Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I rise again to speak about the horrific situation in the military, and that is the epidemic of rape and sexual assault that goes on unabated.

This is the 20th time that I am here on the floor to tell the story of yet another victim. Nineteen times before, I've been on this floor to tell about victims in military service. I've told you about the military culture that treats sexual harassment and assault with a silent acceptance and the command structure that punishes the victim and does not take care of dealing with the perpetrator.

Today I'm going to tell you about the culture that exists in our military service academies that train our cadets to become commissioned officers. I have not told you that the same conflicted chain-of-command structure that exists in the military also exists at our prestigious service academies. The military academy at West Point as well as the Naval, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Merchant Marine academies follow the same rule as the military, the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Today I am going to tell you the story of Karley Marquet, who was a first-year cadet when she was raped just last year. She was a brand- spanking-new West Pointer. Gifted in both academics and athletics, Karley was a star high school student. She had her pick to go to any number of colleges. She chose West Point because she wanted to serve her country. West Point chose Karley because she possessed the skills and character that the Army needs for success.

But only a few months at the academy, Karley was betrayed. She was raped by a West Point upperclassman that she knew and thought she could trust. He came to her room one night when she was alone to talk about girl troubles. He gave her a sports drink that had alcohol in it. Peer pressure by upperclassmen to consume alcohol is pervasive at West Point. Karley drank about one-quarter of the liquid in the bottle, and she became intoxicated. The upperclassman convinced her to go to his room, and he raped her. Later, the upperclassman repeatedly went to Karley's room to prevent her from reporting the rape. She also heard West Point upperclassmen talk about another female cadet who had reported being raped. They called the victim a ``slut'' who ``was asking for it.''

But Karley was not intimidated. She reported the crime to her chain of command. But just like so many of the stories I have told here before, no serious action was taken to assist her. West Point did not move the perpetrator from Karley's company. She had to see him every day. West Point did not alter Karley's duties, which meant that she still had to do chores with the upperclassman who raped her.

As a result of the rape and the hostile environment, Karley began to suffer posttraumatic stress symptoms, becoming depressed and suicidal. Karley resigned from West Point less than a year after becoming a cadet.

It's been over a year since Karley was raped, yet the perpetrator has not been brought to justice. Why was nothing done to help this talented young woman who, only 12 months before, was deemed qualified and deserving of a spot at the prestigious United States Military Academy?

The violent act committed against Karley is reprehensible. The dismissive attitude held by academy officials is shocking and inexcusable. It is time for this narrative to change.

Last December, a Department of Defense report revealed a nearly 60 percent increase in reported sexual assaults at service academies in addition to the fact that West Point was found ``not in compliance'' with the Pentagon's policies to prevent rape and sexual assault.

Civilian colleges and university students can report crimes to local police officers. They can press charges directly against perpetrators, and they can obtain their own legal counsel. Military cadets must comply with the military justice system that has a horrible record of providing justice for victims of rape and sexual assault. Our future military leaders deserve better.

Survivors can email me at [email protected] if they would like to speak out as well.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. I will be joined during this hour by my good friend and colleague from California, Congressman John Garamendi.

I would like to just begin this discussion on oil prices by recalling that in 2008, the constant refrain that was heard in this Chamber over and over again was ``Drill, baby, drill'' by my colleagues on the Republican side. And the good news is that's precisely what we've done. In fact, in USA Today, Citigroup analysts are quoted as saying in a recent report, Energy independence ``is no pipe dream. The U.S. is already the world's fastest-growing oil and natural gas producer. Counting the output from Canada and Mexico, North America is `the new Middle East.' ''

So it's interesting to note that as much as we've been wringing our hands, there is oil being produced here in the United States. In fact, a lot of oil is being produced in the United States. And we're going to go over a few charts now to show how, in fact, things are looking a little bit better.

This first chart really shows what happened with oil production. When George Bush was still the President of the United States, the price of gas hit $4.10 a gallon. It was very high. And then gas prices hit rock bottom when President Obama took office because of the global financial crisis that hit. When President Obama took office, there were fewer than 400 oil rigs operating in the United States, falling below 200 rigs by mid 2009. Then, despite safety reviews after the BP spill, oil rigs operating in the United States quadrupled over the next 3 years. There are now more than 1,300--I repeat that, 1,300--oil rigs operating in the United States, more than all operational oil drilling in the rest of the world combined.

So in the last 3 years of the Bush administration, we were producing 1.78 billion barrels of oil; but in the first 3

years of the Obama, we have already produced 2 billion barrels of oil. The U.S. oil production has continued to increase under President Obama and is now at an 8-year high.

Jim Burkhard, who is Cambridge Energy Research Associates managing director, said in Senate testimony in February of this year, ``A `great revival' in U.S. oil production is taking shape.''

So for all the hand-wringing from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, talking about what isn't being done, the truth is a lot is being done, and we now have more oil rigs operating in the United States--some 1,300--than all the other places in the world combined.

