Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mesa Arizona's Dobson High School Band, which will represent our state at the 2010 Shanghai World Music Expo Festival in China. I wish to convey my pride and that of all Arizonans in the efforts of these talented and dedicated students, and thank the Dobson faculty and community for its remarkable support.

As a former teacher, I believe very strongly that participation in the arts, especially on such a global scale, leads to cultural enrichment and enhances education and learning across all subjects. This opportunity to perform on a world stage, and the subsequent rush of community support to make this trip possible, is a well-earned reward for the hard work and commitment of the Dobson High Band and its supporters. To make this trip possible, band members raised $3,000 apiece to pay for travel expenses. I believe in the old saying, ``it is hard to be successful unless a lot of other people want you to be.'' So I also applaud all the parents and community members who helped in this effort as well.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Dobson High School Band as they represent the State of Arizona at the 2010 Shanghai World Music Expo Festival in China. I wish the band all the best during their performance in China and I am confident they will use this trip as an opportunity to learn about a new culture and positively represent our state and country within the global community. I know they will make us all proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mesa Arizona's Dobson High Wind Symphony and Jazz Big Band, which will represent our state at the 2010 Shanghai World Music Expo Festival in China. I wish to convey my pride and that of all Arizonans in the efforts of these talented and dedicated students, and thank the Dobson faculty and community for its remarkable support.

As a former teacher, I believe very strongly that participation in the arts, especially on such a global scale, leads to cultural enrichment and enhances education and learning across all subjects. This opportunity to perform on a world stage, and the subsequent rush of community support to make this trip possible, is a well-earned reward for the hard work and commitment of the Dobson High Wind Symphony and Jazz Big Band and its supporters. To make this trip possible, band members raised $3,000 apiece to pay for travel expenses. I believe in the old saying, ``it is hard to be successful unless a lot of other people want you to be.'' So I also applaud all the parents and community members who helped in this effort as well.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Dobson High Wind Symphony and Jazz Big Band as they represent the State of Arizona at the 2010 Shanghai World Music Expo Festival in China. I wish the band all the best during their performance in China and I am confident they will use this trip as an opportunity to learn about a new culture and positively represent our state and country within the global community. I know they will make us all proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Robin Arrendondo-Savage on her recent induction as a member of the Tempe City Council.

Robin is a lifelong resident of my hometown of Tempe who has always been actively involved in our community. Previously the Chairman of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and a small business manager, she has shown a commitment to the development of jobs and the growth of the economy in Tempe. Through this and her position as the President of the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board, Robin has proven herself to be a strong and dedicated leader and public servant for her community and its youth.

Robin is also a U.S. Army veteran who served our nation with distinction. She has shown that same commitment and dedication in the many community boards, commissions and youth sports activities where she has volunteered her time. I am honored to call Robin a friend and I look forward to seeing what her future in public service brings to our community.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Robin Arrendondo- Savage's induction as a member of the Tempe City Council.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Sky Harbor Composite Squadron 301 of the Civil Air Patrol. The Squadron has been a prominent pillar within the Phoenix community since its inception in 1945 when it aided in the war effort in World War II.

Originally, the Civil Air Patrol was established to employ civilian pilots during wartime to watch over the coastlines for possible enemy threats. After the war, the Civil Air Patrol evolved into an organization which delivers humanitarian aid and engages in search and rescue missions. Though the focus has changed, the legacy of benevolence still endures today.

Sky Harbor Composite Squadron 301 also gives young men and women the opportunity to learn more about aerospace science. In addition to acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills for the aerospace field, the people that make up Sky Harbor Composite Squadron 301 volunteer and serve the community of Phoenix with valor.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the Sky Harbor Composite Squadron 301 of the Civil Air Patrol's 65 years of outstanding service and expressing gratitude to all of the volunteers that have dedicated their time in service to others.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Ben Arrendondo and his 16 years of service as a member of the Tempe City Council. I wish to thank him for his dedication to public service and look forward to seeing his future accomplishments within our community.

Councilmember Arrendondo's contribution to Tempe has been both earnest and extensive. His years of teaching and service on school boards and the City Council have revealed him to be a fierce champion for improvement of education and commitment to our youth and to the community. As a former teacher and Mayor of Tempe, I respect and share Ben's commitment to public service and education, and wish to thank him for his tireless efforts and leadership.

