigation Office, a move that would color much of his future professional life. He remained as an investigator for the duration of his tour of duty, receiving his advanced military police training at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

Congressman John Salazar, who represents the Third District of Colorado, graduated from Centauri High School in La Jara, Colorado. In 1973 he joined the Army. After serving in Heidelberg, Germany, Salazar received an honorable military discharge in 1976. Congressman Salazar is proud to be a veteran and proud to be both the son and father of men who have served. The Salazar family is honored to have served our country. Congressman Salazar tells a story of his father, a veteran of World War II, requesting to be buried in his uniform.

Today's generation of Hispanics and Latino American soldiers look to the brave men and women, veterans, who fought before them, as true inspiration. In the State of Texas alone, there are 197,173 World War II veterans who have fought so bravely and honorably to defend our beloved country. According to the 2000 census, the VA reported and recognized Texas as having 14,871,550 civilian population over the age of 18 and a total veteran civilian population of over 1.7 million.

Within the 23rd Congressional District, which is the district that I represent, a district that is one of the largest in the country that stretches from San Antonio to El Paso through Eagle Pass and the border, has some 700 miles of the border with Mexico. I represent the VA reports in their county estimates and projections of living veterans report, that as of September 30, 2006, there are currently 53,012 living veterans within the 23rd Congressional District.

Therefore, my colleagues, I stand today, this evening, in honor of the extraordinary service these men and women should be recognized for what they do. In so recognizing their efforts, we also need to recognize them in terms of what we provide them with.

Before I do that, let me take this opportunity to also tell a story of my father-in-law. Daniel Sanchez Pena was born on January 11, 1919, as the youngest son of Manuel Pena and Catarina Sanchez Pena in Las Colonias of Karnes County, Texas. He grew up in his parents' ranchito doing all the types of farm chores that kids do in a farm. He only went to the second grade in school. He learned to play the guitar at 14 and played at community and farmhouse dances around the community. He would use his skills while in the Army to entertain himself and his fellow soldiers.

To this day, he still enjoys, at 87, playing the guitar there at home. Daniel Sanchez Pena was registered on the 16th day of October, 1940. He reported to the Local Board No. 1 in Karnes County, Texas, at the courthouse, on March 25, 1942. This was part of the 35th precinct of what is referred to as the Robstown, Texas, ward. At the age of 23, in June of 1942, he was at the headquarters of the Armed Forces Replacement Training Center in Fort Knox, Kentucky, Company A, for training. Being a farm boy, he was an expert shooter and got excellent points for marksmanship. He still talks about the beautiful mountains in Kentucky that he recalls and the green valleys.

After training, he was sent to New York to board the ship and go overseas. This was a real adventure to Daniel. Daniel had never traveled far from his home, much less across the Atlantic Ocean. He still talks about the amazement of seeing the dolphins and the whales and other large fish that he saw. He recalls how seasick they were and how at night, how he looked on that floating city of lights. Coming from a small town, that seemed like a large city.

He served in the U.S. Army for 3 years. He was a rifleman in the infantry. He remembers crawling in the sand, freezing in the snow, climbing the steep mountains and the high mountains in Italy and forever marching, dodging bullets and digging fox holes. He saw his friends from Karnes County, a young man at that point that he talks about, and always remembers him, who was killed in front of him. To this day, he still remembers that specific incident when that occurred.

He recalls the many tragedies of the war for both soldiers and civilians. He remembers having to hold his plate of food so that they would not be stolen by the starving civilians and children who appeared around the camps when they went through both Africa and into Italy. He often wondered why he got out alive.

Truly, he experienced every emotion known to man, from profound sorrow to wondrous awe. Only in the last 2 to 3 years has he started to talk about these experiences. As he talks about his experiences, he remembers parts of the comments and the language, the Italian language that he picked up and some of the words. He returned from service in 1945, receiving the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button for World War II.

He married Dora Mansanalez in September of 1947, another young lady who lived at another farm adjoining their farm. His father had seven children, three girls and four boys. Two of the boys, Roberto and Guillermo, my brother-in-laws, served in the Army. Carolina, his daughter, is my wife.

