Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, this month we remember the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish- Armenian intellectual and human rights advocate. Dink fought tirelessly to engage the Turkish community in open discussions of the many injustices suffered by Armenians, beginning with the Genocide of 1915. As a mentor and a hero, his tragic death shook the lives of many around the world.

Dink's tireless efforts and strong conviction to educate the citizens of Turkey, and his writings of the Armenian Genocide led to a 6-month jail sentence in October 2005. He advocated for justice, and wrote with a conscience, all despite daily threats to his life. Hrant Dink was killed because he was a courageous journalist and continued to write his columns in hopes of getting rid of the ignorance that exists in Turkey. On the one-year anniversary of his death we remember Dink's message of liberty, civility, truth and bridge-building. In Dink's memory, I have joined my House colleagues in recognizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

It is my hope that Turkey will repeal the arbitrary statute, which makes it a crime to ``insult Turkishness.'' Turkey claims to be a secular state with free elections, yet it clearly lacks the chief principle of a democratic nation: freedom of the press. The death of Hrant Dink is a tragedy that was fueled by injustice, and I strongly urge Turkey to abolish this capricious and dated statute.

I express my condolences to the family and colleagues of Hrant Dink. As we recall him in life, and mourn his tragic death, we renew our commitment to work towards advancing the ideals and values, for which he so passionately stood.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House for 1 minute.

I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 198.

Poverty is all too real an issue in America today.

As a co-chair of the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus, I have worked with my colleagues to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry, and where every parent can put a roof over their family's heads.

We have made progress this Congress--but we still have a long road ahead of us.

And while poverty disproportionately affects our minority communities--it does not discriminate on a basis of color.

We must remember poverty is not just a Hispanic, or a Black, or an Asian issue--it is a ``people'' issue.

Whether it's a family trying to put food on the table, or a child in need of basic health care--when poverty affects one of us, it affects all of us.

I urge my colleagues to join the Out of Poverty Caucus in voicing their dedication to creating a better America for everyone, not just the privileged few.

I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 198.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to honor and remember a community activist, friend, loving husband, and father--Isaias R. Gomez.

Isaias passed away on January 18, 2008 at his home in Colton, California.

He was born in Gallup, New Mexico, and was a resident of Colton, which is in my Congressional District, for almost 55 years.

While born in New Mexico, Isaias was raised in Jalostotitlan, Jalisco, Mexico. There he met and married his wife, Jessie Gomez. He and Jessie returned to Gallup, where Isaias began to work in the coal mines. Then in 1953, he and Jessie moved to Colton, and Isaias went to work for the Santa Fe Railroad.

Isaias and Jessie's 6 children--Rosa, Eloise, Isaias Jr., Yolanda, Tommy, and Terri--where all raised in Colton. After initially working with the railroad, Isaias eventually became a successful real estate developer and builder.

I had the great privilege of knowing Isaias personally through his daughter Eloise and her husband Frank Reyes, who are both good friends of mine.

In fact, I gave Eloise Reyes a ``Woman of the Year'' award in 1993, when I was in the California State Legislature. She was recognized for all her great work in the community, and for being a true trailblazer as the first Hispanic, female attorney in the Inland Empire.

Isaias always let everyone know that his family was his greatest blessing. He cherished his time with them--especially the time he spent with his 9 grandchildren.

Isaias will always be remembered for his amazing work ethic and his unending dedication to friends and family. His great influence on those around him is evidenced in the outstanding character of his children and grandchildren.

In addition to his children and grandchildren, Isaias is survived by his wife Jessie; his sisters Angelita, Alfonsina, and Isabel; and his brothers Joel, Jesus, and Arturo.

Let us take the time to pay tribute to this wonderful man. Let us celebrate the life he lived and the example he led.

Although he is no longer with us, Isaias's legacy and spirit will continue to live on through the lives of everyone he has touched.

The thoughts and prayers of my wife Barbara, my family and I are with his family at this time.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to recognize a charitable, compassionate young man from my Congressional district in California, Minister Saul Santos, Jr. Minister Santos blessed us with the wonderful prayer we just heard this morning. And while only 27 years of age, he is already a licensed minister at the Christian Life Center Apostolic Church in Ontario, California.

In a world where too many of us have turned a blind eye to the problems of our neighbors, Minister Santos has led a life filled with service to others. And I say service to others. He is the founder and president of Affirming Community Initiatives, a nonprofit organization that provides food, clothing and youth programs to the underserved in our Inland communities.