Though Ben will be retiring from the Tempe City Council, his service to his community will surely continue in other capacities. Also, his family's legacy of service to Tempe will continue through his niece, Robin Arrendondo-Savage, who was recently elected to the City Council. I am honored to call Ben a friend, and I wish him all the best in his next endeavor.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Ben Arrendondo's 16 years of outstanding service as a member of the Tempe City Council.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the grant awarded to Jordan Elementary in Chandler, Arizona for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona's 2010 Walk On! Challenge. I wish to applaud the students, teachers and staff of Jordan Elementary for their enthusiastic participation in the Walk On! Challenge.

The Walk On! Challenge increases the knowledge of both the issue of childhood obesity and the necessity for exercise and good health in our youth. As a teacher for almost 28 years, I understand the importance of addressing these issues through a hands-on approach.

By applying for and receiving this grant, and participating in this program, Jordan Elementary and its educators have taken a significant step towards alerting our community to the problem of obesity and stimulating a positive response. Through their help, we can help instill good habits for children that will lead to an active and healthy lifestyle, and help to solve the problem of obesity within our community.

This is truly an inspiring and encouraging initiative to undertake within the community, and I would like to once again thank the entire Jordan Elementary community for addressing it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Margaret Hunnicutt, who was recently named 2010 Businesswoman of the Year by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Hunnicutt is currently the President and CEO of Tempe Schools Credit Union, an institution where she has served for nine years as both CFO and now CEO. Under her leadership, Ms. Hunnicutt has worked to keep the institution successful in both financial terms and in social responsibility. She brought the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA, to the Tempe and Guadalupe communities where low- income families can take advantage of free tax preparation help. The program has been met with great success and recognized by the City of Tempe as improving the quality of life for countless residents.

In addition to her accomplishments at the credit union, Ms. Hunnicutt is a graduate of the Tempe Leadership program, a board member for the Tempe Union High School District Education Foundation, and she received the Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Award in 2009.

Ms. Hunnicutt has also overcome great personal challenges in her path to success. She persevered to attain an education as a single mother, tirelessly working full time for 13 years while attending school part time and raising her three children.

I am honored to call Margaret a friend, and I am very proud to recognize her amazing achievements in my hometown community.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Margaret Hunnicutt's many contributions to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of bipartisan legislation I introduced earlier today with my colleague Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California: The Deploy National Guard Troops to the Border Act.

The Federal Government has a responsibility to secure the border, and it simply hasn't done it. As a result, we are once again facing an emergency. Not just an emergency at the border, I might add, but an emergency in the interior--in places like Phoenix, where smugglers and Mexican drug cartels have set up vast networks of drop houses, which operate as way stations for their illegal activities. The crime and violence associated with these drop houses is horrendous. Phoenix has become a kidnapping capital.

This is completely unacceptable.

While, undoubtedly, Congress needs to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system--the situation at the border cannot wait simply because it is an election year. This is an urgent threat to our national security.

I have urged President Obama to send additional National Guard troops to the border, much like I urged President Bush to extend the deployment of National Guard troops to the border in 2008. Sadly, to no avail.

That is why, today, I am introducing legislation to deploy 3,000 National Guard troops to the border to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Taking this step will help secure the border while Congress works on a more comprehensive, permanent fix.

The National Guard has successfully assisted with border security in the past. Operation Jump Start, which concluded its mission in 2008 proved remarkably effective. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Yuma Sector experienced a 68-percent decrease in apprehensions between October 1, 2006, and July 31, 2007, compared with the previous year. Border-wide, the National Guard helped seize more than 1,080 vehicles used to transport drugs and/or illegal immigrants, more than 300,600 pounds of marijuana, and 5,060 pounds of cocaine.

I thought the National Guard was drawn down too quickly and offered an amendment at the time to extend their deployment. Unfortunately my amendment was blocked from floor consideration.

I know there are strong views about immigration reform, and I know this is an election year. But we cannot let petty political concerns or inflammatory rhetoric to continue to compromise our national security. We cannot continue to kick this down the road for future Congresses to deal with. Now is the time to tone down the rhetoric, come together and take this critical step.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this bill, and continue to work on a permanent security solution, as well as a fix to our broken and ineffectual immigration system.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Navajo Elementary School's Lego Robotics Team, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Building upon their STEM focused education, nine extraordinary students made it to the semi-finals at the FIRST LEGO League State Championship which I attended at ASU's Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering this past winter.

