Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of comprehensive immigration reform that is tough, practical and effective. I urge my colleagues to work together in a bi-partisan manner so that we can move legislation to the floor as soon as possible.

Our inability to solve the Nation's immigration crisis is taking a major toll on the high-tech business sector and crippling their ability to have the workforce they need. As American companies struggle to compete in the global information-economy, they are continually seeking the brightest minds to develop new innovations and technologies. Sometimes, those minds are in other countries. Many of these individuals studied at top U.S. colleges and universities but have returned to their native country.

H-IB visas allow American businesses to hire temporary skilled foreign employees in specialized occupations when they are unable to find a qualified U.S. citizen for the job. These specialized occupations include architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, law, accounting, business specialties, theology and the arts.

Each year, the number of H-IB visas are capped at 65,000. Applications for 2008 were only open for 1 day, after 150,000 applications were filed on April 1.

Robert Breault, president and founder of the Breault Research Organization of Tucson, called the cap on applications ``a catastrophe.'' Southern Arizona's ``Optics Valley,'' as well as other high-tech corridors, depend on foreign workers with advanced degrees-- degrees often earned in U.S. universities--to supplement the workforce.

Our high-tech companies are competing in a global marketplace. To keep pace, they must hire the best employees. As comprehensive immigration reform legislation begins to take shape, congress must ensure that the number of H-IB visas is increased.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in support of the McNerney- Giffords-Crowley amendment to the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007.

I want to thank Congressman McNerney and Congressman Crowley for their help in crafting this amendment. It has been a pleasure to work with both of them.

A Hispanic-serving institution is defined as an institution of higher education that has at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time enrollment, and at least 50 percent of the school's student population must be eligible for need-based financial aid.

This amendment will establish a new program in the National Science Foundation to award grants to Hispanic-serving institutions on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. These grants will enhance the quality of undergraduate science, math, engineering and technology education. This will increase student retention and graduation rates for those students pursuing degrees in these critical areas.

Specifically, this grant program will support faculty development, which is critical; stipends for undergraduate students participating in research; and initiatives to improve courses and curriculum in science, math and engineering and technology.

In 2005, Mr. Chairman, a group of bipartisan congressional lawmakers asked the experts at the National Academies for steps that policymakers must pursue in order to ensure the United States remains globally competitive.

Their report, entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm, which we refer to frequently on the Science Committee, found that the United States will stand to lose in terms of global competitiveness unless we act immediately.

One of the recommendations was to increase the participation of minorities in STEM education fields. That report stated that ``increasing participation of underrepresented minorities is critical to ensuring a high-quality supply of scientists and engineers in the United States over the long term. And as minority groups increase in percentage within the United States population, increasing their participation in those STEM fields is critical.''

In my home State of Arizona, 50 percent of the population 18 years of age and younger are Hispanic. My amendment will ensure that Hispanics, our Nation's largest ethnic minority, and many blacks, whites, Asians and Native Americans who attend Hispanic-serving institutions will be able to more fully contribute to American innovation. It will expand the number of students graduating with the credentials to enter the critical fields that impact American competitiveness, those STEM fields.

This amendment truly benefits all of the United States of America.

In my district I have three Hispanic-serving institutions, Pima Community College, Cochise Community College and, of course, the University of Arizona South. All three of these institutions support this amendment which would give them the opportunity to improve their STEM education programs.

Dr. Karen Nicodemus, who is the president of Cochise College, told my office, ``As President of a rural Hispanic-serving institution, I applaud and strongly support any and all efforts to fund and expand undergraduate student access to the STEM areas. Directing resources to a growing but historically underserved student population is essential, essential to fully engaging and preparing them for the 21st century,'' Mr. Chairman, which we know is so critical.

According to Dr. Roy Flores, who is the chancellor of Pima Community College, ``Our ability to increase minority graduates in science, technology, engineering and math degree programs will determine our relative position in the global economy.''

This amendment, Mr. Chairman, is all about keeping America globally competitive in this 21st century. I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member Hall.

I rise today to enthusiastically express my support for H.R. 362, the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act.

The purpose of this legislation is to improve our national corps of teachers in both math and science, both by recruiting new teachers and also by supporting the current ones. To build a world-class science and technology workforce, we need to have a world-class math and science education system, and H.R. 362 will help accomplish this goal.