Let us thank Minister Santos for serving as our guest House Chaplain today, and recognize him for the example he has set for many others to follow. He is truly a role model for us. We should all strive to live our lives in such a selfless and truly Christian manner, as he has done.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of overriding the President's veto of the SCHIP bill, H.R. 3963.

In the face of job loss and a foreclosure crisis I rise again to fight for SCHIP. There are more families going hungry in my district each day, and the number of uninsured children is skyrocketing out of control.

As a parent and grandparent, I understand the despair we all feel when a child falls asleep crying in your arms and all you can do is reassure them.

I ask President Bush, how will you answer the pleas of help from these parents?

Parents are struggling. Local newspapers in my District report a 6.2 percent unemployment rate, which is much higher than the national average of 5.0 percent.

This loss of jobs translates to fewer parents covered by employment- based health insurance, which means more uninsured children.

This week we celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us remember him as we fight today to protect our nation's most vulnerable citizens, our children!

I urge my colleagues to join me in rescuing health care for our children, and support this veto override.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present for today's floor votes due to personal business. If I were present I would have voted ``aye'' on Final Passage of H.R. 3524, the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007.

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, if I were present today, January 16, 2008, I would have voted the following way:

``Yea''--H. Res. 912--Condemning the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to assist the people of Pakistan in combating terrorist activity and promoting a free and democratic Pakistan (Rep. Ackerman--Foreign Affairs) Suspension bill.

``Yea''--H. Res. 921--Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 4253, with an amendment--Military Reservist and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 2007--(Rep. Velazquez--Small Business) Suspension bill.

``Yea''--H.R. 4986--The National Defense Authorization Act (Rep. Skelton--Armed Services).

``Yea''--H.R. 2768--S-Miner Act (Rep. George Miller--Education and Labor) (Subject to a Rule).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1585, the Conference Report on Defense Authorization Bill.

As we approach the Holiday Season and we go back to our families, we cannot forget that not everyone is so fortunate.

Our loyal soldiers are serving proudly and not all will be with their loved ones.

I want to speak directly to them and to their families in my District because these are the true faces of the war.

This bill supports our service members by increasing military pay across the board, because the empty stomachs of a family hurt no matter where you are.

This bill protects our soldiers by providing the equipment needed, because today--our soldiers deserve the best there is.

This bill includes the Wounded Warrior Act which reinforces the fact that the tragic conditions at Walter Reed must end.

I ask my colleagues to not ignore the realities of the war and review their priorities--we must give our troops on the frontline what they need and rightfully deserve.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to mourn the loss of a friend, and celebrate the life of a dedicated public servant and exemplary American.

Congresswoman Julia Carson was a trailblazer and an inspiration to her colleagues here in the House of Representatives.

Before beginning her political career, Congresswoman Carson raised two children as a single, working mother.

She first ventured into politics in the 1960's, when she went to work for then-Congressman Andrew Jacobs.

From then on she served as a State Representative, State Senator, City Trustee, and U.S. Representative.

Throughout her distinguished career, Congresswoman Carson never forgot who she was or where she came from.

She served as a constant advocate for those in her community who had no voice.

Since first coming to Congress in 1999, I have had the extreme privilege of working with Congresswoman Carson on a number of issues.

In particular, we worked together to champion the cause of minority and socially disadvantaged farmers--who have traditionally faced many discriminatory obstacles.

In all our work together, I was amazed by her passion and her simple dedication to doing the right thing.

Madam Speaker, Congresswoman Carson will be deeply missed by her family, friends, constituents, and colleagues here in Congress.

But her actions have left a bold legacy of action that will continue in the lives of those she has touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 826, and I want to thank the Chair for his leadership on this issue. I want to thank my good friend Congressman Al Green for his efforts in raising this bipartisan awareness on this outrageous issue. This is the year 2007, and yet we continue to see the hanging of nooses in America, that is shameful, as a form of intimidation and racial discrimination.

Every child has the right to attend school freely. They should not live in fear. And let me tell you, when this happens, many of our children live in that kind of a fear and that kind of intimidation, and that should not happen to our children, no matter who they are or what color they are.

Every American has the right to a workplace that is free from discrimination and hate. We are all children of God, and the Lord has taught us to love thy neighbor and treat each other with dignity and respect, not with hate or discrimination acts like this, but with kindness and love.

