Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was absent during rollcall vote No. 357. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 5502, the ECO-Gift Card Act, which amends the effective date of the gift card provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4349) to further allocate and expand the availability of hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 4349 would update the statutory allocation of electric power generated at the Hoover Dam, located on the Colorado River, to its various users. The current allocation of this hydropower resource expires at the end of fiscal year 2017.

In this regard, H.R. 4349 would increase the amount of electricity to be marketed by the Western Area Power Administration, known as WAPA, and provide to Native American tribes and other previously excluded entities the opportunity to acquire Federal power. The revised allocation would remain in effect from 2017 to 2067.

H.R. 4349 has 43 bipartisan cosponsors. This hydroelectric generation, which provides a renewable, affordable, and accessible resource to the American Southwest, is, in this bill, being made now available to additional users through this legislation. Western Area Power has committed to implement a full and transparent process in the allocation of this resource. We expect that the State regulatory agencies of Arizona and Nevada will follow the same procedures and commitment to an impartial and unbiased allocation determination.

Hydropower is a valuable resource for our country. The 50-year time frame for allocation of this resource matches the commitment by collaborators to fund the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. The conservation program is a nationally recognized example of how diverse stakeholders can, together, find solutions without litigation that allow everyone to use the Lower Colorado River to promote economic growth while supporting compliance with the Endangered Species Act and then protecting more than 100 species which the Lower Colorado River floodplain has within the river.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 4349, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I want to thank my colleague for being with us today and to all of my other colleagues who are supporting and endorsing this bill, especially the staff of the Water Subcommittee on our side and on the minority staff. The collaborative effort that has gone into this is exemplary of how we can work together to get things done, and I am very happy that we are

able to do that in this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2008) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the development of hydroelectric power on the Diamond Fork System of the Central Utah Project, as amended.

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 bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 2008, introduced by our colleague Representative Jim Matheson, would declare as final the cost allocation of $161 million to hydroelectric power generation on the Diamond Fork System in Utah and would defer those costs indefinitely in accordance with section 211 of the Central Utah Project Completion Act of 1992.

H.R. 2008 is a perfect example of a win-win situation. This legislation will facilitate the development of 50 megawatts of clean hydroelectric power while generating revenue for the government for the use of its water facilities. This has been another collaborative effort, and I am very glad that we are able to bring it to the floor.

I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I certainly want to commend my colleagues for working on this particular bill, and I thank them very much for the bipartisan way this was carried out. Water has no boundaries, no color, no political designation, and we need to continue working on these issues that are going to help the American people be able to have clean, sustainable green power.

So, with that, I want to thank the staffs on both sides for their marvelous work.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank both the congresswoman from California (Ms. Matsui) and the congressman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for talking about H. Res. 1258, recognizing May as Mental Health Month.

As you've heard, there are many instances where we ignore this fact, and we are currently trying to erase the stigma. That's the biggest issue that we have in the United States.

Today we must continue to shed light on those who suffer in silence with mental illness. It knows no boundaries. As you've heard, it goes into any race, any gender, any class, any religion, any political party, everywhere. It does not discriminate.

Every day our children, our soldiers, our veterans, our family members, our coworkers and friends carry their wounds and pain on the inside. It is an invisible illness that often goes unseen and unmentioned, even as it leaves a trail of devastation in its wake.

Recent reports show that military suicide has claimed more lives of our servicemen and -women than the Afghan war, and that approximately one in five servicemembers suffer from major depression or post- traumatic syndrome. It is now recognized by military leaders that there is a great big issue, and they're trying to provide services to those men and women so that they can return to semi-normal life when they return to their respective residences.

Also, findings by the National Alliance of Mental Illness, NAMI, show that most mental illnesses are highly treatable, yet only one in three individuals suffering from mental illness seek or receive treatment. We must protect our soldiers' and their families' right to effective mental health services. They have earned it protecting our freedom.

Today, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15- 24. Again, third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. With each young life lost to suicide, we lose some of our Nation's future. We must continue to de-stigmatize mental illness so that all individuals, including our youth, know that it is okay, it's not shameful to ask for help and receive the treatment needed, because no child should ever feel this world would be a better place without them.

The mental health and well-being of all Americans are critical issues that affect not only the quality of life and health of our communities, but as importantly, our national economic stability.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, serious illnesses cost Americans at least $193 billion, with a ``b,'' billion a year in lost earnings alone, never mind what businesses lose in over $500 billion a year.

Mental illness is also the leading cause of absenteeism and lost productivity in the workplace. We need to learn how to prevent suicide. We must take those classes, and we must learn what those signs are so that we can begin to at least address those issues with our own, if not those near us.

