Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the important contributions of Judge Jesus Garza in Laredo, TX in my Congressional District.

Judge Jesus Garza was born and raised in Laredo. He is a product of LISD and graduated from J.W. Nixon High School in 1977. Upon graduation he enrolled at the University of Texas and earned a Bachelor of Journalism in 1981. In 1984 he received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston and was licensed to practice law in the State of Texas in 1985.

Judge Garza was appointed Associate Municipal Court Judge in 1984 and served until 1985 at which time he decided to run for Justice of the Peace. He ran a successful campaign and took office in 1986 and served for 6 years.

In 1993 Judge Garza, ``Chuy'' as he is known to his friends, was voted into the newly created Webb County County Court at Law #2 and is presently presiding over his second term.

In 1994 Mayor Saul Ramirez appointed Judge Garza to the Economic Advisory Council and selected Co-Chairman by its members.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have this opportunity to recognize County Court of Law Judge Jesus Garza.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the important contribution of Council Member District 1 Alfredo Agredano in Laredo, TX in my Congressional District.

Alfredo Agredano was born on August 28, 1948 in Grafton, North Dakota. He was the second of 9 children born to migrant workers Norberto and Francisca Agredano. After attending elementary schools in Corpus Christi, TX, Mr. Agredano and his family moved back to Laredo, TX at the age of thirteen. From there he attended L.J. Christen Jr. High School and graduated from Martin High School in 1968.

The following year he went on to joining the United States Marine Corps. During his stay, he became a Viet-Nam veteran and received an Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps with the rank of sergeant. Not only did Mr. Agredano serve his country proudly, he

also went on to earn an Associate Degree in Law Enforcement from Laredo Community College.

Mr. Agredano went on to work for the Laredo Fire Department for 7 years. For the past 25 years he has been an employee of the United States Post Office.

As a long life resident of Laredo, TX, Mr. Agredano went on to be elected to the Laredo City Council in 1998 and re-elected in 2002 in which he ran unopposed.

Councilman Agredano has been married to Geraldine Valdez for the past 21 years. He has 8 wonderful children and 3 grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have this opportunity to recognize the hard work of Councilman Alfredo Agredano.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Carter Casteel for her service to the people of Texas.

Carter Casteel was born in Monahans, Texas. She comes from a family with a tradition of public service; her mother was Monahans city secretary during the community's early founding, and was one of the first women elected to office in West Texas.

Ms. Casteel studied at the University of Texas, where she majored in government and history. She received her Masters from Southwest Texas State University, and moved with her husband and children to New Braunfels.

After a stint as a public school teacher in Comal, she attended law school and began practicing law in 1985. She was elected to the office of Comal County Judge in 1990, and served there until 1999. She was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2001, and works to represent the Texas Hill country and its interests.

In addition to her public service career, Carter Casteel has found time to run a successful law practice, Casteel and Casteel, with her son. She has also been involved in a wide variety of community organizations, including the Comal County United Way, Communities in Schools, Habitat For Humanity, and the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Committee. She had the honor of being appointed to the Battleship Texas Advisory Board by President George W. Bush, and has served as President of the Comal Independent School District Board of Trustees.

Mr. Speaker, throughout her career, Carter Casteel has been an advocate for education, tax reduction, preservation of natural resources and the community values for which the Hill Country of Texas is known. She has done a great deal of good for her community, and I am pleased to have this opportunity to offer her my thanks.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership the gentleman has shown in the Committee on the Budget.

I want to focus on one part of the administration budget and that deals with education. When I looked at this 3,000-page budget proposal the other day, I was quickly struck by the fact that out of the 150 programs that are slated for elimination, 48 of them, that is one out of three, were in education.

Education has the power to break the cycle of poverty. Education has the power to change lives. As millions of Americans have proven, education has the power to change the future. It has changed mine.

I think the gentleman will agree with me that if we would call, or any Member would call, any economic development foundation in their district and ask them about the importance of a broad-based comprehensive education system, I think they would get the answer, an answer that we all know, that is, there is no greater resource today in our great Nation to attract better jobs with better wages to our communities than a strong education program that we have.

I thank the gentleman very much.

I think the gentleman agrees with me that educational programs alone are no guarantee. These programs are successful only with the inspiration of our parents, the support of our community, and the hard work of our students. Many educational programs are threatened by this budget which includes the Upward Bound Program, the Talent Search, the GEAR UP among other programs. But I think today, if the gentleman would allow me just a few minutes to talk about one program, and that program exemplifies what it means to offer opportunity to an individual, what it means to offer opportunity to a family, a community and a country.

