Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great loss to our community, Mr. Wilbur Kuotung Woo, who passed away on November 12, 2012 at the age of 96. My heart goes out to his wife of 74 years, Beth; his five children; his six grandchildren; his seven great-grandchildren; and the rest of his family and friends.

I had the great pleasure of knowing Mr. Woo. He was an extraordinary citizen, a role model for community activism and a tireless advocate for the Chinese American community.

Mr. Woo's life stands as a living testament to the American Dream. He was born in China in 1915 and immigrated to the United States at age 5. He went on to study at UCLA and graduated with a degree in business administration. Mr. Woo then went to work at his family's business, the Chungking Produce Company, where he would often begin work around midnight in order to prepare for a full day at the produce market.

In 1962, Mr. Woo became Vice President of Cathay Bank during a time when many local banks refused to lend to Chinese Americans. Thanks in part to his leadership and incredible business acumen, Cathay Bank would go on to become one of the largest independent financial institutions in Los Angeles County.

Mr. Woo also served his community as chairman of the board at The Chinese Times, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and founder of the California-Taiwan Trade & Investment Council.

Mr. Woo was known as a bridge between the halls of power in Washington, DC and the underserved Chinese American community. As President of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, he lobbied for a shift in U.S. immigration policy and met with Senators Hiram Fong and Edward Kennedy. Woo would see his dream accomplished in 1965, when the United States finally lifted legal barriers limiting immigration from China and Taiwan. This historic act would open the doors for a new wave of immigrants and greatly contribute to our nation's cultural fabric.

I urge all my House colleagues to join me in honoring our community hero, Mr. Wilbur K. Woo, for his remarkable service, indomitable spirit and contributions to his community and to our nation.

Twenty children ages 6 and 7 went to school last Friday to learn, to play, to take their first steps into this world. What happened to them and six brave teachers determined to protect them is horrific and unimaginable. Our hearts break for their families, their friends, and their loved ones. What has been taken from them cannot be taken back.

The tragedy at Sandy Hook happened because we turned a blind eye to the carnage our lax gun laws bring us. It's time to change those laws before another school, mall, or movie theater is turned into a crime scene.

We must ban assault weapons. We must ban extended ammunition clips that shoot 30 bullets at a time. We must demand that everyone everywhere receives a thorough background check if they want to own a gun.

It's time to reclaim our security, and it starts by making changes to the law.

Earlier this week, our country lost a valiant war hero and one of the greatest statesmen of our time with the passing of Senator Daniel K. Inouye.

Senator Inouye was an inspirational leader and a true American patriot in every sense of the word. In fact, it's hard to think of the State of Hawaii without Daniel Inouye. Since the moment Hawaii gained statehood in 1959 he has represented the Aloha State in Congress and ensured that Hawaii and others in the Pacific region have access to resources and facilities that many on the continental U.S. take for granted.

Even though he was labeled an enemy alien during World War II, he made the decision to enlist in the Japanese American ``Go for Broke'' 442nd regimental combat team. He fought bravely, even as thousands of Japanese Americans were unjustly placed in internment camps at home. In one terrible battle in Italy, he led an assault against a heavily defended ridge. Germans shot at him with machine guns, destroying his right arm. Despite that, he was still able to destroy the German bunker. His bravery earned him the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Gold Medal, and for that alone he will always be remembered as a true American hero.

But Senator Inouye's service to our country extends far beyond World War II. He was a trailblazer in politics when there were few Asian Americans. He rose through the ranks, becoming the chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and the President pro tem of the U.S. Senate, and became our highest-ranking Asian American politician. He broke barriers and paved the way for countless Asian American and Pacific Islanders in public service. In my role as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I truly valued his guidance as a founder and longtime executive board member of our caucus. He was a tireless advocate for both the people of Hawaii and the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

All of us who had the honor to know and learn from him will dearly miss his leadership and the honor and integrity that he brought to the job. My heart goes out to his wife, Irene Inouye, his son, Daniel Ken Inouye, Jr., and the many family, friends, colleagues, and constituents for their tremendous loss.

