Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I want to focus on the extra provisions dealing with the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs. These programs are among the most essential, providing comprehensive education, health care, child care services to the families who often have literally nowhere else to go. I am familiar with this, working with the Texas Migrant Council in my district, Laredo, Texas.

This year we are breaking new ground by mandating at least 5 percent of the Head Start budget to go to migrant and seasonal programs. I want to thank the chairman and the members of the committee for this. This increase even by 1 percent means a lot, going from 4 to 5 percent. It would permit Migrant and Seasonal Head Start to serve as many as 10,000 additional children. This is a case where a small increase in funding can make a big difference to a lot of children, changing the path they are on.

I want to emphasize that this program is extremely important. I know that for the migrant farm worker population facing a unique set of challenges, working on a seasonal basis, migrant families often have to move from State to State during the year, making it extremely difficult for the children to get in and remain in high-quality educational programs. When they are in the fields, parents often work 12 hours a day or more, making it very difficult for child care. This is why this provision is extremely important.

This program is important, and I know because I am also the son of migrant workers. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member (Ms. Woolsey) for the work, and the committee members for this new additional funding for the seasonal migrant workers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Iowa and the gentleman from Pennyslvania, also the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) who joined us, also. I also want to thank you for your leadership, taking us, this particular delegation, the delegation that you took us on took us to different parts of Iraq that other delegations had not gone to, especially the southern part of Iraq.

I would like to talk about three things that are really what I would call snapshots of this particular trip that I think are important to share with us here today. The first one, of course, has to do with the reconstruction projects. Sometimes I believe the media does not give it enough time to focus on the reconstruction work, the schools, the clinics, the hospitals, the electrical plants, the water plants that are built, those types of projects that really have changed the daily lives of the Iraqi people. When you are talking about a child that for the first time sees a board that you can actually get some sort of stick and write on, the blackboard, it is something they have seen for the first time, you are changing the lives of those young Iraqi children that will really make a big difference. I think you would agree with me that as we are able to get them educated, as we are able to see them, able to teach them the principles of democracy, the principles of being able to associate, that we really are making some changes that will transform not only Iraq but the Middle East and that will have a ripple effect to the other countries. I think you would agree with me on that particular point.

The other point that I would like to talk about is also the commitment of the Iraqi people. I think the gentleman from Pennyslvania did a great job when he talked about the Iraqi businesspeople, men and women. All they want to do is they want to be able to have a business, be able to secure a future for their children and for their families. They want to be able to send their children without having to worry about being blown up in some bomb going to school. They just want to make sure they have a normal life just like you and I and a lot of folks want to have. I think seeing that in those Iraqi businesspeople, both men and women, was something that was very enlightening.

The other thing that the gentleman from Pennyslvania touched upon which I think is important is the commitment of the judiciary. Having an independent judiciary is extremely important. If you recall when we were talking to the judges and we talked to three different judges, what we call the investigating judge, the judge that will do the trial work and, of course, the appellate judge, that gave us a pretty good sense of the work, the very difficult work that they have to do. I remember one of the comments they said. They said, all we want is we don't want the Iraqi politicians to get involved in our job. We want to make sure we do our job in an independent manner. That is important, because think about this. Those judges are probably targeted. They are people that do not want them to do their job. They do not want them to try Saddam, the evil dictator. They want to make sure that they don't do their job. But what they wanted, these jurists, all they wanted to do was to be free from any influences and do their job. I think that has to be admired, especially under those very difficult circumstances.

The last point that I want to mention is also the commitment of our soldiers. When you think about it, when we were at that hospital in Germany, we had soldiers that had been injured, soldiers that were hurting. When we asked them what they were thinking about, the first thing they wanted to say was, I want to get well so I can go back and take care of my buddies and be with my buddies and my friends. That is a commitment of the U.S. military, that even when they are down, they are ready to get back and go back in the field so they can finish their job and the mission because they believe in what they are doing there.

The last point that I want to bring about is, I have been in different town hall meetings and people asking us when are our American soldiers coming back. As I told them, and I think we all realize this, we need to finish the mission. We need to make sure that that country is stabilized, because we took out a power structure that was not taking care of its people, and we cannot leave that vacuum there. We need to make sure that we put a structure there, a structure of government, a constitution, the rule of law, the principles of a constitution so the people can follow the rule and the laws there. Once we establish that law there, then I think we can start bringing our soldiers home. I think the constitution and especially that election or that vote on October 15 is going to be extremely important. The elections on December 15 when they elect their representatives, that will be extremely important. But also the building up of the Iraqi military is important.

I remember when I started back here with the gentleman from Pennyslvania back in January, we asked the question of the Department of Defense, how many soldiers do we have, Iraqi soldiers? At that time I recall it was about 120,000. We were informed last month that they had about 180,000. Sometime by the end of the year they should have over 200,000 soldiers, Iraqi soldiers. As one of the generals told us, when one Iraqi soldier stands up, one American soldier can go ahead and sit down.

It means that the faster we can build the Iraqi military security forces then the faster they can start taking care of their homeland, and that is extremely important.

So I certainly want to thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) very, very much for the opportunity that he provided the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) to go down there to see, first of all, the morale of our soldiers, to see the commitment of the Iraqi business people, the jurists, the people that want to have normal lives so they can have a future there. Certainly I want to thank him for giving me an opportunity to see the reconstruction projects, the schools, the clinics, the hospitals, the water plants, the electrical plants, to make sure that

they can have the basic utilities that sometimes we take for granted.

I want to thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) for the opportunity and certainly the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), one of my freshmen colleagues, for having an opportunity where we are able to ask the questions and share our thoughts and ideas in a bipartisan way. Because, again, we want to do the best thing for our country, and we certainly want to do the best thing for the Iraqi country over there, also.

If the gentleman does not mind me interrupting for a second, I am from Laredo, Texas. It is one of the hottest places in the country, 104, 105, 107 degrees, but I have to say that being there at a place where it was 125 degrees, and I think that was a cool day compared to some of the days, that has to tell us that our soldiers have to go through very difficult times, but at the same time, the morale was good. They were doing their job, and they believed in what they were doing.

Just one minute more, and I thank my colleague for yielding to me, Mr. Speaker, and then I will let him close after this. Thanks to my colleague from Iowa and also to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).

And my colleague was right, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Dean Popps, we all had different conversations; and if you will recall, one of the conversations that we had was how do we get the free enterprise system to work? How do we get foreign investment to come in? It is hard to attract foreign investment to Iraq if they do not have a constitution or the basic laws, if they do not have some of the basic things we take for granted. In other words, who is the owner of the property? Where is the title to the property? How do you borrow money if you do not have collateral to go in?

So there is a lot of work that needs to be done. But I have a lot of faith in the Iraqi people, and especially having had that opportunity to talk to some of the business people and some of the folks there. It gave me the optimism and the faith that we are doing the right thing. And I think once we finish this mission, then we need to do everything to bring our soldiers back safely to the United States, the men and

women from all across the United States.

And, of course, I have to say that Texas had a large delegation there from San Antonio, Laredo, a couple of the places, New Braunfels. But again I do want to say thank you to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) for this opportunity, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), and of course our doctor, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), who also went with us.

This is something that allows us to make better decisions here in Washington, being able to go and see what is happening in Iraq firsthand. So I thank my colleagues.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Children's Safety Act; and I offer this amendment, which I believe is acceptable to the Chair and which I believe also is in the best interest of our communities.

Today, Mr. Chairman, we consider a bill that sets serious penalties for sex offenders. I want to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), for bringing this bill up; and of course I also want to thank the ranking members, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), for considering this bill and the amendments.

Mr. Chairman, we all agree such offenses are tragic, with effects that scar victims for a lifetime. I am proud this body is considering tough legislation that punishes sex offenders who prey upon youth and innocence.

The sex offender registry is a critical tool that helps protect our communities from sexual predators. It allows local law enforcement officers and probation and parole authorities to keep current information about the residence, work, and student information of a sex offender.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Byron P. Steele II for his contributions to our community that have led to the dedication of a high school in his name.

Dr. Steele is a native Texan with a love for horses, ranching, fishing, and hunting. He has spent his entire life in the greater San Antonio area, devoting nearly his entire career to the teaching community and the students of Texas.

