Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, tonight I stand here today to honor the contribution of immigrants that have been made to our Nation, particularly defending our Nation in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

We need effective legislation that strikes the right balance between national security and reforming our current immigration system. This should include a path to permanency for millions of law abiding and tax paying immigrants who call the United States their home.

It's my hope that the Senate finalizes debating their immigration reform bill, and that our Chamber continues to work to adopt legislation that will truly reform the system and enhance our Nation's security.

Immigrant families are an important part of our social fabric and our economy. Undocumented workers, you may not know, contribute as much as $7 billion a year in Social Security into our system and $1.5 billion in Medicare every year, yet do not collect those benefits.

Immigrants, you may know, play an important role in defending our Nation. In all of our wars throughout our history, immigrants have fought side by side and have given their lives to defending America's freedoms and ideals.

Twenty percent of the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest honor that our Nation bestows on our war heroes, has been granted to sons and daughters of immigrants. Their bravery is proof that immigrants are as willing as any other Americans to defend our country's freedom, and their service is no less important and valuable because of their immigrant status.

For example, as of May 2006, 33,449 noncitizens served in our Armed Forces, and more than 26,000 servicemembers have become U.S. citizens since the Iraq war began, and 75 servicemembers received posthumous citizenship.

Immigrants make up 5 percent of all enlisted personnel on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, and immigrants continue to demonstrate that they are a part of this country through their service in the military.

Without the contribution of immigrants the military, as we know it today, could not meet its own recruiting goals. Without the assistance of immigrants, the military could not fill the need for foreign language translators, interpreters and cultural experts.

Immigrants provide unique incredibly valuable contributions to the military, and it's critical that we continue to recognize and appreciate their efforts and that of their families.

In the district I represent in California, we've unfortunately suffered several casualties, including that of immigrant servicemembers who gave their lives for our country. One is the fallen Marine Lance Corporal Francisco Martinez Flores who died while serving overseas in Iraq. At the age of 21, and only 2 weeks away from gaining U.S. citizenship, Francisco was killed in the line of duty. He was one of thousands of lawful permanent residents who have volunteered their service to protect the United States by joining the U.S. military.

On April 2003, Francisco was granted posthumous U.S. citizenship and Congress honored his memory by passing a bill that I authored to celebrate his life in the City of Duarte by naming a Post Office after him.

But in 2003, Sergeant Atanacio Haro-Marin, from the City of Baldwin Park, from my district from California also died in Iraq. He came under heavy enemy fire. This young man was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and moved to Los Angeles at 2 years of age. He'll be remembered as a proud and courageous soldier who was living out a long held dream of serving in the U.S. military and will be honored by having a Post Office named after him in the City of Baldwin Park.

The sacrifices that my constituents made inspired me to pursue legislation to help other legal permanent residents who risk their lives every day and die protecting our country's liberties and values, achieve the dream of becoming a citizen.

And in 2003, I introduced the Naturalization and Family Protection for Military Members Act. The bill, which was included in the Department of Defense Authorization Conference Report, was signed into law, and recognizes the enormous contributions of immigrants in the military by providing them with easier access to naturalization and immediate family immigration protections for those killed in action.

It is a tribute to them and their families and all veterans for the enormous sacrifices they've made so we and others around the world can live in freedom.

I'm proud today to tell you that I support our military men and women, and especially those that continue to serve us that are legal permanent residents. We need to see an immigration reform program come forward that is comprehensive, and salute soldiers such as this who have given their ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Madam Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 364 on Andrews of New Jersey amendment on H.R. 1585, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to opportunities of job growth and hopefully eradicating poverty through a green economy.

A major national investment in renewable energy could create potentially 3.5 million green-collar jobs over the next 10 years.

We must say to America's workers, particularly those in urban and rural underserved communities, there is a place for you in the green economy. Investment should not only be improving infrastructure, but improving economic opportunities for all. That is why I am proud to be working with Congressman John Tierney and others to create a green jobs bill that will create pathways out of poverty.

Job training can lead to self-sufficiency and prosperity through higher wages, access to benefits and more career choices. Other cities and States throughout the country have taken the lead to shape the new economy, which is creating demand for green products and services.

Under Speaker Pelosi's leadership, Congress has taken steps to ensure our Nation has a secure energy future. I hope that ensuring underserved communities achieve economic security can be a part of this green future.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in strong support of legislation that I recently introduced, H.R. 1968, the Community Health Workers Act of 2007.

The bill provides Federal support for community health workers, also known as promotoras. Community health workers conduct education and provide prevention information on chronic illnesses to communities of color, the Asian, Latino, African American and even Native American communities. They are able to reach out to patients in ways that traditional health care providers can't, through culturally and linguistically appropriate care. They are trusted by their communities.

