Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Forty-five years ago, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act to end wage discrimination against women, who on average earned only 60 cents to every dollar earned by men.

Since then, women have made extraordinary achievements, contributing to the illusion women have indeed reached parity in the workplace.

That illusion is created by such events as the historic election of the first woman Speaker of the House, and by increased numbers of women heading Fortune 500 companies.

The reality is, however, that in spite of these achievements women have not reached wage parity.

Pay inequality is perhaps the most glaring example of how women continue to be discriminated against.

Despite enactment of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, today women doing the same work earn only 77 cents to every dollar earned by their male counterparts.

This unfairness often has devastating economic consequences to a woman, especially upon retirement, when pensions and Social Security benefits are based on her life earnings.

This disparity often costs a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million in lifetime earnings, contributing to the disturbing fact that today women make up 70 percent of older adults living in poverty.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Paycheck Fairness Act because it will close loopholes that often destroy the economic security of women.

Mr. Speaker, the future health of America is at a crossroad, requiring us to make a critical decision. Will we choose the road that promises a healthier future for all Americans or will we choose to continue down the path that has led the United States to lag behind 28 United Nations countries in life expectancy?

Incredibly, the United States annually spends $2.2 trillion on health care, more than any other nation. Seventy-five percent of that health care budget is spent largely on preventable chronic disease conditions. Yet the United States has the highest rate of preventable deaths among the majority of industrialized nations. Even more troubling is the fact that the number of people in the United States with preventable chronic diseases continues to rise steadily.

If unchecked, public health experts agree that nearly half of our population will suffer from at least one chronic disease by the year 2025.

Mr. Speaker, we can no longer ignore the science that links nearly 60 percent of premature deaths in our country to preventable environmental conditions, to social circumstances or to negative behavioral choices. We have known for almost a decade, for example, that being overweight and physically inactive accounts for more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the United States, second only to tobacco-related deaths.

While we continue to ignore this preventable reality, our Nation's obesity epidemic shows no sign of abating. It may very well be that today's children will be the first in a generation to have shorter, less healthy lives than their parents.

However, there is good news. The road to a healthy future often requires only simple, small choices that have proven to be effective in reducing the incidence and severity of many chronic diseases. They include better eating habits, exercising more and taking an aspirin every day.

Unfortunately, these proven preventative strategies fail to reach large numbers of people at risk for chronic diseases. One reason for failure is our health system continues to prioritize medical care based on disease treatment rather than health care focused on prevention and on the control of diseases before they become more costly and difficult to treat.

Next year, as a new Congress and as a new administration work to fix our broken health care system, it is imperative we prioritize disease prevention and public health in the formulation of any health policy.

For that reason, I am introducing a resolution today calling for an increased Federal commitment to prevention and public health. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by my cochairs from the Study Group on Public Health: Representatives Jim McGovern and Kay Granger; Representative Jim Moran from the Prevention Caucus; and Representative Diana DeGette of the Diabetes Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, the future health of our country is at a critical point in our history. New research has shown that investing in clinical- and community-level prevention saves lives and significantly reduces health care costs.

It is, therefore, essential that the road we choose to a timely, accessible, effective, and affordable health care system includes a focus on public health and prevention. Both are key elements to reaching our goal of a strong and healthy nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend an exceptionally gifted boxer from the City of Commerce in the 34th Congressional District as he embarks on his trip to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing as a member of the U.S. Boxing Olympic Team.

At 5 feet 9 inches tall and 141 pounds, 18-year-old Javier Molina is classified as a light welterweight in the boxing world. In August of last year, Javier qualified to join the U.S. Olympic team.

Javier trains at the Commerce Boxing Club, operated by the City of Commerce, under the experienced guidance of Boxing Coach Roberto Luna. Javier and his twin brother, Oscar, have trained under Mr. Luna since they were 9 years old.

