Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to pay tribute to a great leader and role model, Chairman Robert Martin of the Morongo Band of Mission, which ia a 1,000 member tribe located near Banning, California. The Banning Chamber of Commerce will honor Chairman Martin for his outstanding service to the local community on November 1, 2012 in Cabazon, California.

Before becoming Chairman of the Morongo Tribe, Robert worked across the Southwest United States as a building contractor. He brought new homes to families, new roads to communities, and worked on improving vital infrastructure throughout the Southwest.

Chairman Martin has consistently advocated for a better life and sovereignty for the tribal community in the United States. In 1987, Martin led Morongo in a Supreme Court case which confirmed the sovereignty of Indian Tribes' right to establish gaming operations. This monumental case gave the 550 Indian Tribes in the United States greater independence and ability for self governance. After this Supreme Court case, Chairman Martin managed the planning and construction of Casino Morongo, which is now one of the largest employers in all of Riverside County, California.

Chairman Martin is passionate about defending and continuing the rich cultural traditions of the Morongo Tribe. Under Martin's leadership, Morongo renewed its commitment to developing the next generation of tribal leaders by establishing a tuition-free preparatory academy on the reservation.

Chairman Martin continues to give back to his community by serving on the board for the California Indian Manpower Consortium, the California Indian Child Welfare Consortium, Riverside/San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc., and the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association.

I applaud Chairman Martin's tireless work on behalf of the Indian community, which has made a lasting impact on the future and sustainability of Native American tribes across the United States. My deepest congratulations, along with those of my wife, Barbara, and my children, Rialto Councilman Joe Baca Jr., Jeremy, Natalie, and Jennifer are with Chairman Martin during this time of celebration. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a beloved community member and tireless advocate for Native American rights, Morongo Chairman Robert Martin.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to H.R. 6429, the misnamed STEM Jobs Act.

Make no mistake about it, this bill is designed to reduce legal immigration to the United States.

H.R. 6429 doesn't just increase STEM visas, it also eliminates the Diversity Visa program--a legal immigration program that makes visas available to immigrants from countries that have low rates of immigration to the United States.

It is wrong to force Congress to eliminate one immigration program, in an effort to support another.

This misguided legislation also eliminates rollover provisions for unused visas.

Unfortunately, H.R. 6429 lets unused visas go to waste, and forces legal immigrants to continue to suffer in long backlogs.

In addition, I have serious concerns that this legislation automatically allows for-profit and on-line schools to participate in the new STEM green card program.

It's not too late for my Republican colleagues to change course, and sit down with Democrats to work on a bipartisan bill that strengthens the STEM visa program without limiting legal immigration.

I urge my colleagues to stand in solidarity and vote ``no'' on this attempt to reduce legal immigration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask Congress to pay tribute to an outstanding business in San Bernardino, California--Mitla Cafe. This September, Mitla Cafe will be celebrating its 75th year as their family restaurant serving the people of Southern California.

Mitla Cafe is the oldest continually operating restaurant in San Bernardino, and one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in Southern California. Mitla Cafe serves standard Mexican fare--tacos, burritos, and fresh tortillas. They pride themselves in fresh food, which keeps the locals coming back for more. Today, the restaurant remains in its original location, off historic Route 66 in San Bernardino.

This family owned business was founded in 1937, by Lucia and Salvador Rodriguez. Until her passing in 1981, Lucia ran the restaurant with the help of her daughters Theresa, Helen, and Vera. After the death of her mother, Vera continued to manage the restaurant with the same understanding and passion for the community that her mother held. After Vera passed away in 1984, Lucia and Salvador's youngest son, Frank Montano, and his wife Irene continued the family business. Today, Mitla Cafe is managed by the founders' great-grandson, Steven Oquendo. The family restaurant atmosphere and exceptional food keeps residents coming to Mitla Cafe even after they have moved out of the area. From my own personal experience, my family and I have always enjoyed dining at Mitla Cafe.

To celebrate their 75th year anniversary, Mitla Cafe hosted an event on Saturday September 8th, which featured live music by the Scott Martin Latin Soul Band. Earlier this June, Mitla Cafe also hosted an anniversary event, featuring Bruce Conte and the Jazz Junkies.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating San Bernardino's oldest restaurant, Mitla Cafe for their 75th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask Congress to congratulate Emma Shaw, a beloved and respected community member of San Bernardino, who is celebrating her 100th Birthday on August 9, 2012.

Born in Tallulah, Louisiana, Emma was raised and began her education in Louisiana where she attended Madison Parish Training School. During her schooling, she met her future husband George Shaw, whom she married on February 6, 1933.

Emma and George Shaw lived in Tallulah for nine years, until moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1942 in search of a better life for their family. Two years later, in 1944, the family moved to San Bernardino, California, where the Shaw family has resided since.

