Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Teyran ``Ty'' Patterson, an American hero, who recently passed away on May 30, 2007, in the line of duty as Texas Game Warden for Johnston County.

Ty was born on November 18, 1978, to Joe and ViAnn Patterson in the City of Seguin in Texas. He was a devout Christian and lived the values of his faith through his work as a Texas Game Warden. Ty was a 1998 graduate of Seguin High School and earned a criminal justice degree in 2004 from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos.

After graduating from Southwest Texas State University, Ty began work as a Texas Game Warden. He was committed to law enforcement and to the community by providing public service. Ty was a young, ambitious, caring man--no one was a stranger to him. On May 30, 2007, Ty answered the call of duty, without regard to his personal safety or well-being, to assist his fellow officers and a family in their hour of need. It was during this call that he lost his life.

Ty is survived by his parents, Joe and ViAnn Patterson, his sister, Crystal Patterson, his brothers Joe Patterson, Jr. and Demetrius Hall, and his grandmothers Thelma Smith and Katie Smith. He will be greatly missed by his family and by those who had the great fortune to know Teyran ``Ty'' Patterson.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize Mr. Teyran ``Ty'' Patterson, and I thank you for this time.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 5819, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act.

The creation of the Small Business Innovation Research program has benefited small businesses across the United States. Through the SBIR program, small businesses have been given the opportunity to provide innovative solutions that benefit the Federal Government through the research and development of new products.

I applaud the chairwoman's efforts. Nydia Velazquez has worked extremely hard with all members of the committee to make sure that we properly make the changes to the SBIR program. I commend the chairwoman, and the ranking member, also, for their diligence in protecting and encouraging the participation of small business concerns owned by women, veterans and minorities, all businesses.

I would like to thank the chairwoman and the committee staff for working with me to add a provision that I brought forward to make sure that Congress has a clear picture of how exactly involved these underrepresented small business concerns have been in the SBIR and the STTR program.

I believe Congress can best make improvements to valuable programs and initiatives if we have an effective reporting requirement. This legislation will require that annual reports on the SBIR program include information regarding the SBIR program involvement of small business concerns that are owned by women, minorities and veterans, and again, I emphasize, all the small businesses that we have. By evaluating what SBIR awards have been distributed to these underrepresented businesses, my opinion is that Congress can best determine how to further involve businesses owned by women, minorities and veterans.

Again, I thank the chairwoman for the effort, and the ranking member. I support this legislation and I ask Members to support it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend H-E-B, one of the largest grocery store markets in Texas and in my congressional district, for embarking upon a remarkable energy initiative to power their stores using wind power by signing onto Windtricity, a renewable energy option provided by CPS Energy. Windtricity allows H-E-B to utilize electricity generated by wind turbines in West Texas. This new endeavor by one of Texas' leading corporate citizens demonstrates the commitment of H-E-B to building sustainable communities and leading others in environmental initiatives in communities across Texas.

Wind energy is the world's fastest growing energy source and is also one of the oldest forms of renewable energy. Wind turbines are an increasingly popular method of generating electricity with very little environmental impact. Many wind farms are built in geographical areas conducive to prevailing winds such as in the Panhandle and western parts of Texas.

I applaud H-E-B for joining in this remarkable partnership with Windtricity that shows a great commitment to safeguarding the environment for future generations of Texans in our communities. I thank you for this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Specialist Jose Rubio, of 464th Armored Battalion of the United States Army, who was killed in the line of duty by an IED roadside bomb in Baghdad.

Specialist Jose Rubio was born on March 19, 1983, in Reynosa, Mexico. He attended school in Mission, Texas, and graduated from South Texas College in 2005 with an associate's degree in Computer Science. He married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer, in May of 2006, and had a son, Nicolai, who is now 11 months old. He is survived by his mother, his six siblings in Reynosa, Matamoros, and Rio Bravo. Specialist Jose Rubio will be forever remembered for his service in protecting the freedoms and ideals of our country and I extend my condolences to his family, and to his wife, Jennifer.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the service of Specialist Jose Rubio in the United States Army.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize a man that made a significant impact on my hometown of Laredo, former Mayor Aldo Tatangelo.

Mayor Tatangelo passed away last Friday, but not before leaving a mark on our great city. Mayor Aldo Tatangelo served as mayor in Laredo from 1978 to 1990. He is remembered by those closest to him as being a man of honesty and fairness, a man with a vision to improve the city that he loved so much.