Described by his coach as an intellectual and role model, Javier also excels in school. As a student at John Glenn High School in Norwalk, Javier earned a 3.8 grade point average while taking mostly honors courses.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the 34th Congressional District and the State of California, I ask my colleagues to please join me in congratulating Javier on his remarkable achievements and extending to him and his teammates our best wishes for a victorious trip to the Beijing Olympics. I can assure you, regardless of how he performs, Javier will always be a champion to his many devoted fans in the City of Commerce. He is among our hometown heroes, and we are very proud of him--in and out of the boxing ring.

I would also like to submit for the record excerpts from an article that appeared in a boxing publication about Javier. It provides a more personal glimpse into the mindset of this dynamic young Olympian.

[From the Sweet Science, Sept. 6, 2007]

The Sweet Science Olympic Spotlight: Javier Molina

(By Ralph Gonzalez)

Sometimes a song sums it all up for a person. For 17-year-

old Javier Molina, it's Mexico's Frank Sinatra, Vicente

Fernandez, who spells it out for him in one of his classic

mariachi songs. ``No Me Se Rajar!'' (I Don't Know How To Back

Down) is a tune that reflects the macho culture that prevails

in Mexico.

``I like that song. It talks about never quitting, never

giving in,'' said Molina before receiving a special

commendation from the city of Commerce, CA. ``That's my

attitude inside the ring. I have no quit in me.''

It's exactly that frame of mind that got the 17-year-old

where he is. The Commerce kid just earned the privilege of

representing the United States in the 2008 Olympics set to

take place in Beijing, China, in the 141 (light welterweight)

class. Molina won the Olympic trials held in Houston, Texas,

this past August 25th. He sports an impressive amateur record

of 111wins against 12 losses.

``I knew he had that special something when he first walked

into the ring. Sometimes you can tell right away,'' said

trainer Roberto Luna. Molina walked into the Commerce Boxing

Club at the age of 9 with his twin brother Oscar. ``He always

had the mentality of a winner. He and his brothers always

showed great ability.''

It seems that boxing is encrypted into the DNA of the

Molina family. The father, Miguel, was a pro in Mexico with

two fights in his short career. Javier's older brother,

Carlos, is a highly regarded prospect with a 2-0 record. Luna

co-manages Carlos along with Israel Vazquez's manager Frank

Espinoza. Javier's twin brother, Oscar, is also a highly

touted amateur who reached the nationals as a 152 pounder.

``We're going to try Oscar out for the Mexican national

team,'' said Luna.

Molina discovered the importance of mental toughness at an

early age. ``I always trained real hard physically and

mentally. I fight with a lot of confidence,'' said Molina.

``When I'm in the ring, I don't think of anybody as better

than me. When I get in there, I don't think about getting

tired or anything negative. I block everything out. I'm

really focused.''

Luna believes Molina is destined for success regardless of

what field he chooses. ``He's very intellectual and humble,''

said Luna. ``He's going to be a great role model. Whatever he

decides to do in life, he's going to make it.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend two extraordinary athletes who are members of the United States Women's Water Polo Team competing in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China. In addition to being first-generation Mexican American Latina trailblazers in the world of competitive water polo, both of these exceptional women call the City of Commerce, in the 34th Congressional District, their home.

As children, Brenda Villa and Patty Cardenas learned to play water polo and hone their skills at the local swimming club, Commerce Aquatics. Looking back on their introduction to the sport, Brenda, now 28, and Patty, 23, credit the City of Commerce and the club's dedicated coaches for encouraging and developing their interest in water polo.

Today, in a $20 million facility built to Olympic specifications, the city continues to encourage young people--the future Brendas and Pattys--to participate and excel in water polo. In addition to employing two full-time and three part-time youth water polo coaches and allocating more than $250,000 a year on its programs, the City of Commerce also covers participants' competition-related expenses. These expenses might otherwise prevent the community's economically disadvantaged youth from participating in tournaments.