And so I mention Daniel Pena because he is typical of a lot of the veterans, a lot of Hispanic veterans who have served our country, who never spoke of the war until now as he reaches 87 years of age he begins to talk about those incidents.

Let me also take this opportunity, Madam Speaker, as featured by Gebe Martinez, a longtime journalist in Washington. I would like to share with you a story which she featured of a soldier from my own 23rd District of Texas, Nick Arzola.

Nick Arzola was defined as a skinny kid from Del Rio, Texas; service in World War II was the pride of his life. He never forgot the precise time he left New York for the war, 5 p.m. on October 7, 1943. Arzola went through the choppy seas, pitched in his ship so violently that he was sick for the entire 18 days' voyage to Scotland.

On land, he went from cooking on a gas stove on the battlefront to moving grenades and bombs at a munitions depot. Arzola was a proud American from Del Rio, even if he was considered the only Mexican with a bunch of Yankees, as he used to say. He was good natured despite the stereotype. His war buddies first thought he looked Filipino. Then, they called him Pancho Villa and they called him Casanova, according to the tales.

When he returned to Texas after the war, he traveled a road that would later be named for Cleto Rodriguez, the first Hispanic to receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the battle in Manila.

Nick opened a barbershop in Del Rio and painted signs freehand, including billboards for rising Texas politicians

such as Lloyd Bentsen. A veteran, he never missed an election and rounded up voters to take part in freedom as he campaigned.

Until he died in 2005, he was part of the uniformed honor guard at the funeral of Del Rio's war veterans, one where to this day you have a large number of veterans there in Del Rio that continue to volunteer as their veterans pass away and do the honors of burying them.

Nick Arzola's story may not seem unlike that of other veterans, but this is a representation of part of America's history that has too often been forgotten. His story, like the stories many colleagues have shared, have not been told. Nick never missed an election and rounded up votes as he worked and will continue to do so.

So I want to take this opportunity to also mention, as I have a few minutes left, we talked the last few weeks about the situation that we find ourselves with as PBS has a 14-hour program on World War II that will be released in September. There has been a great deal of concern about the lack of Hispanic participation in that particular program. We have had meetings with Ken Burns and others and have been pleased that we have been able to make some inroads. There is still a lot of work to be done.

I do want to mention that I am also concerned that within our own population we don't know the history of the role that Mexican Americans and Hispanics have played, not only in World War II but throughout all the wars.

I want to mention a group of Mexicans, these are truly Mexicans from Mexico that played a very significant role in World War II in defense of the United States and that was referred to as Escuadron 201, the Aztec Eagles, as they were called. The 201 Escuadron was a group of 300 Mexicans that were trained in the United States and fought on behalf of the United States, with some 38 Mexican pilots that were trained in this country.

On December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mexico severed its ties with Germany, Italy, and Japan. And in May 1942, the Nazis also sank a Mexican tanker, and Mexico declared war against the Axis powers. During that time, Mexico participated in the war, and one group was the Escuadron 201. This group of 300 individuals that were Mexicans were trained in this country. The 201 successfully participated in the Allied efforts to bomb Luzon and Formosa, known as Taiwan now, to attempt to push the Japanese out of the island.

Assigned to the 58th Fighter Group of the United States Fifth Air Force, the Aztec Eagles, as they were called, were also used in ground support efforts after the aerial threat from Japan weakened. During those ground assignments, the men of the squadron saw firsthand the fearlessness and war mentality of the Japanese soldiers. Japanese soldiers were often captured after trying to come into the U.S. military campsites for food, as they recalled during the stories. Several of these soldiers such as Captain Reynaldo Gallardo and others continue to remember their efforts.

I want to mention, on Veterans Day Carlos Faustinos, a former member of the Escuadron 201, always is proud of flying not only Old Glory but the Mexican flag, because he, as a Mexican, fought on behalf of the United States against the Japanese. He was also known for being able to down six Japanese Zeros, which basically makes him an ace, and was able to get credit and receive La Cruz de Honor, the Cross of Honor, which is equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor award in this country.

