Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 4011.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the wedding anniversary of John and Frances Cuellar, a couple from South Texas who has been married for 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, John Cuellar and Frances Gonzales were both born during the Depression and derived great family values from having little to their name. Family, honesty and love have led them to 50 years of happiness. They met while they were independently involved in the Catholic Youth Organization in Cuero, Texas.

After they met, Mr. Cuellar joined the U.S. Navy and was sent to Maryland. The couple wed on Dec. 28, 1955 while John was home on leave for Christmas. They both moved to Maryland after their marriage to start their lives together.

After his tour in the Navy was over, Mr. Cuellar joined the Texas Highway Department and then transitioned into law enforcement with the Cuero Police Department. At the close of his professional career, he was employed with the U.S. Marshall's office in Victoria, Texas. Mrs. Cuellar worked as a deputy county clerk and is now retired. She is a licensed nurse and prides herself on being so.

The Cuellar's raised four children, John Jr., Mike, Ronnie and Tina. They have fifteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Texas is honored to have such a fine couple who has served Southern Texas faithfully and diligently.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor John and Francis Cuellar and I thank you for this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 80th anniversary of The Pals, an organization in San Antonio, Texas that has been helping young black women enter adulthood with more ease and grace through their annual Debutante Ball.

Mr. Speaker, in 1925, four young ladies were meeting weekly for a social game of bridge. One of the women, Vivian Lowery Vincent suggested that they start The Pals. The name derived from the phrase ``pleasant attitude toward life.'' Others soon joined the group, and by 1927, these women envisioned a dream to present young, African American girls approaching adulthood to society. This dream became reality when The Pals hosted the first Debutante Ball in 1928.

The Club members believed that the social life of young Black women in San Antonio would be more secure by having, in their background, the interest of older, caring, dynamic women. They also knew that, in the goal for the perpetuity of African Americans, there was an urgency to preserve ``gentility'' within the race. Subsequently, The Pals selected and sponsored debutantes to develop and promote social and civic awareness, cultural dignity, pride and sense of self.

In 1979, The Pals were honored by the United Negro College Fund, Inc and presented the Fred D. Patterson Award and in 1992, the National Council of Negro Women, Inc honored The Pals for the organization's outstanding leadership toward the growth and development of the Minority Community of San Antonio. Each year accolades are received from parents, citizens and debutantes.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor The Pals for helping young women in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of the Texas State University Football Team that made it all tbe way to the semi-finals of the Division 1-AA playoffs.

Mr. Speaker, Texas State University, which is located in San Marcos, Texas, represented their school with tremendous pride and ability. The Bobcats finished the season with an 11-3 record and a Southland Conference championship, their first conference championship since 1983.

In only his second year, Head Coach David Bailiff and staff have taken the Bobcats from a good record in 2004 to a great one in 2005. Coach Bailiff and his staff will attempt to bring the national championship to San Marcos next year, a title that would be a restoration of the powerful tradition of Division II national championships in prior years.

Texas State football players have made their school proud off the field as well. Several players have spent time in area San Marcos elementary schools mentoring the children in the community. The team was also honored to have six student-athletes named to the conference's All-Academic team, a testament to the dedication the coaches and players have to achieve in the classroom as well.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to celebrate Texas State's outstanding football season and I thank you for this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Reverend Stephen John Thurston, a man who has an unprecedented record of service in the Baptist Church.

Mr. Speaker, Reverend Thurston is a third generation preacher and pastor in the historic New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. Thurston is also the youngest reverend to be named President of the National Baptist Convention of America, Incorporated.

Reverend Thurston is a graduate of Bishop College in Dallas, Texas were he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion in 1975. He is also a highly sought after revivalist, and his ministry has affected the lives of people as far away as the Caribbean and Africa.

Two of the numerous honors Reverend Thurston has received are America's Best and Brightest Young Business and Professional Men by Dollars and Sense magazine and Coordinator for Baptist World Alliance in Seoul, Korea.

On November 29th, 2005, Reverend Thurston will be in San Antonio as a guest preacher for the Baptist Ministers Union of San Antonio and Vicinity Communities year end service. San Antonio is honored to host Reverend Thurston and is proud to have him as a guest preacher.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the seventh anniversary of Connolly and Company, a public relations, advertising and marketing firm in San Antonio which is located in the district I represent, the 28th district of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, in 1998, T.J. Connolly had a vision which he put into practice. He recognized a void in public relations that he thought

he could fill with a company specializing in message management.