According to the Nation's report card in 2005, only 30 percent of eighth graders performed at or above the proficient levels in math. Only 32 percent of eighth graders and 18 percent of 12th graders performed at or above the proficient levels in science.

America must do better. The National Academy's ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' report, presented to us in committee, states that ``without fundamental knowledge and skills, the majority of students scoring below proficient'' levels will ``lack the foundation for good jobs and full participation in society.''

America must invest in this national teaching force, especially in rural and poor areas.

Karen Nicodemus is president of Cochise Community College in my district in Arizona. She states that although the shortage of high- quality and high-qualified math and science teachers cuts across all educational systems, we feel it in the rural areas more than in other areas. We do a disservice to our brightest students in high school in those rural and poor areas by not investing and making sure that we have a qualified workforce.

To remain competitive in the 21st-century global economy, it is critical that we reform math and science education in America. All children, especially those in rural and in poor areas, should have the opportunity to become leaders, should be able to take our country to the next level.

It is an honor to be on this bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Ranking Member Hall.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 363, the Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Act. In 2005, a bipartisan group of congressional legislators came together and asked the National Academies for a list of the top 10 action items that policymakers must take in order to assure that America stays globally competitive.

Their report, which was reduced, called ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' found that the U.S. would stand to lose our global competitiveness if we did not act immediately. One of their recommendations was to invest in research in an effort to ``sustain and strengthen the Nation's traditional commitment to long-term basic research that has the potential to be transformational to maintain the flow of new ideas that fuel the economy, provide security, and enhance the quality of life.'' This bill does exactly that.

This legislation provides early-career awards for scientists and engineers at the National Science Foundation and at the Department of Energy. Young researchers and scientists can shift paradigms, break out of traditions, and think of new ideas within their field; and it is this outside-of-the-box thinking that we must promote.

The early-career awards in this bill awards young scientists for engaging in both high-risk, but also high-reward, research that is transformational and innovative.

This bill does not fund all science. This bill focuses on fostering the most innovative of elements in the scientific enterprise. With countries such as India and China becoming more and more competitive, we have to take every action possible to ensure that the United States of America stays globally competitive.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing this bill forward. I am honored to be a sponsor.

Madam Speaker, the insufficient border security in my district in southern Arizona is unacceptable. Our inspection infrastructure is deficient, and this is the critical reason why the Tucson Sector has more drugs seized and illegal immigrants apprehended than any other sector bordering Mexico.

The U.S. Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona seize an average of 2,670 pounds of drugs and apprehend 2,000 illegal immigrants every day. We must end this crisis and secure the border now.

Currently, we have no idea how much contraband or how many people are actually coming across. However, what we do know is that Tucson has become the largest land corridor in the country for marijuana and the most heavily used route in the Nation for illegal immigrants.

While all of Arizona requires additional border security measures, some communities are affected more than others. The current make-shift checkpoint on I-19 just north of Tubac creates an intolerable situation for nearby residents. Human and drug smugglers can easily circumvent or penetrate it, and there has been a recent increase in violence and crime. Residents, tourists and business people have also been inconvenienced by the checkpoint in Tubac because it has led to a massive increase in traffic.

A Federal law that prohibited Arizona's development of a permanent checkpoint in southern Arizona was rejected by the House of Representatives last year. However, at my request U.S. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar agreed that no permanent checkpoint will be planned for the Tucson sector without significant and direct community involvement. Southern Arizonans must work with our law enforcement agencies to create a plan for securing our borders and reducing the violence against citizens and immigrants.

Chief Aguilar, Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert Gilbert, and I have agreed to form a working group of residents along the I-19 Corridor to collaboratively decide what future security measures need to look like.

A permanent checkpoint on I-19 can only be successful in reducing the total number of drugs and undocumented individuals if several additional measures are taken. These measures include active community involvement in the planning for the checkpoint and an overall network of border security technology that includes surveillance cameras, an array of sensors and vehicle x-ray technology similar to what exists at our ports of entry.

I believe strongly that decisions are best made at the local level. The recent change in Federal law provides citizens and law enforcement officials an opportunity to work collaboratively to secure our border, protect our communities, and foster a secure and vibrant economy.