After Commerce Aquatics, Brenda and Patty continued to play water polo at Bell Gardens High School.

When Brenda entered high school in the fall of 1994, the school did not have a girls water polo team. With Brenda competing alongside and against the male players, the Bell Gardens Boys Water Polo Team won four consecutive league championships and back-to-back California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division III championships.

In the fall of 1998, following Brenda's graduation, the younger Patty entered Bell Gardens High School just in time to join the school's newly-formed Girls Water Polo Team. At that point, CIF rules prohibited Patty from playing on the Boys Water Polo Team. With Patty as part of the high school's first girls team, the female players went on to win four consecutive CIF Championships.

Following high school, both women would go on to realize their dreams of playing competitive women's water polo in college and in the Olympics.

At Stanford University, Brenda took a leave of absence to train with the Olympic Women's National Team for the 2000 Olympic debut of the women's water polo competition in Sydney, Australia. The team won the Silver Medal. Two years later, Brenda was awarded the Peter J. Cutino Award, an honor given annually to the top female collegiate water polo player in the nation. In 2004, as a member of the U.S. Women's National Water Polo Team at the Athens Olympics, Brenda and her teammates took home the Bronze Medal.

Between Olympic Games, Brenda achieved another victory. In 2003, when she graduated from Stanford with a degree in Political Science, she became the first member of her family to earn a college degree.

Patty stayed closer to home after high school. She enrolled at Golden West Community College in Huntington Beach, California. There, Patty helped her team win the 2002 California State Championship. In 2005, Patty transferred to the University of Southern California where, for the past couple of years, she has trained on the U.S. National Women's Polo Team.

The Summer Olympics in Beijing will be Patty's first Olympic competition and Brenda's third. This time, with both Commerce athletes on the same team, they hope to work together with their other teammates to bring home the Gold.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the 34th Congressional District and the state of California, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Brenda and Patty on their incredible achievements and extending to them and their teammates our best wishes for a victorious trip to the Beijing Summer Olympics. I can assure you, regardless of how the team places, these two remarkable athletes will always be champions to their many devoted fans in the City of Commerce. They are among our hometown heroes, and we are very proud of them--in and out of the pool.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary spiritual and civic leader in the Boyle Heights community in the heart of my congressional district.

This year, Monsignor John Moretta is celebrating two significant milestones. It is the 40th anniversary of his ordination into the priesthood and his 25th anniversary serving as the immensely respected and beloved pastor of Resurrection Church in Boyle Heights.

It is my pleasure to tell you more about this remarkable man.

A native Angelino, Monsignor Moretta entered St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, in 1960. After completing Philosophy and Theology studies, he was ordained on April 27, 1968. Since then, he has served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as a parish priest in five parishes, the most recent being Resurrection Church. In addition to being an elected member of the Council of Priests, the Monsignor received special recognition within the church on February 2, 1992 when he was invested as a Domestic Prelate to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor.

During Monsignor Moretta's ministry, he has worked primarily in the Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant community. While he provides motivational spiritual guidance to his congregation, Monsignor Moretta is also highly regarded for his extensive community work that extends well beyond the walls of Resurrection Church.

Under his leadership, Resurrection Church offers a broad array of initiatives to improve the lives of families in the community. Among the many examples of his outreach, Monsignor Moretta empowers his parishioners to learn English and become U.S. citizens.

Monsignor Moretta also encourages residents to speak out against crime and pollution in their neighborhoods. For over nine years, as part of the Resurrection Church Neighborhood Watch group, Monsignor Moretta has met with members of the community every week to discuss public safety.

In an effort to address the neighborhood's concerns about crime and gang activity, Monsignor Moretta took the lead in bringing the successful Project CLEAR anti-gang program to Boyle Heights. I remember well when Monsignor Moretta first approached me about obtaining the federal funding needed to start and maintain the program. Monsignor Moretta explained that he was very concerned about our community because he was increasingly attending funeral services for those killed in gang-related violence, including the funerals of innocent bystanders caught in the line of fire.