In San Bernardino, George Shaw worked hard as a construction worker, and was also the only African American barber in San Bernardino for many years. Emma worked as a housekeeper to help provide for her 11 children. Although times were tough and money was tight, Emma always found extra time and resources to give back to her community and those in need.

Since moving to San Bernardino, Emma and her family have been active members at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, and later the Greater New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ. Emma is known for her kindness and generosity; all who know Emma affectionately call her ``Mother Shaw''. Emma

often shares her wealth of experiences that she gained over the years in order to educate and pass on her wisdom to the younger generations.

I wish Emma the best as she celebrates her 100th Birthday with a large family gathering on August 11, 2012. Her 8 living children, 45 grandchildren, 87 great grandchildren, and 9 great-great grandchildren will join Emma in celebrating this monumental milestone. My congratulations go out to Emma, along with those of my wife, Barbara, and my children, Rialto Councilman Joe Baca Jr., Jeremy, Natalie, and Jennifer. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating a beloved community member, Emma Shaw.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1905.

Today, it is vital that the U.S. sends a strong message to the Iranian government.

A nuclear capable Iran is our greatest security threat in a region currently defined by conflict, chaos, and uncertainty.

We must prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons through any and all means necessary.

There needs to be strong economic sanctions and focused diplomatic efforts.

As a nation it is also essential to prepare a strategy in the event that sanctions and diplomatic efforts are not successful.

Allowing Iran to become a nuclear threat is not an acceptable outcome.

That is why we must pass H.R. 1905, which increases the economic pressure on Iran's leadership to abandon their illicit efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran has the power to threaten and provoke regional allies without consequence.

We must stand with our allies in these dangerous and challenging times to prevent a nuclear capable Iran.

We must pass H.R. 1905 before it is too late for sanctions and diplomacy to reduce the Iranian threat.

Madam Speaker, this Monday, Colton Joint Unified School District held a dedication ceremony for the new Joe Baca Middle School in Bloomington, California. Next week, 800 students from the surrounding communities in Bloomington and Rialto will begin to attend classes there.

I am truly humbled to receive this distinguished honor, and I thank the Colton Joint Unified School District. I want to especially recognize Superintendent Jerry Almendarez; all of the school board members of the Colton Joint Unified School District; Ignacio Gomez, whose beautiful artwork will be displayed at the school; and Congressman Gary Miller for his bipartisan support.

Growing up the youngest of 15 children in a poor household, I never would imagine that one day I would have a school named in my honor. I never thought I would live to see this day. Again, I want to thank everyone involved and give a special thank you to my family for their continued love and support.

Madam Speaker, the American people need a tax plan that will help grow the middle class and create jobs right here in the United States.

The American people want jobs to take care of their families. Sadly, the Republicans are holding the tax breaks for 98 percent of Americans hostage so that they can prevent millionaires and billionaires from paying their fair share of taxes. The Bush tax cuts for the ultra rich have failed to create any new jobs. They must be allowed to expire. Instead of working together on a bipartisan tax plan to strengthen our economy, Republicans are pushing for a plan to balance the budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class and to end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a private voucher system.

Congress must stop protecting billionaires at the expense of Medicare and the middle class. Let's work together. Let's work together on a bipartisan plan that will cut taxes for 98 percent of Americans, that will protect Medicare and that will create jobs right here in the United States.

Madam Speaker, the American people need Congress to take bold action to create jobs. While our economy is slowly improving, unemployment remains at 11.9 percent in my hometown of San Bernardino County.

In the last 500 days since the Republicans took control of the House, they have refused to move forward a real plan to put more Americans back to work. Instead of working to create jobs, Republicans have passed a budget that gives away $3 trillion in tax breaks to big corporations and the ultra rich. It ends Medicare as we know it by turning the program into a private voucher system.

Just last week, the Republicans again voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which benefits millions of Americans.

It's time to stop the political games and get to work on finding real solutions to the problems we face. We must end the Bush tax cuts for the rich, protect Medicare, and work to create new jobs for all Americans--and assure that we don't outsource those jobs as well.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

I'd like to thank the chairman and Member Dicks for allowing me this effort on this legislation. I also want to thank my colleague, Gary Miller, for supporting this amendment.

This is a Baca-Miller amendment. It is bipartisan. It directs $10 million to be moved from the Operations and Management portion of the Department of Defense budget to the Research and Development portion of the budget. Moving these funds will allow the DOD to develop cost- effective solutions to environmental problems.

These funds will allow the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program to support, and I state, grants. This is a grant, it's not an earmark, that provides clear water.

My communities in California, including Gary Miller's district, in the Inland Empire must deal with perchlorate contaminated water. Perchlorate is a rocket fuel additive that can be harmful to women, children, and the elderly, that affects both Gary Miller's and my district. This contamination has resulted in millions of dollars in cost to the region for cleanup litigation.

Congress should actively support the DOD effort to develop solutions to problems like perchlorate contamination. I ask my colleagues to support the Baca-Miller amendment, a bipartisan amendment.