Families who interacted with community workers were eight times more likely to obtain health insurance for their children, and their children stayed insured. That is why I strongly believe that the community health workers need to be part of the SCHIP reauthorization bill moving forward in the House.

As the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Health Task Force, I am committed to reducing health care disparities in our country. The legislation will help achieve that goal, and I am proud to have the support of other colleagues here today.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to voice my strong support for the families and women who have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City in Mexico. I have always believed that violence against women anywhere is an attack on women everywhere. Just 5 minutes from the U.S. border in Ciudad Juarez in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, over 400 women and girls have been brutally murdered over the last 14 years.

In today's Washington Post, which I will submit for the Record, I read the story of mothers of victims whose fight for justice has lasted well over a decade. Because of the gross negligence and failure of local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute the murders, the statute of limitations is starting to run out on some of the earlier murders of women in Ciudad Juarez. What a disgrace, if we cannot solve the murders of these over-450 women.

Women and young girls from all parts of Mexico moved to Ciudad Juarez in hopes of finding work, including jobs at American-owned companies known in Spanish as maquiladoras. These jobs involve late hours, forcing women to travel home in the dark, alone, leaving them vulnerable to attack.

Many of these young women are under the age of 25. They are the sole earners and income earners for their families. Their brothers and fathers are not employed by maquilas, because the maquiladores choose to hire these young women, who they know will not speak out about their rights or condemn the treatment of these women in the workplace.

That is why I introduced a resolution to address the murders of women and girls in Ciudad Juarez some 3 years ago, and I am happy to report that H.R. 90 was passed by this Congress and there is recognition now on the value and faith that we have in the families in Ciudad Juarez.

I bring that out because I say to you and to the public, when we can fight for the rights of women in the Taliban and the Middle East, why can't we fight also honorably for the women who live 5 minutes from this border, many of whom are relatives to us, our constituents, related to families that we represent? It is about time that we change the discussion and direction about this debate that we have with our friends south of the border.

I am proud to be a descendant of friends south of the border, but I also

have to say that there has to be some changes in terms of how we deal with women who are being abused, attacked, and mutilated. It is time that our governments come together.

I ask that Condoleezza Rice and our President weigh in, as well as the new President of Mexico, Mr. Calderon, the President of Mexico, who says this is a priority for him to combat violence against women. I hope that we can do that.

In 2003 and 2004, I organized a congressional delegation trip to Ciudad Juarez with families of victims, government officials, human rights advocates, newspaper reporters and indeed also the FBI. It was in these trips that my dedication to helping the women of Ciudad Juarez was solidified. Families of violence deserve answers and closure instead of either being ignored or harassed for asking for justice to find out where their daughters' bodies lay and where those remains are.

I am sad to report that even though we have asked for assistance from outside of our Nation through the OAS, through a forensic group in Argentina to help identify the bodies and remains of these young women, that it hasn't been as successful as I would have hoped.

I would ask our government to please weigh in again to provide the technical support that is needed to help identify the remains of these young women so that families can have some closure.

Again, any assault on a woman, murder, mutilation or what have you, is an assault on all mankind; and we as Members of Congress should no less have any interest into what happens south of the border.

The convictions in many cases of these individuals that were so- called blamed for these murders were overturned. There wasn't a judge or anyone that would convict anyone of doing these heinous crimes.

I have to say to myself and to the public and to this Congress, why have 450 women who have disappeared from their families, from their homes, somehow not found justice? I just want to remind individuals that the work goes on, that we need help to solve the murders in Ciudad Juarez, and ask our government, both governments, Mexico and the U.S., to find some resolution here.

[From the Washington Post, May 14, 2007]

Waning Hopes in Juarez

(By Manuel Roig-Franzia)

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.--For 13 years, June 14 has brought

tears, tortured memories and enduring pain to Griselda Salas.

It was on that date, in 1993, that her 16-year-old sister,

Guadalupe Ivonne Salas, disappeared. Guadalupe Ivonne's body

turned up less than a week later in a park in this dusty,

wind-swept industrial city near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Guadalupe Ivonne, who was raped and strangled, was one of

the first victims in Mexico's grisliest modern-day crime

mystery--the murders of more than 400 women in the past 14

years in Ciudad Juarez, many of the bodies dumped in the

desert, horribly mutilated. The killings, mostly of poor

young factory workers, have inspired two Hollywood motion

pictures and enraged human rights groups, which have filled

volumes with accusations of corruption, botched

investigations and official negligence.

Yet the mystery remains unsolved.

Now the earliest of these cases are quietly slipping off

legal dockets because Mexico, unlike the United States and

many European countries, has a statute of limitations for

murder. At a time when U.S. prosecutors are resurrecting

civil rights-era murder cases--some more than 40 years old--

Mexico is closing murder cases forever after 14 years. With

each passing day, it appears likely that a legal technicality

may end a quest to unravel a string of slayings that shocked

the world.

``It is totally and absolutely grotesque to think that

murderers could be enjoying their freedom because of this

law,'' said Jaime Garcia Chavez, a Chihuahua state legislator

who is pressing to abolish Mexico's statute of limitations.

``It is inexcusable.''

Once filled with optimism, buoyed by support from the likes

of actresses Jane Fonda and Sally Field, feminists and

lawmakers here are demoralized. Esther Chavez Cano, founder

of Juarez's first rape and domestic violence counseling

center, laments ``a worrying silence'' about cases that once

commanded banner headlines. Few here are optimistic, even

though the looming deadlines for dozens of Juarez cases have

set off a last-minute race to revive long-dormant

investigations.

An Argentine forensics team commissioned to look into the

murders, drawing on experience from investigations of

Argentina's ``dirty war'' and the Salvadoran civil war, is

expected to release a damning report later this year that

will illustrate the almost impossible task faced by

prosecutors. The Argentines have found body parts carelessly

left for years on the floors of medical examiner's offices,

heads with no matching bodies, bodies with no matching

heads and a mishmash of unlabeled corpses tossed into mass

graves at paupers' cemeteries.

``It's basically a huge mess,'' forensic archaeologist

Mercedes Doretti, the team leader, said in an interview.

Garcia Chavez's effort to give investigators more time to

untangle that mess by extending the statute of limitations, a

gambit he considers a long shot, has already come too late

for Jesica Elizalde, a slain journalist whose murder case

expired March 14. The case of a factory worker, Luz Yvonne de

la O Garcia, went off the books April 21, as did the murder

of an unidentified woman on May 12. Dozens more will follow

in the coming months and years.

The next could be Guadalupe Ivonne Salas, though

prosecutors say they may be closing in on a suspect--a

promise that her family is reluctant to believe after years

of dashed hopes.

Salas, a petite 16-year-old, shared a single bed in a

cinder-block shack with her infant daughter and her mother,

Vicky Salas. The family, like thousands of others, was drawn

to Ciudad Juarez by the maquiladoras--assembly plants, most

of them owned by U.S. companies--that sprang up blocks from

the border because of an abundance of cheap labor and that

transformed the town into the fourth-most-populous city in

Mexico.

Young women were especially prized by factory supervisors

because they were considered more reliable and less rowdy

than men. Almost overnight, women were making money while men

were still struggling to find jobs, leading to resentment in

the local macho culture that activists cite as a social

undercurrent to the slayings.

Salas walked each day down a treeless dirt road, past piles

of rotting garbage and shacks with sagging walls, to catch a

bus that took her to a television part manufacturer. She made

about $35 a week, sometimes pulling night shifts and

returning home to a neighborhood with no streetlights.

The day that she disappeared should have been joyous; she

was getting ready to celebrate her daughter's first birthday.

Griselda Salas remembers her sister saying that a friend was

going to lend her money to buy presents and party supplies.

``She's probably gone off with some stud,'' Griselda Salas

remembers being told by police when her sister did not return

home. ``You watch, she'll come back pregnant with a fat belly

in a few months.''

Vicky Salas was on a religious retreat at the time of her

daughter's disappearance. When she returned several days

later, members of her church were in tears.

``They've found a dead girl,'' she remembers her friends

telling her. ``They think it's Ivonne.''

A car accident delayed Vicky Salas's trip to the morgue,

which was closed when she arrived. An unsmiling police

officer told her, ``You'll have to come back tomorrow,'' and

no amount of pleading by a panic-stricken mother could change

his mind, she recalled.

Even as the death toll rose, victims' families continued to

complain about insensitive investigators. One state attorney

general suggested that the women encouraged their attackers

by dressing provocatively. Other officials implied that the

victims were prostitutes, living ``double lives,'' though

their mothers insisted they were poor factory workers.

``They called them the morenitas,'' Juarez police

criminologist Oscar Maynez said in an interview, invoking a

derogatory term that was in vogue at the time and roughly

translates to ``little brown ones.'' No one cared about

investigating their deaths. There was clear sexism and

classism.''

Mexican federal authorities and international human rights

organizations that have investigated the cases have accused

local authorities in Ciudad Juarez and the state of Chihuahua

of covering up evidence and failing to properly investigate

crimes for a decade and a half.

