Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The United States is in the middle of its worst economic crisis in a generation.

In my district, in the Inland Empire of California--we have the fifth highest rate of foreclosures in the nation; and the unemployment rate has soared above 10%.

Too many working families are caught in this economic tsunami;

Everyday that we sit by and do nothing--more families are losing their jobs, their homes, and their piece of the American Dream.

We must act boldly, and we must act quickly.

H.R. 1 contains the right mix of targeted government spending; and tax cuts to American workers and business--that will create 4 million jobs and get our economy moving again!

As Chairman of the Agriculture Subcommittee on nutrition--I am especially pleased that the stimulus package includes a $20 billion increase in SNAP funding.

This will help to put additional food on the table for over 30 million hungry people!

It will also immediately stimulate our economy. USDA economists estimate that this increase will result in $36 billion in new economic activity.

I urge my colleagues to support struggling families--and not sit idly by in this time of crisis. Vote yes on H.R. 1.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of the 14 million undocumented immigrants who would otherwise not have a voice.

Immigrants are not only a valuable part of our country's workforce, but they also add to America's rich diversity. Sadly, immigration raids tear apart immigrant families, instill fear, and disrespects America's core family values.

We are a Nation devoted to family. No one should live in fear of being taken away from their homes. Strong border enforcement is necessary, but this only addresses part of the situation. Together, we must work to address the 12 to 14 million undocumented immigrants. Every day that we do nothing, a family is torn apart by this broken immigration system.

Our current immigration system is outdated. We need a system that addresses the needs of the current immigration situation in America.

I urge my colleagues to join me in passing real comprehensive immigration reform.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, the honeymoon is over. Let's begin to address comprehensive immigration on behalf of the 12 to 14 million people here in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H. Res. 73, a resolution that promotes the observance of the birthday, life and, legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is a historic time in our Nation's Capital with yesterday marking the swearing-in of Barack Obama, our Nation's first African-American President.

As we listened to President Obama's inaugural address we were all reminded of how far our Nation has come. This resolution is also a reminder that without Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there would be no President Obama.

Dr. King was a beacon of change on whose shoulders we all stand. His leadership, courage, and conviction helped pave the road for all of us.

He understood government has a fundamental responsibility to meet the needs of all Americans regardless of race or economic class.

He gave people the faith and courage to work peacefully for change to stop racial discrimination, and promote equality and opportunity across America.

Most importantly, Dr. King called upon each of us to truly commit ourselves to changing and working to bring about change for all Americans.

President Obama reminded us of that call yesterday when he said that we each have a responsibility to rebuild our country and get us out of this storm. Let us heed this call to action and work hand-in-hand to help bring prosperity back. Together we can do it. Yes we can! I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 73.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H. Res. 39, a resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic schools.

I thank my colleague from Illinois, Representative Lipinski, for sponsoring this important resolution.

Catholic schools are a true treasure--not just in my district in the Inland Empire of California--but throughout the United States of America.

Teachers and administrators in America's Catholic schools work tirelessly to educate students of all backgrounds, in communities across the Nation--including some of our most impoverished neighborhoods.

They do a tremendous job of teaching and imparting critical values, while often working under the most difficult school funding circumstances.

In a time when the No Child Left Behind Act has failed too many of America's best and brightest--the vast majority of Catholic school students not only graduate from high school, but also go on to college.

I commend the men and women who make America's Catholic schools a reality and thank them for the commitment and faith they place in the well being of their students.

I urge my colleagues to honor the positive impact of Catholic schools on the children of the United States, and support H. Res. 39.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, during her time of need. Israel's unstable situation continue to get worst. Since 2005, Israel has attempted to promote peace with the Palestinians by withdrawing its civilians and soldiers from Gaza in hopes of lessening day to day conflicts.