Again, I thank the chair and the ranking member, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of ``S. 2165; U.S.- Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012.''

Since 1948 the U.S. and Israel have shared a special bond.

Israel is our greatest ally in a region defined by conflict.

Today, there are significant events in the Middle East that present unique security challenges.

From the upheaval in neighboring states to the defiance of the IAEA by the Iranian regime, Israel is under constant threat.

The Israelis should not be forced to live under duress from a nation that denies the holocaust and Israel's right to exist.

As a nation we must never waiver in our support of Israel's inherent right to self-defense against these threats.

Congress must provide the technology and weapons systems that provide a military advantage over aggressors.

This enhanced cooperation between the U.S. and Israel will provide stability in an increasingly unstable region.

Israel must have the capability and consent to defend themselves or the region will fall deeper into chaos.

I urge my colleagues to support this responsible legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Affordable Care Act.

This law is already providing relief to millions of Americans, and almost 20 percent of Californians.

Already, nearly 3 million people with Medicare in California have received free preventive services or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor.

The Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare and reduces costs for seniors, by eliminating the donut hole that hurt many of our seniors in the past.

Right now, there are 435,000 young adults in California under the age of 26 who now have coverage because they were able to stay on their parent's plan--like Ms. Sandra Rodriguez and her daughter of San Bernardino, California.

And, over 8,600 uninsured California residents who were denied coverage because of a ``pre-existing condition'' are now insured because of this law.

Finally, Americans are in charge of their health care, not insurance companies.

Repeal takes our nation in the wrong direction. We need to move forward and ensure health equality for all.

Madam Speaker, tomorrow the House Agriculture Committee will mark up the farm bill that will devastate many of our children, seniors, and veterans. This misguided bill will cut $16 billion from the SNAP program, a program that puts food on the table for over 46 million Americans.

This debate isn't just about the numbers; there is a human cost. If these cuts are allowed to stand, 2 to 3 million low-income individuals will lose SNAP eligibility, and 280,000 children will lose access to free school meals. These are children who may have the only meal provided to them in school, and it will change their attitudes and their behaviors in school. And 210,000 households in my State of California will receive reduced benefit levels.

In California, 6 million people rely on SNAP, including 2 million children. In my district, they suffer from the fourth highest rate of food insecurity in the Nation.

It is a moral responsibility that we protect the SNAP program. We must pass a responsible farm bill that includes no nutritional cuts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition of Representative Bishop's amendment in H.R. 2578, the Conservation and Economic Growth Act.

This amendment would give the Department of Homeland Security unrestrained authority over more than 49 million acres of land encompassing major regions heavily populated by Latinos.

These new ``operational control zones'' would harm communities economically, socially, and environmentally.

DHS would be explicitly exempt from complying with dozens of environmental, public health, and safety laws within 100 miles along the Mexican and Canadian borders.

Even Secretary Napolitano and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol indicated that environmental protections do not hinder their ability to secure our borders.

This amendment proves to be unnecessary and a threat to our public health.

Also, it jeopardizes the natural parks and public lands that many people use as recreation across our nation.

I understand our nation faces many challenges, but this is no way to enhance border security.

We must respect the liberty of all Americans, enjoy our natural landscape, and ensure every person's right to a healthy life.

I urge my colleagues to vote against Representative Bishop's amendment.

Madam Speaker, in these tough times, we should make every effort to increase access to higher education for all Americans. Making college more affordable doesn't just help students, it strengthens our economy.

Unfortunately, if Congress does not act soon, interest rates on student loans will double for over 7 million students in less than 2 weeks. July 1 is around the corner. It's time for a serious solution to help our Nation's children.

Instead of working towards a compromise, Republicans have put forward a plan to cut health services for women and children. Republicans just don't get it. Once again, they're too busy cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires instead of working for our middle class. Republicans are showing their priorities are out of touch with hardworking Americans.

We need to act now on student loans. Let's help all of these students have access to education.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2938, the Gila Bend Indian Reservation Lands Replacement Clarification Act.

I support this important legislation because I believe we should all be bound by the agreements we make.

In the late 1990s, Arizona tribes' gaming ventures were being threatened by litigation and anti-Indian gaming interests.

As a response, a number of tribes formed a coalition to create a joint negotiating position before entering into tribal compact discussions with state officials.

One of these tribes was the Tonoho O'odham Nation.

Following this agreement, proposition 202 was passed, limiting Phoenix area casinos to seven.

Through all this time, the Tonoho O'odham Nation never expressed any hesitation to the agreement they signed with other tribes or Proposition 202, until now.

I ask my colleagues to support this important measure because it upholds the good

faith negotiations that were conducted to reach this joint power resolution between the Arizona Tribes.

I ask my colleagues to support it because it upholds the integrity of all the other tribes who have and still are living up to their word.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill.