Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize an extremely active and dedicated woman, Mrs. Ruth Willner for her contributions to the Monterey Park Democratic Club. In addition to working and raising two children, Mrs. Willner has still found the time to be very involved in her community.

Many groups in the Los Angeles area are fortunate to count Mrs. Willner as one of their members. However, the time that she has contributed to the Monterey Park Democratic Club is especially remarkable. Mrs. Willner has been a Monterey Park Democratic Club member for nearly 40 years.

In addition to being a member she also assumed the role of the club's Newsletter Editor and has held that position for the past 20 years. For the past two decades, she has served as the newsletter's only reporter, writer and editor. Her work played an integral role in keeping members up to date and in touch.

In December, Mrs. Willner produced her last newsletter for the club and retired as the Newsletter Editor. Although she will relinquish her position, her hard work and devotion will not be forgotten. Her commitment and drive is an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy on its 5th Anniversary and the completion of its first major acquisition along the San Gabriel River.

I have had the privilege of working with the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy since I authored the legislation that created the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy during my tenure in the California State Senate. The Conservancy has brought opportunities for preservation of open space and habitat, low-impact recreation, education and watershed improvements to our very urban community. In the last five years diverse groups have come together for a common goal--improving the urban environment and providing safe recreational places for our families and children.

I would also like to congratulate the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy for completion of its first major acquisition along the San Gabriel River. This 57 acre property fronting two miles of the San Gabriel River was a duck farm for nearly 51 years. Now, the community will be able to enjoy conservation, water quality projects, and recreation--including a local trailhead connecting a bike and equestrian path from the Angeles National Forest to the Pacific Ocean.

I wish to offer the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy my sincerest congratulations on its five year anniversary and the dedication of the Duck Farm. I am looking forward to many more projects in the future so the children and families in the San Gabriel Valley can have safe places to play and enjoy the outdoors.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the contributions of Mr. Felix Galaviz. Mr. Galaviz retired in June of 2004 after serving tirelessly for 30 years in the field of education.

Mr. Galaviz co-founded the Puente Project and is retiring as its Executive Director. Under his leadership, the Puente Project has been recognized by numerous organizations throughout the Nation as a model academic preparedness program.

After beginning in 1981 at Chabot College, the Puente Project has flourished and grown. Today it is conducted in over 50 community colleges and 35 high schools across the State of California. Under the leadership of Mr. Galaviz, the Puente Project has shown consistent results and helped students achieve their higher education goals.

Mr. Galaviz has used his wonderful ability to educate and counsel Latino youth to work throughout his career. Furthermore, he has strived to share that gift with others, often conducting presentations to help others learn how to counsel and mentor Latino youth.

I wish to congratulate Mr. Galaviz on his inspirational work. He was a priceless asset in the field of education. I know him personally and am very familiar with his work. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce the Safe Drinking Water for Healthy Communities Act of 2005. This legislation will require the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national primary standard for drinking water for perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel used heavily by the military and its defense contractors.

Communities across the country are finding perchlorate in their drinking water, groundwater, irrigation water, soil and food. Perchlorate has been linked to disruption of the thyroid, resulting in behavior changes and delayed development in children and thyroid tumors in adults. Today more than 120 wells in Los Angeles County have been found to be contaminated with varying levels of perchlorate and my community alone faces costs of at least $200 million over the next 15 years to manage and contain perchlorate.

Perchlorate removes valuable water supplies from service and can contaminate our food supply. Yet there exists no enforceable public health standard to ensure our drinking water is safe and to prevent further contamination. At the current rate the Environmental Protection Agency has stated it could not begin to promulgate a public health standard for perchlorate until 2007, if it chooses to do so. Ultimately it is the responsibility of Congress to make sure that the public can trust its water supply, that water providers have guidance, and that those responsible for contamination know that contaminating the water supply and threatening public health is not acceptable.

This bill requires the EPA to establish an enforceable national primary drinking water standard by July, 2007. Without this, there is no requirement for water to have safe levels of perchlorate and water providers will continue to struggle with guaranteeing long term reliability of safe water sources. Inaction poses an unreasonable risk to both our valuable water supply and our health.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a sad heart that I rise today to honor my colleague, the Honorable Robert T. Matsui. Far before

these past 4 years where I had the opportunity to work with him in Washington, Bob's work effort, faith and determination were a constant source of inspiration for me.

Bob fought in Congress for 28 years on principles that were unshakeable for the betterment of all. He took a genuine interest in Members' concerns, visited Members' districts--including mine in the San Gabriel Valley--and fought hard to ensure equality for the underserved and to bring justice to those wronged. Bob was a champion for Social Security, fought for all of our children and was determined to achieve economic justice.