The Washington Office on Latin America, or WOLA, a

Washington-based human rights organization, has said the true

killers may have been protected by authorities who tortured

innocents to confess to the killings. Victims' families have

been subjected to harassment.

``One relative of a murder victim received a threatening

voicemail message warning her to drop the case; the caller ID

showed the call had come from the state judicial police,'' a

WOLA report said.

Flor Rocio Munguia Gonzalez, the special prosecutor for

what has become known as the femicides in Juarez, said in an

interview that such offenses are ``things of the past'' and

that she has more than tripled her investigative staff to

solve old cases before the time limits expire and to track

down those responsible for the ongoing killings of women

in Juarez.

``I take great satisfaction in our efforts--we're doing

everything we can,'' said Munguia Gonzalez, who has been in

office since February 2006.

After seeing eight special prosecutors come and go with no

results, local activists are not impressed. Maureen Meyer, a

WO-LA analyst, said that a special federal investigator had

found that 130 public officials had either been negligent or

abused their authority during the murder investigations, but

none has been disciplined.

``There's a real failure to hold them accountable,'' Meyer

said in an interview.

Maynez, the criminologist, said he believes a powerful

network of police, municipal officials and organized crime

figures still protects the killers. He resigned from the job

for a short time, after being asked to help frame two bus

drivers in one of the cases. He refused, but the two men were

arrested anyway. One died in suspicious circumstances during

a jailhouse surgery. The other was released after testifying

that he had been tortured by police into confessing.

An attorney for the bus drivers was killed by Chihuahua

state police in a drive-by shooting in 2005, four days after

vowing to file a corruption complaint. The police said the

shooting was a case of mistaken identity.

Skepticism is growing as the Argentine forensics team nears

the conclusion of its inquiry. The team has discovered that

forensics officials in Ciudad Juarez boiled the corpses of

some victims, destroying crucial DNA. The group also has

found that the families of at least three victims received

the wrong bodies for burial.

``The authorities just sealed the coffins and told the

families not to ask any questions,'' said Doretti, the lead

forensics investigator.

The Juarez families, Doretti said, have insisted that no

evidence be sent to Mexican laboratories. Instead, Doretti

has sent samples to a U.S. lab; she is expecting results

soon.

The new forensic evidence and the approach of the statute

of limitations deadlines are the sorts of developments that

once would have prompted demonstrations in downtown Juarez.

But the mothers who for years have pleaded for justice are

exhausted, aging and in poor health.

The case of Silvia Morales, who was killed when she was 16,

will expire in less than two years. Her mother, Ramona

Morales, had been one of the most vocal critics in a protest

movement of victim relatives, but is now suffering from

diabetes and a bad knee.

``I can't do it anymore,'' she said one recent afternoon,

tears trickling down her face.

Eva Arce, whose daughter Silvia Arce disappeared in 1998,

was twice beaten by thugs after demonstrations demanding

justice. She spends her days clipping newspaper articles

about a new generation of murdered women in Juarez and

writing poems.

``A tortured soul pours from a river of blood,'' she said

one recent afternoon, reading from her notebook.

That same day, the newspaper El Norte of Ciudad Juarez

carried a photograph of a pretty, dark-haired young woman.

She didn't look so different from Silvia Arce or Silvia

Morales or Guadalupe Ivonne Salas. The caption read: ``Edith

Aranda Longoria, 729 days since she was last seen.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the winner of this year's California's 32nd Congressional District Congressional ``Artistic Discovery'' competition and the contribution of all the people that made this event possible. As a Member of Congress, I am proud to support the artistic talent of our local youth by being part of ``An Artistic Discovery.''

This year students from 16 high schools in California's 32nd Congressional District submitted 186 pieces of work for Artistic Discovery. The winner of the competition was Jose Curiel from Arroyo High School, a resident of El Monte, California, for his piece titled ``All Alone.'' Jose will be invited to Washington, DC, for the ribbon- cutting ceremony, and will have his artwork displayed in the Cannon Tunnel for 1 year. I am proud of Jose, all the runners up and honorable mentions, and all the youth who participated for sharing their talent with the community.