Immediately upon taking over as mayor, Tatangelo ordered taking care of a lot of services for Laredo, including the restructuring of the city's Public Works Department, oversaw comprehensive drainage projects, established a pension system for city workers, and created many departments to make sure that the quality of life was improved.

Mayor Aldo Tatangelo pushed for affordable housing for low-income residents, and he also, when he left the office, was active in civic affairs and encouraged young people to get involved in public service.

I rise to recognize a Laredo hero, former Mayor Aldo Tatangelo, and thank him and his family for the great work that they did.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor LTG Ricardo S. Sanchez on being the recipient of the 2008 Border Texan of the Year.

General Sanchez is a truly deserving recipient of this honor, which was given to him for his extraordinary contributions to the security of our Nation over the past 33 years. He served overseas in service of his country in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm as commander of the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor, 197th (Separate) Infantry Brigade, which then transitioned to the 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) once redeployed. General Sanchez also has served in the Federal Government as an investigator in the Office of the Inspector General Agency, and in the years following his brigade command tour in 1994, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, and later as Director of Operations and Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans, with the United States Southern Command in Miami, Florida.

General Sanchez served as commander of the Multi-National Brigade (East), KFOR, in Kosovo in 1999. He also served as commanding general of the 1st Armored Division, which was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in May 2003, and then was nominated to his present rank of lieutenant general in June 2003. He commanded the V Corps and simultaneously became commander of the Combined Joint Task Force 7, responsible for one of the largest combat forces deployed in U.S. military history in Iraq. General Sanchez was the longest-serving corps commander in V Corps history, and he retired on November 1, 2006, after 33 years of service.

His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal with ``V'' device and oak leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with two service stars, the Liberation of Kuwait Medals, and the NATO Medal.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication and commitment of LTG Ricardo Sanchez to the United States of America as the deserving 2008 Border Texan of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the history behind the Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball festival during the 111th Washington Birthday Celebration in Laredo, Texas.

The iconic figure of Princess Pocahontas holds a special place in the heart of the festivities, and made its first appearance in the first Washington Birthday Celebration, which was hosted by the Improved Order of Red Men. In 1897, this fraternal organization created a celebration around the birth of George Washington, and part of the initial festivities centered around an Indian ambush, but with a twist. Princess Pocahontas rode into town and rescued the city, as much as she did for Captain John Smith. This story represents the important link between Laredo and its connection to the Native American community during the Washington Birthday Celebration festivities.

Today, Princess Pocahontas is chosen from the annual beauty festival, which introduces

audiences to various aspects of Native American culture. Princess Pocahontas is accompanied by her court of Indian maidens and chieftains during the festival, and they pay homage to the Great Spirit with Native American rituals and dances. One quintessential part of the Princess Pocahontas tradition is that she rides on a horse, with the key to the City of Laredo in her hand as a reminder of the first ceremony in which she saved the citizens of Laredo in the first Washington Birthday Celebration. This year, Princess Pocahontas will be portrayed by Ms. Liza Nicole Gonzalez at the 111th Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball on February 16, 2008.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the long history behind the Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 111th anniversary of the Washington Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) in Laredo, Texas.

The Washington Birthday Celebration is a nearly month-long event held in Laredo, Texas. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States that honors the birthday of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The festival receives over 400,000 attendees, and consists of various celebrations including the Society of Martha Washington Colonial Pageant & Ball, Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball, parades, a carnival, an air show, and live concerts.

The WBCA was founded in 1898 by the patriotic Improved Order of the Red Men, Local Chapter Yaqui Tribe No. 59, whose members included prominent Laredoans of both Mexican and American ancestry. The first celebration was a great success, and its popularity grew when the Washington Birthday Celebration Association of Laredo, Inc., received its state charter in 1923. In the following year, in 1924, the Celebration featured its first Colonial Pageant, which showcased thirteen young women from Laredo, representing the thirteen original colonies. The International Bridge Ceremony is the welcoming ceremony between officials and dignitaries from Mexico and United States as a sign of international good will between the two nations.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the 111th anniversary of the Washington Birthday Celebration Association in Laredo, Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the bipartisan economic stimulus plan that will help strengthen our Nation's economy and help millions of American taxpayers and their families.

In my congressional district, the median household income is $36,000, and those families face rising prices in utilities, food, and health insurance, which stretch their monthly budgets to nearly the breaking point.

Also, nearly 39 percent of these households are headed by single mothers living below the poverty level, who struggle to feed and clothe their children with limited budgets, as they are the sole earners.