Very few Americans know of the 201 Escuadron. Very few of them know of the Aztec Eagles, these Mexicans who fought with the U.S. troops as troopers and fought over the sea in the Pacific. They continue to engage and continue to meet, and I know the G.I. Forum has recently honored their efforts, but much more needs to be done.

Let me take this opportunity in closing to indicate that as we honor our troops, it is not just sufficient for us to honor them with our words. We have to honor them with our acts. And that is why I am extremely proud to announce that this legislation has put more money for our veterans service than any other in history. I am glad that the budget for 2008 has $6.6 billion, and I know that the House of Representatives will be voting on that. That $6.6 billion is the resources that are essentially needed at this present time to help.

And for 2007, I am also proud to say that we were able to take that particular piece of legislation that should have been passed last year, that was passed by this Congress, the concurrent resolution, and that we added to that bill after we struck all the line items that were placed on that bill the previous year by the previous Congress, we struck every single line item, and we added $3.6 billion for the VA.

So I am pleased not only that we did that, but I am also pleased to announce that the supplemental that the President will hopefully eventually sign has an additional $1.7 billion for our troops for health care. That is the way to honor our troops not only with our words but with our deeds.

Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to be here at this time.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today to recognize and celebrate the 80th birthday of Cesar E. Chavez.

Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma, Arizona, and grew up in migrant labor camps, into the poverty of the migrant worker's life. He became an historical figure who embodied humility and extraordinary strength during his peaceful struggle towards social justice.

He was an individual who represented the ones who had less and had no representation whatsoever. He dedicated his entire life to tirelessly championing the rights of the farm laborers; and along with him was Dolores Huerta, also founder of the United Farm Workers union, fighting for better wages and conditions for those individuals that pick our fruit and feed our Nation.

Cesar Chavez has been an extraordinary icon in my home State of Texas. In San Antonio, we honor his legacy during the annual Cesar Chavez march to recognize those individuals that labor picking up our food.

Additionally, we cannot travel anywhere in the United States without seeing a town or street named after this amazing individual. We in San Antonio, Texas, have Cesar Chavez Boulevard as well as others throughout the country.

I hope that his legacy will continue to remain, and I rise today to encourage my colleagues, urging the President and the Congress to establish a national holiday for Cesar Chavez and encourage them to support H. Res. 76.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1132, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my Special Order tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a former social worker serving in the United States Congress, and I rise to honor the work of professional social workers across the country and throughout the world.

I would like to join my colleagues in the National Association of Social Workers in recognizing March as National Professional Social Work Month and today as World Social Work Day. Today we have the opportunity to acknowledge the important contributions that social workers make in our community and throughout this country.

Today the House overwhelmingly passed H. Res. 266 to recognize the goals and ideals of National Professional Social Work Month and World Social Work Day. This legislation offered the Congress a valuable occasion to support professionals who have helped individuals, families, and communities resolve complicated issues and make significant choices.

My experience as a social worker had a profound influence on my decision to enter public life. I could see that many of the challenges facing my clients and those that I worked with had stemmed from the decisions being made at the public policy level. Serving in Congress allows me to be able to continue to help my clients in a broader capacity.

Social work as a profession is a commitment to not only addressing the individual needs of clients, but also in creating a just system. As a Member of Congress, I work every day to create a just system for the American people.

This year, the theme of National Professional Social Work Month is ``Hope and Health.'' This theme allows us to highlight the considerable involvement of social workers in the health profession.

Social workers often work cooperatively with doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to ensure that their clients receive the highest quality care. Care and attention provided by social workers begins when the client enters the health care profession and does not end until he or she has recovered.

When dealing with health care, social workers will most often act as counselors and therapists. In that capacity, they must help the client and his or her family understand the diagnosis, the illnesses, and the emotions involved. In addition, social workers provide much-needed advice and support

regarding the difficult health care decisions that clients must make.

In fact, professional social workers provide more mental health care than psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses combined, making them the largest provider of mental health services in this country.

These services are also extended to our Nation's veterans. Professional social workers provide counseling, substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention and other services to veterans and their families.