In August 1957, Dr. Steele began that teaching career at Collins Garden Elementary School, in the San Antonio Independent School District. While teaching, Dr. Steele worked toward his Master of Education Degree at night.

From 1965 to 1968, Dr. Steele directed the Bexar County Head Start Program, designed to provide low-income preschoolers with a comprehensive program to meet all their needs. Dr. Steele is one of the pioneers of this program, which largely owes its success to these early designers.

Dr. Steele then returned to public education and became a principal at the elementary, junior high school, and high school levels. He then went on to earn his doctorate before becoming the superintendent of Malone ISD, then Devine ISD, and finally the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, where he remained for eighteen years.

At the request of the community, and as a tribute to his devotion to the students of Texas and the SCUCISD, the school board has decided to name the school district's second high school after Dr. Steele.

One can never underestimate the value and importance of our teachers and schools, which guide our children from a very young age into adulthood. I am honored to come here today to recognize Dr. Steele's contributions to our community, and I offer Steele High School my best wishes as it begins to carry on the legacy of this great Texan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour for 7 years of successful service to the people of San Antonio, Texas.

The Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour is an annual event which promotes the gift of life. Twelve cyclists spread the message of blood, marrow, organ, and tissue donation throughout the community as they ride.

With the help of Texas donor centers, the twelve cyclists not only change lives but save lives too. Each participant rides over 500 miles in a 6 day period in honor of someone needing a transplant.

Each non-professional rider is chosen in the spring specifically by a committee made up of the tour director, tour captain, a bone marrow coordinator, and a former participant. The rider not only must be physically capable to ride the entire tour, but their life must have been touched by a donation, meaning the rider or someone from their family has made a donation or received one.

Several stops are made along the way to honor recipients, donors, and their families. The stops also give community members the opportunity to learn about blood, marrow, organ, and tissue donation. This gives the community the chance to speak with someone who has experienced a donation.

The tour brings communities together and recognizes the importance of being a donor, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to recognize this event here today.

Offered By: Mr. Cuellar

Amendment No. 18: Page 11, line 4, after the comma insert

``and a minimum term of imprisonment that is no less than 90

days,''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor U.S. Army Spc. Lauro DeLeon, who died one year ago while serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lauro joined the Army Reserves before graduating from Floresville (Texas) High School in 2003, seeing the military as a way of financing a college education. He then enrolled at Palo Alto College that fall to pursue a degree in business, but soon learned he had been called up for active duty.

Lauro went to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in February 2004. The Mojadi army was attacking the city, and Lauro's unit was stuck in camp for three days before making its way out of Baghdad.

During that summer of 2004, Lauro surprised his family with a return home as part of a two-week leave from the Army which he won in a lottery. Lauro, a good Christian man from a good Christian family, prayed that he would be granted the opportunity to go home to his family, and his number was the last one called.

Lauro then returned to Iraq to serve with the 644th Transportation Company. On September 8, 2004, the truck Lauro was driving went over an explosive device, killing Lauro and putting the soldier with him in critical condition.

While in Iraq, both Lauro and his mother, Grace Lopez, read a chapter a day from the Bible. She passed along a message that helped Lauro make it through the tough times: ``Fear is not of God; whenever you start feeling fear, tell God to remove it.'' It is this faith that carried Lauro through the war, and it is this faith that continues to carry his family after his passing.

Along with all of our fallen servicemen and women, Lauro DeLeon has honored our nation by making the greatest sacrifice of all. It is the least we can do to offer these words of remembrance today. As always, our prayers remain with Lauro, his family, and all those representing our country in our Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the athletic excellence of Maribel Zurita.

Maribel Zurita made her pro boxing debut on July 31, 2001, in San Antonio, the city where she was born and raised. San Antonio still serves as her base, and she continues to train in the area. Maribel held the IFBA Flyweight title from 2004 to 2005.

Aptly nicknamed ``Little Thunder,'' Zurita more than makes up for her smaller size through a fierce tenacity and effervescent energy in the ring. She possesses a unique combination of grace and toughness which, when complemented by her skill and agility, make her a formidable opponent.