Now for more than two weeks, the Hamas leadership in Gaza continues to hold Palestinian civilians as hostages to its terrorist agenda and Israelis now find themselves within range of Hamas rockets. The bloodshed and conflict of this situation will only lead to more devastation. Every day more innocent civilians on both sides of the Gazan border are suffering.

The United States supports Israel and all efforts to promote a cease- fire and a durable and sustainable resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. I urge my colleagues to remember that our strongest ally in the Middle East is Israel and we must support her efforts towards peace during this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the 14 million undocumented immigrants who otherwise would not have a voice.

Our country is in desperate need of comprehensive immigration reform to ensure the security of America and to bring vulnerable families out of the shadows. We all believe in strong enforcement of our borders and the rule of the law, but we are a Nation rooted in family, faith, in core values.

What should be done about the 12 to 14 million undocumented immigrants in this country? Immigrants are part of American fabric. In fact, the work ethic of immigrants is what built this Nation and still continues to do so.

Immigrant families are facing more than just a failing economy; they live in constant fear of being torn apart. We must work together towards comprehensive immigration reform that respects families and includes family unification.

I urge my colleagues to help these working families by passing comprehensive immigration reform. Let's make America great; let's not divide it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2, to extend and improve the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Families in my district in San Bernardino, California, are struggling to make ends meet and bring food to the table.

Congress must answer to these and other families across America.

SCHIP is a vital component of our country's health system, allowing for individual states to take care of our most vulnerable, America's children.

A facility in my district, the Community Hospital of San Bernardino is about to rip apart at the seams.

Without SCHIP, they will either have to turn away or eat the cost of 4,000 families enrolled in Healthy Families, California's version of

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 384, the Troubled Assets Recovery Program Reform Act of 2008 and thank Chairman Frank for drafting this bill.

In response to the minority leader, we're all very disappointed with this administration. We actually asked for accountability and oversight on this bill, but it didn't happen.

The taxpayers want to know what happens to the $350-some billion, and we are all very much concerned how that money is used. That's why this bill has been redrafted--to make sure that we have the kind of accountability and oversight that needs to be in place. If we don't act, more and more people are going to suffer.

That's why I wanted to thank Chairman Frank for supporting the amendments, especially on the intended protection credit union parity and then the original public/private partnership, which I offered in this legislation.

I also want to submit a longer statement on record for these amendments.

Families in my district--and of course the minority leader also has family in his district--are suffering while the Nation's unemployment is at 7 percent and it's 10 percent in my district, and it's expected to climb up to 12 percent by the year 2010. The largest credit union in my district, Arrowhead, just closed 12 branches and reduced its operating budget by 10 percent. And the San Bernardino and Riverside area has the fifth highest foreclosure in the Nation.

Congress created TARP to restore our economy and provide foreclosure assistance to families in need, not to subsidize banks. H.R. 384 corrects this lack of accountability and ensures that the second round of TARP funding maximizes the assistance to homeowners, where it should be going.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 384 so that we may improve the health of our housing sector and local economy. And I ask them to support this rule as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 384 because this legislation sets necessary requirements for how Treasury should draw down the remaining half of the TARP funds with new oversight and accountability provisions. It also includes important measures to ensure the TARP program maximizes assistance to homeowners, minimizes foreclosures, and targets resources for underserved communities as Congress originally intended. My bill, H.R. 472, the Family Foreclosure Rescue Corporation also gives Treasury the authority to carry out these functions, so I am pleased they are included in this Act.

In addition to these important provisions, I want to thank Chairman Frank for including the following three amendments which I offered in the manager's amendment. I believe they will go far in further addressing the health of our housing sector and local economies.

The first of these is an amendment I worked on with Representative Keith Ellison that would require tenants in good standing to get adequate notice to vacate properties in foreclosure as well as to assure continued Federal housing assistance for Section 8 voucher holders who lose their homes due to foreclosure. This is especially important in light of the fact that foreclosures are resulting in evictions of homeowners as well as renters whose landlords/property owners can no longer make mortgage payments. Further, the majority of the households who are facing eviction due to foreclosure, homeowners and renters alike, are low income. As the number of people in poverty grows, the number of homeless people could rise by approximately 800,000 people per year. In my district, there are more than 7,000 people in San Bernardino County who are homeless. We must do all that we can to help those who are suffering the most so I am pleased that this bill includes these important protections.

I am also pleased H.R. 384 includes an amendment that I sponsored to enable credit unions to participate in TARP. When Congress enacted the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, EESA, in October, credit unions were included among the institutions eligible to participate in the TARP Program. However, when Treasury decided to inject capital into financial institutions, instead of purchasing troubled assets, credit unions were effectively shut out of the program. Credit unions in my district are telling me they can't access TARP funds and that they need assistance. The largest credit union in my district, Arrowhead credit union just closed four branches and reduced its operating budget by 10 percent. The problem is that credit unions are generally not permitted by law to accept outside forms of capital. That is why I am appreciative of Chairman Frank's willingness to include my amendment which would permit credit unions to count assistance that they receive from the Federal Government and State Governments as capital for the purposes of prompt corrective action. This amendment to the Federal Credit Union Act would permit those credit unions that need to participate in TARP to have access to the funds, just as other depository institutions do.

The third amendment I offered would help to stabilize the local economy of areas like the Inland Empire and I want to thank Representative Jerry Lewis and Ken Calvert for their support. The California Inland Empire where my district resides has some of the Nation's highest foreclosure rates and steepest decline in housing prices. In response, the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside, along with more than 15 cities within their borders, and over 30 businesses have come together to create the Inland Empire Economic Recovery Corporation, a public-private partnership to keep families in their homes and to restore neighborhoods and communities. This partnership works by leveraging local investment money to purchase and manage local assets. Once purchased, regional partners with the housing market expertise and the financial flexibility will be able to work closely with homeowners to keep them in their homes where outside investors cannot. A regional approach allows partnerships to manage local mortgage assets, thereby stabilizing local economies and maximizing taxpayer's investments. That is why I proposed language that will allow Treasury to consider these regional public-private partnerships when creating their loan purchase program. Giving public- private partnerships the opportunity to partner with Treasury when purchasing, refinancing, and disposing of these loans will keep families in their homes, stabilize communities, and help us achieve the greatest return on our taxpayer dollars.

I thank the chairman once again for his assistance on these amendments which I believe will further address the health of our housing sector and local economies. I urge my colleagues to support

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H. Res. 43, a resolution that promotes the Martin Luther King Holiday as a day of national service.

For me, one of the most powerful images of Washington is the image of Dr. King conveying his dream during his 1963 ``March on Washington'', on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Dr. King understood government has a fundamental responsibility to meet the needs of all Americans regardless of race or economic class.

As our Nation prepares to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, and the inauguration of the

next President, we remember Dr. King as a beacon of change.

He gave people the faith and courage to work peacefully for change to stop racial discrimination, and promote equality and opportunity across America.

So on the day of remembrance named in his honor, let us all truly recommit ourselves to changing and working to bring about opportunity for all Americans.

We call on our Nation to serve, and recognize the determination of those men and women who continue to work to make the world a better place for future generations.

I urge my colleagues to honor the legacy of Dr. King and those who continue to follow his example, and support H. Res. 43.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support House Resolution 34, a resolution to recognize Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Israel continues to be the United States' strongest ally in the Middle East.

Now Israel faces a tough situation with her neighbors.

Since 2005, Israel attempted to promote peace with the Palestinians by withdrawing its civilians and soldiers from Gaza in hopes of lessening day to day conflicts.

However, since then Israel has received over 6,000 attacks from the area of Gaza, including a flurry of attacks last month when Hamas abandoned a 6-month ceasefire.

The Hamas leadership continues to hold Palestinian civilians as hostages to its terrorist agenda and Israelis now find themselves within range of Hamas rockets.

