Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Maria Elena Durazo who is receiving the 2003 Paul Wellstone Citizen Leadership Award for her outstanding service to the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union of Los Angeles.

As President of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (H.E.R.E.) Ms. Durazo has helped the union emerge as a vital force in the life of Los Angeles residents, representing over 250,000 workers in the hospitality industry in the U.S. In 1996, she also became the first Latina to be elected to the national leadership of the H.E.R.E. International Union and has long served as a role model for other Latina leaders.

Ms. Durazo has worked tirelessly to obtain justice for the mostly immigrant-based union in Los Angeles, adopting a policy of bilingualism for its union meetings and newspaper. Furthermore, she has empowered countless bilingual employees to acquire positions and benefits they deserve. Under her leadership, the union has been widely recognized as one of the most active rank and file unions in southern California, striving to build valuable coalitions among community, church, academic, ethnic, and political organizations throughout the local area.

Maria Elena has further advanced the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union by securing and improving citywide hotel contracts, increasing wages and benefits for thousands of hotel workers in downtown Beverly Hills and the Westside. Maria Elena now serves as National Director of the Immigrant

Workers' Freedom Ride, campaigning to improve immigration laws in the United States.

With these accomplishments, it is fitting that she will receive the Paul Wellstone Citizen Leadership Award. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Ms. Maria Elena Durazo for her diligent work in improving labor conditions for the workers of southern California.

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to rise and express my outrage that, in the passing of an irresponsible tax cut, Republicans deliberately prevented families with incomes under $26,625 from receiving a child tax credit.

Here is a family that I represent in my district. They also happen to be a family that sent one of their sons to war. He is still in Iraq. He would not even qualify for a rebate. It is outrageous that 31 percent of California families right now will not be eligible for any tax credit, child tax credit. That is 2.4 million children in California alone, a State that I represent. In my district, one out of every four families will get no child tax credit.

Families like this work hard, pay their taxes, are expecting to get some help from the government, and get nothing. They do not want a handout; they just want to be treated fairly. Yet somehow Republicans found $90 billion to give to 200,000 millionaire families. I do not even have one millionaire family that lives in my district.

This is the wrong thing to do. We need to not declare a war on working-class people.

Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to voice my strong opposition to this rule. There is a lot of talk about what the recent tax cuts would do for our economy and for working families, and I would like to talk a little bit about what they will not do.

The $350 billion in tax cuts leaves out working families, in particular, families that make anywhere between $10,000 and $26,000. They will not qualify for a child care tax credit. I ask my colleagues to look at this photograph that I have here. This is a working family, a representation of a family that lives in my district. They make $24,000 a year. They will not get a rebate. They have a son that is serving in our war, that is serving in our war in Iraq; but he will not get any benefit from this tax cut.

Let us really talk about working families and what they do for our economy. They do pay Social Security taxes, they do pay sales taxes. In fact, they are taxed so much that they are looking to us as representatives of this House to do the right thing. One million children in military families, like these families, will get no tax break or credit. This is wrong.

We know that somehow the Republicans found $90 billion to give to 200,000 millionaire families. Imagine that. That money will not make it to my district because I do not have a single millionaire that lives in my district. We have people that make less than $20,000, so they do not get the benefit of that money.

Republicans say this is class warfare that we are discussing. Look at the facts. The money does not come home to the districts that send money here to Washington because our Republican colleagues are sending it to their friends. In fact, in California, 31 percent of California families will not receive any child tax credit, and that includes 2.4 million children in California alone. Forty-seven percent of those Californians will get a total tax credit of less than $100; $100 does not even help to pay rent in my district, where an apartment goes from $800 to $1,000.

I urge Members to vote ``no'' on the rule. Let us do a child tax credit that is fair for working families.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and I also would like to thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson- Lee), and others who helped to put forward this piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I was moved to put forward legislation on this issue because we have several young soldiers that are in my district that are serving now, but one in particular, Francisco Martinez Flores, who actually lost his life. He lost his life just 2 weeks short of becoming a U.S. citizen. Most of his family is here legally, with the exception of his father. Without this piece of legislation, his father is out there on his own for the time being, and it would take a while for him to become a U.S. citizen.