Nooses remind us of the dark chapters of the past; yet they continue to be used to create fear today, to create fear today. There have been over 40 suspected hate crimes involving nooses in the last 4 months.

As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I strongly support this resolution, because this type of hate affects all of our communities, not just the African American community, but all of us. We should live without fear or intimidation in this country and allow everyone to have that kind of freedom.

Over the years, more people have died from lynching than there have been victims at Pearl Harbor, and many of them were African Americans, Italians, Jewish and Mexican Americans.

We stand together in solidarity to say the hanging of nooses will not be tolerated by anyone, anymore, for any reason, and I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot of hateful rhetoric surrounding the immigration debate on this floor. Some of my colleagues stand here and compare immigrants to terrorists and say that immigrants are lazy and are looking for a free ride, when in fact they have made many contributions to this country, positive contributions.

Let me tell you about an honorable immigrant family from Rialto. Corporal Jorge Gonzalez was one of the first soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, and I say in Iraq, for this country. The wife and infant son were left behind to apply for special permission just so that their United States flag could be draped over his coffin. Jorge was willing to die to protect this country, willing to die to protect this country; but since he was an immigrant, there are some in this body who would call him a criminal. Immigrants are not criminals. They are soldiers. They are our friends. They are our students. They are our doctors.

It is time for Congress to recognize what is right. Stop this hateful rhetoric, stop the lies. Honor the sacrifices made by men like Jorge.

Lord, help us understand and pass real immigration.

Mr. Chairman, I stand in support of this amendment and also rise in support of H.R. 3515. I want to thank Chairman Frank for his leadership.

The headline from yesterday's San Bernardino Sun, my local paper, read ``Area Number 3 in Nation in Foreclosures.''

Right now, one in 43 houses in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are undergoing foreclosure. Our families are being torn apart by this crisis. The American Dream of homeownership has become a nightmare for them.

I had a town hall meeting in my district on foreclosures last weekend. I am glad that I did because we were able to assist a lot of families. These families are scared and need help. They feel hopeless, unless Congress addresses this issue.

Our families said that the teaser rate was resetting to a payment that was more than half of their income. Another said they had to take a second job just to afford the new payments after the rates were adjusted. It was clear that these families were steered into loans that they could not afford.

On the other hand, other constituents told me that the interest rate they received on the loans was higher than what they were told that they would receive. Too many consumers are victims of this type of predatory bait-and-switch practice.

This bill includes an amendment which I offered which requires additional disclosures to provide consumers information before signing. This will help put an end to the abusive practice and ensure that consumers have accurate information about the cost of their loan so that they know what they are buying.

H.R. 3915 will help put an end to predatory lending once and for all. And it prohibits prepayment penalties, outlaws discriminatory steering practices and bans yield spread premiums. It also includes stronger underwriting standards to help stop predatory lenders in their tracks.

I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 3915 and support this amendment.

[From the Sun, Nov. 13, 2007]

Area No. 3 in Nation in Foreclosures

(By Matt Wrye)

If you know 43 homeowners in the area there's a fair chance

one of them just lost their house to foreclosure.

In a report to be released today Wednesday, Realty Trac, a

real-estate service, said there is one foreclosure for every

43 households in San Bernardino and Riverside counties,

according to third-quarter 2007 data.

That puts the region at No. 3 nationwide for home

foreclosures. Stockton was at the top of the list, followed

by Detroit.

The two-county area saw more than 31,661 foreclosure

filings on 20,664 between 20,664 properties between July and

September.

That number will drop steadily, but higher-than-normal

foreclosure rates will continue until 2009 or 2010, said Jack

Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic

Development Corp.

``It's catching up to us,'' he said about the subprime

mortgage fallout. ``Unfortunately, the trend will continue.

It's going to be slowing down, but people forget the size of

the Riverside-San Bernardino area.''

John Husing, a regional economist based in Redlands, agrees

with Kyser.

``There's no question that you have a disproportionately

large number of foreclosures and you'll be continuing to have

that in the Inland Empire versus other places in the country

and Southern California,'' Husing said. ``The trend is going

to continue for at least the next year to year and a half

because of mortgages that were reset back in 2005 and 2006.''

The top 10 was rounded out by Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Las

Vegas; Sacramento; Cleveland; Miami; Bakersfield and Oakland.