BP projects that the U.S. will get 94 percent of its energy domestically by the year 2030. That's going to be a huge benefit for all of us. Economists at Citigroup argue that North America can be energy independent by 2020. That's only 8 years away. We could be energy independent by 2020. Citigroup says, if that happens, we will create 3.6 million new jobs, and we will see the unemployment rate cut by 2 percent.

An interesting example is that of North Dakota. Do you know what the unemployment rate is in North Dakota today? It's 3 percent. In California, it's 11 percent. In North Dakota, it's 3 percent. And North Dakota can now boast having the lowest unemployment rate in the country, and it is now the fourth-largest oil producer in the country as well.

So we create new jobs. We reignite manufacturing and chemical businesses. And guess what. American families see a lot of savings, too. In fact, the price of natural gas has dropped substantially. And if we keep going the way we're going, it will drop some 80 percent, giving the American family a $926 a year savings.

Georgia Power is another great example. Their fuel costs dropped 19 percent. And guess what. All of their utility customers saw a decrease in their electrical costs, in their utility bills, by some 6 percent. So there is some good news in all of that.

The second chart looks at U.S. oil production versus gas volatility. World market factors are really driving up oil prices. And if you look at this particular chart, you see that the oil production stays pretty much the same. It goes up a little bit in 2010, as you can see; but, for the most part, it stays pretty consistent. But what does change and changes dramatically up and down, as if you are reading an EKG, is the price of gas in this country. So gas prices are going up and down irrespective of the production of oil.

The Associated Press conducted an investigation over the past 36 years of U.S. oil production and gas prices and found that there is no statistical correlation between how much oil comes out of U.S. wells and the price at the pump. More U.S. drilling has not changed how deeply the gas pump drills into your wallet, and we know that.

The price of oil is determined on a global market. More oil production in the United States does not mean consistently lower prices at the pump. However, if we become less dependent on foreign oil, we will see some dramatic shifts take place in the country.

So why does more drilling have so little effect on gas prices? The answer is because oil is a global commodity. The United States owns less than 2 percent of the global reserves and pays the same world market price that everyone else does.

So, with that, let me introduce my good friend, Congressman John Garamendi, from the great area of Sacramento and the Valley.

The next chart that we're going to put up is one that you'll find particularly interesting. This is the Big Five oil companies and how much money they made just in 2011. As can you see, $137 billion last year--a 75 percent increase in the profits over the year before. And as you can see each of them: ExxonMobil, 31 percent increase; Shell, a 54 percent increase; BP, 114 percent increase; Chevron, 42 percent increase; ConocoPhillips, 9 percent increase.

These companies are doing extraordinarily well and yet we're still giving them $5 billion in subsidies.

I guess the question I have for you, Congressman, is one of the things that we're told by the industry often enough is that if you take away our subsidies, the cost of gas at the pump is going to go up. And what is the answer to that question?

So we know that we're pumping more oil out of the ground in this country right now than ever before in our history, more than is being pumped anywhere else in the world--1,300 oil rigs. We know that we are still giving the industry a huge subsidy, and we know that they're making lots of money. Right? So what is going on? Is there, in fact, speculation? Is that driving the price of gas up?

Now, Bart Chilton, who is a Commodity Futures Trading Commission commissioner, recently said that consumers are now paying what amounts to a Wall Street premium every time they fill up their car with gas. In fact, he said every time you fill up your Honda Civic, you're paying a $7.50 Wall Street tax, in effect. You're paying that because of the speculation that's going on in the market. If your car is a Ford Explorer, you're actually paying an extra $10.41. So over the course of a year, it turns into real money. You're now talking about $700 more a year that we're paying because Wall Street speculation is driving this price.

Now, we've asked the Justice Department on three different occasions, the President of the United States has asked the Justice Department on three different occasions to look into, to investigate the speculators. And we're waiting. We're waiting for that particular review to take place because what we do know is that if we can get oil down to $70 a barrel, we're going to bring gas down to $3 a gallon, which will be a huge benefit to the consumers in this country.

An interesting point along the same lines, maybe 4 or 5 years ago, the percentage of speculation in the oil market was 30 percent. The speculators were involved in about 30 percent. About 70 percent were end-users that were in the market. But interestingly enough today, those numbers have just flipped so that the end-

users of gas, of gasoline, that are betting on the future are 30 percent, and it's the speculators that are 70 percent.

The other thing that the experts said this morning, I don't know if you were there at the time, they were talking about Katrina. When Katrina hit, it blew out all of those oil rigs in the gulf. It shut down oil production for a period of time. And you know what happened to the price of oil? It went from $50 a barrel to $60 a barrel for about 4 months, not from $70 a barrel to $147 a barrel. So over 4 months, it went up ever so slightly, but significantly nonetheless; and then it came down.

So this, this is ripe for an investigation, I believe, because it would suggest that there is a lot of speculation going on in the market today.

So let's talk about what the solution is to protect Americans from volatile gas prices and to kick our dependence on foreign oil. That becomes the secret.

I mean, by every focus, if we kick our dependence on foreign oil, we are going to be so much better off.