Maribel has succeeded in raising the profile of an industry so often dominated by men through her charismatic style and charm. She wins over fans of all ages and nationalities with ease. Zurita brings a professional attitude and a commitment to sportsmanship, characteristics that are all too often absent in many aspects of today's professional athletics.

I am honored to recognize Maribel Zurita for her remarkable success in athletics and beyond. Her work ethic and dedication provide an outstanding example for any aspiring athlete.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Sheriff Don Montague and the Hays County Sheriff's Office for their leadership in the National Night Out campaign.

Currently celebrating its 22nd Anniversary, the National Night Out (NNO) is a unique crime and drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). Last year's National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations, and local officials from over 10,000 communities throughout the United States. In all, over 34 million people participated in 2004. This year's event will be held on August 2nd.

The key to combating crime is by getting neighbors to know their neighbors--this is one of the main reasons NNO has been so effective. NNO helps heighten awareness of the efforts in crime and drug prevention, while also increasing participation in local crime deterrence programs. NNO strengthens neighborhood spirit, and encourages law enforcement and community partnerships. Most importantly, NNO sends a message to criminals, letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and ready to fighting back.

I am honored to recognize Sheriff Don Montague and the Hays County Sheriff's Office for their leadership roles in supporting the National Night Out. I encourage all Hays County residents to join forces with the thousands of other communities across the country in promoting cooperative crime prevention; your support is vital in the fight against crime.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 450, Interior Appropriations bill, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in supporting the best interests of our Nation by passing DR-CAFTA. I support CAFTA because it is deeply in our national interest, and it is a progrowth, projob vote.

In the past I have seen the way free trade has revolutionized south Texas, bringing jobs, prosperity and growth to a part of the country that used to be economically underserved. DR-CAFTA will perpetuate that growth, opening export markets to our American farmers and businesses, thereby creating

jobs in farming, manufacturing and industry here at home.

When NAFTA was signed in 1993, there were four Presidents, Clinton, Bush, Carter, and Ford, present at the signing. We have a long history of bipartisan cooperation when it comes to the benefits of free trade. I hope to see that tradition continue.

American farmers currently face deep tariffs when exporting their goods to Central America, while 99 percent of the CAFTA agricultural products come into the United States duty free. This is a one-way street that needs to be redrawn into a two-way street, a two-way street of fair trade.

American farmers are struggling against an unfair international trading system, and they are at risk of failing. CAFTA levels that playing field. According to the American Farm Bureau, CAFTA would expand U.S. farm exports by $1.5 billion per year. CAFTA is also going to bring major gains to U.S. manufacturing. The National Association of Manufacturers recently reported that as a direct result of DR-CAFTA, U.S. manufacturers stand to gain approximately 12,000 new job opportunities for American workers.

CAFTA will also create tremendous job opportunities for the 13,000 American small businesses that are currently already exporting to those Central America countries. The economic opportunities created by DR- CAFTA will bring new jobs and the possibility of a middle-class life to millions of Central Americans who are currently living in poverty. If we create economic opportunities in those countries, fewer will be forced to flee to the United States out of economic desperation.

The prosperity created by CAFTA will act as the foundation for more a stable and democratic future for Central America.

Mr. Speaker, trade has the power to change the world. Out of all the policy instruments that we have here in Washington, few have as much power to change lives, bring hope, and draw people together in a rising tide of prosperity as our ability to promote free and fair trade.

I am a supporter of DR-CAFTA because I think it is not only as a smart policy of the United States, but also it is a way to change our whole atmosphere for the better.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Emanuel ``Trooper'' Ledezma, a rising star in San Antonio, Texas.

Emanuel was born in 1982 to two Mexican immigrants who came to our country to achieve the American Dream. Emanuel immediately took an interest in boxing, joining his brothers at the San Fernando Gym.

Although Emanuel has been a dedicated boxer since the young age of 9, he realized the importance of education and service, graduating from Clark High School and enlisting in the United States Army in early 2002.

Emanuel served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division while he was stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 2003 he was deployed to Iraq for a tour of duty, and while there, he received numerous medals including, among others, Operation Iraqi Freedom, National Defense Medal, and two Army Accommodation Medals.