Connolly and Company was started with one telephone, two computers, a secretary and one client. Seven years later, it's a thriving public relations firm whose dynamic staff services clients in telecommunications, commercial real estate development, health care and law--among many others.

Connolly and Company is an upstanding business in Texas that helps its many clients put their best foot forward. The firm has collected many awards and is regarded as one of the top firms in San Antonio.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have had this opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of Connolly and Company.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 125th anniversary of the University of the Incarnate Word, an institution of higher education in San Antonio, Texas that serves students from Texas, as well as throughout the United States and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, the University of the Incarnate Word evolved when three sisters went to San Antonio to help serve people in need of health care and children in need of homes.

After founding several hospitals and two orphanages, the sisters established Incarnate Word School, which began as an elementary and secondary school but has blossomed into a university that has a campus in Mexico City and one in China.

The university's service is based on the belief in God, their love for God, and their desire to serve God's people.

The university is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr. as president of the university. He is a great leader and his long service is a testament to the dedication of the school.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me the privilege of celebrating the 125th anniversary of the University of the Incarnate Word and the 20th anniversary of Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr. as president.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Juan Arechiga, Sr., a decorated World War II veteran and lifelong resident of Laredo, Texas who passed away Saturday, December 3, 2005.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Arechiga was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was a member of Company F, 333rd Infantry, serving in the Rhineland and Central Europe. He served bravely from November 25, 1942 to December 9, 1945, when he was honorably discharged.

For his dedication while in the service, he received the American Theater Campaign Ribbon, the EAME Campaign Ribbon with three bronze stars and a Good Conduct Medal.

Mr. Arechiga was an electrician who was one of the founding members of the Laredo Electrical Association which was formed in 1948. As his business expanded, he developed a construction firm that was contracted to build the first Sears and Roebuck buildings in Barcelona, Spain and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

When he returned to Laredo, he became a well-known residential contractor and established his own local construction company. Mr. Arechiga was an important part of Laredo's growth in the late 1970's and we are proud to have had such a respected person as a citizen of Laredo.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the important contributions of Joseph P. Loftus Jr. who lived in San Antonio, Texas and passed away recently on September 4th, 2005.

Mr. Speaker, Joe Loftus Jr. was a fine American citizen who served in the aviation and space activities division of government for 47 years. He wasn't always in the spot light, but he was behind the scenes on the Mercury capsules and the Apollo lunar missions. Because of his efforts, NASA created the Orbital Debris Program Office. He had an international reputation for his expertise on orbital debris research and he was awarded NASA's Exceptional Service Metal twice and upon his death, the Distinguished Service Metal. When Mr. Loftus retired, NASA lost a smart, dedicated employee whose talents were in many fields. Eric Hoffer, an American author once wrote, ``Our passionate preoccupation with the sky, the stars, and God somewhere in outer space is a homing impulse. We are drawn back to where we came from'' Joe Loftus Jr. has returned to where he came from and he will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the time to address the House on this somber but momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 125th anniversary of the Holding Institute. The Holding Institute is a training facility that helps young Hispanic women, children and families improve their ability to read, write and speak English. Since Miss Nannie Emory Holding, a Methodist missionary teacher from Kentucky, helped a small group of Laredo women organize a school for girls on the north bank of the Rio Grande back in the early 1880's, the name Holding has meant educational opportunity to the residents of Los Dos Laredos.

In 1987, Holding became a community learning center offering learning opportunities for adults, offering day and evening classroom instruction to women and men above 16 years of age who wanted to learn English as a second language, improve their Spanish, obtain their GED, gain work skills including computer literacy, or get ready for entry into college.

Today, Holding is recognized for future projects that will take learning at Holding to another level for the 21st Century.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have had this opportunity to recognize the Holding Institute, an invaluable learning center for many people in Laredo, for their 125 years of ministry and teaching.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is an amendment that adds a category of preferential consideration for witness protection grants for jurisdictions that share an international border and face a threat from cross-border crime.