I am very appreciative of the work that has taken place on the bill. Thirty-seven thousand legal permanent residents will be eligible, through this legislation, in 1 year to become citizens, and their family members. That is first and foremost in my mind in terms of what we need to do for the families.

I had a chance to meet with several of those families in my own district, many of whom are waiting, wanting their children to come home and hoping they do come home. The fact we are moving in this direction today to provide opportunities for them to continue to support our country is something we can all take pleasure and pride in today.

I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost) for putting forward legislation that is also incorporated in this piece of legislation, for having the foresight to put forward his idea even before the conflict began.

There are many different angles and parts of this bill that I could speak on. I know I have limited time here, but I do want to say that we should make some corrections. One piece that is amiss in the bill that I put forward was to try to allow for parents that are not here with appropriate documentation to be allowed to become legal permanent residents even if their son or daughter is serving and may be a fallen soldier.

We need to look at that and continue to work on this legislation to make sure that we take care of those family members because there are many, many that are not here, that are in Mexico or Central America waiting to hear about their children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise also today to express my outrage in passing an irresponsible tax cut that Republicans gave. They gave $100,000 tax breaks to the largest and most polluting SUVs and left out millions of working-class families.

The $350 billion tax cut left out the working poor, left out a lot of Latinos in my district and a whole lot of people in the State of California. That is because Republicans prevented families that I represent in my district that make under $26,625 from receiving a child tax credit.

Thirty percent of Latino families in my district will not be able to claim any child tax credit at all; that is 1.6 million Latino families in the State. By contrast, only 17 percent of Latino families will see any benefit from the dividend tax cut. Thirty-one percent of Californian families also are not being helped by any child tax credit, and that is 2.4 million children in California alone, all children. So while SUVs continue to pollute our air, keep us dependent on foreign oil, spew out greenhouse gases and get a big tax break, working families get nothing.

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk about what the recent tax cuts will do for our economy, and I would like to talk to Members about what they will not do and who they will not help.

The $350 billion in tax cuts leaves out the working poor, and many, in the State of California, working families. Republicans rejected a Democratic attempt to try to get child tax credits to low-income families earning less than $10,500. To add insult to injury, last- minute changes made by Republicans also will prevent families with incomes between $10,500 and $26,625, and that includes about 11.9 million children, and they will not receive any kind of a child tax credit or be eligible for one. One out of every four families in my district in California will get no child tax credit.

Families like this one pictured here, who live in my district in East Los Angeles, Ruben and Teresa, whose son is proudly serving us right now in Iraq, this family makes $24,000 a year. They will get no tax break, no tax break. Yet somehow Republicans found $90 billion to give to 200,000 millionaire families. That money will not make it to my district, no way, since 99 percent of the families there earn less than $200,000.

Republicans left out all of these families to accommodate tax cuts on dividends that go mostly to rich and wealthy people. The tax cuts leave out married tax filers who happen to be living in poverty. The Republicans postponed marriage penalty relief under the earned income tax credit which is claimed by many working families earning $34,000 or less. This means that working-class married tax filers are treated as second-class citizen.

The tax cuts leave out the people of California, and although California suffers from the largest budget deficit in the country, it is ranked at 43rd in terms of per capita State aid allotted by the Republican tax bill.

Mr. Speaker, 31 percent of California families are not helped by the child tax credit. That is 2.4 million children in California alone, and I mean all children; and 47 percent of Californians will get a total tax cut of less than $100. That is barely enough to take them to the movies, buy a pizza and maybe have some extra spending money to buy book supplies, if that.

Mr. Speaker, 28 percent get nothing at all. It is a sign of a grossly skewed priority by Republicans that would leave a lot of people out, yet they give $100,000 tax breaks to the largest SUVs, which pollute our air, keep us dependent on foreign oil, and spew out greenhouse gases.