I am proud to say that Bob Matsui is among those I consider a close personal friend. I send my condolences to his family and I am consoled only by knowing that Bob's legacy will live on, and the world will be better for it.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 3 on consideration of H. Res. 5, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to rise in support of the Veterans Health Program Improvement Act and to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), the distinguished manager of this particular legislation, who has been a strong advocate for many years on the health care of our veterans.

I would also like to recognize the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking Democrat on this committee, also and thank him for allowing me the opportunity to speak.

As a Member here, this is now going on my third term. But L.A. County in the area that I represent has one of the largest concentrations of veterans, a large number of Vietnam veterans, but in particular, many that are now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And I am very delighted to see that there has been an extension of the sexual trauma counseling program, and this has been made permanent, and I would like to commend those that worked on this in particular because this has been a subject for the Women's

Caucus. We actually had an informal hearing here and brought forward individuals to talk to us about how we could remedy this problem. It is something we have to work on, and sexual assault in the military is something that we all know is unacceptable. The counseling program is one step towards helping victims access services that they deserve. And studies, as we know, have shown that three-fourths of the female veterans who are raped did not report the incident to a ranking officer. Many did not know how to, and some even thought that rape was somehow expected in the military. Since August of 2002 until November 1 of this year, there has been an estimated 261 cases of sexual assault in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Bahrain.

We must enforce a zero-tolerance policy within the Armed Forces and protect all of our veterans, women and men, from having to cope with these injustices. And I urge the Congress to support this piece of vital legislation and also want to thank those who worked on this legislation to increase the health care services for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1284, additional funding for the San Gabriel Valley Basin Demonstration Project.

The San Gabriel Valley is facing serious water quality and public health problems. The aquifer is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and perchlorate, or rocket-fuel. Water providers in the San Gabriel Valley draw water from the Basin, home to Superfund sites that span more than 170 square miles. Despite its contamination, the Basin is needed to provide water to more than 1.5 million people.

Our water agencies have done a wonderful job working to maintain a reliable, dependable and safe source of water, but they can not do it alone. This bill authorizes an additional $6.5 million to expand the Basin Demonstration Project to El Monte, South El Monte, and Puente Valley.

I am proud to represent a community working so diligently to ensure long term reliability of its water supply, and I am proud that, together with Congresswoman Napolitano and Congressman Dreier, that we could secure these funds to help ensure a safe, reliable and dependable source of water for southern California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of El Sereno's finest citizens, Mr. Paul Salaz. Even in the last years of his life Mr. Salaz continued to work on behalf of the people in his beloved home of El Sereno. However, on Friday, November 5, 2004 the community lost a great asset when Mr. Salaz passed away.

Mr. Salaz was originally from Santa Paula, California. He married his wife Julia in 1934 and the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary just this year.

It was after his retirement as an upholstery salesman that Mr. Salaz dedicated his life to community service and helping the people of El Sereno. After 40 years in sales he became an active leader in Los Angeles City Council District 14, most importantly as a member of the Citizens Unit for Participation in Housing and Community Development.

I was fortunate to get to know Mr. Salaz while I was a member of the California State Senate. Mr. Salaz's ability to work with all members of the community was remarkable. He was able to work with the El Sereno Coordinating Council and elected officials of the city of Los Angeles in order to advocate an improved quality of life for all residents.

He also worked with local elected officials on numerous community improvement projects. Some of his accomplishments included the installation of new stop signs at dangerous intersections and the opening of the new Public Library in El Sereno.

Though he was involved with the community all year long, Mr. Salaz always did a little extra for special occasions. During the holiday season Mr. Salaz made sure that impoverished families received food, and gifts for children. He also personally ensured a U.S. flag would be present at the Dr. Donald Newman Memorial every year. And in addition, he encouraged neighbors and schools to participate in

the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Huntington Drive.

And while he did so much for others, never once did he seek any personal reward. Fortunately, Mr. Salaz's efforts did not go unnoticed. As a result of his extensive community involvement, he won the title of Honorary Mayor of El Sereno from 1998-2002.

I can truly say that Mr. Salaz was a wonderful example of community activism, and he found a true reward in helping others. Though he is no longer with us, his memory will live on through his wife, Julia, their 5 children, 13 grandchildren, and 30 great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of the East Los Angeles Civic Center Library. For too long the East Los Angeles community has been deprived of a quality library.

The 28,000 square foot library facility will provide a state of the art computer lab, a children's learning center and a Chicano Resource Center to extend educational and cultural services to children, families, and the entire community.

The East Los Angeles Civic Center Library was made possible through the leadership efforts of Supervisor Gloria Molina and collaboration between local merchants, community leaders, the Los Angeles County Library Foundation, and the County of Los Angeles Public Library.

It is with great pleasure that I recognize the vision and commitment of communities who care about our future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 10th anniversary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10218. For the past decade my district has been fortunate to be home to these veterans who served in World War II, Desert Storm and conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq.