Madam Speaker, like many other of my colleagues who spoke right before, who told stories about how the lack of immigration reform has affected many families, Madam Speaker, the time for Congress to pass immigration reform is long overdue.

Our system is broken. Our country is less safe. Families are torn apart. And people are living in fear. For the Hispanic Caucus, this is an issue that is personal to a lot of us. Our communities should not be a punching bag for the vocal few. It's time to stop this hateful rhetoric that serves only to divide us and bully the vulnerable.

Children should not be torn apart from their mothers. We have been asked to stand against what are American values of family, providing a chance to do better.

America is a Nation of immigrants, not just from Mexico and Latin America but from Canada, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Immigration is not an Hispanic

issue; it's an American issue. It's an American issue.

We want to work together to create a real plan to combat hateful and often racist rhetoric that affects all of us. I ask my colleagues to do the right thing and not the political easy thing and to support real immigration reform.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4156, the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act.

The Iraq war is a failure and it's time for our troops to come home.

This bill calls for a responsible redeployment and provides for the checks and balances Congress is authorized to impose.

The administration does not have blanket authority and America does not have a bottomless checking account.

The President's policy in Iraq has been a complete failure, and Americans are calling for this war to end.

Our troops are now trapped in the middle of someone else's civil war.

Our military presence in Iraq is not making our country any safer.

Instead, this war has taken the lives of over 3,850 soldiers, including 13 brave young men from my District alone.

From Rialto, 37-year-old Staff Sergeant Jorge A. Molina was deployed in Iraq and died in hostile fire in the Anbar province.

From Rialto, 20-year-old, Specialist Luis D. Santos was deployed in Iraq and died of injuries sustained when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee during combat operations in Buritz.

From Rialto, 22-year-old, Corporal Victor A. Garcia was deployed in Iraq and died by small arms fire in Baghdad.

From Bloomington, 25-year-old, Corporal Joseph A. Blanco was deployed in Iraq and died by small arms fire in Taji after sustaining injuries from a makeshift bomb.

From Fontana, 19-year-old Lance Corporal Fernando S. Tamayo was deployed in Iraq and died while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province.

From Fontana, 24-year-old Sergeant Bryan A. Brewster was deployed in Afghanistan and died after his helicopter crashed during combat operations in Afghanistan.

From San Bernardino, 22-year-old Corporal Nicanor Alvarez was deployed in Iraq and died in the line of fire in the Anbar province.

From San Bernardino, 19-year-old Petty Officer Alex Oceguera was deployed in Afghanistan, and died when a makeshift bomb detonated near his vehicle in Wygal Valley, Afghanistan.

From San Bernardino, 24-year-old Corporal Sean Grilley was deployed in Iraq, and died after being fired on by Iraqis during operations in Karbala.

From San Bernardino, 24-year-old Specialist Timothy D. Watkins was deployed in Iraq, and died when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during operations in Ar Ramadi.

From Ontario, 21-year-old Specialist Jose R. Perez was deployed in Iraq, and died by enemy small arms fire in Ramadi.

From Ontario, 31-year-old Sergeant First Class Rudy A. Salcido was deployed in Iraq, and died when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convey vehicle in Baghdad.

These are the true faces of the war. My deepest prayers go out to their families.

These soldiers are the reason why I am so adamant about bringing our troops back home, and why we must support this bill.

The President's failed policies on the Iraqi war effort must end. We are listening to America's concerns and will not stand by and watch this continue.

We need to bring back our loved ones and put our families here at home first.

It's time for America to put her priorities in order.

This Nation is in debt, but not because of domestic spending.

President Bush refuses to sign bills to pay for schools, children's health care, and to protect our workers.

However, he comes to us asking for another $200 billion to continue funding the Iraq war.

With just one week's worth of funding for the war, my District would never again face a shortage of teachers, of nurses, or of police officers.

As a veteran, I voted against this war in 2002 because no one could convince me why we had to be there in the first place.

The President believes Iraq is making our country safer.

The truth is, it is has put us at greater risk.

Our military is stretched so thin that we are at risk of not being prepared for any future emergencies.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman who is working on this for yielding me this time.

I rise tonight to honor Beatrice ``Bea'' Watson, a woman who dedicated her life to her community and to democracy. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle from California for supporting this legislation on a bipartisan basis. Bea Watson died on August 5 at the age of 83. My bill, H.R. 3569, would designate the Santa Ana Avenue post office in Fontana, California, to be named in her honor.