At a time when our Nation is involved in wars both in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is important that our returning soldiers have access to the compassionate care that social workers provide. The Department of Veterans Affairs employs over 4,400 social workers to assist American veterans, including those returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues for joining me in support of H. Res. 266 yesterday and for honoring and paying their respect to our country's professional social workers and the services they provide.

I want to take this opportunity also to indicate that as a former social worker, I had the opportunity not only to teach 11 years in the School of Social Work, but also serve as a caseworker for heroin addicts for about 3 years, where I had the opportunity to serve directly with individuals that also had substance abuse, including adolescent substance abuse. I also had the privilege of working in the community mental health area, where I had an enjoyable practice and enjoyed working with individuals.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the social workers throughout this country for the services they provide.

Mr. Speaker, veterans with service-related disabilities deserve not only our admiration, but also our support. This is why today I rise in strong support of H.R. 327, H.R. 797 and H.R. 1284, a series of bills assisting our service men and women.

H.R. 327, The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act will require the Veterans' Affairs Department to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. Last year a survey study conducted among Army and Marine combat units returning from Iraq and Afghanistan found that one in eight troops reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, less than half of these soldiers experiencing symptoms sought professional help, primarily out of fear of being stigmatized by peers or hurting their military careers. With PTSD comes feelings of estrangement from others, loss of satisfaction in previously satisfying activities, and the feeling of hopelessness about the future. It is no wonder then, that veterans suffer a higher risk of suicide. This bill, H.R. 327, is an important step in the right direction to ending the soldiers' stigma for seeking help, and gives hope to thousands of veterans and their families coping with the costs of war.

Like H.R. 327, The Veterans Vision Equity Act (H.R. 797), is intended to providing our patriots with the care they deserve. H.R. 797 would change current law to provide veterans who receive disability compensation because of blindness in one eye, additional benefits if they are visually impaired in the second eye. This bill provides only a small change to the current code, yet it would aid an estimated 13,200 veterans in getting proper compensation for their disability. We blessed with vision often take our sight for granted, but the loss of one's sight no doubt requires an altering of lifestyle. Indeed, the sights that once filled eyes with beauty are regulated to memories and perceived only in the imagination. Many of our veterans are coping with such a change, and this bill is important in supporting their transition.

Finally there is H.R. 1284, The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2007. This bill would provide an increase in the rate of compensation for disabled veterans, as well as provide an increase in rates

of dependency and indemnity compensation for these veterans' families. The baby-boom generation understands why this bill is necessary: costs are going up. When I was young five dollars could buy you dinner and take you to the movies--now it can buy you a can of soda and chips. Indeed, inflation is slowly but surely driving up costs for basic goods and services. It is important that we meet our obligations to our veterans by providing them with benefits commensurate to their service. H.R. 1284 would achieve just that.

We are a nation at war. As such, now more than ever, maintaining the well-being of our veterans is paramount. Already, we have asked for so much from our service men and women, and now it is time that we return the favor. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting our troops and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 327, H.R. 797 and H.R. 1284.

Mr. Speaker, since The Washington Post broke the story on Building 18 at Walter Reed, we have heard similar stories of unacceptably bad conditions at other facilities around the country. While The Post should be commended for bringing the information to this Nation, it should never have gotten to this point. Last week, we also learned that some Republican colleagues knew of these conditions and basically did nothing. This response of doing nothing is not acceptable.

Rather than inquiring about such bad conditions and deciding to do something, they choose to brush it off and basically bring it under the table. And rather than finding out who was responsible for the housing of our troops that had mold, that had mice and cockroaches, the administration chose to look the other way.

Doing nothing is not acceptable. Last week, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, which I sit on, held hearings, and will continue to hold hearings, on the treatment of our wounded soldiers throughout this country. We want to see the widespread problems that exist corrected, and we recognize the seriousness. It is time for us to do the right thing for our soldiers.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the Water Quality Financing Act, an act that is essential for our country.

For the past 4 years, the water quality needs of our Nation's communities and my constituents have been neglected. Rural communities along the Texas-Mexican border in my district do not have the resources or the financial capacity to renovate existing water treatment plans and to construct sewage management systems.