I respectfully encourage all my colleagues to support this resolution and thereby recognize May as Mental Health Month. Knowledge and prevention are key to continue eradicating the myths and stigma behind mental illness. If allowed to go ignored and untreated, this will only pass on to our future generations. We must unite on this critical issue and recognize the scientific facts and findings of mental illness to ensure access to professional help, including early detection and intervention.

In closing, I leave you with words from two young women from my district whose lives have been saved by a suicide prevention program we started in 2001. From Patty, 15 years old: ``Thank God we have this program, because if I didn't have this treatment, I would be dead at this time.'' From Ofelia, 17 years old: ``After my mom and dad died in an accident, I wanted to die. This program and my therapist helped me to go off my depression and two suicide attempts.'' These are just more reminders of who we must represent and who we must continue to try to help and why we were elected to serve everybody.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank both the congresswoman from California (Ms. Matsui) and the congressman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for talking about H. Res. 1258, recognizing May as Mental Health Month.

As you've heard, there are many instances where we ignore this fact, and we are currently trying to erase the stigma. That's the biggest issue that we have in the United States.

Today we must continue to shed light on those who suffer in silence with mental illness. It knows no boundaries. As you've heard, it goes into any race, any gender, any class, any religion, any political party, everywhere. It does not discriminate.

Every day our children, our soldiers, our veterans, our family members, our coworkers and friends carry their wounds and pain on the inside. It is an invisible illness that often goes unseen and unmentioned, even as it leaves a trail of devastation in its wake.

Recent reports show that military suicide has claimed more lives of our servicemen and -women than the Afghan war, and that approximately one in five servicemembers suffer from major depression or post- traumatic syndrome. It is now recognized by military leaders that there is a great big issue, and they're trying to provide services to those men and women so that they can return to semi-normal life when they return to their respective residences.

Also, findings by the National Alliance of Mental Illness, NAMI, show that most mental illnesses are highly treatable, yet only one in three individuals suffering from mental illness seek or receive treatment. We must protect our soldiers' and their families' right to effective mental health services. They have earned it protecting our freedom.

Today, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15- 24. Again, third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. With each young life lost to suicide, we lose some of our Nation's future. We must continue to de-stigmatize mental illness so that all individuals, including our youth, know that it is okay, it's not shameful to ask for help and receive the treatment needed, because no child should ever feel this world would be a better place without them.

The mental health and well-being of all Americans are critical issues that affect not only the quality of life and health of our communities, but as importantly, our national economic stability.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, serious illnesses cost Americans at least $193 billion, with a ``b,'' billion a year in lost earnings alone, never mind what businesses lose in over $500 billion a year.

Mental illness is also the leading cause of absenteeism and lost productivity in the workplace. We need to learn how to prevent suicide. We must take those classes, and we must learn what those signs are so that we can begin to at least address those issues with our own, if not those near us.

I respectfully encourage all my colleagues to support this resolution and thereby recognize May as Mental Health Month. Knowledge and prevention are key to continue eradicating the myths and stigma behind mental illness. If allowed to go ignored and untreated, this will only pass on to our future generations. We must unite on this critical issue and recognize the scientific facts and findings of mental illness to ensure access to professional help, including early detection and intervention.

In closing, I leave you with words from two young women from my district whose lives have been saved by a suicide prevention program we started in 2001. From Patty, 15 years old: ``Thank God we have this program, because if I didn't have this treatment, I would be dead at this time.'' From Ofelia, 17 years old: ``After my mom and dad died in an accident, I wanted to die. This program and my therapist helped me to go off my depression and two suicide attempts.'' These are just more reminders of who we must represent and who we must continue to try to help and why we were elected to serve everybody.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2288) to amend Public Law 106-392 to maintain annual base funding for the Upper Colorado and San Juan fish recovery programs through fiscal year 2023, as amended.

Mr. 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 bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2288, introduced by our colleague Representative John Salazar from Colorado and seven other colleagues, would amend Public Law 106-392 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2012 to 2023 to fund fish recovery programs in the Upper Colorado and the San Juan River Basins.

H.R. 2288 will help ensure the continued delivery of water from Federal water projects to irrigators and municipal and industrial contractors throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin through fiscal year 2023. More than 1,500 water projects will continue to have certainty to move forward, based on the support and commitments generated through these recovery programs.

These recovery programs are nationally recognized examples of diverse stakeholders coming together to collaboratively find solutions without litigation that allow everyone to use the river systems to promote economic growth while supporting compliance with the Endangered Species Act and the recovery of native fish species within the Colorado River Basin.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 2288, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I won't go into any other dialogue other than to yield, for as much time as he may consume, to the gentleman from Colorado, Congressman Salazar.

I yield, for as much time as he may consume, to the gentleman from Colorado, Congressman Salazar.

