Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I voted for H. Res. 311 on April 25, 2023, because I support the resolution's general goals to expand normalization agreements between Israel and its neighbors and encourage future cooperation between the United States and Israel on shared economic, security, and civilian priorities.

However, I was disappointed that H. Res. 311 failed to reaffirm bipartisan support for a two-state solution that respects the dignity of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people. As nations around the world confront their own struggles with democracy, H. Res. 311 also was a missed opportunity to emphasize U.S. support for a free and liberal democracy in Israel. I hope future efforts to recognize Yom Ha'atzmaut will fully address these important issues.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to cast my vote against H.R. 1 on March 30, 2023 due to my ongoing recovery from cancer surgery.

Last year, House and Senate Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act to bring down household energy costs and create good-paying jobs in the growing U.S. clean energy sector.

Instead of building from that progress, House Republicans have chosen to champion H.R. 1--an extraordinary piece of corporate welfare that would weaken enforcement of nearly all environmental and public health laws, exempt big polluters from Clean Air Act

and hazardous waste permitting requirements, and rob Americans of much of their ability to make their voices heard against projects with serious environmental consequences for their communities.

This legislation would risk America's clean air, water, and public lands to line the pockets of big polluters who are already making record profits. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 182.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to cast my vote against H.R. 5, the so-called ``Parents Bill of Rights Act'' on March 24, 2023, due to my ongoing recovery from surgery. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call 161.

We should encourage all parents to be engaged in their child's education and active in their school community, but H.R. 5--under the guise of parental rights--undermines our public education system.

Instead of working to keep children safe in the classroom, provide better wages for teachers, and empower students of all backgrounds to learn more about the world around them, Republicans would rather help far-right extremists whitewash history in public schools.

Our children deserve to learn without being caught in divisive culture wars. These partisan attacks on our students, particularly LGBTQ+ and minority students, need to stop.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for passage of the PARTNER with ASEAN Act, bipartisan legislation I introduced with Congresswoman Young Kim of California to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

For nearly six decades, ASEAN has worked to promote stability, prosperity, and multilateral cooperation in Southeast Asia and has become a critical part of the diplomatic architecture of the broader Indo-Pacific. Together, the ten member nations of ASEAN represent the world's fourth-largest market, and U.S. trade with ASEAN accounts for hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Last fall, the U.S. and ASEAN agreed to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In 2017, I co-founded the Congressional ASEAN Caucus with Congresswoman Ann Wagner to foster greater dialogue on Capitol Hill around issues related to Southeast Asia. Today's consideration of the PARTNER with ASEAN Act comes from years of bipartisan work by our Caucus, and I also want to recognize the contributions of the bill's original co-sponsor Representative Steve Chabot, who was a leader on Asia policy issues in Congress for many years.

The United States was the first non-member country to appoint an ambassador to ASEAN, and Congress has long recognized the regional and global importance of ASEAN. Despite the bipartisan consensus about the importance of ASEAN centrality, the United States has yet to accord ASEAN the routine diplomatic privileges that we provide to similar groupings like the Organization of American States, African Union, or European Union.

The PARTNER with ASEAN Act would authorize ASEAN to be designated as an international organization with full diplomatic privileges and open new avenues for U.S.-ASEAN cooperation, including the potential establishment of an ASEAN mission in the United States. It has bipartisan support in the Senate, where a companion bill was introduced earlier this month, and President Biden has committed to signing the bill into law once it reaches his desk.

At a time of increased global focus on the Indo-Pacific, the PARTNER with ASEAN Act makes a simple change that will have an outsized impact on our international relations. I thank Congresswoman Kim for her partnership on this bill, and I also want to recognize the work of Erik Ashida, who served on my staff until last month and played an instrumental role in moving this legislation forward.

I urge my colleagues to support the swift and bipartisan passage of the PARTNER with ASEAN Act and applaud the longstanding commitment of this body to maintaining strong relationships with our partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in honor of the late Jesse Trevino, an internationally celebrated artist whose work has significantly influenced San Antonio's cultural landscape.