I would also like to thank the 2007 Artistic Discovery Committee for their support for the arts, for their dedication to California's 32nd Congressional District and their young talent, and for a successful ``Artistic Discovery'' competition. This event could not have been possible without the time and support of the 2007 Artistic Discovery Committee. This year's committee has truly set a standard with their hard work. I would like to recognize and thank this year's committee:

Denise Tornatore from the Baldwin Park Adult and Community Education School, who served as the Chair of the Committee; Carol Facciponti from Carousel Reality; Pascual Garrido from SCE Federal Credit Union; Irene Portillo from Project Amiga; Billy Rugh from Creative Planet School of the Arts; Michael Carney from AT&T; Elizabeth Bagwell from City of Hope; Kristen Pugh from City of Hope; Marianna Lake from the Valley County Water District; Dr. Ramon Zavala from Baldwin Park Unified; Marissa Castro from Southern California Edison; Helen Romero Shaw from the Gas Company; Nadia Andrade from UPS; Shirley Batman from Bank of America; Michelle Bart from Helping Heroes Productions; Kevin McDonald from Foothill Transit; and, Debbie Guerra from AT&T Pioneers.

Just as important as the committee's dedication to California's 32nd District's ``An Artistic Discovery'' competition is the dedication of all the teachers of the participating schools. All our teachers deserve a big thank you for recognizing and supporting the talented students that participated in this event and encouraging them to submit their artwork. I thank all of our teachers for the work and generosity they give each and every day in the classroom. These submitted pieces of artwork are a testament to the energy, enthusiasm, encouragement and support that our teachers are providing.

The artwork that was submitted to California's 32nd District's artistic competition was awe-inspiring. I commend all the students who participated for using their talents in such a positive way and sharing those talents with others. I look forward to next year's ``An Artistic Discovery'' art competition and encourage all the supporters to continue with their good work.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for allowing me the opportunity to speak this afternoon.

I strongly support the rule. I strongly support our men and women in uniform who are courageously fighting to defend our freedoms. In my own district, we lost 14 soldiers. My recent trip to Iraq confirmed that to support our troops is to support their redeployment. Our troops told me they were overextended and underequipped. Many are on their second, third and fourth tour. They face increased risk without proper equipment and longer stays. In fact, not enough equipment was available for those new incoming soldiers that were just deployed by this President. That is what I heard from our troops when I visited there about a month ago.

Extending the tours of all active-duty personnel is unacceptable, a price our families shouldn't have to pay, nor our troops. As Members of Congress, we have the responsibility to protect and

provide for the best interests of all of our troops. That includes the redeployment out of Iraq and a safe return home.

I urge my colleagues to support the rule and vote for these bills to support our troops.

One last comment. I want to thank the Speaker of this House for having the courage to allow us to vote on these very important pieces of legislation this day. It is indeed a historic day.

Mr. Speaker, today we will consider the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act.

Two Federal commissions, one in 1947 and the other in 2004, recommended to the Congress that the people of Guam have not been made whole despite efforts to rehabilitate their lives and livelihoods that were destroyed during Guam's occupation by Japanese Imperial Forces during World War II.

Two Federal commissions have spoken about the atrocities of war they lived through: beheadings by public executions, rapes and torture. Two Federal commissions have underscored that the patriotism of the people of Guam during their occupation was unquestionable. Two Federal commissions recommended we make additional reparations to give them justice and parity.

It is past time that Congress heeds the recommendations of both Federal commissions to recognize their loyalty and patriotism. I urge my colleagues today to vote in favor of H.R. 1595, the Guam World War II Loyalty Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the millions of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. I would like to thank my good friend, Congressman Mike Honda, for leading the special orders tonight on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and providing us with this opportunity to speak to you tonight.

I represent a heavily, heavily populated Asia Pacific community in southern California, I think the second most populated in the country. The first group that makes up a large proportion is Taiwanese and Chinese. The second group is Filipino. I am very proud to have represented them for so many years.

But I am here tonight to pay tribute to the many of them who provide us with public service in government, science, law and business, athletics and in the arts. These communities that I represent are the cities of Monterey Park, Rosemead, West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley. Well over 120,000 individuals represent that district.

They are Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and of Cambodian decent. As you know, they work hard, like many immigrants that come to this country. Nearly 30 percent of the minority-owned businesses are owned by Asian Pacific Islanders and African-American women. In recent years, a number of Asian and Pacific Islander women- owned businesses has increased by 69 percent in the district.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, Chinese Americans own at least two-thirds of Monterey Park's more than 5,000 businesses. I have long been a supporter of a program called PACE, Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment, which was founded back in 1976 to address the employment and job training needs of Asian Pacific Islanders. Believe it or not, there are many Asian Pacific Islanders who really do need the support of the Federal Government and our various forms of government to help them succeed in our country.

Today it provides workforce development, housing services, business assistance and early childhood education in Los Angeles county. I would especially like to recognize a good friend of mine, Kerry Doi, with whom I have worked for a number of years, whom I am extremely proud of. Earlier this year, his program, known as PACE, and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity Women and Company, chose 10 prominent small business owners to give $1,000 checks to.