So let's look at this next chart. In 2005, America's dependence on foreign oil peaked at about 60 percent. Then it dropped down in 2010 to 49 percent. Then last year, it dropped down even more to 45 percent. 2010 marked the first time U.S. dependence on foreign oil fell below 50 percent in 13 years, and our dependence on foreign oil is now at the lowest level in 16 years. At this rate, the Energy Information Administration predicts that the U.S. will slash its dependence on foreign oil to as low as 36 percent in the year 2035.

The U.S. transportation sector consumed nearly 5 billion barrels of petroleum in 2009, accounting for over 70 percent of the consumption in the United States. The lion's share of that--45 percent of total consumption--was in passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks.

So, what do we do about that gas guzzling that's going on? Well, the thing we do about that is to look at how we can change how many miles to the gallon we get. To the President's credit, his administration has put in place these new corporate average fuel economy standards--known to all of us as CAFE standards--that will nearly double the efficiency of the U.S. fleet of automobiles, achieving a fleet-wide average of 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025.

So what does that do once we get there at 2025? Well, it means that we, as consumers, will save $1.7 trillion at the pump over the life of the program. A family that purchases a new vehicle in 2025 will save $8,200 in fuel costs when compared with a similar vehicle in 2010. So over the life of the program, the standard will save 12 billion barrels of oil and eliminate 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution.

So the solutions are really there for us. The solutions are that we move to these CAFE standards, that we address the issues around speculation, and that we keep the robust drilling that is going on in this country right now so that we can continue to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Well, we can certainly try to encourage it.

I don't know if you have any more thoughts.

Sixty years.

Well, thank you, Congressman, for your great presentation and your passion around making it in America, which should be underscored, because one of the great things that happens in my district is a lot of innovation.

Tesla, which is an electric car company that is making it in America, building it right there in Fremont, has a showroom right outside my district. And a gentleman came in to test-drive the sports--the Roadster, which has a hefty price associated with it, but very fast.

Yes. It goes very fast, and it's all electric.

So he took it for a little spin, came back and said, I want to buy it. The salesperson says, Well, you're the first person who has ever come in here and literally bought it after just a test-drive. The purchaser said, Well, my neighbor on one side and my neighbor on the other side have already bought one.

Now, the funny thing about that story is not the keeping up with the Joneses so much, but the fact that in terms of the grid, having three electric cars on the same block charging overnight is going to create a little indigestion. So that's one of the good problems that we're going to get as more people are driving electric cars.

Well, let's hope we do it sooner than later so that they can be driving their Tesla Roadsters.

Thank you. And I think at this point we have covered all of the issues we wanted to cover during this Special Order tonight. And I just want to leave my colleagues with this message. Again, this was quoted in USA Today. Citigroup analysts declared in a recent report, energy independence in the United States is not a pipe dream. The U.S. is already the world's fastest growing oil and natural gas producer. Counting the output of Canada and Mexico, North America is the new Middle East.

We've got many exciting things happening in the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the evacuation and internment of Japanese-Americans during World War

Mr. Speaker, I rise again for the 19th time to highlight the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military.

By the military's own figures, 19,000 sexual assaults and rapes occur each year, but only 13 percent of the members of the military actually report them.

Last week, I met with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, along with my colleagues, to discuss DOD's new report of data on rape and sexual assault in the military. The report shows a slight increase in reports of rape and assault but a startling decrease in the number of charges brought against reported perpetrators. With a decrease in charges came a significant decrease in prosecutions, in punishments, and in convictions. The numbers, frankly, are very discouraging.

When I left the meeting, I was only pleased about one thing. Secretary Panetta and I agreed that the only way to solve this problem is with an increase in prosecutions. We agree on the results to be achieved, but for right now, we do not agree on the steps to achieve it.

After our meeting, Secretary Panetta announced new initiatives, but DOD's three major proposals will not increase prosecutions, convictions, or punishments.

Proposal one: elevate cases of rape and sexual assault to higher- ranking officials in the chain of command. Military commanders today told me that many are already having them handled by colonels and captains, yet this does not result in more prosecutions. I believe the cases have to be handled by an impartial office within the military but outside the chain of command.

Proposal number two: establish a special victim's unit in each service of the military. These units have been in place in the Army since 2009. I'm impressed with the training program that is offered to the various members of the investigation and prosecution within the Army. But again, we have not seen an increase in prosecutions, convictions, or punishments as of yet.

Proposal three: create a centralized database of these proceedings and cases. This is a good thing. It's already required in the Department of Defense as a result of the NDAA 2009.

So for all intents and purposes, all of these initiatives are already in place to some extent. The problem is the chain of command, and let me explain.

Claudia Castillo, an Army corporal whose attempts for justice back in 2003 and 2004 were thwarted repeatedly by commanding officers, including a high-ranking lieutenant colonel, all of whom were unmoved by her reports of sexual assault and harassment.