Jesus ``Jesse'' Trevino was born on December 24, 1946, in Monterrey, Mexico, and moved to San Antonio when he was 4 years old. One of 12 siblings, Jesse grew up on our city's Westside in the Prospect Hill neighborhood.

Jesse won his first art award, at the age of 6, for drawing a pair of doves in a student art competition sponsored by the Witte Museum.

As a young adult, he spent a year studying at the prestigious Art Students League of New York before he was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Vietnam. He was not a U.S. citizen at the time, but he felt an obligation to serve the country he called home.

In Vietnam, Jesse served in an infantry battalion deployed to the Mekong Delta until his unit came under fire in February 1967. Sprinting towards a helicopter, Jesse ``felt a pair of crushing explosions nearby, and then a third thundering blast suddenly lifted him from the ground and flung him about 50 feet into a rice paddy.''

When Jesse reflected on that moment in a 2009 interview with the San Antonio Express-News, he said he thought of his mother, brothers, and the barrio he grew up in. Jesse wanted to use his talent to paint these people and images.

However, life as he knew it would change forever. Jesse's injuries were severe and resulted in an amputation of his right hand. He was discharged from the Army in 1968.

Two years later, Jesse enrolled in San Antonio College and taught himself to paint with his left hand. It was through Jesse's love for the arts and his determination to capture San Antonio's Chicano culture and history that he became one of San Antonio's most famous artists.

Jesse is responsible for signature pieces, including ``Mi Vida,'' an 8-by-14-foot pop art-inspired mural, ``The Spirit of Healing,'' a 93- foot-tall mural on the side of the Children's Hospital of San Antonio, and ``La Veladora,'' a three-dimensional, 40-foot-tall mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Some of his works have also been featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Sadly, on Monday, February 13, 2023, Jesse Trevino passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 76 years old.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in honor of the late Jesse Trevino, an American hero who used his gift of art to heal from the horrors of the Vietnam War and memorialize the Chicano culture that was dear to him. San Antonio was his canvas, and our city is blessed to have his artistry displayed throughout our neighborhoods.

I am grateful to share Jesse Trevino's legacy with the rest of the Nation. May he Rest in Peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Thursday Luncheon Group, which was founded in 1973 to elevate the voices of African Americans in U.S. foreign policy.

Since the early days of the State Department, patriotic African Americans have raised their hands to join our diplomatic service only to find their pathways too often narrowed by bigotry. In the face of this discrimination, early trailblazers like Ambassador Terence Todman, a six-time career ambassador and founding member of the Thursday Luncheon Group, successfully pushed the State Department to root out segregation and expand opportunities for all employees.

Today, the Thursday Luncheon Group plays an active role in promoting African-American representation at all levels of the Department.

As I have worked to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups in foreign policy, my efforts have been guided by the counsel of the Thursday Luncheon Group and other employee affinity groups.

Congratulations to the Thursday Luncheon Group on their golden anniversary. I look forward to working with TLG and similar groups to recruit and retain a diverse diplomatic corps that proudly promotes American values at home and around the world.

Mr. Chair, I rise to offer Castro amendment No. 4.

Mr. Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to the Strategic Production Reserve Act to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from approving new oil and gas leases on Federal lands that have high concentrations of orphaned oil and gas wells.

Over the 160-year history of industrial oil and gas extraction in the United States, companies have dug millions of oil wells to fuel energy demands at home and around the world.

When the pumps run dry and the wells are no longer profitable, companies are supposed to seal them up to stop toxic chemicals from escaping into the environment. Unfortunately, they often have not.

Between the lax regulations of the oil boom and the patchwork of current State and Federal laws, oil companies have been able to shirk their responsibility to keep the communities around their wells safe.

Today, the American landscape is dotted with abandoned, uncapped wells that leak toxins into the air we breathe and the water we drink.