So while the typical millionaire gets over $93,500 in tax cuts and another $100,000 break for their huge SUVs, working-class people are left sitting in the smog with almost nothing in their pockets. If we had only given those millionaires $88,000 instead of $93,000, we could afford to give the child tax credit to all families. That means 140,000 hard-working families in my district would have gotten some kind of tax relief.

Democrats tried to offer an economic stimulus plan with an immediate increase in the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief for all, and the expansion of the 10 percent tax bracket, and Democrats tried to put money in the pockets of working-class people. These are the people who would stimulate our economy, pull it out of the tailspin it has been in ever since this President took office.

With more than 2.7 million jobs lost in the last 2 years, we in Congress should be declaring war against poverty. Instead, Republicans have declared a war against working families, families like this who send their children to serve in our wars. We need to change that, and we need to support and extend benefits for those hard-working Americans, especially families like this that right now are hoping that their son will come home, and even he would not be eligible for a tax credit because he makes less than the amount required under this bill that was passed by the Republicans.

Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleague Congressman Mark Udall in introducing the Environmental Justice Act and commend my colleague, Congressman Mark Udall for his work on this issue.

The Environmental Justice Act will make permanent an environmental justice Executive Order 12898 issued by President Bill Clinton in 1994.

It attempts to address environmental injustice within existing federal laws and regulations by prohibiting discrimination in programs that receive federal funds.

This issue has been one of my priorities as a public servant because I have seen the damage--first hand--that environmental injustice can bring to poor and minority communities.

I grew up in the shadow of one of the largest landfills in the country. As the landfill grew, so did other regional pollution. Today, the area, which is 63 percent Latino and where 15 percent of families live in poverty, suffers from water pollution from Superfund sites and the gravel pit industry.

In the Los Angeles area, it is estimated that over 71 percent of African Americans and 50 percent of Latinos reside in areas with the most polluted air, while only 34 percent of whites live in highly polluted areas.

But we are not alone. Environmental injustices are happening nationwide.

Consider the plight of the people of South Omaha, Nebraska where descendants of immigrants who labored in the city's meatpacking plants are fighting to restore city parks and stop the health risks posed by unsanitary conditions at the plants.

Or consider the people who live in Livermore, California near one of the nation's principal nuclear weapons research labs, and who are fighting radioactive contamination that has caused many cancer cases.

In the past we might have accepted our fate but today we chose to fight back.

Hardly a day passes without the media informing us about a neighborhood that is fighting a landfill, incinerator, chemical plant or some other polluting industry.

This was not always the case. Just three decades ago, the concept of environmental justice had not registered on the radar screens of most environmental, civil rights or social justice groups.

In 1996, I had the honor of introducing the first piece of environmental justice legislation in the country. Since that time, 30 other States have adopted similar laws, policies or other statues that protect and recognize the importance of environmental justice communities.

Today, we enjoy a greater ability to connect with the public through grassroots organization and the media but our laws still offer few protections to disadvantaged communities.

I am committed to changing this and look forward to working with Congressman Udall and others to make sure that environmental protection starts with environmental equality.

This bill is one step in that fight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the outstanding achievements of the Imagen Foundation. Since its establishment sixteen years ago through the leadership of Helen Hernandez, the Imagen Foundation has led the fight to increase career opportunities for Latinos and Latinas in the entertainment industry and transcend the stereotyped media roles Latinos have been pigeonholed into.

The Imagen Foundation has helped to positively influence the role of Latinos in the media. It is critical for our community to be accurately portrayed because of the influential power the media holds in forming public opinion. Unfortunately, our community is underrepresented and misrepresented throughout all major media networks. Reports show that only 4 percent of people on prime time TV are Latinos, and Latinos who hold more permanent roles only make up 2 percent of actors. It is important to expose the world to the reality that Latinos are also doctors, lawyers, business executives and Members of Congress, and refute the stereotypes perpetuated by the entertainment industry.