Corporal Castillo was on combat deployment in Iraq when she awoke to a fellow specialist on top of her sexually assaulting her and using force. She was in shock and screamed until he left. She immediately reported the assault to her platoon sergeant, who responded with a lack of surprise or concern. He advised her to wait while he ``looked into it.'' He did not have any advice for how she could get help or go forward.

Corporal Castillo also encountered several incidents of harassment, stalking, and erratic behavior by a much older staff sergeant. She would wake up to find him standing by her bed while she slept. Her reports to command were greeted by ridicule and not taken seriously.

Command discretion empowers a commander to decide if the case goes forward to a court-martial. Even if very high-ranking commanders are in charge of these cases, captains and colonels are not shielded from the conflicts of interest that exist in the chain of command.

Victims should have the benefit of impartiality by objective experts, which is why my bill, H.R. 3435, attempts to do that. We need to overhaul the current military justice system, and I will continue to tell stories like Corporal Castillo's until military justice means justice for all.

Madam Speaker, let me get this straight. My good friends on the Republican side are really interested in cutting taxes for the wealthy, but when it comes to maybe cutting the taxes that students would be paying on the student loans that they have by $1,000 more a year, they're not nearly so interested.

Well, let me read to you a posting to my Facebook from a young woman that really hits home. She wrote:

Going to college was the worst decision of my life. I hate

to say it, but it's true. I did everything right. I graduated

high school early, at the top of my class. I got all my core

courses out of the way at community college, then transferred

to a 4-year college, but I couldn't afford it and had to stop

just before my last year. It's the biggest regret of my life

that I couldn't afford college. I'm not lazy, I'm not stupid,

but I had the misfortune of being born poor.

Madam Speaker, it's time for us to make sure that the poor students in our country have the right to go to college and to see it as a good decision, not a wrong decision.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Amelito Enriquez who has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Dr. Enriquez, a Professor of Engineering and Mathematics at Canada College in Redwood City, California, is one of nine individuals to receive this prestigious award and he will serve as a resource for federal efforts to develop the national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and research sector.

During his 17 years at Canada College, Dr. Enriquez--or Dr. E as his students like to call him--has demonstrated his commitment to increased participation and success of minorities and women in science, mathematics and engineering.

He has secured over $10 million in federal and state grants to develop programs such as COMETS, Creating Opportunities for Minorities in Engineering, Technology and Science. COMETS allows students from two-year colleges in San Mateo County to intern at the NASA Ames Research Center for a year and prepares them to be competitive once they transfer to a four-year college.

The Summer Engineering Institute is a two-week program at San Francisco State University for high school students interested in engineering and for community college students already studying engineering who hope to transfer to a four-year college to finish their degrees. The Bridge to Engineering for Veterans program helps veterans to transition from military to engineering careers.

The students of Dr. Enriquez adore him because he is making a difference in their lives. They wrote the letters of support that led to his nomination for the presidential honor. Dr. E understands the importance of encouragement and mentorship. He grew up in the Philippines with what he calls a ``me-too complex.'' As the youngest son, he wanted to be whatever his older siblings or cousins wanted to be, but they told him he couldn't. He recalls thinking that the more people were saying that he couldn't do something, the more he wanted to do it.

Dr. Enriquez wanted to be a priest, a basketball player, but eventually found his calling when he studied Engineering at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. He earned his B.S. in Geodetic Engineering in 1984. After a six-month stint with a large company, he started his own business with friends, taught at his alma mater and then

moved to the United States. He received his M.S. in Geodetic Science from Ohio State University, Columbus in 1989 and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine in 1994.

While looking for teaching positions, Dr. Enriquez discovered the community college system which, he says, appealed to him because the larger universities wanted professors to focus on research while he wanted to focus on teaching. He started teaching at Canada College in 1994 and almost immediately started securing grants. In his view, bringing in money is just another way to help students succeed.

Dr. Enriquez is the chair elect of the American Society of Engineering Education, Pacific Southwest Section; the vice chair of the American Society of Engineering Education, Two-Year College Division; and a member of both the California Engineering Liaison Council and the California Mathematics Council Community Colleges.

He has received numerous best paper awards from the American Society of Engineering Education, the Hewlett-Packard Excellence in Technology for Teaching Award and the League of California Community Colleges Out- Of-The-Box Thinkers Award, among others.

When Dr. E is not mentoring students and inventing programs, he enjoys music, weight lifting, hiking, and reading.

He and his spouse David Childers live in San Francisco.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor Dr. Amelito Enriquez, an exceptional teacher, mentor, and engineer who has opened the hearts and minds of thousands of students to the world of science, math, and engineering.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Carol Stafford, a dear friend and an indefatigable health professional who for 39 years has dedicated her life to nursing and caring for the poor and those in need in San Mateo County. She retired as a triage nurse at Willow Clinic in Menlo Park on March 17, 2012 after a remarkable career that has touched the lives of thousands of county residents.