Today, through intelligence-gathering, visible community patrols, gang-related arrests, and the investigation of gang-related crimes, the officers in the CLEAR Unit are credited with reducing crime in the area. The officers also work closely with school officials to reduce gang activity and local gang-intervention organizations to divert ``at- risk'' youth from gang involvement.

Monsignor Moretta has also led efforts to protect our children and families from a number of projects that raised significant health and safety concerns in the community.

Under his guidance, the Mothers of East Los Angeles (MELA) was formed in the 1980s to bring the community together to protest the building of a state prison. As part of this effort, Monsignor Moretta led 200 Latina mothers on a lobbying mission to Sacramento where they successfully voiced their concerns about the proposed prison with the governor and state legislators.

Ever since then, on behalf of the community's ongoing quest for social and environmental justice, Monsignor Moretta, in coordination with MELA and other local leaders, has worked to ward off other harmful projects. They have been at the forefront of efforts to stop the expansion of a plant that recycles petroleum and battery acids. They joined forces to oppose the siting of a toxic incinerator. And, most recently, they have been organizing to protest the proposed construction of a power plant that will increase toxic emissions in the area.

In addition to environmental causes, Monsignor Moretta and the Mothers of East Los Angeles have joined forces to bring stability and pride to neighborhoods through homeownership. They worked together to make low-income housing units available to area families. They also established the Boyle Heights Resident Homeowners Association and the Mothers of East Los Angeles Home Ownership Center to provide information and resources to help families become first-time homeowners.

Madam Speaker, on the occasions of Monsignor Moretta's 40th Anniversary of ordination and his 25th Anniversary as pastor of Resurrection Church, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Monsignor Moretta--or Father John as the community lovingly refers to him--on both of these significant anniversaries and, above all, in thanking him for his tireless advocacy on behalf of the Boyle Heights community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the founding of the only Catholic church in the City of Commerce in the 34th Congressional District.

On August 10, 1958, the church's founding stone was placed on the spot that would become St. Marcellinus Church at 2349 Strong Avenue. Eight months later, the church's official open house took place on the feast of St. Marcellinus, the church's patron, on April 26, 1959.

Today, more than 600 people are registered parishioners of the church, and hundreds more attend mass on a regular basis. The church's services--held in both English and Spanish--continue to draw generations of Commerce families together in this industrial community of about 13,500 residents.

Parish Life Director Humberto Ramos was appointed to lead the congregation in August following the retirement of Father Jules Mayer after more than 21 years of service. Minister Ramos said the church serves many purposes in the community that extends well beyond religion. ``Everybody knows each other in this community. This is their church. People need to have a sense of belonging.''

To celebrate the church's important milestone, Cardinal Roger Mahoney will preside over its Golden Jubilee Mass on June 22 and recognize some of the church's founding members.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me along with Cardinal Mahoney and the parishioners of St. Marcellinus Church in celebrating the parish's 50 wonderful years of service to its members and the community.

I would also like to submit for the Record excerpts from a June 29, 2007 article that appeared in The Tidings, the weekly newspaper of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, that provides a detailed overview of the creation of St. Marcellinus Church. As the article points out, the church's founders are especially to be commended for their commitment and fortitude in creating this place of worship that today stands as the spiritual centerpiece of the Commerce community.

St. Marcellinus Church: A History

(By Hermine Lees, The Tidings)

``. . . Before 1957, the idea of a local Catholic church

serving this industry-heavy community southeast of downtown

L.A. was only a dream for its residents, and fulfilled only

after some 14 years of praying and planning. By then,

residents of the communities of Bandini and Rosewood Park

were hemmed in by the creation of the Santa Ana Freeway, rail

yards and industry that separated them from St. Alphonsus

Church.