As a teacher for almost 28 years, I understand the importance of hands-on learning experiences and real-life scenarios that help students connect learning in the classroom to the real world. I believe that Navajo's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) curriculum is key to creating a learning environment that fosters innovation and creativity.

The kind of teamwork and creative thinking that was shown in the RoboBuff's design is going to help return our country to economic prosperity. Any one of these students might be the next Bill Gates.

Navajo Elementary is giving its students a head start, preparing them for college and beyond. In this competition, they are not only taking math and science curriculum to the next level through problem-solving and experimentation, but are learning life skills.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the extraordinary achievement of the Navajo Elementary School Lego Robotics Team: Tatianna Walker, Hailey Freeman, Nick Lowry, Tino Velez, Michael Majercin, Chad Bonfanti, Wade McEachern, Abby White and TJ Smith, along with the exceptional leadership of their coaches Cathy White and Chip Bonfanti, and their mentors Dr. Christine Loots, Dr. Bill Johnson, Jim Deng, Alicia Payne and David Schaeffer.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Progressive Financial Services, Inc. as they celebrate their fifteenth year of doing business in Tempe, Arizona.

As our economy recovers, Progressive Financial Services, Inc. has successfully weathered the downturn and managed to create and maintain jobs in our community, building a workforce of more than 200 employees. This, in addition to the company's future plans to add more jobs, embodies the current mission in the United States Congress to stimulate the economy and provide work for its citizens. Therefore, my office would like to thank and congratulate Progressive Financial Services, Inc. and wish the company continued success in the future.

As a former mayor, I am pleased to have such a vibrant and prosperous business in my hometown of Tempe and within my district.

I urge you, Madam Speaker, to join me in rising to applaud the employees, management team of Progressive Financial Services, Inc. for their achievements and growth over the last fifteen years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5146, the Cancel the Pay Raise for Members of Congress in Fiscal Year 2011 Act, a bill to stop Members of Congress from receiving an automatic pay raise in fiscal year 2011. Last week the Senate approved this same legislation, and I am pleased that today the House is finally following suit.

With unemployment high and so many families under stress, it would be simply unconscionable for Congress to raise its own pay. But that is precisely what will happen in fiscal year 2011 unless Congress takes action to stop it. This bill is simply the right thing to do. Earlier this year, Chief Justice Roberts announced that, in a major break from tradition, he will not seek a salary increase this year for Federal judges in light of the fact that, quote, ``so many of our fellow citizens have been touched by hardship.'' Likewise, President Obama has announced a pay freeze for senior White House officials as well as top appointees across the Federal Government. And as I mentioned, last week the Senate approved legislation to block the next automatic pay raise for Members of Congress.

It is time--past time--for the House to act. The American people are not getting a raise this year. Neither should Congress.

I want to thank Representative Ron Paul for his steadfast leadership on this issue. He and I have worked closely with each other for several years now to block the annual pay raise, and today's vote would not have been possible without him. Dr. Paul, thank you.

I also want to thank the National Taxpayers Union and Citizens Against Government Waste for their support of our efforts to block the pay raise. And of course I want to thank Representative Jim Matheson for his work on this legislation, as well as House leadership for allowing this important bill to come to the floor today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the inspiring performance of Corona del Sol High School in this year's national ``We the People'' competition. I share the pride from around our Congressional District and the state of Arizona that this impressive and hard-working team hails from our community.

After winning the Arizona state title for the second year in a row, Corona del Sol's ``We the People'' team advanced to compete for the national title in Washington, D.C. In preparation for the national event, the Corona team spent months diligently learning about American political institutions, democracy and examining the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. As a high school government teacher for 28 years, I am gratified to see students delve deeper and become passionate about government, citizenship and public service.

Their poise and eloquence in answering the complex questions asked during the national and state competitions demonstrated the team's vast knowledge of constitutional principles and patience.

I am truly privileged to share in the celebration of such an excellent and driven team. Their commitment and perseverance has paid off and should serve as an inspiration for all. I have no doubt that all members of the team will continue to make Arizona proud in their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to congratulate Corona del Sol's ``We the People'' team: Achyut Patil, Ajay Raikhelkar, Alex Austin, Brittany Duong, Cecilia Yocham, Connor Rawls, David Choi, Jentry Lanza, Jessica Lin, Joanna Fritsche, Juliana Park, Kevin Thomas, Kibaek Ryu, Louis Spanias, Marlene Garcia-Neuer, Richa Date, Michael Okada, Nafisah Ahmad, Nikhita Pakki, Rizwan Ahmad, Robert Wiley, Roopa Krishnaswamy, Sagar Patwardhan, Samantha Pfotenhauer, Sean Magruder, Selena Kuo, Sherry Zhao, Tiffany Dayton, Tina Cai and Xandy Peterson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Israel's 62nd Independence Day.

