Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support my amendment and help rural small businesses receive the access to capital they need to grow.

I would like to thank my good friend, Chairwoman Velazquez, for reporting out this critical bill, and to Congresswoman Bean for taking the lead on this issue. I also want to thank the

ranking member, Mr. Chabot, for the leadership and bipartisan support that he has shown in this bill and in the committee.

My amendment would strengthen the underlying bill and ensure that we solve one of the most critical problems facing rural small businesses.

Like many parts of the United States, my congressional district is the home to many rural companies. It is well known that small businesses found in rural communities have a more difficult time accessing affordable capital than their counterparts in the large metropolitan areas.

Considering that there are probably about 1.2 million rural businesses, it is important to reach out to this vital part of our economy. The Rural Indian Outreach Program proposed in this bill will be a tremendous tool for lenders located in rural communities.

The provisions outlined will take a major step toward expanding the financial options for the rural economy.

Unfortunately, this bill in the current form, the rural small businesses owner needs access to the rural lenders that use this particular program. In my rural areas, many small businesses do not live close to a bank and therefore they are forced to do banking many miles away from the closest city. We must make sure that we help both the rural lender and the rural business owner.

The amendment that I have, Mr. Chairman, states that a rural small business who is not within 30 miles of a rural lender can take advantage of the rural lending outreach program through any lender in the SBA 7(a) loan program. It is my hope that this amendment will further increase opportunities for small businesses and expand the rural economies throughout our Nation.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to Chairwoman Velazquez at this time. And I believe there is support for this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank again Chairwoman Velazquez and the ranking member for their support and leadership, their bipartisan support.

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

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I also thank Chairman Thompson for the strong leadership that he has shown on this bill. I also thank Mr. King for the bipartisan support that he has shown on this bill and with the committee.

I rise in support of H.R. 1401, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007. H.R. 1401 is an important piece of legislation that takes steps to secure our Nation's railroads, over-the-road bus networks, and the public transportation systems. In addition, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act includes provisions that take strides in enhancing the security of transportation systems at our critically important international land borders.

My hometown of Laredo, Texas, is one of the busiest ports of entry into the United States and a hub of international commerce. Approximately 1,600 railcars cross the border daily in Laredo. Additionally, 163,000 cars cross annually that are loaded with freight and headed to destinations throughout the United States.

To meet the challenge of securing our Nation's border rail ports of entry, I worked with my chairman and my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee to include two important additions to H.R. 1401. The first one supports the development and emergency response and recovery techniques that can be used at our international borders. The second gives rail inspection facilities at our international borders a priority to receive critically important rail security grant funding authorized by this legislation.

I am proud to support this legislation that will make our Nation's rail, transit, and bus systems more secure and that will ensure that the safety of citizens living across the Nation are secure as they use these systems.

Mr. Chairman, I again thank our chairman for the leadership that he has shown on this piece of legislation and for leading our committee.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the women of the Poth High School Girls Basketball Team in their stunning 72-70 double- overtime victory against the top-ranked Winnsboro in the Class 2A championship game.

The story of the Poth High School Girls Basketball team is of a team that fought against the odds to achieve one of the best high school sports victories in Texas history. The team had lost in the semifinals each of the previous three years, and their game against Winnsboro was not one in which they were expected to win. The excitement of the crowd exploded when Whitney Wehymeyer scored thirty points and Lauren Waclawcyzk added sixteen points in the second overtime's final seconds to send Poth to the Class 2A state championship with their 72-70 win.

Theirs was a story that echoed the classic underdog against the presumptive winner, but due to their remarkable team spirit and strong determination to win, they came out on top. I am very proud that these remarkable women have won the state championship, and that they are from Poth, a city in my congressional district. The city has shown strong support of women's sports teams in their community.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the women of the Poth High School Girls Basketball team, and I thank you for this time.

Madam Chairman, I thank you for the strong leadership that you have provided on this legislation.

I would like to talk to you briefly about the needs of colonias. As you know, many colonias exist around the borders in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, only lacking the basic infrastructure that most Americans take for granted. Often these communities do not have paved roads, hospitals or even utilities. And when you look at the negative impact on the health of its residents, one of the greatest challenges we have is many colonias don't have access to water and sewer services.

As you know, many colonias do not have sewer systems, forcing residents to rely on often inadequate waste water disposal methods such as small and outdated septic tanks. And even if colonias had adequate sewer systems, the border area lacks sufficient facilities to treat the waste water that we have.