So aloha, Senator Inouye. Thank you for your lifetime of service. While your passing has left us with a great void, we know that your legacy will continue to live on in the many accomplishments you leave behind and in the generations you've inspired through your service to our country.

This Friday, an unimaginable horror happened. The most innocent amongst us, 20 beautiful children, ages 6 and 7, were gunned down in cold blood, and six adults died trying to save these children's lives. My heart breaks for these families, and I send my deepest sympathies to the Newtown community and to all who are struggling through this unthinkable tragedy.

Sandy Hook made clear what we've known for too long: that we are not doing enough to protect the public from deadly weapons, that we are not doing enough to address mental health issues in our society, and that we are not doing enough to stand up to those who are actually saying that more guns, not less, are the solutions to mass shootings.

This must change. For the sake of our children, I say enough is enough. Congress must act to put a stop to this senseless gun violence.

Sequestration wasn't written to be good fiscal policy. It was never intended to be policy, period. These automatic cuts would deeply hurt our environment. This Congress has already tried to roll back our strongest environmental laws. Now we're on the verge of setting a new low.

Sequestration could force the national parks and forests to turn away visitors. Our Forest Service, which fights wildfires, might not have enough money to put out all the flames. Agencies protecting us from harmful toxic waste may have difficulty going after our worst polluters. This is no solution to our deficit problems.

Now is the time for both sides to work toward a responsible compromise. As I said before, sequestration was never intended to happen, so let's not let it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great loss to our community, Lt. Victor B. Schoon, who passed away on September 25, 2012 at the age of 93. My heart goes out to his loving children, Andra Lew, JoAnna Schoon-Kormo, and Marcus Victor Schoon; his grandchildren, Michael Lew, Kenneth Schoon, Juliarma Marie Schoon, Eric Konno and Allison Konno; and the rest of his family, friends and loved ones. He now goes to join his loving wife, Dora Song, who passed away in 1999.

When Lt. Schoon enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943, he did so during a time when Chinese Americans could not vote, could not immigrate to the United States, and could not even become citizens. But he enlisted anyway, regardless of the prejudice and discrimination he faced. Such was his patriotism to his country.

Within two short years of his enlistment, Lt. Schoon had become a First Lieutenant piloting his own B-17 over the European Theatre during World War II. He served with distinction, stationed with the 340th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group based in Foggia, Italy between 1944 and 1945.

During that time he saw air combat over the Balkans, Southern France, Germany, Rome, Arno and the North Appennines. And thanks to his bravery, skill and flying prowess, he flew 50 successful missions, bringing all of his 9 crew members home safely, and contributing to the Allies' defeat of the Axis powers and the end of the war.

For his efforts he was rewarded with the European, African and Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal; an Air Medal with 2-Oak Leaf Cluster; and a Distinguished Unit Badge.

He went on to receive an honorable discharge, enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley and earn a bachelor's degree in architecture. He became a successful architect, drawing custom office buildings for various prestigious firms and opened his own architectural firm in Hollywood.

But this selfless patriot, who dropped out of high school to help provide for his nine siblings after his parents' death, who enlisted in

the military despite the prejudice of the times and great personal danger to himself, and who went on to serve his community so admirably, died before receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal he so deserved.

I urge my House colleagues to join me in honoring Lt. Schoon for his record of bravery, indomitable spirit and remarkable service to his community and to our nation.

I rise today as a proud cosponsor of House Resolution 785, condemning the hate crimes, bullying, and brutal violence perpetrated against Sikh Americans and all acts of violence against Sikh Gurdwaras in the United States. In the face of unrelenting and unprovoked violence, it is clear that action must be taken.