For almost four decades Carol brought life saving care to patients in the emergency room at San Mateo County General and she spearheaded comprehensive procedures for treating victims of sexual assault at a time when most hospitals had few protocols. She chose to work in facilities (Chope Hospital and Willow Clinic) that treated the neediest and most vulnerable members of society because she believed that all patients deserve the highest level of medical care, regardless of economic circumstances. One of her patients described her as the nicest person he had ever met, but Carol treated all people the same way--with the utmost kindness, compassion and respect.

On June 10, 1973 Carol graduated from the College of San Mateo with an associate degree in nursing. The next day she started her career working nights on the medical surgical floor at Chope Hospital, which is now San Mateo Medical Center. Two years later she moved to the emergency room and by 1981 she was promoted to Nurse Manager of the Emergency Department. While she was working full time she returned to college and earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at California State University at Long Beach.

Back then police had limited protocols for dealing with victims of sexual assault. Often times, assault victims were taken to emergency rooms for a rape kit, but no counseling would be offered. Carol decided she wanted to change that and worked with the emergency room physician manager, the police department and the board of supervisors to develop comprehensive treatments for survivors of sexual assault.

At the time, I was on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and worked with Carol to develop these new standards. Policies and procedures were implemented to train staff. There was always someone on call who knew exactly how to treat victims of sexual assault with both counseling and support and Chope Hospital emerged as a model and a leader in handling rape cases. Over time, the program evolved into the Keller Center for Family Violence Intervention, a nationally recognized program that provides victims of child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence with comprehensive medical, emotional, social and legal support.

Carol has strong ties to the Bay Area. She was born in San Francisco and grew up in San Carlos. At age 15 Carol's father passed away. Her mother went to work to support the family, demonstrating qualities of strength and independence. All three sisters graduated from college and went on to have successful careers. Carol's younger sister, Denise Raabe, is the Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney and her middle sister, Gail Raabe, served as San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner.

Carol is a life-long Giant's fan and a baseball fanatic. Growing up, she posted 8-by-10-inch photographs of the entire San Francisco Giants team in her bedroom. To this day, she has season tickets. Carol's devoted husband of 41 years, George Stafford, her sons Paul and Joseph and her daughter-in-law, Courtney Stafford, will now enjoy more quality time with Carol. It's important to note that even as demanding as Carol's nursing career has been, she has always put family first and was home most days when her boys came home from school.

Though Carol has retired from a wonderful career, she will continue to play a vital role in our community and she will certainly have a friend in me for life.

Mr. Speaker, Carol Stafford has dedicated her life to assisting people in need. I ask that the House of Representatives to join me in

commending her for her extraordinary selflessness and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Tom Huening for his three decades of service to San Mateo County. As controller, county supervisor and community college district trustee, Tom has advocated for taxpayers throughout his career in public service.

Tom has had successful careers in the military, the airline industry, real estate and public service. The common threads running through all of them are hard work and his hunger to learn.

Tom was born in Chicago and grew up in Mount Prospect, Illinois as the son of an oil-burner servicemen and one of 12 children. He learned early on that the best way to overcome weakness is to confront it directly. Tom admits to having a fear of public speaking, yet he earned his Bachelor of Arts in speech from De Paul University in 1965. Right after he graduated, he joined the Navy for five years and was trained as a jet fighter pilot. His service in Vietnam made him experience the harsh realities of war, but he also credits that time for developing leadership skills, self confidence and skills as a team player.

After his military service, Tom became a pilot for TWA and moved his family to San Jose which is when he first involved himself in politics. The city of San Jose and Caltrans were planning on turning a part of the Guadalupe River into a concrete channel to make room for the Almaden Expressway crossing. Tom and his neighbors formed a neighborhood association--with Tom as president--fought the idea and won. Caltrans and the city shored up the sides of the river and even built a bike path underneath the expressway. Reflecting on the success, Tom told a reporter from San Jose Magazine that it was his first taste of politics and what it can do for the common good.

While he was still a TWA pilot, Tom started the transition into his next career, real estate. He worked for Coldwell Banker and then in 1977 started his own business, Huening Investment Company, where he fixed up dilapidated commercial buildings. Along the way, he returned to school and earned an MBA from Pepperdine University and a bachelor of law degree from La Salle University. He is an inactive member of the California Bar Association and served as an arbitrator and mediator with the American Arbitration Association.

In the late 70's, Tom transitioned from the private sector to public service. He was a Trustee on the San Mateo County Community College District from 1981 until 1986 and a member of the San Mateo Board of Supervisors from 1987 until 1998. Tom authored the original San Mateo Countywide Transportation Expenditure Plan which provided the county with 20 years of dedicated transportation funding for infrastructure and public transit improvements. He also is part of a leadership team who was responsible for bringing BART to Millbrae and SFO.

Tom has led many initiatives to improve the well being and quality of life of residents, for example the county's smoke-free workplace ordinance, the requirement to label alcoholic beverages with warnings about fetal alcohol syndrome, the extension of popular trails, and the launching of charter schools to improve the performance of academically struggling schools.

In 1998, Tom was elected San Mateo County Controller and re-elected for four consecutive terms. As a fiscal conservative, he believes that his office ``should be lean and responsive and add value to the County at the lowest taxpayer cost.''