What I ask, Madam Chairman, I want to work with you and with Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson and other members of the committee to make sure that we pay special consideration to the needs of the colonias as you go into conference for H.R. 720 and as your committee reviews future legislation.

I thank you for your strong leadership on the colonias issue, Madam Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. While I believe that the President as the Commander in Chief has the inherent authority to manage the conduct of congressionally approved military action, I have serious concerns that a surge in the number of U.S. combat troops in Iraq is not the best course of action at this time.

The deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops to Iraq is not the answer. I agree with former Secretary of State Colin Powell when he stated: ``I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for the purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work.''

Secretary Powell is not alone in his belief. Generals Wesley Clark, Barry McCaffrey, John Abizaid, and James Conway have also made statements to this same effect.

I have traveled to Iraq and I have met with our military forces. And I believe our foremost commitment must be to their safety. I strongly believe that we must concentrate our efforts on preparing the Iraqi Government for the task of providing security to their own citizens. Our forces in Iraq should be primarily focused on training and supporting Iraq's own military and police.

We must continue working to shift the responsibility for security from the U.S. forces to those of the Iraqi Government. It is only through this path that we will ensure the safe and orderly return of our brave men and women.

Empowering the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Government must be our primary goal. I will continue fighting to ensure that our service men and women have every tool and every resource that they need to carry out their duties and return home safely.

We must all dedicate ourselves to ensuring that our brave men and women in uniform have all of the unconditional support and thanks. Their sacrifices and bravery must never be forgotten. We should also be mindful of those who have served and serve in our National Guard and Reserve units, and those that are not yet American citizens but who still serve our country with distinction.

Let us always remember the lives of more than 3,000 dedicated Americans who have lost their lives in this conflict, and the thousands and thousands of American soldiers that have been injured.

It is time to be bipartisan and move forward with a comprehensive plan for handing over responsibility to the Iraqi Government and stabilizing the region. Iraq must become the responsibility of the Iraqis. Let's surge forward only in the commitment to transfer responsibility for Iraq to the Iraqis.

Only together can we ensure the safe return of our brave and dedicated American troops.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Carmen Salinas on her work representing Mexico as Senora Internacional during the Washington Birthday Celebration, which is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States.

Mrs. Carmen Salinas was born on September 4, 1933, in the City of Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. Her early steps in the arts were marked by her strong desire to give the public a great performance. In 1964, Mrs. Salinas worked in television under the direction of Mr. Ernesto Alonzo in the productions of `` La Vecindad,'' ``La Frontera,'' ``Sublime Redencion,'' and ``El Chofer.'' Her theatrical work includes productions of ``Cada Quien Su Vida,'' ``Vine, Vi y Mejor Me Fui,'' but according to critics, her best performance was in ``Aprendiendo a Ser Senora.''

Mrs. Carmen Salinas' work on the big screen is to be admired. She has starred in big-screen productions including ``Distrito Federal,'' ``Paso de Cojo,'' ``Que Viva Tepito,'' ``Danzon,'' ``Albures Mexicanos,'' and ``Nos Reimos de la Migra,'' among many others. Her performances in the small screen include super hits such as ``Abrazame Muy Fuerte,'' ``Preciosa,'' ``Mi Pequena Traviesa,'' and ``Maria Mercedes.'' She is also recognized as a successful entrepreneur, particularly for her theatrical presentation ``Aventurera,'' one of Mexico's most popular theatrical productions in recent history, which also has been featured in many cities in the United States with great crossover appeal.

She was recently honored in New York by the A.C.E. Awards, and also received the ``Palmas de Oro'' award. The Hispanic community is proud to consider Mrs. Carmen Salinas as one of its most influential role models.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the dedication of Carmen Salinas to the Hispanic-American community in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Paul Rodriguez on representing the United States as Senor Internacional during the Washington Birthday Celebration, the largest celebration of its kind in the United States.

Mr. Rodriguez's career has spanned more than two decades and includes starring roles in over 30 films and countless television series and specials. Some of Mr. Paul Rodriguez's series include ``Trial and Error,'' ``Grand Slam,'' and for over four years he hosted ``El Show de Paul Rodriguez,'' an entertainment talk show for the Spanish-language Univision network. This particular show reached an international audience throughout the United States and 17 other countries in Central and South America.