Madam Speaker, this month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy AURA. In 1957, seven universities banded together to form a new type of consortium that would establish a national astronomical observatory available to all astronomers on a merit basis. This new consortium, AURA, sought access to the clearest skies and best observing sites available. They established their headquarters in Tucson, AZ, and over the ensuing years built the Kitt Peak National Observatory and a sister observatory in Chile known as the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

The establishment of AURA took place in an environment in which the National Science Foundation was only 5 years old and the establishment of a space agency was still to come. AURA saw the need for the astronomical community to organize itself, to work toward common goals, and to create scientific opportunities for all. AURA and other public observatories helped advance the field of U.S. astronomy.

From these beginnings, AURA has extended our view of the universe and ourselves with its visionary planning for what is now the Hubble Space Telescope, which AURA operates from its Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. It also paved the way for the giant ground based telescopes known as the International Gemini Observatory, in Hawaii and Chile.

AURA has helped astronomy move to a central position in national and international scientific research with increasingly strong ties to many other areas of the physical sciences and the fundamental questions that they address.

For example, on the largest scales in the field of cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics increasingly view the universe as the ultimate ``high-energy laboratory'', which may be the only way to address questions about the fundamental nature of matter and space itself. Observations made at AURA observatories both on the ground and in space have revealed the existence of both dark matter and dark energy. At the other extreme of scale, astrobiology is synthesizing research in astronomy, biology, and chemistry and is emerging as a field in itself. Again, observations at AURA's observatories are beginning a quest to search for the presence of life and ultimately understand its origins both within our solar system and in our galaxy.

Looking to the near future and the advent of the James Webb Space Telescope and a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope, we hope to see the light from the first stars in the Universe, to catch galaxies as they are first assembling, investigate the nature of dark matter and dark energy, understand how black holes are formed, and take a census of extrasolar planets with masses extending from that of Jupiter down to masses comparable to that of the Earth. With the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope, we hope to observe the Sun at the smallest scales possible and understand the fundamental workings of our closest star. These questions are not just at the forefront of astronomical research, but are ones that have captured the public's interest and imagination.

Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in commending AURA for its accomplishments over the past fifty years. From a humble idea born in Tucson, AZ, to the outer reaches of the universe, AURA has made a major contribution to U.S. science and to our cultural heritage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call on all Members of the House to listen to each other's concerns so that we can reach an agreement on comprehensive immigration reform.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of the bipartisan legislation authored by Congressman Gutierrez and Congressman Flake, H.R. 1645.

Recently, I held a teleconference forum with District business leaders, law enforcement officers, I.C.E. and Border Patrol agents, and representatives from the Arizona Department of Corrections and Governor Napolitano's office.

Their concerns included needing more help with the burden of incarcerating illegal immigrants, having trouble finding workers, and requiring assistance with a quick, easy-to-use employee verification system, among other issues.

Over the next two weeks in the district, I will be holding additional community forums, so people can tell me what they think needs to be done about our Nation's immigration crisis.

I look forward to hearing from members of my community on every side of the issue--immigrant rights activists, business leaders, the Minutemen, law enforcement, ranchers, and local residents.

Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar will also be joining me in the District to hear from folks on the front lines of this issue.

After listening to a range of experts and local residents, I will recommend possible improvements before we vote on any legislation.

What is clear to me is that the illegal immigration crisis is complex and impacts almost every aspect of our lives in Arizona. Therefore, a piecemeal approach will not work.

If we truly want to secure the border and end illegal immigration, we must pass a common-sense bill that will address every part of the problem.

Mr. Chairman, we have before us today an excellent piece of legislation, the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, that I believe will help untangle problems in military health care such as the ones that we recently saw at the Walter Reed Hospital. This legislation came before us in the Armed Services Committee recently, and I am convinced that the provisions will dramatically improve the treatment for our brave, wounded servicemembers and their families by the Department of Defense health care system.

One issue of particular importance that was addressed in this bill is the mental health services and screenings that we will provide to our troops. I want to thank Members for supporting my amendment, that directly impacts mental health treatment for our men and women in uniform.

Ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating a brand-new generation of veterans, many have seen extreme stresses of war. According to the VA, post-traumatic stress syndrome rates are starting to appear about 20 percent. You look back during the Vietnam War era, those rates were close to 30 percent. So, I believe we are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg.

PTSD is an issue that will face thousands of American combat veterans for years into the future. This legislation will help ensure that these soldiers don't face this problem alone.