I think the gentleman is familiar with this program called Even Start. The budget calls for a $225 million cut from the Even Start program. That is a cut that would basically eliminate this program. In my own State, there are 90 Even Start programs in the State of Texas serving more than 5,500 families. In my part of the district, Seguin, Texas, there are 60 families that depend on this.

This is a very remarkable program that allows the parents to learn along with the children, where they are able to get their GED, where they are able to pull themselves up and not only educate their children but also to get trained, educated so they can get a job. It provides a sense of pride that makes them better parents, and that is what we are trying to do through our educational system.

I think the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) would agree that if we have these budget cuts in education, as is proposed, this will not make our families stronger, this education will not make our Nation stronger, and I believe these cuts in education will make it very hard on thousands of families that are working hard, playing by the rules to make this transition from poverty to prosperity.

You know, now as we are talking about providing the tools to break this cycle of poverty and provide more home and opportunity for the children, I think we need to talk about something you have been talking about, Mr. Spratt, and I would ask you this particular question. We agree that we need to have budget discipline. And, yes, we need to preserve educational programs like the Even Start program. So how do we do both?

And I think, just like you have said before, in order for us to do this, just do it just like we do the budget at home, we set priorities. We set priorities. We need to decide in Congress what are those priorities? Is it spending $280 million to study the icy moons of Jupiter, or do we educate our children? Is it spending $480 million to support the states of the former Soviet Union, or are we going to save America's farms?

I think, like you have been saying, Mr. Spratt, it is a time to set priorities for our Nation, and now it is the time to make sure that we set those priorities, not only for our Nation, but for our own individual districts. And I ask you to continue the efforts and the endeavor to make sure that the American public understands that we can have a budget, balance the budget, but at the same time, the way we lower the deficit is to set the priorities, the priorities in education and health care, and economic development.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the exceptional service of Staff Sergeant Ray Rangel and the ultimate sacrifice he paid to the country.

Ray Rangel had hopes of returning home this Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, a heroic act prevented this from happening. He was part of the Seventh Civil Engineering Squadron that was ordered to stay in Iraq. At age 29, Ray had been in Iraq since September and was proud to be part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sergeant Ray Rangel's ultimate sacrifice for his country devastated his parents, Federico and Priscilla Rangel. He was their only son and he acknowledged to them that if anything ever happened to him while he was overseas, to remember that he was doing what he loved to do and, that is, helping people.

A San Antonio native, Ray had attended South San Antonio High School and was a defensive back on the high school football team. He was well liked by all who met him. His sense of humor and his habit of cracking jokes earned him the nickname ``Crazy Ray'' among his teammates. After high school, Ray married his high school sweetheart, Selena, and together they had three sons and a daughter. Despite their busy schedules, Ray coached his oldest son's youth football team while Selena coached the cheerleaders for their daughter. Their three sons are now ages 7 to 11 and their daughter is now 5 years old.

Federico and Cynthia remember Ray as a devoted son and father. Through his own example, Ray taught his children of respect, discipline and service. Two years ago when Cynthia had to have surgery, Ray took leave in order to spend time and take care of her. In his spare time he would often take friends and family on fishing and hunting outings.

Growing up in a family with a history of military service, Ray enlisted in the Air Force soon after his high school graduation in 1994. This year would have been his 11th year serving in the U.S. Air Force. Ray had considered going to college after serving out his first enlistment contract. However, he found the Air Force to be such a rewarding experience and the people so

inviting that he decided to re-enlist and serve in the Air Force as a lifelong career.

Ray was well aware of the dangers that he would have to endure during his time in Iraq. He had to deal with being away from his family and friends. It was especially hard since Ray had to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas apart from his family and his wife and his young children for the first time. To cope with tough times, Ray would often make jokes to his family while he was away, saying that he was one of the lucky ones.

A firefighter based at Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas, Ray lost his life trying to rescue fellow soldiers that had fallen into a canal while their particular Humvee flipped over. Ray's mother was told that her son was the first to jump in the water to help the soldiers, and his selflessness in this act demonstrates the best a person can be.

Ray Rangel is the first Air Force member from South Texas killed in Iraq. He is also the ninth U.S. service member from the San Antonio area and the 42nd from South Texas killed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ray's parents remember that despite criticism leveled at President Bush over the U.S. occupation of Iraq, Rangel did not want his family to be bitter if he got hurt or killed. He would often remind his family that he loved his country and he wanted to serve the best that he could.

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to have had this time to honor Staff Sergeant Ray Rangel, a true hero that exemplifies the noblest qualities of the human spirit.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the many accomplishments of Ralph Lopez as the sheriff of Bexar County. Sheriff Lopez was reelected to serve the people of Bexar County for a fourth term this past November, 2004. He has dutifully served the people as sheriff since 1993, and continues to excel as one of Bexar County's most memorable sheriffs.