Basically, this would allow the border prosecutors an opportunity to protect the witness that sometimes fears that they might get a threat from international cross-border threats. I believe this amendment is acceptable to Chairman Sensenbrenner.

Mr. Chairman, Chairman Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers, Congressman Scott, thank you for this opportunity to offer my amendment to H.R. 1751, the Secure Access to Justice and Court Protection Act of 2005.

Crime and violence along the US-Mexico border presents unique challenges to the law enforcement community. Border crimes can be especially difficult to prosecute: a witness to a crime along the border may be hesitant to testify if he or she fears it is related to criminal activity across the border in another country.

The Cuellar amendment is simple; it adds a category of preferential consideration for witness protection grants for jurisdictions that share an international border and face a demonstrable threat from cross-border crime. This category will benefit such jurisdictions that choose to apply for witness protection grants.

We must provide prosecutors every means possible to adjudicate crimes along the border, and giving them preferential consideration for witness protection grants will help that goal.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for the work she has done.

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

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin and the gentlewoman from California for this opportunity to present this amendment. I believe this amendment is acceptable to the chairman and the gentlewoman from California.

Chairman Sensenbrenner and Congresswoman Waters, thank you for this opportunity to present my amendment to H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005.

I will not spend much time describing my amendment, which is acceptable to the Chairman and Congresswoman Waters, because the concept is simple. My amendment will require all Federal agencies and departments to submit a report to the Attorney General verifying that all rules, regulations, and procedures of that agency are in compliance with the provisions of H.R. 4128.

There is a saying in business: ``what gets measured gets done.'' H.R. 4128 is an important and timely bill, and it will do a great deal to help protect private property rights in this country. My amendment will strengthen H.R. 4128, by making sure that the practices and procedures of Federal agencies are quickly and uniformly brought into compliance with the new law.

My amendment will require all Federal agencies and departments to review their practices with regard to eminent domain, and to submit a report to the Attorney General verifying that all rules, regulations, and procedures of that agency are in compliance with the provisions of H.R. 4128. This amendment will help to make the transition clearer, and will introduce an added dimension of accountability into the process.

As a believer in responsible government, I always have and will continue to hold our bureaucracy accountable for knowing the law and following it correctly. This simple reporting requirement will ensure that it is done in a timely fashion. H.R. 4128 is a good bill, and my amendment will help to ensure that it is enforced quickly, uniformly, and fairly.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lilia Perez for her contributions to the Laredo, Texas community that recently resulted in the opening of a community center bearing her name.

Lilia Perez is a native Laredoan who grew up, attended school, and has worked her entire life in Laredo. A few short years after studying Business Administration at Laredo Junior College, Lilia was elected to the Webb County Community Action Agency Board, where she represented the poor of Laredo for over thirty years.

In 1982, Lilia Perez was elected a Commissioner of Webb County, making her the first female Commissioner in the county's history. Lilia has also served on the South Texas Region Community Development Block Grant Review Committee and the City of Laredo Planning and Zoning Commission.

Continuing her devotion to her community, Lilia was appointed to the South Texas Retired Senior Volunteer Board. Lilia's service to seniors and the poor led the City of Laredo to name their newly-built Community Center in her honor.

The Lilia Perez Community Center was financed through the Community Development Block Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Community Center opened on September 30th, and provides meeting and storage facilities for seniors in the Laredo community.

I am honored to come before you today to recognize the contributions of Lilia Perez to Webb County, and I wish the Community Center the best as it serves our elderly citizens in Laredo.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Raul Rodriguez for his work to improve the quality of life in the U.S.-Mexico border region as he prepares to end his tenure as the Managing Director of the North American Development Bank.

The NADBank is jointly operated by the United States and Mexico, financing and developing needed environmental projects in the border region, such as water and wastewater treatment plants. Raul has guided the expanding NADBank since October of 2000.

Under Raul's leadership, the NADBank has grown dramatically. It now provides over $703 million in financing and assistance for 89 infrastructure projects in the U.S.-Mexico border region, including technical and financial assistance projects in border communities that would not otherwise have been feasible.

The North American Development Bank is assisting on a set of projects whose total cost is estimated at over $2.4 billion, a level of investment that may have been impossible to achieve if not for the efforts of the NADBank.