I am proud to vote with my colleagues from the Armed Services Committee to report this bill favorably to the House. I will be very pleased to vote for this outstanding piece of legislation when it appears here on the House floor. I want to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter, for bringing this piece of legislation forward, and, of course, the staff of the Armed Services Committee for their dedication to this issue.

In closing, not every American signs up to put on the uniform. Not every American puts their life on the line for our principles and our values. But for those Americans that do, we owe it to be there with them when they need help.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased that we in the House of Representatives finally have a comprehensive immigration reform bill that we can debate, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation authored by Congressman Gutierrez and Congressman Flake.

Members in this chamber now have the opportunity to pass a bill that will secure the border and end our nation's illegal immigration crisis.

Given that the challenge of illegal immigration is complex, the solution must address all aspects of this problem--border security, the hiring of illegal immigrants, labor shortages in certain sectors of our economy, and the millions of illegal immigrants currently living in the United States.

A piecemeal approach will simply not work. If we truly want to end illegal immigration, the only option is to pass a comprehensive bill that is tough, practical, and effective.

I stand here today ready to work with members of both parties, ready to listen to everyone's concerns, and steadfast in my conviction that, if we can put aside partisanship and compromise with each other, we can reach an agreement.

In my district in southern Arizona, the need for reform is critical. In 2006, 4,000 illegal immigrants a day crossed the border into Arizona. Our schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed. Our environment and homeland security are threatened.

In the weeks ahead, I will be holding several forums on this legislation in my district, so I can receive feedback from the folks on the front lines of the immigration crisis. After listening to a range of experts and local residents, I will recommend possible improvements before we vote on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today once again to state my strong support for comprehensive immigration reform. Last week, Federal agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raided businesses in my district in southern Arizona because employers were suspected of employing illegal immigrants. For years, we have known that employers in Arizona and across the country have been breaking the law by illegally employing undocumented workers. Let me be clear: any company that knowingly hires illegal immigrants should be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

I recognize the humanitarian concerns that are involved when raids on businesses occur, especially regarding families. The problems of immigration are extensive. These raids make clear that in my district in Arizona we continue to bear the brunt of a national crisis. Approximately 4,000 illegal immigrants pass into Arizona each and every day. That is unacceptable.

We need to rise to the challenge and address a national crisis. We need to do it now. Democrats and Republicans working together must pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for fully funding the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, also known as SCAAP, at its authorized level for fiscal year 2008 at $950 million.

This program, which reimburses State and local governments for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants, is vital to border States such as Arizona, where we disproportionately pay a higher amount than our fair share of incarceration.

Underfunding SCAAP places a significant cost burden on our local law enforcement, stretching their resources and hampering their ability to protect our communities.

All of the counties in my district, Pima, Cochise, Pinal and Santa Cruz, are reimbursed less than 10 percent of the amount of incarcerating illegal immigrants. This places an unfair cost burden on our local communities. Given the importance of homeland security and law enforcement, it is absolutely essential that we receive full funding for SCAAP. I believe that Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle would agree that reimbursement should be a Federal priority.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express a measured degree of optimism that Congress will pass a comprehensive immigration reform package this year.

A Senate bill is likely to be unveiled as early as next week, and I would hope that the House will follow soon after with our version.

To be effective, this legislation must include provisions for increased border security, more support for border patrol agents, sanctions for employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants, compensation for border communities, and a guest worker program.

In my district in Southern Arizona, the need for reform is critical. In 2006, 4,000 illegal immigrants a day crossed the border into Arizona. Our schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed. Our environment and homeland security are threatened.

We must work across party lines to pass comprehensive immigration reform so we can focus our attention on those crossing the border who wish to do America harm: drug smugglers, human smugglers, and terrorists.

I also want to thank the outgoing chief of the Tucson sector border patrol, Michael Nicley, for his service and hard work. All of us in Southern Arizona appreciate his dedication. I welcome Robert Gilbert as the new chief, and I look forward to working closely with him on this important issue.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for some provisions of President Bush's FY08 budget request regarding illegal immigration.

His plan includes hiring 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, improving technology and infrastructure along the border, and helping end the failed ``catch and release'' policy. The President's proposal also offers assistance to State and local law enforcement agencies.