These are basic issues in our country where people are still having difficulty getting access to potable water.

I have already heard from the small cities of Sabinal, Clint, Fort Stockton, Presidio, and Fort Hancock, Texas, all of which are in desperate need of assistance with their wastewater management. These and many other communities stand to benefit significantly from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

This legislation will authorize a significant increase in funding for the fund, allowing these communities, like those in my district and throughout this country, to secure loans and begin work on the water improvement programs that are needed for our citizens.

I ask you to support this specific legislation that allows these individuals to be able to get access to good, potable water.

Madam Speaker, as a proud Texan, I rise this afternoon in support of H.R. 584 in naming the Department of Education Headquarters Building in Washington, D.C. after the first ``Education President,'' President Lyndon B Johnson.

Like myself, President Johnson began his career in the field of education and, like me, he also had to borrow money in order to attend college.

In 1927, he borrowed $75, as indicated by the previous speaker, to attend the Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos, Texas. He temporarily dropped out of school to serve also as a principal and teacher, and he taught at a school in South Texas in La Salle County in a city by the name of Cotulla, which is a city that I had the pleasure of representing while I was representing the 28th Congressional District. There he taught a good number of Mexican Americans as a young man.

On August 19, 1930, President Johnson graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Science and continued teaching at Pearsall High School, also in the 28th Congressional District that I served.

Pioneering the importance of education as our President, on April 11, 1965, Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was the first Federal general aid to education law and focused on disadvantaged children, both in inner cities and rural communities throughout this country.

Madam Speaker, President Johnson has no Federal buildings in the District of Columbia named after him, and since he enacted over 60 education bills in his term, including the Economic Opportunity Act, Head Start, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (title I) and the Higher Education Act, (beginning student loan program), the Department of Education building is a fitting honor for President LBJ.

I urge my colleagues in joining me in passing H.R. 584.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act. Now, more than ever, American workers need effective bargaining tools to negotiate with their employers for higher wages, safer working conditions and better benefits. As the income gap between the wealthy and the middle class widens, it becomes more important to protect and support American workers.

Being part of a union can provide invaluable benefits to American workers. According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics the median weekly income for unionized workers is 30 percent higher than that of non-union employees. We need to facilitate organization among workers, not impede it. The card check method authorized by this legislation will help to do just that.

For decades, workers have had the right to join a union and for that union to be recognized. Secret ballots have been beneficial in determining support for unions in the past, but a growing number of reports of worker intimidation and even job termination prove that secret ballots are no longer enough.

Secret ballot elections, a sacred and long-held tradition in American government, take on vastly different consequences in the workplace. Such elections often follow widespread harassment and coercion and the results become a byproduct of the fear and intimidation initiated by employers. If an election process cannot be conducted in a fair manner, then we must provide a legal alternative for unionization.

This legal alternative is the card check method authorized by the Employee Free Choice Act, which will allow employees to express their support for unions without being subject to anti-union propaganda leading up to a secret ballot. This legislation also enacts strict penalties that will deter employers from abusing and manipulating their workers. Our workers deserve the rights and protections that are required by the Employee Free Choice Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 42. Anne Richards's devotion to the state of Texas deserves our highest honor and commendation. Her work to promote the rights of women in politics, devotion to equality and her never-failing drive to better the lives of her constituents made her an iconic figure in Texas politics.

Governor Richards began her political career in the 1970's fighting for equality. As an advocate for female politicians, she managed Sarah Weddington's successful bid to become a member of the Texas State House of Representatives. She then joined State Representative Weddington as a legislative assistant in 1974, during this time she also participated in Wilhelmina Delco's campaign to become the first African-American to represent Austin in the state legislature. Not content to rest there, she provided training sessions across the state for female candidates and managers. She would continue this fight for equality for the next 20 years.

In 1982 she was elected to the post of state treasurer becoming the first woman elected to state-wide office in more than 50 years. She devoted herself to the modernization of the state treasury and to earning the greatest possible interest for the state of Texas. According to one estimate, the treasury earned 1.8 billion dollars under her leadership, representing a huge improvement over her predecessor. During her tenure she displayed the incredible wit that made her such a powerful public speaker and one of the most popular figures in Texas politics.