The bloodshed and conflict of this situation will only lead to more devastation if nothing is done.

The United States supports Israel and all efforts to promote a cease- fire and a durable and sustainable resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 34, and stand for justice and humanity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of two critical bills: the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

More than 40 years have passed since the passage of the Equal Pay Act. Unfortunately, women still earn less than men for the same work, and that is unfair. Women earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. The pay gap is even more severe amongst minority women. African American women earn 69 cents. Hispanic women earn just 56 cents on the dollar.

The story of Lilly Ledbetter is a case in point of the barriers faced by women today. It's time for a change. Simply because of her gender, Ms. Ledbetter was paid 20 percent less for performing the same job that her male colleagues performed. It's unfair.

The gap doesn't just affect women. It affects the Nation's economy. Women represent 41 percent of the total heads of households and sole income earners in this country. We cannot afford to weaken the ability of our breadwinners to pay for the basics, like groceries, child care and health care, especially as we face a growing economic recession.

I urge us to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to honor a loving mother, supportive wife, adoring grandmother and doting great-grandmother, Hortensia ``Guera'' Abril.

Born in Nuevo Leon, Monterey, Mexico, she eventually moved to Colton, California where she grew up to become a longstanding, influential member of the community. A fulfilled homemaker thanks to her care, compassion and love for her family, Guera also proudly belonged to Colton's San Salvador Catholic Church. In addition to supporting her husband, Ray ``Sonny'' Abril, who served on the Colton School Board for many years, she too played an active role in the community as a longtime PTA member, well-respected and loved by all.

In addition to being survived by her husband Sonny of 53 years, her memory will be carried on by her three sons, Nick, Michael (Stella) and Dominic; her three daughters, Melinda Medina (Mike), Becky Gonzales (Reuben) and Nellie Carners (Joe); and one brother, Norberto Gasca. Guera will be sorely missed by 19 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends as well.

As a longtime friend of Ray's, I would like to express my greatest sympathies for his family's loss. She meant everything in the world to him and will truly be missed. Let us take a moment to remember this great woman and her admirable dedication to instilling positive change and leading an exemplarily life, one whose footsteps we all hope to follow. The thoughts and prayers of my wife Barbara, my family and I are with his family at this time.

God Bless Hortensia ``Guera'' Abril for love of country and mankind.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for all of the work that you have done. I'm angered, frustrated, and sad, but I believe that we've got to do the responsible thing. Therefore, I'm going to support the bill.

Madam Speaker, today, I find myself frustrated, angry and sad. Predatory lending and

greed are at the root of the current financial storm our Nation is facing. I voted against the bailout bill on Monday because I believe it did not do enough to provide direct relief to families that are facing foreclosure, and have been victimized by these practices.

Over the past few days, I have fought vigorously to include stronger foreclosure mitigation provisions in a revised bill. Many of my colleagues joined me in an effort to include language from my bill H.R. 4135, The Family Foreclosure Rescue Corporation Act, in any revised rescue plan. This language would keep more families in their homes.

While I believe today's bill still does not do enough to protect struggling homeowners, I am pleased that it does include critical improvements in the areas of oversight and accountability. This bill does a better job of protecting America's taxpayers, and ensuring their investment is not squandered.

But sadly, our economy is now in turmoil. We find ourselves in a state of quicksand, and we are sinking fast. We cannot delay action any longer. I will vote for this bill today. Not because it solves all our problems, but because I do not have a choice.

If the credit crunch is allowed to continue, the consequences for the Inland Empire will be disastrous. In my district, too many families are facing the possibility of being homeless. Credit unions and big banks have limited their lending, and as a result families are at a greater risk of losing their homes, their jobs and their opportunities for success.

Car loans have dried up, and some dealerships have closed and been forced to layoff workers. Student loan companies across the Nation have shut down or stopped participating in Federal student aid programs.