His directorial debut came in 1994 with the film ``A Million to Juan,'' a family comedy in which he also wrote and starred. Mr. Rodriguez moved nicely from television to motion pictures, making his feature film debut in the picture comedy ``D.C. Cab,'' followed by many films such as ``Miracles,'' ``Born in East L.A.,'' and ``Made in America.'' Mr. Rodriguez recently had the opportunity to work with the legendary Clint Eastwood in the film ``Bloodwork.'' It is estimated that Mr. Paul Rodriguez has performed live to well to over one million concert goers from coast to coast. Within Hispanic communities, Mr. Rodriguez is considered the ``Original Latin King of Comedy.''

Mr. Paul Rodriguez remains strongly rooted in the Latino Community, working with civic and educational groups, and his main contributions go to The National Hispanic Scholarship Fund (NHSF), but he also contributes to such charitable efforts such as Comic Relief, and hosts the annual Elizabeth Glazer Pediatrics AIDS Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament. Mr. Rodriguez is the one of the few stand-up comedians who performs in two languages (Spanish/English) and was voted as one of the most influential Hispanics in America. He has also been the recipient of the Ruben Salazar Award by the National Council of La Raza.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication of Paul Rodriguez to the Hispanic-American community in the United States.

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his kind words, and the gentleman also from California for the kind words.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 437, a bill to name the postal facility of Rio Grande City, Texas, after Lino Perez, Jr.

Mr. Lino Perez, Jr., is a role model and a leader in south Texas, who helped ingrain a rich tradition of public service in his community. Mr. Perez was born in Rio Grande City, Texas, in 1914. He attended high school in south Texas, as well as in Austin, and then returned home to Rio Grande City shortly after graduation to begin his post office career.

He first started with the United States Post Office in 1934 under the guidance of his father, who was then the postmaster of Rio Grande City. Lino Perez, Jr., worked through the ranks of the Rio Grande City Post Office; and after two decades, 20 years, he was named postmaster for Rio Grande City.

Under his leadership, the Rio Grande Post Office was upgraded to a second-class post office. Mr. Perez also established the city's first mail delivery, created several rural routes in Starr County, and helped lay that foundation for his community's further progress.

In addition, Mr. Perez served several terms on the Starr County Hospital Board of Directors, was actively involved in the Knights of Columbus, including being Texas State deputy, the highest Knights of Columbus position in Texas. After 41 years of loyal service, Lino Perez retired from the Rio Grande Post Office. Forty-one years of great service.

Mr. Perez still resides in the region, is warmly remembered by his family, friends and community as a community leader. Lino Perez, Jr.'s service to our country shall be remembered and celebrated through this small tribute, and I urge swift passage of this bill.

Again, I want to thank the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Placida Pena Barrera on her reaching the milestone of her 80th birthday. She is one of the most inspiring members of the community in the City of Laredo and in the State of Texas.

Mrs. Placida Pena Barrera was born on July 13, 1926, in the City of Guerra in the great State of Texas. She moved to Roma, Texas, and commuted to Rio Grande City to attend high school, where she graduated in 1945. Five years later, she met Raymundo Barrera and together they raised six children. She was committed to being the best mother for her children.

With her husband's retirement, she decided to work as a clerk for the Laredo Independent School District, while also taking classes at Texas A&M International University. Placida graduated from Texas A&M International University in 1978, at the age of 52 with a degree in teaching.

Mrs. Barrera has worked consistently to uplift the lives of children in Laredo, Texas, through her 22 years of teaching at United Independent School District. While there, she established the Laredo chapter of the NASA's Young Astronauts program. For her work, she was awarded certificates of appreciation. She and her husband were also recognized by the Department of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin for their publication of ``U.S. Latinos and Latinas and World War Two Oral History.''

After serving her community as an educator for nearly two decades, Mrs. Barrera retired in 2000, and is enjoying her time with her husband and their grandchildren. It is because of her work that the youth in the community were able to realize their potential to create a new and better future for themselves.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had the opportunity to recognize the dedication of Mrs. Placida Pena Barrera to her community, and ask you to join me in honoring her on her birthday. I thank you for your time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Danny Valdez on his inauguration as Webb County Judge on January 1, 2007.