The stimulus package will provide at least $900 to single mothers and their families, which helps alleviate their burden.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to support the bipartisan economic stimulus plan, and I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us today in supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Joe LaMantia, Jr., on being the recipient of the Golden Eagle Award from the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce during the 9th Annual Noche de Gala.

Joe has shown exemplary leadership in his civic service to the south Texas community with his extensive involvement in the Lions' Club, American Heart Association, Rio Grande Cancer Treatment Research Foundation, South Texas Communities for Youth Service, and the Special Olympics. Joe is also the founder and chairman of the preeminent South Texas Academic Rising Stars, STARS, organization, which gives opportunities to the youth in south Texas in pursuing their dreams of higher education. He has made their dreams possible, and it is for this reason alone, that he truly deserves the Golden Eagle Award from the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Today, STARS partners with hundreds of local and national businesses, organizations, colleges, and universities to raise over $12 million in scholarship funds. This is truly a hallmark of Joe's success as a businessman, and as a committed husband to his wife, Derrelene, father to his seven children, and grandfather to his 26 grandchildren. Joe has come a long way from his initial start in farming in Carrizo Springs with produce operations in Chile and Mexico. The Rio Grande Valley became home for his family, and the base of his business, L&F Distributors, which has allowed him to deepen his ties to the south Texas community through his philanthropic work with STARS.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication and commitment of Mr. Joe LaMantia, Jr., and his organization, STARS, to the children in communities all across south Texas. I thank you for this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 3963, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act. The SCHIP program in the State of Texas has been extremely successful in providing crucial access to health care for children. SCHIP coverage provides children with coverage for a full range of health services.

Uninsured children are five times more likely than insured children to use the emergency room in hospitals as their main source for medical care. The cost of an emergency room visit is more than $144 compared to only $36 for a primary doctor's visit. A number of these emergency visits should be made to primary doctors with SCHIP coverage.

The current SCHIP enrollment for the children in the State of Texas is about 353,000, and there are over 1.4 million uninsured children in the State of Texas, which is the highest rate of uninsured children in the Nation.

Madam Speaker, I am glad to support the SCHIP reauthorization act and ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3524, the HOPE VI Improvement Reauthorization Act of 2007. I commend Representative Waters and the members of the Financial Services Committee for supporting a bill with such valuable enhancement and improvement to the HOPE VI grant program.

This legislation reauthorizes a program that represents one of our government's best efforts to provide quality housing for low-income families. Again, I am particularly pleased with one provision of this legislation that will help communities rebuild in the wake of severe natural disasters and emergencies.

For example, in my congressional district there is one particular county public housing unit in Starr County that has been destroyed by flood waters when it rose to dangerous levels. This was not the first time the Housing Authority of Starr County has had to manage severe flooding damage and subsequent resident displacement. In fact, since 1981, this public housing unit has experienced major unit-destroying flooding seven different times.

This legislation gives the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development the latitude to waive the public housing authority's fund-matching requirements in cases of extreme distress and emergency.

This is a good piece of legislation. I ask for support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the passage of this year's omnibus appropriation bill which covers 11 appropriations bills that were passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year. The omnibus appropriation bill includes language from my bill, H.R. 2431, the Border Infrastructure and Technology Modernizations Act of 2007, which authorizes appropriations for a nationwide strategy to address infrastructure needs at the land ports of entry.

The language from H.R. 2431 that was included in the homeland security section of this bill requires an assessment to study to identify ports of entry infrastructure and technology improvement projects to minimize border-crossing wait times at our Nation's ports of entry. I worked in a bipartisan way with my cosponsor of this legislation, Congressman Rehberg, and I want to thank him for his leadership on this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to give my sincere thanks to the chairman, Mr. Obey, of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman Price for including this language.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the fiscal responsibility and accountability that PAYGO affords us.

PAYGO requires that increases in spending or tax cuts be offset and enables us to make the right choices with our Nation's revenue. It is a simple but tough rule that helped us lower the national deficit and balance the budget in the 1990s.

I'm glad that we are now working to pass legislation under PAYGO to ensure that the national deficit is not increased and that enables us to have the revenue on hand that we need to address the very important needs of our Nation. I am proud to support the kind of fiscal discipline that PAYGO has given us, and I hope to see that every piece of legislation continues with this PAYGO regulation.

Madam Speaker, I continue to support fiscal responsibility under PAYGO for the House of Representatives to ensure that future generations are not mortgaged any further with irresponsible spending.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name from H.R. 4193.