Before serving as sheriff, he was a decorated member of the San Antonio Police Department for 35 years, and was a cofounder of the Crime Stoppers Program in 1983.

While a member of the San Antonio Police Department, Sheriff Lopez worked towards receiving a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

Since the early 1990s, Sheriff Lopez has received numerous awards, including the Outstanding Political Service Award from the Texas Public Workers Association in 1996 and the Barbara Jordan Award for Excellence in Public Service in 1995.

Along with his many accomplishments for the people of Bexar County, Sheriff Lopez has been married to his lovely wife, Nancy, for 46 years. I ask that we honor Sheriff Lopez, who exemplifies what is the best of San Antonio.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of United States Marine Lance Corporal Adolfo Lopez.

On Thursday, November 18, 2004, Lance Corporal Lopez, a member of Battery T Unit, 5th Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, died at the young age of 19.

Mr. Lopez was killed in tragic rollover accident near Tucson, Arizona, while traveling home to Laredo, Texas, from a California military base.

Mr. Lopez, also known as Buffy, was coming home to Laredo to spend the holidays with his family before being deployed to Iraq. Although he did not make it to the battlefield, Adolfo was proud to be called a Marine.

Mr. Lopez, a 2003 graduate of J.B. Alexander High School, was described by his high school senior counselor as dedicated, disciplined and goal oriented. She said one of Adolfo's greatest moments was when he was informed that he had been accepted to the United States Marines.

While in the United States Marines, Adolfo received the National Service Defense Medal. According to Jose Antonio Lopez, his brother's goal was to become a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.

One of Adolfo's high school teachers, Mrs. Cecilia Santos, recalls letters and e-mail Adolfo sent her from boot camp in which he would mention how hard it was being away from his home, his family and his friends. Nevertheless, the growth in character he was experiencing was evident in his letters. Mrs. Santos noted in a letter that Buffy was fast becoming a man, a man of great moral fiber who was a role model to our youth.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents in Laredo, Texas, I ask this great body to join me in sending our most heartfelt condolences to the family of Lance Corporal Adolfo Lopez.

May God watch over his parents, Daniel and Mercedes Lopez, and his brothers and sisters, Daniel, Jose, Herminia, Christian, David, Dennise, and Eddie Lopez.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding contributions of Joseph A. Scott, Jr., and to acknowledge a scholarship fund in his name recognizing his exceptional years of service to the people of San Antonio.

Joe paved the way for others and became the first African American in San Antonio to become a licensed insurance agent. He then went on to found World Technical Services, providing jobs for the disabled and those conquering substance abuse. He most recently served as a cofounder of the New Covenant Baptist Church.

Joe has also played an integral role in San Antonio politics, working closely with former President Lyndon B. Johnson, former mayor and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros and the late Congressman Frank Tejeda.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have this opportunity to recognize the many accomplishments of Mr. Joseph A. Scott, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of United States Marines Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez.

On Thursday, January 13, Lance Corporal Rodriguez, a member of the Weapons Platoon, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines Division, died at the young age of 23.

Mr. Rodriguez was deployed in Iraq in August of 2004 where he served as an infantry assaultman. Juan, along with another Marine, was killed in an enemy attack explosion on January 13. He has been described by friends as a true Marine who was proud to fight for his country.

Before joining the United States Marine Corps, Mr. Rodriguez was part of the United South High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC, where he was described as a model cadet by Junior ROTC staff.

A 4-year member of the Junior ROTC, he always sought out perfection as he devoted countless hours to the Color Guard Team, the Shooting Team, and the Unarmed Drill Team.

In his senior year in high school, Juan Rodriguez was part of United South High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC that earned top honors at the National High School Drill Team Championships at Daytona Beach, Florida. In his senior year in high school, Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez went on to earn the rank of cadet colonel and was named the school's Junior ROTC battalion commander.

His exemplary extracurricular record in school brought him the recognition and respect of his classmates, teachers, and school administrators. Juan Rodriguez received the highest honor bestowed upon the graduating seniors: the United South High School Panther Award presented to those who exemplify the true spirit of the United South High School. Only 10 seniors out of a class of 471 received the award that year.

Amid all of his obligations to school and Junior ROTC, Juan Rodriguez found the time to volunteer in multiple community service projects. He played an active role in Christmas drives for underprivileged children, including Toys For Tots and Blue Santa.

In addition, Mr. Rodriguez was an active participant during Veterans Day and Memorial Day celebrations and, on several occasions, volunteering his time by placing U.S. flags at the city cemetery to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, or participated with the Presentation of Colors.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents in El Cenizo and Laredo,

Texas, I ask this great body to join me in sending our most heartfelt condolences to the family of Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez. May God watch over his parents, Rodrigo and Juana, and sister, Fatima, in this time of need.