After two terms as state treasurer she was elected Governor of the state of Texas in 1990. What she accomplished in her four years as Governor was nothing short of amazing. Among the achievements for which we are honoring her here today, she revitalized the Texan economy, achieving growth during a period of national economic decline. She revamped the Texas prison system to improve rehabilitation for inmates and to better protect the citizens of Texas by establishing a substance abuse program for inmates, working to expand capacity and reduce prison overpopulation, and reducing the number of violent offenders released. The Texas Lottery was also instituted during Governor Richards' time in office as a means to supplement school financing

Education and school financing were focal points of her Governorship. She worked tirelessly to make school funding more equitable across districts and championed ``sitebased management'' programs to decentralize school administration.

Of her nearly 3,000 government appointments, 46 percent were female, 15 percent were black, 20 percent were Hispanic and 2 percent were Asian American. I rise today to honor her commitment to diversity, her battle for equality, and her lifetime of service to the state of Texas and the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bipartisan resolution that expresses disapproval of the President's escalation of troops in Iraq. In October of 2002, I stood on this floor in this House and voted against giving the President authority to wage war in Iraq. And I did so because I strongly believed that Congress should not abdicate its war powers and hand over to the President a blank check on the war.

I also recognized, having served on the Armed Services Committee and on the Terrorist Task Force prior to 9/11, that the evidence was not there. I may not agree with how this war has been handled, but I, along with everyone here and all of my colleagues on both sides, firmly stand by our troops. It is our servicemen and -women who are making a great sacrifice on the battlefield on behalf of all of us here in this Chamber and everyone across the United States.

And they, the troops, all deserve our unequivocal support. This war is creating a new generation of veterans and a new generation of needs for them. Today, over 25,000 both dead and wounded have been reported, while this body continues to appropriate billions of dollars to the administration for this war.

Let us remember our veterans and the cost to fulfill the promise that we have made to them for medical care. Today, the issue is not whether we were right or wrong to grant the President such broad authority in regards to this war in Iraq, but instead how he has exercised that power, what the results have been, and what his plans are for the future.

We have now entered the fifth year of this war. And I ask you, what progress have we made? What is our exit strategy? It is not a new question. It was a question that was raised from the very beginning when we went into this war, and when we raised it in the Armed Services Committee. This war and the reckless strategy behind it have cost us Americans some $532 billion, and over 3,100 American lives, as well as over 3,000 serious injuries.

It has resulted in increased sectarian violence and an uncertain future in Iraq. Madam Speaker, I think most of us here know that we need a new direction, and a new direction is justified. I can assure you that the American people want a new direction.

But what the President has offered to them is more of the same. The President is now asking for a massive escalation of over 20,000 troops. The escalation plan will not work, just like the previous troop surges that we have had have not worked. Madam Speaker, the American people have asked and have had enough. And with an up-and-down vote on this resolution, this Congress will not only send a message to the President regarding his misguided policy, but also send a message to the American people that their Congress is listening, it is here, and it is calling for a new direction.

I oppose this escalation plan because more troops in combat means more casualties and more loss of American lives. I have been to Walter Reed Medical Center, and I have seen our injured young men and women coming back from the battlefield. I have seen the sacrifice of what this war has done to our families and our loved ones.

Earlier this week, my office was visited by Mr. Jim Goodnow. He is a veteran from my district and an active member of the Veterans for Peace. Mr. Goodnow has traveled all over the country from his home base in Terlinqua, Texas, aboard his bus dubbed the Yellow Rose. He has been spreading the message of peace for many years.

Mr. Goodnow is not alone. And with this resolution we want to make it clear that this Congress and America and the American people have had enough. No more blank checks, no more violence, and no more escalation.

Madam Speaker, it is time that we stand by our country and stand up for our troops. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to stand here today and report to the American people that we have completed the 100-hours agenda. We are demonstrating that we have kept our promise. We have set a tone for the 110th Congress that is one of cooperation, consensus, and compromise that extends beyond party lines. From the ethics reforms to restoring fiscal responsibility, to strengthening our national security, to giving more Americans a realistic shot at the American Dream, the new Democratic majority is committed to real and lasting results for the people that we serve.