In addition to the contributions to San Mateo County, Tom served as President of the Bay Area Auditor-Controllers Association and on the Executive Committee of the State Auditor-Controllers Association. He has served the national Government Finance Officers Association on their Committee for Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting, their Economic Development and Capital Planning Committee and the Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy.

Tom is a member of the San Mateo Rotary, the Commonwealth Club and the Bay Trail Steering Committee.

He is the proud father of four daughters and grandfather of nine grandchildren. In his well deserved retirement Tom will enjoy spending more time with them and his friends.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor my friend Tom Huening for his tireless dedication to our community on this day of his retirement as the San Mateo County Controller. He is an extraordinary person who possesses the qualities of a businessman, a humanist and a visionary. San Mateo County is a more efficient and better place because of his outstanding work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Michael W. Hunkapillar who today is receiving BayBio's prestigious Lifetime Achievement DiNA Award in San Francisco.

Mike is one of the brilliant minds in biotechnology. He has been instrumental in expanding the frontiers of genomics and proteomics. His extraordinary accomplishments include the invention of the first DNA sequencer and the realization of the Human Genome Mapping Project.

I had the great honor and pleasure to work with him while I was in the California Senate. I introduced legislation that established a missing person DNA database. Mike happened to hear me talk about it on the radio, called me and donated DNA testing equipment to make the program a reality. This important program helps solve thousands of rapes, homicides and missing person cases.

Mike has had a hugely successful and expansive career as a scientist, entrepreneur and life science industry executive. He is currently a general partner at AlloyVentures, a venture capital firm that invests in the next generation of information technology, life sciences and clean tech.

Before joining Alloy, he spent 21 years at Applied Biosystems which he co-founded. He turned it from a start-up into a $2 billion a year company that supplies instruments and reagent systems to life science research. Mike also founded ABI's sister company Celera Genomics, now owned by Quest Diagnostics.

Prior to ABI, Mike was a senior research fellow in the Division of Biology at the California Institute of Technology. While at Caltech he authored over 100 scientific publications, served on the editorial boards of several scientific journals and received patents for more than two dozen inventions.

Among his most influential inventions was the automated Gene and Protein Sequencer that was used to sequence the human genome in 2003. The project identified all 20,000 25,000 genes in the human DNA, determined the sequences of 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, stored the information in a database, improved tools for data analysis and--for the first time in a large scientific project-- addressed ethical, legal and social issues.

The National Academy of Engineering recently elected Mike for his life-long dedication to the human genome mapping project and the field of comparative genetics.

Mike was born in Paris, Texas in 1948. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1970 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology at Caltech in 1974.

Just last week he was appointed Executive Chairman of the board of directors of Pacific Biosciences, and he also serves on the boards of NuGEN, Verinata Health and RainDance Technologies.

Mike and his wife Beth have two children, Kathryn Keho and Nathan Hunkapillar, and two grandchildren, Christopher and Patrick Keho. In his spare time, Mike is an avid soccer player.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor Mike Hunkapillar, for his historic contributions to science and humanity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Foster City Councilmember Linda Koelling who is retiring after eight years of service on the council, including two terms as mayor. Linda's upbeat personality and limitless energy will be deeply missed by her colleagues.

Linda's accomplishments on the council were many and long-lasting. She created an Ad Hoc Transportation Committee to complete a transportation study plan for Foster City. She helped determine the fate of a property that will become the town center. She was a major advocate in the completion of the teen center at Leo Ryan Park. She was instrumental in building the partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. When she was chair of a League of the California Cities campaign committee to pass a local proposition, she rewrote the words to the song ``Waterloo'' that, with the help of council members from other communities, became a YouTube sensation.

On the council Linda represented Foster City on several San Mateo County boards such as CCAG, CMEQ, Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance, Airport Round Table and the Airport Land Use Committee. She served on the Transportation, Public Works Policy Committee for two years and was the president of the Peninsula division of the League of California Cities.

Linda was born and raised in San Francisco. She graduated from Presentation High School in 1967, and she attended City College of San Francisco as a physical education major from 1967 69. She earned her BS in Parks and Recreation Management from California State University, Hayward, in 1971.

From 1972 77, Linda worked as a recreational supervisor for the city of Burlingame and was a member of the California Parks and Recreation Society. Among her responsibilities was the supervision of the recreational centers. One of the teachers who taught an upholstery class happened to be my mother, Nancy Speier, who later became a staunch supporter when Linda first ran for city council in 2003. I had the great pleasure of working with Linda when she was on the council and I was in the California State Senate.

Linda is passionate about education and sports. She founded the original Kids Connection private preschool and elementary school in Foster City. She was the president of pony/colt baseball for two years, created and coordinated a girls softball league, coached AYSO soccer teams and her children's softball team. Personally, she loves to play golf.

Linda and her husband Fred Koelling have been married for 40 years. They are the proud parents of Karen Koelling Gleason, Tommy Koelling and Bryan Koelling and have four grandchildren.