The Sikh community has a long history of contributing to this Nation. Sikh farmers shaped California's agriculture industry, farming a third of the land and providing nature's bounty for others to enjoy. The very first Asian American to be elected to the U.S. Congress was a Sikh American, Dalip Singh Saund, elected in California in 1957. And Sikh temples all across the country have shown their beautiful spirit by giving free food, called langar, to everybody in the neighborhood who is hungry. And yet time and time again we see the good deeds of Sikh Americans met with undue violence from others. And in the wake of 9/11, this behavior spiked sharply. Just days after the attacks took place-- as the soot still lingered over Manhattan and smoke still smoldered from a field in Pennsylvania--Balbir Singh Sodhi became the first victim of misplaced retaliation. He was in the gas station he had worked his entire life to own when a gunman shot at him and took his life.

Through the years the violence has not abated. Last year, in northern California, Surinder Singh and Gurmej Atwal, two elderly Sikh Americans, were doing what they always did every afternoon, taking a walk in the neighborhood, when suddenly they were shot. They were murdered in cold blood, but not for money or jealousy or revenge. They were murdered because of their turbans. And then there were the overwhelmingly shocking events of August 5 of this year in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The Sikh community was peacefully preparing meals for Sunday prayer inside their gurdwara. But that peace was shattered without warning at the hands of a gunman filled with hate and rage. He fired indiscriminately and without cause, and when the smoke cleared, six innocent people lay dead. Although it has been more than a decade since 9/11, hysteria and stereotyping are still far too common. We must combat the growing wave of violence and intolerance that threatens the safety and civil liberties of the Sikh American community.

Today, while the FBI tracks the overall number of hate crimes taking place, it doesn't even record attacks specifically on Sikhs, despite the fact that we've seen over and over again that Sikhs are singled out over and over again because of their appearance and faith. That's why this resolution not only denounces the violence befalling this community; we're calling on the Department of Justice to finally begin documenting and quantifying hate crimes committed against Sikh Americans. As many as three out of four Sikh boys endure torment and bullying from their peers. And so we're urging educators across the Nation to help end the epidemic of bullying against Sikh youths. We're urging law enforcement officers in every locality to do all they can to prevent violence against this and all communities.

America was founded on the principles of religious freedom, acceptance, and tolerance. Let's make sure that every American can live safely and in peace. Let's make sure that every American is protected.

Mr. Speaker, at the end of what Republicans consider to be a grueling work week consisting of 2\1/2\ whole days, Republicans are heading home once again to take the next 2 months off.

The Republican-led ``Do-Nothing Congress'' was in session for a grand total of 8 days this month, and it took 5 weeks off before that.

During their time here in Washington, Republicans made sure to vote to end Medicare as we know it, increase costs for seniors, and give tax breaks to millionaires and companies that ship jobs overseas.

But on addressing the ongoing jobs crisis in this country, they did nothing. On providing tax cuts for the middle class and small business, they did nothing. On working towards a bipartisan solution to the looming fiscal cliff, they left the American people hanging by continuing to do nothing.

The hardworking men and women who call this country home deserve so much better. They certainly deserve better than nothing.

I rise today in opposition to this bill which will further damage our already broken immigration system. I strongly support increasing visas for STEM foreign students so they can stay, work, and innovate here. But while this bill claims to do that, it actually reduces the number of overall visas available and lets unused STEM visas disappear by 2014.

The bill also gets rid of 50,000 legal immigrant visas each year under the Diversity Visa Program, which gives every immigrant, no matter their background, a chance of immigrating to the United States and is so important to immigrants who don't fall into other categories.

Supporters of legal immigration should not have to kill other immigration programs to help our economy maintain its competitive edge. This is not a zero-sum game.

Anyone in support of fair legal immigration should oppose this bill. And I urge both sides to come together to work on a bipartisan STEM visa bill

that will help keep our economy competitive without making our backlogged immigration system worse.