I will yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Colorado.

I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Congressman Salazar was right. We met yesterday in Greeley, Colorado, with a lot of stakeholders of the Colorado River Basin who indicated to us that their economy is at stake. They professed to us that the Endangered Species Act actually helped maintain the quality of the water in the rivers. So, to me, that's a further indication of how important this particular bill is, to continue the collaboration of all the entities who would come to the table, put their differences aside and quit getting into litigation that is more costly to the taxpayer.

With that, I request that we support H.R. 2288.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1327) honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Floyd Dominy.

Mr. 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 resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1327 was introduced by our colleague, Representative Adrian Smith, and myself to honor the passing of Mr. Floyd Dominy, the man who was responsible for planning, coordinating, and building many of the Federal water projects that exist in the entire Western United States today.

House Resolution 1327 recognizes the longest-serving commissioner in the history of the Bureau of Reclamation, serving Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. Mr. Dominy, who, until his death, liked to be referred to as Mr. Commissioner, rose from the plains of Nebraska to become one of the most influential water developers in the world.

The legacy of Mr. Floyd Dominy impacts nearly every person in the 17 Western States. Water for cities and agriculture and reservoirs for recreation, along with hydropower from Bureau of Reclamation dams, provided the West with the ability to grow.

The history of the West was built on the shoulders of men and women who saw challenges as opportunities. Floyd Dominy built the Bureau of Reclamation and its engineers into a world-class organization that helped the West and the world develop and manage limited water resources.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of House Resolution 1327.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, indeed, Mr. Dominy was a U.S. hero, if nothing else. He left a great legacy for the world, not just the United States; and we're exceedingly proud. He passed away 4 months ago at the age of 100 years old plus 4 months. My condolences to his family.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona men's basketball team for winning the 2010 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.

On March 27, 2010, the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos defeated the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks 65-53 in the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, Division II Men's Basketball Tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Broncos shot over 50 percent from the field throughout the tournament and played with an impenetrable defense. The Broncos showed tremendous determination by making it to the championship game for the second year in a row after being narrowly defeated last year by Findlay University's last second three point shot in overtime.

The Broncos finished the 2009-2010 season with 28 wins and 6 losses, the best record in school history. This is a great credit to the players as well as the coaching staff, which includes head coach Greg Kamansky, associate head coach Bill Bannon and assistant coach Damion Hill. The trainers, managers, and staff also deserve praise for their outstanding dedication to helping the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos reach the summit of college basketball success.

The team was awarded many individual accomplishments as well. Coach Kamansky was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year from both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Division II Bulletin. Broncos senior Austin Swift was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, averaging 17.6 points per game. Broncos senior Dahir Nasser was named All Elite Eight Choice and scored 12 points in the championship game. The roster of the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos also included juniors Mark Rutledge, Tobias Jahn, and Donnelle Booker; sophomores Matthew Rosser and Dwayne Fells; and freshman Mitchel Anderson, Shaun Norum, and Kevin Ryan.

The Broncos players, coaches, and staff are outstanding representatives of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, one of the finest and most diverse public universities in the country. Cal Poly is the pride of Eastern Los Angeles County and is widely recognized for its applied research programs and hands-on education.

Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Broncos for playing with great sportsmanship and pride throughout the season, and showing tremendous dedication to their school and appreciation for their fans.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 248, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, it is with great reverence that I rise to honor the life of Jaime A. Escalante, a husband, father, immigrant, and teacher who dedicated his life to educating and mentoring youth. Mr. Escalante was most notable for his dynamic role as a teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, California where he pressed disadvantaged students to reach new levels of understanding in mathematics and to pass the challenging AP calculus exam. He was instrumental in transforming one of the lowest-performing high schools in the country into a national model for improving academic achievement of disadvantaged children in all subjects.

Mr. Escalante was born on December 31, 1930, in La Paz, Bolivia. Early in his teaching career, he taught at top-rated Bolivian schools before he moved to California in 1963 to pursue a more promising future for his family. Because his Bolivian credentials were not acceptable to teach in any U.S. school, he mopped floors at a coffee shop while he enrolled in English classes and repeated his undergraduate education and teacher training. At the age of 44, Mr. Escalante left his job at an electronics company, taking a pay cut, to join the math department at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles.

When Mr. Escalante arrived at Garfield in 1974, 85 percent of the students were low-income and the school was riddled with gang violence and on the verge of losing its accreditation. Mr. Escalante taught lower level math classes and soon earned a reputation for turning around students who initially lacked motivation. Escalante began teaching more difficult math classes which led to his establishment of an Advanced Placement (AP) calculus class for students who were willing to work hard, rejecting the usual markers of academic excellence, such as previous GPA scores.