Through various tools such as education, mentorship opportunities and workshops, the Imagen Foundation has created openings for Latinos in the entertainment industry. I have had the privilege of attending several workshops and I have seen the incredible talent that exists in the Latino community. The Imagen Foundation has been an amazing force working to develop, showcase and honor the talent in our community. It is my privilege to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Imagen Foundation.

Through groups such as the Imagen Foundation and people like Helen Hernandez, more doors are beginning to open for Latinos in the entertainment industry. While much has been accomplished, we cannot stop here. There is still much to be done and we need to continue to work together. Hispanics are a fundamental part of this nation's history, a significant part of our present, and will play a vital role in the future success of this country's collective prosperity. I know that this is just the beginning, but with institutions such as the Imagen Foundation, who are committed to fighting prejudices and are concerned with bringing truth and a cultural sensitivity to television and society, I look forward to the accomplishments that are yet to come.

Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise also to express my strong opposition to the recent vote that was taken today by the FCC. The three-two vote by the commission will allow for the concentration of media ownership in the hands of the very few and privileged and will reduce the diversity of viewpoints. This does not sound too American to me.

The decades-old rules that will be altered under today's vote were intended to provide for multiple media owners and voices in our market. Today's vote that was taken will reduce the assortment of voices and opinions that are essential to our healthy democracy. Allowing one company in a city to control the most popular newspaper and TV station will give the company excessive control over the local news and the information that the public sees and hears. It would also reduce the diversity of cultural and political disclosure in our communities.

Studies that I have seen indicate that, under these rules, mergers will be allowed in 140 local concentrated markets. In as many as 100 of these local markets, representing nearly half of the national population, there will probably be one dominant newspaper. A merger between a dominant newspaper and a large TV station would create a local news giant that would threaten alternative views and news.

Today's decision will have a detrimental impact on minority communities, including the Nation's fast-growing Latino population, the Spanish-language population. It will dramatically reduce competition in Spanish-language media and opportunities for Latino media ownership. Dominance in the Spanish-language media by one corporation can have the same negative effects for many Latinos as the dominance of English- language media can have for the general population.

Today's ruling by the FCC means less diverse programming, news sources, and smaller points of view. We need to look only at the radio industry to see the ill effects that today's vote will have on the diversity in media.

Since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the overall number of radio station owners has decreased by at least 30 percent. And according to a study by the Department of Commerce, in the year 2000 minorities owned 248 AM stations and 178 FM stations. That represented 4 percent of the country's 10,577 commercial AM and FM stations.

I am especially disappointed that the public, the very people who own the airwaves, were not offered the time to express their concerns about this very important issue. How undemocratic of the FCC to keep the public in the dark on this very critical matter and not to afford the American people of this country, whom we represent, the opportunity to comment directly on the impact that the new specific policies will have on competition, localism, access to multiple sources of information, and minority participation.

Unfortunately, the amount of network coverage on this important issue has been minimal. We could not even get people from the media to show up to cover a press conference that we had last week to disclose what was happening with this vote that was taking place today. The public is largely unaware of the possible impact these changes will have on their lives; and it is discouraging, especially when millions of Americans have reacted in recent days with amazement at the FCC's plans. The FCC should have listened to the public, not the megacorporations.

Liberals and conservatives alike, consumer groups, labor groups, the National Rifle Association and others, have rallied around the cause and urged the FCC to allow more time for the public to comment on this critical matter.

When it comes down to it, today's vote was just another example of the Bush administration's catering to corporate greed. It is one more example of corporate welfare. It is a Bush-backed gift to the major corporations and their bank accounts. At the expense of whom? The public.

The FCC was created to serve the public interest and to ensure diverse voices in it. The commission failed on both accounts today. I urge this Chamber to consider legislation to reverse the commission's ruling and to allow the public greater opportunity to learn about this critical issue and weigh in with their important thoughts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague, Congressman Ciro Rodriguez, in introducing the Hispanic Health Improvement Act of 2003.

Every 24 hours in this country, over 2,700 people are diagnosed with diabetes, just one of the multitude of diseases and illnesses plaguing our Nation. And of these 2,700 daily

new cases of diabetes, minority groups like Latinos are disproportionately affected.