Mr. Speaker, we know that in too many states and districts across the country, students with the greatest needs are being taught by teachers with little or no training, including those enrolled in alternative route teacher preparation programs. That's why I am so glad this legislation requires the Department of Education to provide Congress--and the nation--with comprehensive information on the extent to which our highest-need students, including students with disabilities, English learners, students from rural communities, and low-income students, are being taught by teachers-in-training who are enrolled in alternative route programs, disaggregated by state and district, as well as by student subgroups. The data that will be included in this report should be made public and disseminated to parents and other interested parties so that is understandable and actionable. Specifically, the provision requires:

The Secretary of Education must submit a report to Congress by 12/31/ 13 that provides a comprehensive picture, with state-level and LEA data, on the extent to which the following categories of students are taught by alternative route teachers-in-training who are deemed ``highly qualified'' pursuant to 34 CFR 200.56(a)(2)(ii): students with disabilities, English learners, students in rural areas, and students from low-income families. 34 CFR 200.56(a)(2)(ii) is the regulation that allows individuals participating in alternative route programs but who have not yet completed their full state certification to be labeled ``highly qualified.'' This regulation was struck down by the Ninth Circuit in the Renee v. Duncan lawsuit, but written into statute in the December 2010 CR.

To produce the report required by this amendment, states and LEAs will be required to compile the data that they are already required to have under Section 1111(h)(6)(A) of NCLB regarding the professional qualifications of all their teachers, including: ``Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.

Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.

The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.

This data will provide essential information to parents, to educators and to policy makers so that informed decisions can be made so that we can strengthen one of our nation's most valuable assets, our public schools. We will be in a much better position to look at our neediest students and our neediest rural and urban school districts and determine the extent to which well prepared teachers are or are not equitably distributed. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to receiving this important report from the Secretary on December 31, 2013.

It's been 11 years since blue skies over New York were blackened with soot, 11 years since the Pentagon sustained its only attack in history, and 11 years since the heroism of our countrymen over a quiet field in Pennsylvania. Today, we remember and honor all of the lives lost on this day 11 years ago.

In the aftermath of 9/11, we mourned those who lost their lives. What had seemed so far from possible just 1 day before was ever present from that moment on, and we will never forget.

From the ashes came stories of heartbreak, like twins born on September 15 who never knew their father. For them and so many others, it's not 11 years; it's every single day.

As we reflect on this anniversary of 9/11, let us remember those 3,000 people, the fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brave first responders, and the values of this country for which they lost their lives, our tolerance, our democracy, and our freedom.

Mr. Speaker, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program has been an invaluable source of funding for state and local law enforcement jurisdictions across the country, including in my district. Without this broad-based source of funding, safety in our communities would suffer. This invaluable grant program supports a wide range of areas including from crime prevention and education to technology improvements for police departments.

In addition, the Byrne JAG Program provides resources for body armor, an area that I highlighted during action on H.R. 6062 in the Judiciary Committee, of which I am a Member. The grant program allows local law enforcement agencies and other grantees to purchase equipment, which can include bulletproof and stab-resistant vests. Although the Bureau of Justice Assistance (``BJA'') is not required to track body armor purchases with Byrne JAG funds, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study released in February of this year, roughly 14 percent of grantees surveyed had used JAG funds to buy body armor in 2010.

Without a doubt, personal body armor plays a critical role in saving law enforcement officers from disabilities and death. As a matter of fact, FBI data shows that the risk of death for officers who did not wear body armor was 14 times greater than those who did. Despite this finding, the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that only 71% of local police departments require field officers to wear body armor at least some of the time, while only 59% of departments require the officers to wear protective armor at all times. The benefits from wearing body armor are evident, and yet . . . many departments still don't require it.

Recently, the U.S. Attorney General instituted a new requirement for Fiscal Year 2011 grantees seeking matching funds from the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Act (BVPA)--grantees now need to have mandatory body armor wear policies in place. This means that uniformed officers on patrol are required to wear a protective vest. Unfortunately, this same mandate is not included in the Byrne JAG program.

This is why I proposed an amendment in Committee--similar to an amendment proposed to the BVPA reauthorization by Senator Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and accepted by that Committee--that would have unified this mandatory wear policy and extended it to the Byrne JAG program. Chairman Smith graciously noted his willingness to work with me on this front, and so I agreed to withdraw my amendment, but the issue is still worth mentioning on the floor since it is such an important issue. I welcome the interest of any of my colleagues who would also like to work with me on ensuring the extension of mandatory wear policies for body armor to additional federal grantees.