The service of these veterans did not end with their tour of duty. V.F.W. Post 10218 continues to serve our community in El Monte and South El Monte. Under the leadership of their commander, Mr. Michael Felix, a decorated former Army Sergeant who served in Vietnam, I expect the V.F.W. Post 10218 will continue to be a great asset to our community.

I wish to offer the V.F.W. Post 10218 my sincerest congratulations on their 10th anniversary. This country and the community are deeply indebted to them for the service they have performed both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to recognize and applaud the efforts of Univision Communications Inc. for their successful health initiative campaign, ``Salud es Vida...Enterate!'' As the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States, Univision's health education initiative was launched on November 19, 2003, to raise awareness, increase knowledge and encourage positive decision-making concerning health care issues in the Latino community.

The groundbreaking health initiative has successfully promoted wellness among U.S. Latinos through news programs, public service announcements, literature and an on-line campaign. The Enterate! campaign has featured nationally recognized Latino celebrities and medical experts who educate Univision's audience on health issues and promote habits of healthy living, access to care and disease-specific prevention and treatment.

The interactive website, Univision.com, provides information on nutrition, exercise, stress, and alcohol use, empowering users to take control of their health. These programs have proven to be a critical health resource in helping Latinos break health access barriers and change attitudes for healthy living.

Univision's Enterate! campaign has reached millions of Latinos, improving overall knowledge and understanding of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, asthma, and HIV/AIDS which disproportionately impact Latino communities. I am particularly impressed with the campaign's inclusion of dental health--an issue that is too often overlooked in our community, where more than 40 percent of Latino children have untreated dental decay.

Univision's health initiative is testament to the genuine dedication of the company to improving the well-being of its audience. I applaud the efforts of Univision and look forward to the continued success of ``Salud es Vida...Enterate!''

Madam Speaker, today I rise because I am concerned about the impact of raising the debt limit on American families.

One of my constituents recently wrote to me just 2 weeks ago questioning the credibility of the U.S. Government and wondering about her Social Security benefits. The median income in my district is approximately $41,394. The average Social Security benefit is only $11,940 per year. Seniors, children and veterans depend on Federal programs like the Pell Grant program, Social Security and Medicare. Our veterans especially, many of whom are disabled and many struggling financially, deserve these benefits. Yet America's growing debt will ensure that our children and our grandchildren are overtaxed for the rest of our lives.

We need to have a plan to control the deficit. Democrats are fighting to put the budget on a pay-as-you-go system. Do not spend more than you earn. That is what our households are demanding, and we should take that advice here in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 23 million Taiwanese on their 93rd National ``Double-Tenth'' Day, which will take place on October 10, 2004.

On October 10, 1911, the Republican Revolution broke out and brought the end of China's Qing dynasty. Ninety-three years later Taiwan continues to prosper. It is the 15th largest economy in the world and has the 4th largest information hardware and semiconductor industries in the world.

This year Taiwan proudly rebounded from an election-eve shooting incident that resulted in a post-election dispute ongoing for several months. But, as the strong democracy it is, Taiwan resolved the situation in a peaceful manner and domestic stability remains.

Today I congratulate Taiwan and commend the Taiwanese for their commitment and dedication to the universal principles of human freedom and dignity.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce the Safe Drinking Water for Healthy Communities Act of 2004. This legislation will require the EPA to establish a national primary standard for drinking water for perchlorate--otherwise known as rocket fuel.

Perchlorate is a component of rocket fuel--used heavily by the military and its defense contractors. Perchlorate contamination in California is primarily the result of releases from 12 military and defense contractor sites. It disrupts the functioning of the thyroid, resulting in behavior changes and delayed development in children and thyroid tumors in adults. It removes valuable water supplies from service.

Today, communities across the country are finding perchlorate in their drinking water, groundwater, irrigation water, and soil. In mid 1997, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California discovered perchlorate in the lower Colorado River. It was traced to a Kerr McGee plant in Henderson Nevada. Releases to Lake Mead and the Lower Colorado River have impacted the drinking water supply of 15 to 20 million people in Arizona, southern California, southern Nevada, Tribal nations and Mexico. Today more than 120 wells in Los Angeles County have been found to be contaminated with varying levels of perchlorate.

In the district I represent the water providers are struggling to handle the plumes of perchlorate, the legacy of Aerojet. The City of Baldwin Park hosts the nation's first perchlorate treatment facility--a necessity in order to maintain the reliability and availability of safe drinking water. My community faces costs over the next 15 years of at least $200 million as the result of perchlorate contamination. Yet there exists no enforceable public health standard to ensure our drinking water is safe.

This bill requires the EPA to establish a national primary drinking water standard. Without this, there is no requirement for water to have safe levels of perchlorate and water providers will continue to struggle with guaranteeing long term reliability of safe water sources. Inaction poses an unreasonable risk to both our valuable water supply and our health.