You may think that's not a lot of money, but for first-time business owners of Asian Pacific descent, it meant a lot. I am proud of the work they are doing to help all small business owners, including those of API heritage, to succeed.

I have also worked closely with the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center and the Monterey Park Langley Senior Center, predominantly of Asian descent. I am proud to have these organizations in my district because they are wonderful places where individuals from this community can gather and have social time, artistic time, recreational time and share their culture with each other.

At the senior center, I meet often with them. They take language courses, computer classes and different exercise courses that help them to keep busy in our community. Many of the seniors and their families and others have been touched by the immigration process recently.

In fact, I would say that the second largest case load in my district happened to be individuals of API descent. They, just as much as anyone else, want to become naturalized citizens, and they are stepping up to the plate. I was happy to host a citizenship forum that we held in the City of Irwindale recently, and I would say about 200 or more families of API descent came forward to become naturalized citizens. I am proud that is happening in our community and across the country.

I am here to support, again, the efforts of the API caucus, which Mike Honda leads, and to work with my colleagues there on the tri- caucus to help put forward disparities and treatment in health care issues regarding API, the Hispanic community and the African-American community. We are working together to bridge our gaps so that we can provide better services to all Americans in all residents of our country. I am happy and pleased to be able to put this forward tonight in support of the API caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. Violent crimes committed against anyone because of their race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability should not be taken lightly. H.R. 1592 would make this kind of violent crime a Federal offense and authorizes Federal grants to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in prosecuting violent hate crimes.

I believe that it is necessary for the Federal Government to secure the lives of all people and bring justice to individuals who have been victims of a violent hate crime. By allowing the Federal Government jurisdiction in certain, limited cases of violent hate crime, this bill provides much-needed support to local law enforcement agencies. This piece of legislation is particularly important at a time when the number of hate groups has grown over the past years. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that the number of hate groups has seen a 40 percent increase since 2000 and attributed much of this growth to the immigration issue.

Hate crimes that are motivated by bigotry and bias against minority populations affect entire families and communities. We must stand to protect our communities from hateful actions. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 1592.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start Act of 2007. Head Start is a program that has been crucial on the development and academic success of our children for more than 40 years.

Since 1965, more than 24 million children have benefited from Head Start's comprehensive services and school readiness. Last year alone Head Start served about 900,000 children nationwide--over 98,000 children in my home State of California and nearly 6,500 children, more than 60 percent Latino, in the 32nd Congressional District of California, which I represent.

In addition to providing these comprehensive services, Head Start programs engage parents as partners in their children's education. Parents volunteer at their child's school site and many become Head Start teachers. Head Start has a proven track record of improving the lives of low-income children and families. It narrows the gap between disadvantaged children and all children in vocabulary and writing skills. It also leads to continued improvements in word knowledge, letter recognition, and math and writing skills relative to other children during their kindergarten year. 83 percent of Head Start children are at the national norm by the time they reach kindergarten.

Studies also demonstrate that Head Start programs improve the well- being of the children and families they serve, providing health and dental services to children and families who might otherwise not have them. Head Start programs benefit parents as well. Head Start parents report increases in education attainment and employment during their time affiliation with Head Start. In California, 24 percent of Head Start employees are or were Head Start parents. In addition, 86 percent of Head Start volunteers in California are current or former parents of the local Head Start program.

The Improving Head Start Act of 2007, H.R. 1429, not updates this program so all children could be put in the road for academic success. It makes significant improvements that will help strengthen educational outcomes for students, ensure better coordination with local school districts, improve teacher quality, and increase program eligibility. It would help improve Head Start's workforce quality by increasing funding for teacher and staff salaries and professional development. This includes providing funds for training personnel in addressing the unique needs of migrant and seasonal working families, families of children with disabilities, limited english proficient families and homeless families. It will also expand access to up to 10,000 more children and will strengthen school readiness by re-evaluating and updating current standards and assessments based on best science.

H.R. 1429 also reserves 5 percent of the total Head Start appropriation for the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program. This is important because the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program serves some of the country's neediest working families and is designed to meet the unique challenges and opportunities faced by the children of farmworkers.

At a time when America needs to be at the forefront of innovation and education, programs like Head Start are an investment in our future workforce and their success. I applaud the members of the Committee on Education and Labor for their work on the reauthorization of this important program. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1429 and to oppose any proposal that would block this grant program or would allow government-funded religious discrimination in Head Start programs. Supporting this bill is supporting our Nation's future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join with Peace Over Violence, the Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign in Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles City Council in recognizing April 25, 2007, as Denim Day in Los Angeles.