I highlighted another issue when proposing my amendment in the Judiciary Committee, which is body armor fit--an issue that concerns all law enforcement officers, but particularly the growing number of women in law enforcement. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of women in local law enforcement grew from 7.6% in 1987 to 12% in 2007. In 2007, women accounted for 18% of sworn officers in 12 of the 13 largest local police departments.

The need for properly fitted body armor for women is extremely important. Much of the armor currently offered is designed for male officers and simply does not take into account the anatomical differences. This of course leads to poor fit and discomfort. Fit issues also apply to male officers, who we know also come in different shapes and sizes. And whenever officers put on body armor that is not properly fitted, they are exposing themselves to greater harm since they are not as protected as they could be.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police/DuPont Kevlar Survivors' Club (Survivors' Club) has documented more than 3,150 saves from disability or death by wearing of or use of protective body armor. As noted in a July 19th letter to me from Retired Police Chief Ron McBride, Program Manager for Survivors' Club, ``It is appropriate to ensure that taxpayers' dollars expended on providing body armor results in consistent wear of an issued vest. Protective body armor left in an officer's locker provides zero protection. Unique fit is essential to optimizing protection. A well fitted armor provides best coverage of an officer's torso and is more comfortable to wear. These two issues equate to enhanced officer safety.''

This is why the second part of my amendment offered in committee would have required that body armor purchased with Byrne JAG funding be uniquely fitted to each officer, including female officers.

The issue of properly fitted body armor should not be taken lightly when considering the overall safety of law enforcement officers. Body armor saves lives, but only if it fits properly and is worn by officers. I look forward to continuing to work with the Chairman, Ranking Member Conyers, and other interested Members in these areas.

Few things are as sacred as the right to vote. Generations have fought, bled, and died so that you and I can have a voice in our democracy. This is why we must guard against measures that take this away, like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited all Chinese immigrants from becoming naturalized citizens so that they would not be able to vote. It lasted 60 years, until 1943, preventing people who'd lived in this country for decades from exercising their voices.

Laws like this, poll taxes, or literacy tests, should be a thing of the past in America. Every U.S. citizen, no matter what their background, should have access to the polls. But today, State governments across the country are enacting laws making it much harder for as many as 5 million Americans to vote, requiring, for instance, photo IDs for grandmothers who voted for years but no longer drive.

When barely half of Americans vote, we should not be erecting more barriers to democracy. We should be removing obstacles. We must protect the right to vote.

Thanks to the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United, corporations can now make unlimited donations without disclosing who they are. The result is a government for hire to the highest bidder.

Think about it. Are you a corrupt oil company that hates those annoying safeguards that protect Americans' health, but restrict your ability to drill, baby, drill? No problem. Find a candidate that will turn a blind eye and donate until they win. Or maybe you're a billionaire on Wall Street who leveraged away the savings of the American people for a big paycheck in 2008, but now you're being held back by Wall Street reform. Not to worry. Buy a candidate with a super PAC. Nobody needs to know who you even are.

Twice this week, the DISCLOSE Act, which would end this madness and provide transparency to who's contributing in elections, has come up in the Senate. And twice this week, Republicans blocked it on a party-line vote. Americans should ask the GOP: Why?

After returning from Iraq, John started college. He didn't pick a major right away, instead, exploring different subjects. But he struggled. It was hard for him to focus; and after what he had been through, he couldn't relate to his classmates. Soon, he had used up his GI Bill benefits and couldn't afford to graduate.

What John's story tells us is that even though we vigorously train our soldiers, we give veterans little guidance to succeed in school. So I'm introducing the Student Veterans Academic Counseling Enhancement Act, endorsed by the American Legion, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This bill provides regular one-on-one academic counseling to GI Bill students no matter where they go to school, and it tracks veteran graduation rates to help ensure academic and career success. This Student Veterans Act will ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, while helping veterans graduate and get good jobs. We owe it to those who have sacrificed so much for us, our veterans.