My friend, Bea Watson, was a distinguished member of the Fontana community. Bea strove to make a positive difference in her hometown, a positive role model, and was an inspiration to all she came in contact with, and she led by example.

In over 45 years of life in Fontana, she served as an elected city councilmember, clerk, historical society officer, women's club president, chamber of commerce member, and organized many events such as parades and festivals in Fontana.

Bea was also recognized for her outstanding achievement and loved by all her community for her contributions to the Fontana community. Through her life, she received over 22 prestigious community awards, including the Fontana PTA Council Award, the Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Volunteer Award, the Community Spirit Award, and the California Legislature Woman of the Year Award.

In fact, Bea was so loved by the community that she was given the title of ``Mrs. Fontana'' or ``Busy Bea'' in the City of Fontana. Her efforts have touched the lives of her neighbors and her impact on the community will create a lasting legacy for generations to come.

As a volunteer, as a public servant and as a friend of her community, Bea proved herself to be an exemplary American. She was an excellent example of the meaning of volunteerism, and the quality of life in Fontana is better because she cared and gave so much of herself knowing that it would be a better place for others.

Although now gone, she will continue to serve as an inspiration to us all. It is with great honor that I ask Members of Congress to designate the post office in California's 43rd Congressional District as the Beatrice Watson Post Office. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Again, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the 53 Members from California who signed on.

[From The Press-Enterprise, Aug. 14, 2007]

Ex-Fontana Councilwoman Bea Watson Dies

(By Mary Bender)

Former City Clerk and Councilwoman Bea Watson, a tireless

community volunteer who organized the city's Christmas and

Fontana Days parades, died Sunday and will be remembered in a

funeral service Monday.

She was 83.

Mrs. Watson was elected to two terms as Fontana city clerk,

completing her eight years in office in December. She also

served one term as a city councilwoman, from 1992 to 1996,

losing her re-election bid to Manuel Mancha by 68 votes.

``Bea was a citizen who truly cared for this community,''

said Linda Nunn, Fontana's deputy city clerk. ``She will

truly be missed.''

Mrs. Watson, who had been ill for three months, died of

congestive heart failure at Legacy Rehabilitation Center in

San Bernardino, according to Monica Bentley, her

granddaughter.

She is survived by her husband, Larry Watson, a production

specialist for KFON Channel 3, the city's government access

station that airs meetings of the Fontana City Council and

Planning Commission.

Other survivors include her daughter, Patricia Bentley, of

Fontana, her brother, Fay Allen, of San Bernardino, her

sister, Marguerite Botsford, of Fontana, Monica Bentley and

another granddaughter, and a great-grandson.

Mrs. Watson's successor, City Clerk Tonia Lewis, said she

would recruit friends and colleagues to help out with civic

events. ``It's hard to fill her shoes because she was so

active in everything,'' Lewis said. ``She didn't take no for

an answer.''

Mrs. Watson didn't let her ailments slow her down. ``Toward

the end, she was so sick and so bent over,'' Lewis said.

``She had a hard time getting around. She shuffled and it

never stopped her,'' Lewis said. ``She just kept going, like

the Energizer Bunny.''

One of Mrs. Watson's passions was the Fontana Historical

Society, which was established in 1974 but in recent years

needed an infusion of volunteers to replace its aging roster.

``She got me involved with the Historical Society because

the society was failing for lack of membership. She hated to

see things fail, so she would gather together people she knew

who could handle those things,'' Lewis said. ``We had no

choice.''

Mrs. Watson was active in several other local organizations

and events, including the Fontana Woman's Club, the Fontana

Exchange Club; American Legion Auxiliary, Post 772; and the

Fontana Chamber of Commerce.

She served on committees to commemorate Fontana's 50th and

75th anniversary celebrations, and organized the city's

annual Community Prayer Breakfast since 1990. She also was an

active volunteer for the Fontana Days Festival, the annual

summer celebration of the city's 1913 founding by A.B.

Miller, and organized the city's annual Festival of Winter.

``The Christmas parade was her baby. She felt like she was

doing it for the kids in Fontana,'' Lewis said.

Born July 1, 1924, in Ashtabula, Ohio, Mrs. Watson came

West in 1944, living in San Bernardino before moving to

Fontana. She attended San Bernardino Valley College and was a

retired telephone company administrator with Pacific Bell.