The U.S. Geological Survey has documented more than 117,000 orphaned wells, and the EPA estimates that as many as 3 million could exist across the country.

Last year, as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress authorized $4.7 billion in investment to plug orphaned wells and protect the areas around them from further environmental harm.

But even with this funding, the government is playing whack-a-mole-- with new orphaned wells emerging as we struggle to clean up the ones we already have.

Right now, as we debate this bill, the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the country is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy that could leave more than 70,000 orphaned wells spewing poison in different parts of the country.

As taxpayers cover the tab for the mess that oil companies created, we should not be signing leases that open the door to a new generation of orphaned wells.

My State of Texas is the top oil and gas producing State in the Nation, and I am acutely aware of how important the energy industry is to our State and our national economy.

This amendment does not ask oil companies to repay taxpayers for the billions we have already spent to clean up their toxic wells, and it doesn't prevent further drilling.

Instead, it pauses new drilling leases on Federal lands with the highest concentration of orphaned wells--giving the government a chance to catch up with the cleanup efforts that are already underway.

This is a commonsense amendment that would bring relief to the 14 million Americans who live within a mile of an orphaned well.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Castro of Texas

Amendment No. 4: Page 3, line 1, strike ``Limitation'' and

insert ``Limitations''.

Page 3, line 2, strike ``shall not'' and insert ``shall

not--''.

Page 3, line 2, strike ``provide for'' and insert the

following:

``(A) provide for''.

Page 3, line 5, strike ``percent.'' and insert ``percent;

and''.

Page 3, after line 5, insert the following:

``(B) provide for oil and gas leasing of any Federal lands

that have a high concentration of orphaned oil and gas

wells.''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Veteran Service Recognition Act because it is time to bring our deported veterans home.

Five years ago, I led a delegation of lawmakers to meet with a group of deported veterans at a support house in Tijuana, Mexico.

Most of those folks joined the military after 9/11, putting their lives on the line to defend American freedom and the freedom of our allies thousands of miles away.

When they enlisted, our Nation gladly accepted their service--and if they would have perished on the battlefield, they would have been buried as American heroes right here in the United States. When they came back home and struggled, they were kicked out of the Nation they would have died to protect.

Mr. Speaker, I represent San Antonio, Texas, known as Military City USA. From how I see it, deporting our veterans is one of the worst acts of betrayal that our Federal Government can commit.

The Veteran Service Recognition Act will right the wrong by providing an opportunity for deported veterans to apply for permanent residency, and it will help current and future servicemembers apply for naturalization for themselves and their families.

This bill is about doing the right thing for those who served. It is time to bring our deported veterans back home.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in honor of military veteran and retiree Ms. Serafina L. De Los Santos for her years of service to the United States and our San Antonio community. Ms. De Los Santos graciously served on my 2019 Military Service Academy Nomination Board and played an essential role in helping local students begin their military careers.

A native of Brownsville, Texas, Ms. De Los Santos enlisted in the Air Force in 1977 and served until 1982.

In 1986, she graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and joined the Army as an Officer.

In 1996, Ms. De Los Santos earned a Master of Science in Management/ Logistics Management at the Florida Institute of Technology and during that same year completed a Logistics Executive Development Course in Fort Lee, Virginia. In 1999, she attended the Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 2004, Ms. De Los Santos began her civil service career at the Department of the Army Civilian as the Senior Logistics Officer for the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Four years later, in 2008, Ms. De Los Santos served as the Plans Officer and then as the Executive Officer for Fort Sam Houston Army Garrison, working on the Joint Base San Antonio transformation and implementation.

In October 2010, Ms. De Los Santos became a Department of the Air Force Civilian as part of the Joint Base-San Antonio transformation. She served as Deputy for Installation Support of the 502nd Mission Support Group, Joint Base-San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston.

Ms. De Los Santos currently serves as the Executive Director for the 502nd Force Support Group (FSG) at Joint Base San Antonio. FSG includes JBSA-Randolph, JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, and JBSA-Camp Bullis.