Though Linda is retiring from the city council, I have no doubt that she will continue to serve our community and pursue an active role in public life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor the work of Linda Koelling, my friend, extraordinary human being and an outstanding public servant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant Joni D. Lee for her 31 years of service with the South San Francisco Police Department. Long before community policing was a popular concept, Sergeant Lee personified a law enforcement officer fully integrated into the community. She has worked closely with local businesses, educated our youth and supported our senior citizens.

Sergeant Lee was hired as the first female officer by the San Francisco Police Department in June 1980. In November 2000 she was promoted to sergeant, another first for a woman at the department. She was instrumental in developing county wide programs and protocols for the investigation of sexual assaults, exploitation of children on the internet and curbing school truancy.

During her three decades in law enforcement, Sergeant Lee has demonstrated her professionalism, outstanding skills in negotiations and handling of dangerous situations while keeping her humanity and an open mind.

She solved her very first murder case in 1988 within 48 hours, a benchmark in law enforcement. A man who lived with his divorced wife had taken in a transient man and his young girlfriend. Tragically, the transient shot the man. After the murder, Sergeant Lee befriended the girlfriend of the transient and feels that she made a difference in the young woman's life.

Sergeant Lee has worked on the Hostage Negotiation Team since 2000. In a high-profile hostage-suicide incident at the Travelodge in 2003, she was one of two primary negotiators and deserves credit for saving the life of the suspect's girlfriend. The suspect had barricaded himself and his girlfriend in a room at the motel after allegedly killing a prominent kick boxer. After about 14 hours of negotiations over the phone, Sergeant Lee convinced the girlfriend to leave the motel room.

Mr. Speaker, I have been at events with Sergeant Lee and have witnessed the air of safety and calm she radiates.

Sergeant Lee also worked as a Peer Support Advisor and Police Explorer Advisor. She was honored as the South San Francisco Police Association Officer of the Year in 1996 and 2003 and was awarded the Avoid the 23 Pin in 2002 and 2003.

Enthusiasm, optimism and generosity are in Sergeant Lee's DNA. Outside her work with the police department, she volunteers her time and expertise to Special Olympics and the Boy Scouts of America. She has also coached varsity softball at Menlo Atherton High School.

She was born in San Francisco in 1956 and attended South San Francisco High School. She earned her Associate in Arts, Administration of Justice from the College of San Mateo and her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from San Jose State University.

In her spare time--of which she now will have much more upon her well deserved retirement--Sergeant Lee enjoys reading, softball, racquetball, bicycling, traveling, outlet shopping and cooking.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor Sergeant Joni Lee for her dedication to public service and safety. She will be deeply missed by her fellow officers and the law abiding residents of South San Francisco.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Lubiana Bagneschi Cernobori, one of the most generous, altruistic and loving women I have ever met. Lubiana is being honored by the Peninsula Italian American Social Club in San Mateo, California for her outstanding charitable and civic activities in San Mateo County.

Lubiana was born in Lucca, Italy as the youngest daughter of the late Gina and NelloBagneschi. She came to the United States with her family in 1952, attended local schools and learned English. In 1962 she graduated from Burlingame High School.

Perseverance, hard work and creativity have been the constant theme of Lubiana's life. She worked as a secretary and word processor for many years while raising a family. She and her husband Renato Cernobori have three daughters and four grandchildren.

Since her retirement, Lubiana has dedicated her time and energy to two Italian-American

organizations: the Peninsula Italian-American Social Club (PIASC) and the Italian-American Women's Guild (IAWG). As one of the founding members of IAWG, she started and still chairs Mani di Angeli, or Hands of Angels. Mani di Angeli helps fellow IAWF members in time of crisis by taking them to hospital or doctor visits, cooking meals or simply making cookies.

Mani di Angeli does hands-on work and makes the recipients feel like they have been touched by an angel. Under Lubiana's guidance, the committee members have donated clothing, food and toiletries to Samaritan House and Saint Francis Center, organized a knitting group and delivered thousands of items to nursing homes, hospitals and chemo infusion centers. They have sent care packages to soldiers in Iraq and donated cell phones and chargers to a domestic violence shelter. They have conducted fundraisers for Cooley's Anemia and the Alzheimer Aid Society and food and toy drives for charitable groups and food banks. They have sewed hundreds of surgical dolls and wheelchair backpacks for children in local hospitals.

As is apparent from the diversity of projects Lubiana initiated, she is incredibly creative and resourceful and cares deeply about the good of our community. She also has extraordinarily good taste as one can see from her work decorating PIASC's beautiful hall.

Mr. Speaker, it is right to honor Lubiana Bangneschi Cernobori on Columbus Day for her invaluable service to the Italian American community and our community at large.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Matthew Peter O'Connor who retired as the Chief of Police for the Hillsborough Police Department after more than 30 years of service.

Chief O'Connor has a stellar record of keeping the residents of Hillsborough safe. He maintained the lowest crime rate for a municipality with a population of over 10,000 for the entire decade of the 2000's. His leadership was instrumental in the department's radio and computer technological advances and in establishing lasting relationships with the Hillsborough school district. He has engaged our youths with bike rodeos, reading events and police officer lunches.