On the opening days of the Congress, January 4, we adopted the most sweeping ethics package since the post-Watergate era. We restored tough pay-as-you-go budget rules, which will begin to reverse the record budget deficits that are passing on trillions of dollars to our children and grandchildren. We all recognize how important that is.

We recognize that we are some $8.6 trillion in debt, that each one now owes over $29,000. In fact, every child born now owes some $29,000 in order for us to pay the debt.

In the remainder of the first 100 hours, we have turned to passing the Six for '06 agenda to meet the everyday needs of all Americans. We made America safer by the passage of a bill that implements the recommendation of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, which were submitted by Congress in 2004.

We are extremely proud of that particular piece of legislation, because it allows us to address those needs that were identified by the commission, needs, especially, in south Texas, as we know, on border security, that are critical, other needs, such significant, although they might be considered not so important, but the importance of the agencies to be able to communicate with each other that was found to be one of the most difficult problems that we have still, but have not confronted.

We made our economy fair by passing a bill that increases the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over the next 2 years, affecting approximately 900,000 employees in Texas. Texas is hit the hardest with this, with the minimum wage; and we are extremely proud to have passed that piece of legislation. It also impacts some of 28.6 percent of the jobs that pay below the Federal poverty line in Texas. We have improved health care by passing and extending the Federal funding for lifesaving embryonic stem cell research, which will help 110 million Americans suffering from diseases.

We have helped to make health care more affordable by passing a bill that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct cost savings negotiations with the drug companies for lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. That is essential. The way the legislation has been written is basically un-American, not allowing us to bargain with the pharmaceutical companies to get lower prices, very similar to what the VA does now.

We know that they are able to get prices at 60 percent lower than what we can for our seniors under Medicare. This particular piece of legislation is going to be out there, and it is going to help all of us, and especially the taxpayer that has to pay for Medicare. So we are extremely proud to have passed that piece of legislation in the last 100 hours.

We also make college more affordable by passing a bill that cuts the interest rates on subsidized student loans for undergraduates in half over the next 5 years. This is particularly important, also, for Hispanic Americans, since 50 percent of Latinos, undergrads, receive Federal aid affecting some 205,000 students throughout this country.

We are extremely proud to have done that. The interest rates on those loans for those students is essential, that we can lower them to a level where it has a direct impact on the cost of higher education. We also know that tuition has been increasing. No one knows that better than parents and young people that are going to college.

We set America on the path to energy independence by passing a bill that repeals $14 billion in subsidies to big oil and gas companies and invests those funds, instead, in clean, renewable energy resources and alternative fuels.

This is just the beginning of the work we are going to be doing. I am really pleased.

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity first of all on the charges that were made on the other side indicating that the prices for the veterans would rise is false and not correct. H.R. 4 does not require that the manufacturers extend the VA prices to Medicare.

Why we are here today is to make sure that our seniors are well taken care of, to make sure that they are having the same opportunities that our veterans would have. What's wrong with allowing our taxpayers to have a better rate? What's wrong with allowing our seniors to have better rates?

Those are the most vulnerable of our communities. I ask you to vote ``aye'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the minimum wage and indicate to you that it is time that we take this measure and make it happen.

Let me thank Chairman Miller on his efforts and just indicate to you that the State of Texas is the one that has the most to gain. We have over 900,000 such workers that would be impacted by this piece of legislation. And, for those, let me also indicate that in Texas nearly 70 percent of low-wage employees work full time. I will repeat that. Seventy percent of low-wage employees work full time. And, among those, almost 40 percent of the low-wage workers are sole breadwinners. Forty percent are sole breadwinners. So this is something that is critical. This is something that is important, something that needs to happen.

The minimum wage increase improves the economic well-being of our families. It provides for better living conditions and improving the quality of life. And I cannot comprehend why Members of Congress that have been here over 10 years, who have voted on their own increase each time, and yet not allow an opportunity for individuals that are in the lowest part of the wages in this country be able to get a pay increase.