And now, to make matters worse, we have received word that California needs a $7 billion emergency loan from the Government, in order to keep funding day-to-day operations. The consequences of doing nothing are too dire to imagine.

Without immediate Federal action, California will be unable to sell voter-approved bonds for highway construction, schools, housing or water projects. And because of the extreme delay in passing the state budget, California's cash reserves would be exhausted by the end of October without this loan. This means that payments for teachers' salaries, nursing homes, law enforcement and every other State-funded service would stop or be significantly delayed. This must not be allowed to happen.

Ultimately, today's bill is about providing confidence in our markets and stabilizing our economy. We must do this if we are to protect our jobs at home, stop further outsourcing, and ensure our society has access to the credit it needs to run.

The market dropped on Monday because of a lack of confidence. Because of predatory lending and the complete lack of regulation we have seen from the Bush administration in the last 8 years, Wall Street has been allowed to run amok--and because of that the American people have suffered.

I am voting for this bill today to restore that confidence. But we must come back and work on a more comprehensive package that will provide the assistance America's working families need to survive in these difficult economic times. I have received a commitment from the House Financial Services Committee that hearings will be held next February to examine my bill, the Family Foreclosure Rescue Corporation, and move it forward in the legislative process.

The Bush administration and the rubber stamp Republicans in Congress are responsible for the lack of leadership and effective government oversight that caused this crisis, but we all must work together to get America back on track. I am confident that with a change of leadership, we will stabilize our Nation's financial markets and keep America's working families safe and secure.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to congratulate an amazing athlete who broke the world record time, winning him a gold medal, in the 200m individual medley in addition to winning a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke at the Beijing Games of the XIII Paralympiad this summer. He was awarded 2 of the 99 medals the United States proudly won.

By the age of five, this brave young man had already undergone 15 surgeries as a result of having been born with pterygium syndrome, resulting in a clubbed foot, webbed fingers on both hands, a cleft lip and palate, and the inability to straighten his legs. However, having endured so much at such young age, he decided to have both legs amputated above the knee.

Mr. Garcia-Tolson took it upon himself to embrace these new prosthetic legs and began running, cycling and swimming. By 1999 at the age of 10 years, he had become the youngest bilateral amputee to ever complete a triathlon on his own. Within that same year, he also set his first national record in swimming.

In 2000 and 2001, Mr. Garcia-Tolson finished in first place in the Silver Strand Marathon. In 2002, he was a recipient of the Casey Martin Award which honors individuals with a disability fighting for the right to compete in sports. In 2004, Teen People Magazine names him one of ``20 Teens Who Will Change the World.''

In 2004, having just turned 16 years old, Rudy Garcia-Tolson received his first gold medal at the Paralympic Games by breaking the 200m individual medley world record. He continued his training as well as passion for sports by completing the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 in 2006. Not long after, he broke the world record swimming the 200m individual medley at the 2007 U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships.

As an athlete myself, I recognize the necessary courage, strength and dedication one must possess to triumph all that Mr. Garcia-Tolson has accomplished. Turning 20 years old earlier this week, he is to be celebrated not only for achieving the most impressive awards in his sport, but smashing world records along the way. More than anything, he is an inspiration to us all, conquering so much despite what hurdles laid in his path.

God Bless Rudy Garcia-Tolson for his talent, passion and love of country and mankind.

Madam Speaker, Americans continue to work hard in these tough economic times.

As in the past, today's immigrants supply the limitless stream of ability, hard work, and innovation that improve the economic life of our nation.

Like the immigrant founders of this country, today's immigrants improve the economic life of America.

Immigrants also provide the amazing diversity that makes America what it is, what makes us unique among all the nations in the world.

However, we must remember that injustice for any person leads to injustice for all. If there are people without rights, it puts us all at risk.

Denying justice and human rights to any group of people is Un- American.

I urge my colleagues to support comprehensive immigration reform and fix this broken immigration system.