Mr. O'Connor followed in his father's footsteps in pursuing a career in law enforcement. The son of Matthew M. O'Connor, who was a special agent at the San Francisco office of the California State Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, Matthew P. O'Connor began his career as a community service officer with the San Bruno Police Department at age 20. In 1981, he was hired as a deputy sheriff for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. The following year he moved to the Hillsborough Police Department where he worked his way from police officer to field training officer to sergeant to commander and eventually chief of police in 2002.

Chief O'Connor has received numerous awards including the Life Saving Act of Heroism, the Notre Dame de Namur University Dean's Award for academic excellence and service to the University, the Notre Dame de Namur Alumni Award for achieving prominence in a profession and the Leadership in Action Award. Chief O'Connor's dedication and commitment to law enforcement are reflected in the many roles he has taken on over the years: he served as president of the San Mateo County Police Chiefs and Sheriff Association, Member of the California Police Chiefs Association and International Association of Chiefs of Police, chair of the County Communications & Technology Committee, member of the California State Police Chiefs Communications & Technology Committee, President of the 100 Club of San Mateo County, and graduate of the Leadership Program of San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame and Hillsborough. He has also been a strong supporter of the annual Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance, the Centennial Celebration, the Memorial Day Parade and dignitary visits.

Matthew O'Connor was born in Glendale, California and raised in South San Francisco. He attended St. Veronica's Catholic School and South San Francisco High School. He earned his Associate in Science Degree from San Francisco City College. He received both his Bachelor of Science in Human Services and Counseling and his Master's Degree in Public Affairs Administration from Notre Dame de Namur University. In addition, he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Class 191 and the Delinquency Control Institute at the University of Southern California.

Chief O'Connor and his wife of 28 years, Janie, have two children, Matthew and Tayler. Upon his well deserved retirement Mr. O'Connor will be spending more time with his family and friends, traveling and taking photos.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor Matthew Peter O'Connor for his outstanding service to our community. He personifies what a law enforcement officer ought to be and has touched and improved the life of every resident in Hillsborough.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Officer Robert Payne for his 30 years of service at the Daly City Police Department.

Mr. Payne was appointed a police officer on June 1981 and attended the San Jose Criminal Justice Training Center Academy where he graduated in November of the same year.

Officer Payne served as a patrol officer and trained many new police recruits as field training officers. In the late 1980s he was assigned to the community division where he launched his career as a school resource officer and investigator. In that capacity he graduated from the prestigious Delinquency Control Institute at the University of Southern California. Officer Payne has taught an anti-gang and drug program throughout all the elementary schools in Daly City. He also was a liaison officer for both Westmoor and Jefferson High Schools where he developed a great rapport with the faculties.

Officer Payne coordinated several youth programs, including the ``Every 15 Minutes'' anti-drunk driving event and the ``Kops and Kids'' program. He helped design the ``Just Say No to Gangs'' program which was commended by the State of California Youth Authority.

He distinguished himself as a detective investigating crimes against children and was promoted to senior juvenile officer as a result. Officer Payne's dedication and commitment has not gone unnoticed. He received numerous awards, letters of appreciation, citizen letters and tributes from schools for his empathy and advocacy for our youth.

As a patrol officer he was awarded several commendations. For example in 2003, he received one for bravery and quick action for his assistance in the capture of an armed bank robbery suspect.

Robert is a Daly City boy through and through, having attended Holy Angels School and graduated from Westmoor High School in 1976. He earned his degree in criminal justice from San Jose State University.

He lives in Brentwood with his wife of 26 years, Debbie. They are the proud parents of two sons, Brian and Stephen who serve in the Marine Corps.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor the distinguished service of Officer Robert Payne to the residents of Daly City. His familiar face will be missed by his fellow officers and citizens alike.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Officer Vincent Sturtevant for his 30 years of service at the Daly City Police Department.

Mr. Sturtevant was appointed a police officer in 1981 and graduated from San Jose Criminal Justice Training Center Academy the following year.

Officer Sturtevant started his career as a patrol officer serving as a field training officer. In 1994, he was assigned as a detective. He has also served many times as an acting patrol sergeant.

Officer Sturtevant's enthusiasm and commitment to his job are exemplary and didn't go unnoticed by his fellow officers who voted him most valuable police officer for his shift in 1990 and 1992. He also received numerous letters of appreciation from citizens and departmental commendations. In 1993, he received a commendation for his assistance in apprehending a barricaded suspect who had fired a shotgun. In 1994, he was commended for his participation in the capture of three armed robbery suspects.

Vincent is a Daly City boy through and through, having graduated from Westmoor High School and earned his Bachelor degree in history from San Francisco State University.

He lives in Daly City with his wife of 20 years, Marianne.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor the heroic service of Officer Vincent Sturtevant to the residents of Daly City. For over three decades, he has made our community a safer and better place.