Ms. De Los Santos oversees JBSA's Community Partnership for Transitioning Service Members, Military Spouses and Family Programs. She also works as the Chair of the Workforce and Transition Alliance.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Serafina De Los Santos for her past and present contributions to our Nation and community. Her experience and commitment to civil service have helped usher in the next generation of military leaders. May we look to her leadership as the quintessence of true patriotism. I wish her continued success.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in honor of San Antonio native, Dr. Erika Gonzalez for her military service to our country and her impact on South Texas. Dr. Gonzalez graciously served on my 2020 Military Service Academy Nomination Board and played an essential role in helping local students begin their military careers.

After graduating magna cum laude from St. Mary's University, Dr. Gonzalez obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She returned home after completing 10 years of Active Duty Service as a Medical Officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Dr. Gonzalez is currently the CEO and President of both South Texas Allergy & Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) and STAAMP Clinical Research. She previously served as the Chief of the Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology division at the Children's Hospital of San Antonio. She was also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

As an active community leader, Dr. Gonzalez has served on the Board of Directors and as the 2020 and 2021 Immediate Past Chairwoman for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors for Central Catholic High School.

Dr. Gonzalez is an Advisor to the Dean of Science Engineering & Technology at St. Mary's University. At the State and national level, she is on the Stock Epinephrine Committee with the Texas Department of State Health Services and is Co-Chair of Small Business for America's Future.

Dr. Gonzalez founded the nonprofit, Con Corazon SA to address inequities and emergency preparedness in San Antonio and the surrounding area.

Dr. Gonzalez was selected as a 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar and was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve on the National Medal of Science Committee.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize a member of the San Antonio community who continues to display an immense commitment to public service and whose knowledge and experience have helped usher in the next generation of military leaders. I am grateful for Dr. Gonzalez's service to the United States, and I wish her continued success.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Olga E. Custodio for her service to our country and the San Antonio community. Lt. Col. Custodio graciously served on my 2018 Military Service Academy Nomination Board and played an essential role in helping local students begin their military careers.

Lt. Col. Custodio knew the path to her dream would not be easy. While studying at the University of Puerto Rico, she was denied the opportunity to participate in the university's Reserve Officer Training Corps program because women were not allowed at that time.

Never giving up hope, she went on to fulfill her dream of becoming a commissioned military officer--and more.

As the first Latina to complete U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training, she graduated in the top five percent of her class (of 48) with a fighter qualification to fly the T-38 as an instructor pilot. Lt. Col. Custodio points to three principles that have helped her become successful in a profession dominated by men: overcoming self- doubt, staying open to possibilities, and seeing herself as an equal.

A female military aviation pioneer, she served for 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. She received an Aviation Safety Award for superior airmanship for her handling of an engine failure in-flight emergency

After transitioning to the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Lt. Col. Custodio became the first Latina commercial airline pilot for American Airlines and was later upgraded to captain. In addition to the T-38T, she flew the T-41, B-727, F-100, B-757, and B-767. She owns a Cessna T210L and has also flown several general aviation aircraft including the Stearman biplane, Cessna-172, Beechcraft-35 V-tail, Cirrus Vision Jet, and a few others.

Today, Lt. Col. Custodio is retired with over 11,000 flight hours to her name. Now a speaker and community leader, she serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations, including the Latino Pilots Association, Order of Daedalians, Dee Howard Foundation, and Women in Aviation Alamo City, which advocate for inspiring and empowering students, especially those from underserved communities, to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.

Since 2018, Lt. Col. Custodio has supported the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) and has moderated several all-female aviation panels during AirVenture at Oshkosh, WI. As a STEM advocate, she also volunteers her time as a speaker and role model at local schools, universities, corporations, and military base groups, encouraging young women and men to reach for their dreams.

Lt. Col. Custodio is a mentor with the Women in Aviation International, Aviation Explorers, and the School of Aeronautics of the InterAmerican University in Puerto Rico. In 2017, she was inducted into the San Antonio Aviation and Aerospace Hall of Fame.

Lt. Col. Custodio recently co-authored the ``Latinas in Aviation'' anthology and is included

as one of the 30 inspiring Latinas and Latinos who have shaped the United States in ``Nuestra America,'' published by the Smithsonian Institution. She is the honoree of the 35th Hispanic Heritage Foundation--2022 STEM Award.

By pioneering many firsts during her career, Lt. Col. Custodio has shattered stereotypes and served as a powerful role model for those aspiring to become a pilot. As a pioneer who overcame tremendous challenges to excel in a male-dominated profession, she gained essential life insights and perspectives that she shares with everyone, especially women working to achieve their dreams.

Lt. Col. Custodio lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband of 48 years, Edwin, and they have two children, Marcia and Edwin II, and one grandson, Jedi.

Madam Speaker--I am proud to recognize a member of the San Antonio community who is a shining example of our country's strength in diversity. Lt. Col. Custodio is an inspiration to the Latino community and continues to display an immense commitment to public service. I'm grateful that her knowledge and experience have helped usher in the next generation of military leaders. I wish her and her family the best.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in honor of retired Navy Commander Sherri R. Zimmerman, a distinguished military leader who graciously served on my 2018 Military Service Academy Nominations Board.

Commander Zimmerman enlisted in the Navy in 1993 and quickly distinguished herself as a talented leader. In 1994, she enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy, and graduated four years later with a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a commission as a Cryptologic Officer.

Commander Zimmerman attended the Navy Cryptologic Division Officer training in Pensacola, Florida. Subsequently, she reported to

Naval Security Group Activity Menwith Hill in Harrogate, UK, as Division Officer and an Operation Watch Officer.

In 2002, Commander Zimmerman graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, with a Master of Science in Space Systems Operations. She also completed Joint Professional Military Education Phase I through the Naval War College. Her payback tour was at SPAWAR Space Field Activity in Chantilly, Virginia, as Chief of the SIGINT Director's Action Group, then on the staff of the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office.

For Commander Zimmerman's department head tour, she was assigned to the Navy Cyber Defense Operation Command in Norfolk, Virginia. While there, she led as Deputy of Operations in the Training and Exercise Department. During this tour, she was also assigned as an Individual Augmentee to Multi-National Corps Iraq as an Information Operations Planner. She served in this role for 12 months in Baghdad, Iraq, and helped support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In May 2009, Commander Zimmerman became the Officer in Charge of the Navy Information Operations Detachment Chesapeake until the unit's disestablishment in December 2011. She also earned a Master of Science in Management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Commander Zimmerman completed her O5 milestone tour at U.S. Fleet Forces Command as N24 Fleet Intelligence, Information Operations, and Electronic Warfare Readiness.

From 2013 to 2014, Commander Zimmerman was assigned to Navy Cyber Forces in Suffolk, Virginia. She served as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Readiness and Modernization (N4) and then as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Readiness (N3).

Commander Zimmerman served as Executive Officer of the Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Texas from May 2014 to June 2015. One month later, she reported to NIOC San Diego to assume Command in July 2015.

Commander Zimmerman retired from Active Duty on November 1, 2017. Her military decorations include the Information Dominance Warfare Officer pin, the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (4 awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various other service medals and ribbons.

In 2017, Commander Zimmerman joined USAA in San Antonio, Texas, as the Military Affairs Service Academy Relationship Director. She lives in San Antonio with her family and is a proud mother to three children: sons Orion and Declan and daughter Eala.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Commander Zimmerman for her extraordinary commitment to public service. As a member of my Military Service Academy Nominations Board for the 20th District of Texas, she has played an invaluable role in ushering in the next generation of military leaders, and my office has benefited from her wisdom and expertise. I am grateful for Commander Zimmerman's service to the United States, and I wish her and her family the best.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and achievements of Mr. Jesus Vela, a World War II Army Veteran who celebrated his 100th birthday this past September.

Jesus Vela was born on September 16, 1922, in Rio Grande City, Texas. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he trained as a search light operator and infantry sharpshooter. As American forces advanced in the Pacific Theater, Mr. Vela participated in island-hopping efforts to establish airfields in the Central Pacific and further assisted with U.S. operations in Guam. He earned the World War II Victory Medal, the American Theatre Campaign Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and was honorably discharged at the rank of corporal in 1946.

In March of 1946, he married the love of his life, Guadalupe Garza, and had three children--Arnoldo, Ricardo, and Noelia. Mr. Vela entered the carpentry trade and has since enjoyed many wonderful memories with his family. He inspired his children to follow in his footsteps in serving our great country and becoming leaders of their respective communities.

Madam Speaker, please join me in commemorating the life of Mr. Jesus Vela. I would like to wish Mr. Vela happy 100th birthday. He has reached a milestone and I thank him for his service to our country and community. May God continue to bless and watch over him.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in honor of Alfred Sturchio, who celebrated his 94th birthday on October 30, 2022. Mr. Sturchio--or as many in San Antonio call him, Al--is a quintessential example of leading through public service. Al Sturchio is a staunch defender of our nation's values and freedom, a passionate educator shaping our city's youth, and a musician who uses the power of sound to transcend any culture, religion, or race.

In May of 1951, Al Sturchio graduated from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, with a Bachelor of Music Education and a commission in the United States Army Reserves. After graduation, Hondo ISD hired him to begin their first band program--an all-girls Drum and Bugle Corp.

As Mr. Sturchio settled into his new role, he was called upon to bravely serve his country. On one Saturday in 1951, Mr. Sturchio went home to play golf, only to find a telegram reading ``You will report on or about twenty-four hundred hours on Oct. 31st to Fort Still Oklahoma, for active duty.'' He reported for duty, and on October 18, 1952, Mr. Sturchio was wounded in action while in Korea. He would spend the following two months in hospitals in Korea and Japan. Mr. Sturchio was discharged in May 1953 and received the distinguished Purple Heart Medal.

From January 1953 to June 1959, Mr. Sturchio began teaching at Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio. He would lead the school's band to receive First Division during their first-ever UIL Marching Contest.

In the summer of 1959, Mr. Sturchio received a Master of Education degree and returned to his alma mater, St. Mary's University, to teach with his father, Frank G. Sturchio.

In 1966, Mr. Sturchio joined South San Antonio High School as band director and Coordinator of Music for South San Antonio ISD. He later accepted the band director position at Theodore High School in Northeast ISD, and after one year, became Vice-Principal for student discipline.

In 1977, Mr. Sturchio served as Grand Marshall during San Antonio's coveted Fiesta Flambeau Parade.

And in July 1985, Mr. Sturchio was given the distinct pleasure of serving as Executive Secretary of the Texas Bandmasters Association. In this role, he worked with the finest musicians in San Antonio and assisted band directors in improving skills with the association's educational offerings.

After thirty-four years of assisting students and teachers with their musical desires and abilities, Mr. Sturchio retired from teaching in June 1986.

Mr. Sturchio's contributions to music do not end in San Antonio. He has toured with Johnny Carson and Jack Benny; he's played the trumpet and conducted for the Ringling Brothers Circus, Ice Capades, the 1968 San Antonio World's Fair, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Kenny Rodgers, Sonny and Cher, and many more.

However, he considers one of his greatest accomplishments to be playing for the San Antonio Spurs for more than ten years as the ``Sound of the Spurs.''

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Al Sturchio for his many years of public service to the great city of San Antonio and the Nation. May we all find inspiration and guidance in his favorite prayer quote ``For it is giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is dying that we are born to eternal life.'' I wish Mr. Sturchio the happiest 94th birthday, and may God continue to bless him and his family.