But diabetes is not the only illness that burdens Hispanic communities more than non-Hispanic populations. Diseases like asthma, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer consistently plague Latino communities at rates that are simply unacceptable.

As many of you will recall, in 1999, Congress petitioned the Institute of Medicine to conduct a report to assess the extent of racial and ethnic disparities in health care and the resulting disease outcomes. We have been given our answers.

Some of the top research institutions in the country continually report that the health of Hispanics in the U.S. is deteriorating and must be addressed.

For example, 37 percent of non-elderly Latinos are uninsured--a rate twice that of non-Hispanic whites, and most come from working families. The incidence of AIDS among Hispanics is around 200 per 100,000, while it is only 60 per 100,000 among non-Latino whites. list goes on and on.

Latinos are now 16 percent of the total population, so it is imperative that we address the increasing trends in poor Latino health. The need to act on behalf of our Latino communities is great, and today we are being presented with the opportunity to help.

The Hispanic Health Improvement Act is our chance to respond to the data and to commit to the health of our Latino communities across the U.S. This bill is a comprehensive measure focusing exclusively on improving the health among Latino populations. This bill expands the important State Children's Health Insurance Program, S-CHIP, to cover low-income pregnant women and parents, and it gives States the option to cover any individual below 100 percent of poverty under their Medicaid program. It provides for an enhanced 90 percent Federal matching rate to States through Medicaid and S-CHIP to provide language services--like oral interpretation, or translation of written materials--for individuals with limited English proficiency.

These services are extremely critical when one third of Latinos and over 40 percent of Spanish-speaking Latinos report having problems communicating with their health care provider.

The bill also addresses health disparities by establishing programs and grants to respond to diabetes, cancer, asthma, HIV infection, AIDS, obesity, oral health, mental health, and other illnesses. It also recognizes the need to strengthen the diversity in our health care work force by supporting Hispanic-serving health professional schools and training health providers in cultural competency.

As you can see, this legislation is the critical pivot point whereby we can reverse the sliding health of our Latino population.

In conclusion, I want to applaud the leadership of my good friend Congressman Ciro Rodriguez in championing this bill for several years.

I am pleased to be part of this effort and I urge my colleagues to seize this opportunity to protect the future health of Latinos--and all Americans--by cosponsoring this bill.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 207 on the previous question I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 208 on H. Res. 247, providing for consideration of H.R. 1588, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.

I rise, Mr. Speaker, and I am also happy to see that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have finally agreed to consider an extension of unemployment compensation. It is about time.

But Mr. Speaker, it is only half a loaf. It is a bill that is much needed to help 2.7 million Americans that have lost their jobs, but it does not go far enough. I am again disappointed that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to allow us the opportunity to improve upon that bill.

I say that very genuinely because in my own State of California over 351,000 workers have lost their jobs since President Bush took office. I know this because in my own district I represent a portion of Los Angeles County, East Los Angeles. The cities of El Monte and Azusa have had upwards of 10 percent unemployment for over 2 years.

Where is the relief for our communities? Where is the relief for people wanting to earn good money and good-paying jobs? Even that tax cut that we are going to be voting on that some of them are supporting is not even going to provide any relief to those workers.

I ask Members to please allow our party, our side of the aisle, to amend the bill and promote goodwill for those millions of workers and the chronically underemployed Latinos, disadvantaged folks, that have been waiting for something to happen here in the House of Representatives. I am ashamed to go home and not provide relief for those more than one million workers and a large number that I represent in California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and to pay tribute to the 120,000 individuals of Asian descent that live in my congressional district.

I am fortunate to represent an ethnically diverse district that has experienced first hand the economic and cultural contributions of the Asian Pacific American community.

Although less than 4 percent of the U.S. population is Asian, I am proud that 19 percent of my congressional district is of Asian descent.

Some cities in my congressional district, have a well-established Asian Pacific American community.

Montery Park, for example, is home to a Chinese and Chinese-American community.

Monetery Park is 60 percent Chinese and its City Council is majority Asian as well.

Other cities in my congressional district, like West Covina, have experienced an increase in its Asian population in more recent times.

From 1980 to the present, West Covina's Asian Pacific American population has grown from 4 percent to 23 percent.

In addition to this recent growth, the Japanese community in West Covina has long been an important part of the city.

On June 3, the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center, located in West Covina, will celebrate its 52nd Anniversary.

The East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center provides important services like:

Japanese language classes from the kindergarten to the high school level;

Martial art and cultural classes like Japanese classical dance; and

A year round program for its Japanese American senior and retired citizens.

The East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center has significantly contributed to the strength of West Covina and the greater San Gabriel Valley.

Asian Pacific Americans bring richness not only to our culture, but also to our economy and to our advancement as a nation.

Asian Pacific Americans have made vast contributions in the fields of medicine, technology, and agriculture that benefit all Americans.

Throughout times of heightened national security, Asian Pacific Americans have fought to protect democracy in every war since the Civil War.

For example, despite the disturbing racism towards Japanese Americans during World War II, Japanese Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces as part of the 442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team.

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team remains the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.

Not only did these Japanese servicemen show their loyalty to the United States, but they also earned more than 18,000 individual decorations in less than two years. These noble men deserve our recognition.

In closing, I would like to honor the memory of a truly remarkable woman, the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink.

In my 2 years working with Patsy, I quickly came to admire her sprit and determination.

Patsy was a true warrior, a champion for the causes of equality, civil rights and environmental justice--causes important to the Asian Pacific American community and all communities.

As the first Asian-American woman in Congress, Patsy Mink was a hero to many.

Patsy may not be with us in body any longer, but her spirit continues to thrive as we celebrate May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise also in strong support for the Miller- DeFazio substitute, and I hope that everyone in this room will proudly support that amendment as well. It puts local people first in making decisions about forest fire prevention, and it will get people to work right now before other emergencies come up. It focuses research where they are needed the most, in areas surrounding communities where people live.

I say that, Mr. Speaker, because last year we were also faced with one of our forest fires in Los Angeles, the Angeles National Forest, right on the periphery near cities that both I and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) represent. By contrast, H.R. 1904 is a bill that ignores the needs of communities near forests.

H.R. 1904 drastically revises our legal review process and will create gridlock in our court system by virtually guaranteeing that every fire prevention plan be contested. It gives priority to those cases over all other legal matters, including cases pertaining to murder and civil rights.

That is why many groups and organizations that I work with, the NAACP, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Organization of Women, and all other major environmental groups oppose H.R. 1904. H.R. 1904 ignores regional approaches to fire protection that has been carefully crafted with input from our local communities, industry, environmentalists, and State government. If we want a plan to truly protect our forests and our environment and the people that live there, then do the right thing and vote for the Miller-DeFazio substitute.

Mr. Speaker, in America, all students, including those with disabilities, have the right to a free and appropriate education. Despite this fundamental right, the special educational needs of children with disabilities have sometimes gone unmet. That is why in 1975, Congress set out to correct this wrong with a law now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA provides federal funding to help states and school districts meet their legal obligations to educate children with disabilities, and to pay 40 percent of the extra expenses of doing so. Currently, such federal aid only provides 18 percent of the extra costs of educating students with disabilities.

I strongly believe that individuals with disabilities have the right to participate in and contribute to society. Improving the educational opportunities and results for children with disabilities is an important step towards ensuring not only their full participation is society, but equality for all. However H.R. 1350, the Republican proposal to reauthorize IDEA, jeopardizes the quality of education provided to children with disabilities and weakens their civil and due process rights under current law. Furthermore, it does not guarantee any new funds for IDEA, it punishes children for actions they have no control over, and limits parental advocacy at due process hearings regarding their child's education. Because this bill does not offer enough help to the schools in my community of the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles, I strongly oppose it. This bill simply turns back the clock of progress we have made in this area.