Father Patrick O'Dowd, St. Alphonsus pastor, attempted to

solve the problem by purchasing a parcel of land at the

corner of Atlantic and Panocha, planning for a chapel in the

area. But the Korean War and freeways intervened.

Only through the efforts of two local residents, Alex Perez

and Ben Garcia, was a Catholic committee formed in 1954 to

survey the area, raise funds and communicate their plan for a

church to Cardinal James Francis McIntyre. By early 1957

their hard work was rewarded when Auxiliary Bishop Timothy

Manning sent them this encouraging letter: ``I join with you

that this year will see the completion of our plans for

Bandini. We have purchased the extra property we needed.'' On

June 14, 1957, the parish of St. Marcellinus was established,

with Father Thomas G. Hayes named the founding pastor.

The 42-year-old New Orleans native started his first

pastorate by searching for a location to celebrate Mass. On

Sunday, July 14, in the upstairs dining room of Kelly's

Restaurant, he celebrated the first Mass for 120 faithful and

claimed that Christ had come to Bandini and gathered his

friends around him in another ``upper room.''

A crew of parishioners ``rigged the upper room for church''

for 10 weeks until a former Protestant church became

``home.'' Eventually a plot at Strong Avenue and Harbor

Street was available and by Holy Saturday, 1959, Father Hayes

sang the first High Mass in the new church . . .

Although several historical sources differ on the name and

rank of St. Marcellinus (some claim he was a pope, others a

martyred priest), it is recorded that many miracles have

occurred in his name. Kind of like the phenomenon of this

parish surviving in the midst of freeways and commerce.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sarah Lowe and Sonja Steptoe, two residents of California's 34th District, on their recent appointment to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

The Knight Commission was created by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1989 with the purpose of recommending a reform agenda that emphasizes academic values in college sports. The commission, which presented recommendations in a series of reports in the early 1990s and in the subsequent A Call to Action in 2001, continues to monitor and report on progress in increasing presidential control, academic integrity, financial integrity and independent certification of programs in college athletics.

Many of the commission's recommended reforms have been enacted by the NCAA. For example, the NCAA recently announced that 218 teams at 123 institutions will be sanctioned for failing to meet minimum academic benchmarks established as part of the Academic Performance Program. In 2001, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics advocated that teams be ineligible for postseason competition if they failed to graduate at least 50 percent of their athletes. Although the current benchmarks are lower than those advocated by the Commission, the Commission has supported the full implementation of the NCAA's program since its adoption in 2004.

The commission convenes several times a year to highlight important issues facing intercollegiate athletics, including academic integrity and the rising costs of college athletic programs.

The Commission is comprised of prominent leaders in higher education and journalism as well as former collegiate athletes who have achieved excellence throughout their careers. I am proud to announce that Sonja Steptoe and Sarah Lowe are two of the Knight Commission's newest members.

Sonja Steptoe serves as client development manager at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, an international law firm based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining O'Melveny in 2007, Steptoe served as a senior correspondent and deputy news director for Time Magazine for 5 years following a successful career in sports journalism. Steptoe reported and wrote for CNNSI sports network, HBO's RealSports with Bryant Gumbel and Sports Illustrated. Her investigation of East Germany's systematic doping of Olympic athletes earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Journalism. Steptoe earned degrees in economics and journalism at the University of Missouri. She received a law degree from Duke University.

Sarah Lowe graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of

Florida in May 2006. Lowe was a leader on the women's basketball team serving as team captain 3 of her 4 years. Following her graduation, she studied in Costa Rica as a Fulbright Scholar. In addition to being a two-time Rhodes scholar finalist, she received numerous awards for her academic and athletics excellence including the Arthur Ashe, Jr. 2006 Female Sport Scholar of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Sonja and Sarah on their achievements and in commending them for their continued commitment to strengthening higher education through their work on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Randy Pausch, a courageous and charismatic Carnegie Mellon professor with pancreatic cancer, who has chosen to dedicate his last months to raising congressional awareness about the importance of research for this deadly disease.