My district in Southern Arizona continues to bear the burden of our Nation's failed immigration policy, especially in our schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies. The President's ideas will, to some degree, help alleviate this crisis.

However, these policies must be a part of a comprehensive immigration reform plan to effectively secure the border and stop illegal immigration.

We not only need better border security and more support for border patrol agents, but also employer sanctions for those knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and a guest worker program. Most importantly, we need fair compensation for border communities struggling with the costs of illegal immigration.

I applaud the President for reaching out to Congress on this issue, and I look forward to working with the administration and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Mr. Speaker, as Members of the 110th Congress we are about to cast one of our most important votes yet. Americans in my district of southern Arizona and across the country want their Representatives to bring closure to the United States' involvement in Iraq. This vote is the first step towards doing precisely that.

A few weeks ago President Bush gave a nationally televised speech to the American people to announce his new way forward for Iraq. But it sounded strangely familiar. The President acknowledged that his policies and plans in Iraq had failed to yield the promised results, and yet his only suggestion was to do more of the same.

During my first few weeks in Congress serving on the House Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have been listening, learning, asking tough questions. I have participated in many hours of hearings and briefings with top administration officials.

Those people include Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Congressman Lee Hamilton, co-chairman of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group commissioned by the President.

Since being sworn into Congress, I have also been reading dozens of letters sent to me by my constituents, flying home to my district almost every single weekend to meet with concerned citizens.

Recently I attended a returning warrior event in Arizona for Reservists coming back from combat. And last week I visited Walter Reed Hospital here in Washington, D.C. to speak with wounded soldiers and their families.

These collective experiences have made me more confident than ever that the global war on terror and the situation in Iraq are more complicated than President Bush seems to realize. Common sense dictates that in order for any plan to succeed it must require the Iraqi people to calm the sectarian violence and unify behind a workable political structure.

The President's plan fails to acknowledge the lack of willingness and capacity by the Iraqi political and religious leaders to achieve these necessary goals. Sectarian factions are divided more than ever. Without the serious involvement and motivation of the Iraqi people, the President's proposals to send more American troops into harm's way amounts to little more than having 21,000 more soldiers stay the course.

This I cannot support. The President should consider the views of many active and retired military generals who advised him to change his strategy in Iraq. Instead of adding more soldiers, he should instead focus on some of the best recommendations set forward by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group that he commissioned.

These recommendations include keeping Iraq rapid reaction and special operation forces in Iraq to strike al Qaeda militias, setting performance benchmarks for the Iraqi Government and holding them accountable, providing economic assistance to Iraq that will help create jobs, strengthen infrastructure, and improve the Iraqi capacity to be independent and stable.

Last but not least, beginning a new dialogue with Iraq's neighbors because they need to be part of the solution. The basic message of the Iraq Study Group and other credible experts and strategists is that the situation in Iraq is a political not just a military crisis.

The President's military escalation plan without a political component is bound to fail. Along with all other patriotic Americans, I strongly support our men and women in uniform who are risking their lives to protect and defend our Nation.

Our Armed Forces must have the tools, the training and the support that they need to be successful in any mission. I have serious concerns, Mr. Speaker, that our Army, Marine Corps, along with Guard and Reserve forces are being stretched too thin.

Instead of sending 21,000 more young American soldiers to Iraq as part of that same failed strategy, the President should focus on the Global War on Terror. Failure is not an option. America must prevail against many serious threats around the world, whether in the Middle East or elsewhere.

Mr. Speaker, I will vote to support the resolution before this body because our brave men and women in uniform deserve a strategy that honors their sacrifices. The President's plan does not do that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make clear once again the immediate need for a comprehensive immigration reform package.

The L.A. Times yesterday reported that seven of the largest tunnels discovered under the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years have still yet to be filled in. This troubles me for many reasons, not the least of which because smugglers have tried to use these passages before.

We need to work in a bipartisan fashion to end illegal immigration. And we have to focus our attention on those who wish to do America harm, whether they are drug smugglers, human smugglers or terrorists.

President Bush made it very clear last week in the State of the Union address that we need to have a serious civil and conclusive debate on illegal immigration. I agree, and I look forward to doing just that, working with the administration and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do just that.

My district in southern Arizona continues to bear the brunt of the crisis, whether it is in our schools, our law enforcement, our first responders or in our hospitals. It is time to do what is necessary to secure the border now.