Israel is not just a vitally important ally to the United States, it is a beacon of democracy in a part of the world where democracies are few and far between.

Sadly, all too often, Israel is forced to defend these democratic values against countless who wish to wipe Israel off the map.

The threat of rocket attacks is nearly constant for Israelis. I had the opportunity to visit Israel last year, and I witnessed firsthand some of the damage caused by rocket attacks by Hamas from Gaza. I am amazed at the determination of the Israelis to continue to lead normal lives despite the constant threats and reminders of terrorism. It was particularly evident during a trip to Sderot, at an indoor playground that also functions as a bomb shelter.

The threat from Iran is even more ominous. Between the Holocaust denials, the arms shipments to terrorists, and the quest for nuclear weapons, Iran is not only a threat to Israel, it is a threat to the United States.

That's why, as we commemorate Israel's Independence Day, I can think of no more appropriate action for those of us here in Congress than to finish our work on Iran sanctions legislation, and to deliver a final bill to President Obama as quickly as possible.

Last year, the House passed H.R. 1327, the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act by a vote of 414 to 6, as well as H.R. 2194, the Iran Refined Petroleum Act by a vote of 412 to 12. In January, the Senate approved S. 2799, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2009 by voice vote.

There is clearly broad, bipartisan support for this legislation, and I believe we must act without further delay.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rep. Jack Brown of St. Johns, an exemplary public servant and an Arizona icon who is retiring from the Arizona State Legislature after a distinguished career that has spanned four decades.

Rep. Brown was elected to his first stint in the Legislature in 1962, during the Kennedy Administration. A rancher and an Arizona native, Jack Brown has worked tirelessly as an advocate for rural interests. But his leadership and influence--particularly on issues of private property rights, education and parks funding--will be felt across the entire State for generations to come.

Rep. Brown is respected and admired by his colleagues and constituents for his calm manner, good humor, and common sense. Among the many notable examples: Rep. Brown, a lifelong Democrat, worked across party lines with the late Senator Jake Flake and Rep. Bill

Konopnicki, both Republicans, to obtain funding for Northland Pioneer College. The college now has a strong campus presence serving Apache and Navajo counties.

Rep. Brown has held numerous leadership roles in both the Arizona House and the Senate. Currently, he is the Assistant House Minority Leader and previously served eight years in the Senate, where he served as Minority Leader and Floor Leader.

Rep. Brown has been honored numerous times over the years including being named one of the ``Modern Arizona Legislature's Shining Stars'' by The Arizona Republic in 2008 for his ability to build coalitions and bridge partisan differences.

I take particular pride in honoring Rep. Brown's accomplishments because I had the privilege of working alongside him in the Arizona Senate for eight years. Please join me in congratulating Rep. Brown on his many achievements, on his upcoming retirement, and on the lasting legacy that he leaves the people of Arizona.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a member of the Armed Forces from my home State of Arizona. Every month, Scottsdale Healthcare honors service members who perform diligent service to this country. For the month of April, they have recognized U.S. Air Force Major Deedra L. Zabokrtsky.

I commend Scottsdale Healthcare for paying tribute to such an outstanding service member for her dedication and service to our country.

During her service, Major Zabokrtsky served as an Intermediate Ward Flight Commander with the 332d Expeditionary Medical Operations in Balad, Iraq. She led a team of 46 providers, nurses and medical technicians that cared for 920 patients in the course of 4 months. Under her outstanding leadership, the hospital achieved an astounding 98 percent survival rate for United States military casualties and set an example for high standards of care. For her superb achievements Major Zabokrtsky was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Currently, Major Zabokrtsky is stationed at Luke Air Force Base with the 56th Medical Group. She is assigned as a full-time faculty member at Scottsdale Healthcare for the Air Force Nurse Transition Program. Her accomplishments at Scottsdale Healthcare have significantly enhanced the hospital's military partnership training programs.

Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring this outstanding Air Force officer for serving our country and caring for our fellow service men and women in combat.