While enlisted and stationed at Ft. Bragg, Emanuel joined the Ft. Bragg Boxing Team and traveled throughout North Carolina in competitions. He now trains at the Zarzamora Street Gym and plans to make San Antonio and his family proud by pursuing and succeeding at boxing at the professional level.

Being fluent in both English and Spanish, Emanuel hopes that his cultural and ethnic roots can help him reach out to Latino youth and show them the importance of education, hard work, and perseverance.

Emanuel is a true representation of the ``American Dream'' that his immigrant parents came to this country to achieve, and I am proud to have this opportunity to recognize him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the San Antonio Spurs for winning their third National Basketball Association Championship in seven years. The 2005 World Champion Spurs deserve recognition for this achievement, and the class and sportsmanship they displayed in victory.

The Spurs won their third championship against a most worthy opponent, the tough and determined defending champion Detroit Pistons. In this seven-game series, both the Spurs and the Pistons blew each other out for two games apiece, but in the last three games each team showed the championship-caliber mettle that made this series a classic.

The Spurs displayed the skills, determination, and courage to overcome an opponent displaying the same qualities and playing with the same philosophy. This provided for scintillating games five, six, and seven, in which each team would give no ground, and the winner deserved the victory.

This final, championship round featured two juggernauts of team defense, and the results showcased the simple beauty of the game the focus not strictly on the hype of individual scoring and acrobatic plays. The pride and joy of the Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich is cohesive and tenacious defense that takes victory for its own.

The San Antonio Spurs are champions not only on the court, but off. The Spurs are the paragon of professionalism and teamwork, and while this may not sell for the casual fan, it sells very well for the fans in San Antonio and South Texas who admire these values. The San Antonio Spurs are both a vital member of the community and a community concept viewed with pride by all San Antonians.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to enter the names of these champions into the Record: Tim Duncan; Manu Ginobili; Tony Parker; Bruce Bowen; Nazr Mohammed; Robert Horry; Brent Barry; Devin Brown; Rasho Nesterovic; Beno Udrih; Tony Massenburg; Glenn Robinson; Head Coach Gregg Popovich, and Chairman Peter Holt.

I congratulate them on this momentous victory, and thank them for the pride and happiness they bring to all San Antonio.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Christi Lehman in gratitude for her service, respect for her work, and congratulations on her promotion to Vice President at Connolly & Company.

I am also personally indebted to Christi for her help in 2004. Christi handled media relations for me with an adept hand and a cool maturity. Her ability to generate new ideas and pitch them to the appropriate media is consistently rewarded with tremendous results.

Brought on board as a media expert for Connolly & Company in 2002, Lehman excels in public relations through her creative approach and unique style. She has coordinated numerous media events and widely covered press conferences. Recently, she has focused on companies or individuals involved in litigation--ensuring their public image and message is protected and promoted.

I am honored to recognize Christi Lehman on her promotion to Vice President at Connolly & Company. She is a gifted writer who understands the media, but most importantly, knows how to produce real results. I continue to appreciate her support on both a personal and professional level, as I congratulate Christi on her outstanding work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. Gilberto Velez and Pastor Samuel Rodriguez for their leadership in the Hispanic Church.

Dr. Gilberto Velez, Policy Director for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, was recently recognized by the Assemblies of God as one of America's premiere Pastors. Gilberto began what would eventually become the Iglesia Cristiana Misericordia through a home Bible study in Laredo with a handful for people, in March of 1995. Just last week, the Iglesia Cristiana Misericordia celebrated their 10th anniversary with a brand new 3,300 seat facility.

Because of its growth and vision, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference President Samuel Rodriguez has chosen the Iglesia Cristiana Misericordia as the Evangelical Hispanic Church of the Year, a role model for other Hispanic Churches and Pastors to follow.

Through the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Pastor Rodriguez

serves 15 million Evangelical/Born Again Christians in America, and helps advocate for family, socio-economic, and political empowerment for some 40 million Hispanics worldwide.

Samuel's efforts cross ethnic and denominational lines, preaching to all people regardless of culture or creed.

I am honored to recognize Samuel Rodriguez and Dr. Gilberto Velez. Their commitment to faith and the empowerment of the Hispanic community has set an example that we should all be proud of.