Denim Day was established to show solidarity with rape victims everywhere. In an outrageous court decision in 1997, an Italian judge argued that because a woman was wearing tight jeans that her attacker forced her to remove herself, then the crime was not rape. Appalled by the verdict women in the Italian Parliament protested, by wearing denim to work. Their willingness to stand up for the rights of victims of sexual assault and rape empowered communities around the world to do the same.

For 9 consecutive years, sexual assault awareness advocates throughout Los Angeles have come together through Denim Day activities to call attention to the terrible crimes of rape and other sexual assaults and to say to the world that there is never an excuse. Domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault affect women, children, and men of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds. While one person, organization, agency or community cannot eliminate sexual assault alone, together we can educate our communities to prevent these attacks.

I will continue to fight for the rights of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and express my strong support for all programs aimed at the elimination of all violence against women. I am honored to recognize April 25, 2007, as Denim Day in Los Angeles and encourage everyone to wear jeans in support of the victims and the fight against domestic violence and sexual assault.

Madam Speaker, I would just like to say that there has been a lot of talk about Democrats cutting and running and not helping our troops. Well, I would like to clarify the record on my own behalf.

Just a month ago, I had an opportunity, with four other Members of Congress, to visit Iraq, to visit our soldiers. I met with many, many platoons and individuals representing my State of California. We are there working hard. We need to support those troops.

Indeed, many of them said that they have been on their second and third tours. They were exhausted. They wanted to come home and see their families. One young man told me he hadn't even seen his child, who had been born 18 months already. Several of them told me that they did not have adequate equipment. And I said please explain that. ``Well, ma'am, we don't have light bulbs.'' ``What do you need light bulbs for?'' ``We need light bulbs for our vehicles. When we go into town and we are checking for explosive devices, we have vehicles that are not adequately equipped.''

In addition, with the escalation going on right now, they are having to share their equipment with the troops that are coming in. That is shameful. That is what this administration has done to our troops.

Democrats are asking for a signature on the supplemental because we care about those troops and we care about the benefits that they deserve.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of our subcommittee, and I stand in strong support of House Resolution 272.

As the daughter of immigrants, I understand very clearly what it means when individuals are brought to a country either of their own free will or against their will. In the case of Latin American immigrants coming to this country, many fled because of poverty and injustices, sometimes civil wars.

In the case of our brothers and sisters from Africa, many were brought here as slaves and were indentured and never were paid for the hard work that they provided. In fact, a large number, hundreds of thousands, reside in the Caribbean and in Latin America. We are also descendants of those individuals, and we should proudly proclaim that we not forget that part of our history and that it go down and be noted and that we do everything in our power to help educate future generations about the injustices that exist, existed, and continue to exist in this country now. Whether it be forced slave labor in our sweatshops or whether it be the maquiladoras in Mexico or Central America, there are many people who are still suffering from enslavement.

I would like to thank the gentleman and also take this time to acknowledge the support of Chairman Lantos, Subcommittee Chairman Engel, Subcommittee Ranking Member Burton, who is here, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who are the original cosponsors of House Resolution 100, for their tireless work on this issue. I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.

Madam Speaker, I know that we have heard much this afternoon about this predicament that exists in Guatemala. It has been going on for many, many years. This resolution that I introduced earlier this year would acknowledge the murders of 2,500 or more young women and girls that have been mutilated, attacked, assaulted and killed in Guatemala.

The murder rate for women and young women continues to rise there. It's as though there's a blind eye on the part of the government in Guatemala, as well as ours. That is why I brought this measure to the floor here. I think it is important that when a crime against a woman is done in any part the world, it's a crime against all of us and humanity.

Therefore, I want to acknowledge the support of our colleagues, and especially for the hard work of the advocates, the groups that actually help to bring this issue before the Congress. They could have, at any time in the past 10 years, come and spoken to any Member of Congress about the issue. But the time wasn't right. Perhaps the politics, the environment, just wasn't fit for that. But now that we have seen resolutions come out of this House, where we worked on a bipartisan basis to deal with the issues of the women of Ciudad Juarez, and now we bring forward this issue.

Now we have more support on both sides of the aisle to say that the violence has to stop. There must not be impunity. Everyone should be held accountable. There needs to be transparency in government on the part of the Guatemalan Government, and on the part of our government as well, provide technical support, and also help to seek some resolution to the violence against these women that continues to go on.

I want to thank those groups that especially have worked hard with us to combat this particular crime. I would like to mention their names, Amnesty International, the Washington Office on Latin America, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, Human Rights First, and, also, a group from my home area, CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center advocacy group based in Los Angeles.

They are strong supporters of House Resolution 100. Did you know, in fact, in the City of Los Angeles, this has one of the highest concentrations of Guatemalans. So many of them know distinctly how important this resolution is. They thank the Congress for bringing up this measure.