Judge Valdez was first elected into office as justice of the peace in May 1982 and has served for nearly 25 years. This inauguration marks the start of his sixth 4-year term with the court in Webb County. Judge Valdez has received numerous awards such as the Community Service Award by LULAC Council No. 12, and the Nuestro Orgullo Award by S.C.A.N. due to his passion in working with at-risk youth in the community, and addressing issues such as truancy, gang violence, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and juvenile delinquency. He also was recognized for his commitment to the rule of law by the Laredo Bar Association with the Liberty Bell Award and the 2005 Hispanic of the Year Award by LULAC Council No. 7.

Aside from presiding over one of the busiest courts, Judge Valdez is actively involved in community activities such as working with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Education Program in bringing male and female inmates to local middle and high schools to educate students about the dangers involved in making the wrong choices. He worked with the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust in the development of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Boys' Scout Camp Huisache and was also instrumental in the development of the Lamar Bruni Inner City Recreation Center. Judge Valdez also reached out to low-income families by chairing the Annual Toys for Tejanitos Drive, the Angel Wish Program, and the Annual Fishing Derby for physically challenged students.

Judge Valdez has given out over $60,000 in scholarships to promising young students from the Laredo Independent School District. He also started the Supply Our Students Campaign that has raised funds for nearly 70 tons of school supplies for low-income students in Webb County. He is truly one of the great Laredoans and it is because of him that the youth in the community have realized their immense potential in creating a new and better future for themselves by learning from the values of Judge Valdez.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication of Judge Danny Valdez to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor David Gonzalez on his retirement from the Rural Development Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 3rd, 2007.

David Gonzalez began his career with the USDA Rural Development Agency, which was previously known as Farmers Home Administration, on May 26, 1971 as a student trainee in San Diego, Texas. He received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Texas A&M University at Kingsville in 1972 and returned back to work with the Farmers Home Administration in San Benito, Texas, as an assistant county supervisor. Five years later, he was promoted to county supervisor for Willacy County and then transferred to Edinburg in Hidalgo County.

Mr. Gonzalez's commitment to his service with the agency was recognized with his next promotion to assistant district director in Rio Grande City in 1980 and then to area director for the Rio Grande Valley in 1991. He served with distinction and honor for 16 years in the Rio Grande Valley, and helped to provide crucial funding to the communities in the area. Mr. Gonzalez has given back so much to the community in the Rio Grande Valley in his tenure with the Rural Development Agency. After working tirelessly for nearly two decades, he will enjoy his retirement with his wife, Edna, and his five grandchildren, Daniel David, Jorge Alberto, Zenon David, Dayna Dalinda, and Dennis David.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication of David Gonzalez to the Rio Grande Valley community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Councilman Gary M. Kelly, an American hero--a soldier, a leader, a father, a husband, and city councilman in the City of Cibolo, who recently passed away on October 15th, 2006. Councilman Kelly was recently named Mayor pro tem by the City of Cibolo before his death in honor of his lifetime commitment to the city and to the community.

Gary M. Kelly was born on October 1st, 1948, in the City of Utica in the State of New York to his parents, Raymond and Arlene Kelly. He graduated from high school in Whitesboro, New York, and then attended the Syracuse University College of Forestry in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science. He earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks in 1975. Shortly after graduate school, Gary joined the Squadron Officer School in 1976, thus beginning nearly thirty years of service in the United States Air Force.

Councilman Kelly served his country with great honor in the United States Air Force and received numerous military awards and accolades such as the Legion of Merit, Joint Service Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, to name just a few. He also rose quickly within the military ranks from Second Lieutenant to Colonel. His military career was focused on program management and logistics support of weapon systems for the United States Air Force at Kelly Air Force Base. It was just not his country he served with great passion, it was the City of Cibolo in the State of Texas as City Councilman. He was sworn into office on May 25th, 2005, and made numerous accomplishments such as writing the charter for the City, overseeing the creation of two fiscal budgets, establishing the Streets and Drainage Committee, the Public Safety Committee, and the Business Development Committee. He worked as the liaison to the Capital Improvements Committee, and Planning and Zoning Commission. He also was known for being a great mentor to new members of the City Council and to commission chairs.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia C. Kelly, his two sons, Allen Dearborn and Scott Kelly, his mother, Arlene, his two sisters and their spouses, Cindy and Gregory Hobbs, Karen and Raymond Jankowski, his brother, Chris Kelly and his wife, Kathleen, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and friends of the family. He truly led by example and inspired his children to be the best they could be in achieving their dreams and goals. He will be missed by us all and especially by the City of Cibolo in the State of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize Councilman Gary M. Kelly.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the inauguration of the new Main Facility of the Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., on October 20th, 2006, in the City of Laredo.

The Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., first began as a Migrant Health Clinic administered by the Laredo-Webb County Health Department in 1963, and has rapidly grown to one of the largest community health centers in South Texas in providing a variety of much-needed services to underserved residents of Webb County. Today, the Gateway Community Health Center operates over five sites in Webb County, serving over 18,007 residents of Webb County in 2005 alone. The new facility, which is being inaugurated today, is expected to increase the number of users in late 2006 and 2007.

The continued growth of the population in Webb County present challenges for the Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., but the dedication of its staff, especially that of Mr. Miguel Trevino, the C.E.O., will be able to make sure these challenges are met with the support they have from the community. The new Main Facility will help Gateway in providing more services and expanding its outreach to the residents of Webb County. I am very proud of the staff of Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., and their partners in making this dream possible for Laredo and Webb County.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to honor the inauguration of the new

Main Facility of the Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., in the City of Laredo in the Great State of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Judge George P. Kazen as a recipient of the 2006 Longhorn Legacy Awards, given to him on October 5th, 2006 by the Laredo Chapter of the University of Texas Ex- Students Association.

Judge Kazen received his law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1961, and thus began a long, accomplished career in law. Shortly after graduation, he served a term as a briefing attorney for the Texas Supreme Court, entered the United States Air Force as a JAG officer, and was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal in 1965. He returned back to the city of Laredo in 1965 where he practiced law until he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to become United States District Judge in 1979 for the Southern District of Texas. The Southern District of Texas includes divisions in Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Laredo, Corpus Christi, McAllen, and Brownsville. Judge Kazen also is a member of the FISA Court based in Washington, DC.

He has received a number of accolades and awards such as the Dean Leon Green Award from the Texas Law Review Association in 1998, the Samuel Pessarra Award for Outstanding Jurist from the Texas Bar Association in 2004, and the Mr. South Texas Award in 2000. He is extensively involved in several legal and civic organizations such as the Fifth Circuit District Judges' Association, the Laredo Civic Music Association, the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo, and the St. Augustine- Ursuline Board. He served as a member of the Laredo Community College Board of Trustees from 1972 to 1979 and has lectured at various legal and judicial seminars throughout the country.

Judge Kazen has been married to the wonderful Barbara Ann Kazen for 44 years since 1962 and has four children and seven grandchildren. He is a member of the Blessed Sacrament Church, where he is president of the Parish Council and is a lector and eucharistic minister.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication of Judge George P. Kazen to the city of Laredo and to promoting the University of Texas at Austin as one of its most accomplished alumni members.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Elmo Lopez, Sr., as a recipient of the 2006 Longhorn Legacy Awards, given to him on October 5, 2006 by the Laredo Chapter of the University of Texas Ex- Students Association.

Elmo Lopez, Sr. is a native of the city of Rio Grande and now currently resides in the city of Laredo in the State of Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in music, a Bachelor of Arts in 1953 and a Masters in 1957, and thus began a long, accomplished musical career. Shortly after graduation, he worked as Band Director for the Laredo Independent School District, bringing his experience as a band member of the UT Longhorns Band to Lamar Junior High, Martin High School, and Nixon High School from 1953 to 1967. During this time, he served in several posts with the Texas Music Educators Association.

Mr. Lopez's passion for music was recognized by the Texas Legislature for promoting good will between the United States and Mexico through musical exchange programs. He also was honored in 1963 with Laredo Paso Doble, a musical composition written by Professor Clifton Williams at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to having guest conducted the UT Longhorn Band on numerous occasions, he also conducted the United States Armed Forces band and the Special Presidential Band of Mexico.

In 1987, Mr. Lopez founded the Laredo Chapter of the UT-Exes as a way to keep the connection between the University of Texas at Austin and its alumni in the city of Laredo. He dedicated his time and energy to the University including 12 years of service on the Board of Directors of the UT Dad's Association, and was named Distinguished Alumnus in 1993 and honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Laredo UT-Exes.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the dedication of Mr. Elmo Lopez, Sr. to his music and to the community of the city of Laredo.