In 1978, Jaime Escalante enrolled 14 students in his first AP class. Only five students survived his rigorous homework and attendance standards, and two passed the AP exam. Two years later, seven of nine students passed the exam, and three years later, 14 of 15 students passed. In 1982, Mr. Escalante helped 18 students prepare for the AP test by working on lessons after school each day and holding Saturday and summer classes. All 18 students passed, with seven students earning a score of 5, the highest score possible on the test. However, 14 of the 18 students were accused of cheating by the Education Testing Service, and 12 students agreed to retake the test. All 12 passed again under highly monitored conditions.

In 1987, Garfield students took 129 AP calculus exams, more than all but four high schools, public or private, in the country. That year more than a quarter of all Mexican American students in the United States who passed the calculus AP exam attended Garfield. Jaime Escalante's commitment to his students and high standards allowed him to make waves in the teaching world, drawing attention on the national scale from educators across America.

Jaime Escalante's achievements were highlighted in the 1988 movie ``Stand and Deliver'' and the book ``Escalante: The Best Teacher in America'' by Jay Mathews. Mr. Escalante was instrumental in changing the notion that social class and race were the best indicators of who could learn complex concepts and who could not. He proved that Hispanic, working class students from a failing school in East Los Angeles could achieve top educational goals if they were given enough time and attention from a dedicated educator.

Jaime A. Escalante was honored with several teaching awards, including the Presidential Medal of Excellence in Education, the Andres Bello Prize from the Organization of American States, and the Free Spirit Award from the Freedom Forum, as well as being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 1999.

I wish to express my sincere sympathy to the family members that Mr. Escalante leaves behind. He is survived by his wife, Fabiola, his two children, Jaime Jr. and Fernando, and his six grandchildren. I ask that all of my colleagues join me to honor Jaime Escalante's commitment to our nation's students and his achievements that have changed education in America and will continue to inspire educators and students for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, the facts are that, according to the National Institutes of Health, suicide is the leading cause of death for women. That is unacceptable.

Actually, adequate health care coverage is critical to the future of women who suffer in silence from mental illness, whether it is postpartum depression, or some of the military women whose families are not covered by VA who suffer loneliness, stress, depression, and everything that goes with it, especially if they're tending to a spouse who's got TBI or PTSD.

They're rejected by the insurance, denied coverage for preexisting conditions. There's articles by The L.A. Times, The Memphis Editorial, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dayton Daily News, Detroit Free Press, and The Missouri Herald, supporting health care reform.

We must vote for it. Let's get it done.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4506, the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2010, will authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges into the courts.

Personal bankruptcy filings have increased by 32 percent in 2009 due to the recent economic downturn and skyrocketing unemployment and home foreclosure rates. This unprecedented rise has put an increased strain on the legal system to respond to bankruptcy claims. This is the first piece of legislation that addresses the judicial problems caused by the economic turmoil of the past two years.

The U.S. Judicial Conference, whose membership includes the Chief Justice, provided the basis for this legislation which will create 13 new judgeships and make 22 currently temporary judgeships permanent. The bill will pay for these new appointments by increasing the cost for corporate bankruptcy.

The passing of H.R. 4506 would relieve considerable strain on the nation's bankruptcy courts through matching the increased workload with an expanded judiciary. American law exists to encourage economic growth and facilitate new business. The ability for the law to respond effectively and fairly is paramount to the turnaround of the country's economy.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, will address a growing threat to the health of our aquatic environments and our coastal communities.

H.R. 3650 establishes a program, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, to reduce the environmental impact of harmful algal blooms, HABs, and hypoxia.

Algal blooms, which are a rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system, are typically not threatening to their environments. However, a growing percentage of algal blooms produce toxins that can kill fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds, and may cause illness in people. Non-toxic algal blooms may also have a hypoxic effect on marine ecosystems. For example, when masses of algae die and decompose, they can deplete oxygen in the water, causing the water to become so low in oxygen that animals either leave the area or die. HABs have been reported in almost every U.S. coastal state, and their occurrence may be on the rise.

H.R. 3650 authorizes $41 million each year for the next four years for NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to further research the complex causes of HABs. The program will develop a national strategy to address marine and freshwater HABs, hypoxia, and the protection of affected ecosystems. It will educate coastal resource managers and the general public with training and awareness programs. The program will also identify further research needs, and provide grant funding for research projects.

I strongly support this bill because it is a critical step towards the preservation of our coastlines for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 12, 2010, I was absent during rollcall vote No. 109. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on passage of H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act.

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 12, 2010, I was absent during rollcall vote No. 110. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on approving the journal.

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, on Friday, March 12, 2010, I was absent during rollcall vote No. 111. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 4506, the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2010, which will authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges into the courts.