Madam Speaker, I include for the Record letters from CARECEN and 20 other advocacy groups that are also in support of this resolution.

Dear Congressmember: we write to urge your support for H.

Res. 100, which expresses sympathy to the families of women

and girls murdered in Guatemala and encourages the Government

of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.

Historically, the U.S. has offered asylum to those fleeing

persecution based on race, religion, political opinion,

national origin or membership in a particular social group.

Only in the past decade have women and girls fleeing gender-

based persecution (such as domestic violence, female genital

cutting, human trafficking, ``honor'' killings, etc.) been

recognized as refugees, but this remains an issue that is

still widely debated.

There is no doubt that asylum is a life-saving form of

protection, and recognition of gender-based claims is an

important statement by the U.S. that it takes women's rights

seriously. But asylum cannot be a solution to the underlying

human rights problem. By definition, asylum seekers are

forced to flee their home countries in order to save their

lives and to escape persecution, but they leave behind many

others who face the very same violations of their fundamental

human rights--and who have no protection at all. Therefore,

if we truly seek to address the problem at its source, we

must examine the ``root causes'' of the violence and

persecution that are forcing asylum seekers to flee in the

first place. The story of Rodi Alvarado and Guatemala's

femicides serve as a tragic case in point.

For more than a decade, Rodi Alvarado was brutalized by her

husband, a former soldier in the Guatemalan military, and her

repeated and desperate pleas for help from the police and

courts were ignored. Ultimately, she had no other option but

to flee for her life. Rodi's case--known as Matter of R.A.--

has been pending for almost ten years, and although two

successive Attorneys General--Janet Reno and John Ashcroft--

``certified'' the case to themselves, neither of them issued

a definitive decision. In 2001, the immigration agency

proposed regulations clarifying that domestic violence and

other related harms could form the basis of an asylum claim.

However, those regulations have yet to be finalized, and the

lives of women like Rodi Alvarado, who have sought asylum in

the U.S., continue to hang in the balance.

We ask you to strongly urge Attorney General Gonzales and

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff to issue

regulations which would clearly recognize that women in

circumstances such as Rodi Alvarado qualify for protection as

refugees. This would send a clear message that women and

girls fleeing gender-persecution will find a safe haven in

the U.S.

Advancing protective U.S. asylum law is critical, but

equally important is addressing the root causes that force

women to flee their home countries. In Rodi Alvarado's case,

these causes are an epidemic of violence against

Guatemalan women; more than 3,000 women and girls have

been murdered since 2000. These gender-motivated killings

or ``femicides'' are notable both for their brutality and

for the virtual impunity of those responsible. The most

recent available statistics reveal the abysmal failure of

the Guatemalan government to effectively investigate,

prosecute, and punish those who carry out these horrific

crimes. Only 17 murders of women--of the thousands that

have been committed--have been prosecuted.

Guatemala's femicides demonstrate the lack of any

meaningful protection for women like Rodi Alvarado, who are

left with no other choice than to flee for their lives.

Unless and until the Guatemalan government reforms its

justice system such that there is an end to impunity that

exists for those who commit this violence, hundreds more

women will lose their lives, while others will be forced to

flee in order to save them.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, we ask

you to play a critical role in resolving the root causes of

gender-

based violence and persecution in Guatemala by co-sponsoring

H. Res. 100.

Sincerely,

The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS); Central

American Resource Center (CARECEN); Guatemala Human

Rights Commission; Foundation for Human Rights in

Guatemala; Network in Solidarity with the People of

Guatemala; Movement of Guatemalan Immigrants in the

United States (MIGUA); National Coalition of Guatemalan

Immigrants (CONGUATE); Guatemala Solidarity Committee

of Boston; National Alliance of Latin American and

Caribbean Communities (NALACC); United Latinos in

Massachusetts (LUMA);

Salvadoran American Nacional Network (SANN); Harvard

Immigration and Refugee Clinic; University of Texas

School of Law Immigration Clinic; Legal Momentum;

STITCH; Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights; Florida

Immigrant Advocacy Center, Inc.; Albuquerque Center for

Peace and Justice; El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos;

Casa de Esperanza; Asylum Access; and American Friends

Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program.

While I close, I would like to say that while the violence may continue momentarily, I think we have caught the attention of policymakers, not just in Guatemala, but in other parts of the hemisphere, because not only are we looking at setting a standard here, but we are letting people know that we are on watch, and that America will take their place, as we always have, in providing leadership.

I thank our chairperson for this committee. I thank the gentleman. I thank our ranking member on the other side of the aisle and all of those groups that helped to support this resolution.