Prior to joining the NADBank, Raul was the Executive Director of the Mexican Foreign Trade Bank, and he served as Mexico's Trade Commissioner in Canada during the NAFTA negotiations. Raul also served as a professor for several years.

Thanks in large part to the contributions of Raul Rodriguez, the NADBank is more able to make a positive impact in the border region than many could have ever imagined. I thank Mr. Rodriguez today for his hard work and dedication, and I wish him the best as he continues to serve our border community.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary and also the ranking member. I believe this amendment is acceptable both to the chairman and the ranking member.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers for putting together a good bill that will benefit the justice system in the United States.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment--number 40--to this bill will authorize appropriations for the newly structured Border Violence Task Force in Laredo, Texas.

My amendment will authorize appropriations of $10 million per year for the duration of the bill to provide for equipment, personnel, administrative, and technological costs. This authorization is necessary to provide the Border Violence Task Force the resources it needs to combat border violence.

My amendment will allow the Attorney General to designate the lead on the Border Violence Task Force that is currently being lead by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This task force is an inter-agency law enforcement effort on the Federal, State, and local level to combat escalating violence on the United States-Mexico border. As the largest land port of entry in the United States, Laredo is a critical component of our Nation's economy. I have been working with officials from both sides of the border to help establish a collaborative solution to the violence, and the Border Violence Task Force is the result of that effort.

Our shared border with Mexico is one of our Nation's greatest cultural and economic assets. Unfortunately, in the past year, the growth and security of the border region has been threatened by a wave of violence. This violence has affected communities on both sides of the border, and has resulted in the highly publicized kidnapping of over 35 American citizens. If we are to restore peace and prosperity to our border communities, we need to act now.

Last May, I organized a Border Violence Task Force in Laredo, TX, to deal with border violence. The group included experts from the FBI; the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Customs and Border Protection; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Marshal; the U.S. Attorney, the DEA, the State Department, U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo, the Department of Public Safety-Narcotics, the Department of Public Safety-Intelligence, the local Webb County Sheriff, and the Laredo Chief of Police.

This Task Force has met a few times and the Special Agents-in-Charge in the region have agreed to work in a joint effort to develop a plan of action to address the escalating violence along the Mexico-United States border in Laredo, TX.

The task force will develop initiatives and strategies dealing specifically with the problems in the border region. The group will work in partnership and cooperation with each other maximizing their strengths and expertise.

This authorization represents a critical step forward for law enforcement in the border region, and the increased security and growth it will bring to the border will benefit communities throughout the Nation. I urge you to support the law enforcement officers on the United States-Mexico border who are working to keep our border communities safe.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

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

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment to H.R. 3402--number 39--will authorize the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Gang Intelligence Center. This effort builds upon a $10 million appropriation given in fiscal year 2005 for the establishment of such a center, and will permanently ensure the presence and operation of this critical information network.

A version of this amendment was unanimously approved in H.R. 1279, the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005.

My amendment adds $10 million in authorization for the National Gang Intelligence Center for each fiscal year of the bill, which mirrors the $10 million appropriation given for fiscal year 2005.

In order to fully encompass the scope of gang intelligence collection and capabilities, my amendment not only includes collection and dissemination involving law enforcement from Federal, State, and local agencies, but also corrections agencies and penal institutions at the Federal, State and local levels.

The addition of these components will allow for intelligence gathering from entities involved in post-prosecution activities such as community-based corrections and incarceration.

My Congressional District, the 28th of Texas, is both rural and urban, and has the added concerns of the violence and drug trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border. Along the border there is violence in Nuevo Laredo in Mexico that spills over into Laredo, in my district. For the pervasive gang problem, we definitely need a system of intelligence collection and sharing.

Increasingly, gangs operate on an interstate and even international level. Our law enforcement agencies are often handicapped in their gang enforcement efforts by a lack of clear communication and ready information. What is needed is a central clearinghouse, to coordinate the efforts of various law enforcement and corrections agencies to combat violent gang activity. An information-oriented approach to gang violence has been highly effective in my home State of Texas, and I am confident that it will be effective on a national level as well.

I urge passage of my amendment that will help our Nation's law enforcement professionals keep the tools they need to keep our communities safe.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

That is correct.

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