Dr. Pausch is an award winning educator, researcher, and computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University. Considered one of the Nation's foremost teachers of virtual-reality technology, he helped develop a software program called ``Alice'' that encourages kids, particularly young girls, to become interested in programming. This 47-year-old husband and father of three young children became accidentally famous when his motivational Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon was leaked onto the Internet and inspired more than six million people.

Dr. Pausch is the epitome of a professor--never turning away from an opportunity to educate others. In his Last Lecture, which he titled ``How to Really Achieve Your Childhood Dreams,'' he gives wise advice on how to accomplish even those seemingly impossible childhood wishes, and ultimately, how to live a full and happy life. Most importantly, this lecture was an opportunity for Dr. Pausch to leave a message for his children that he will not live to tell them himself.

I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Pausch in January of this year when he came with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to advocate for a National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research. This research is critical given the disturbing statistics showing that only five percent of pancreatic cancer patients remain alive after 5 years of diagnosis. According to Dr. Pausch, he is a ``rock star'' because he has been living with a disease for over 8 months that claims the lives of most patients within 4 to 6 months of diagnosis. While the survival rates for this lethal disease have remained fairly constant over the last 30 years, few resources have been dedicated to researching new treatments.

With what little time he has left, Dr. Pausch is doing his best to make a meaningful contribution to pancreatic cancer research. In addition to coming to lobby Congress in January, Dr. Pausch returned on March 13 to testify before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education during the public witness hearings. Although he will not benefit from the awareness he is raising for this disease, he has taken time to educate Congress about this disease and ask us to take the necessary steps to begin to change the horrifying statistics.

A man who believes in honesty above all else, Dr. Pausch does not sugarcoat his situation. In spite of his prognosis, he continues to see himself as a ``Tigger'' instead of an ``Eeyore.'' He sees each day as another opportunity to impact the lives of others and to share his sage advice about living. He encourages us to ``always wait for people to show their good side, no matter how long it takes.'' He challenges us to ``never give up'' and to ``remember that brick walls are there to make you realize how badly you want something.'' Faced with the seemingly insurmountable brick wall of pancreatic cancer, Randy seizes every opportunity to create precious memories with his wife, Jai, and their three young children: Dylan, 6, Logan, 3, and Chloe who is almost 2.

As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have had the privilege of meeting many impressive people--but Dr. Pausch has been one of the most memorable. My hope is that he will be able to continue to delay the progress of the disease and that his days of good health will continue. Most of all, I hope that Dr. Pausch and his family know that he is an inspiration to us all. Through his lecture and his advocacy, he has not only left behind a legacy for his children, but for the millions of people he has touched with his story.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act, and I thank Chairman Frank and Chairwoman Waters for bringing this important legislation to the House floor.

Madam Speaker, we are all painfully aware of the fact that communities across the Nation are being devastated by the current housing crisis. The reforms in this legislation will help many homeowners stay in their homes and prevent a similar situation from happening again.

The problems caused by subprime and adjustable-rate mortgages are particularly acute

in California, which has the second highest foreclosure rate in the Nation. One in every 78 families is now facing foreclosure in my State. This legislation makes many important reforms to address the current crisis, and I would like to highlight two provisions which I believe are particularly critical for Californians.

First, the measure will expand the FHA program so that homeowners at risk of facing foreclosure can refinance into viable mortgages that are government-backed. Many of my constituents are facing ballooning payments on their mortgages which now far exceed the actual value of their homes. This measure will give them the opportunity to get their finances back on track and keep their homes.

Second, and perhaps most helpful to addressing the crisis in my home State, the legislation makes permanent the FHA loan limit and GSE conforming loan limits temporarily increased by the Economic Stimulus Act. The previous GSE conforming loan limit of $417,000 and the FHA- insurable loan limit of $362,000 simply were not high enough to be effective for high cost regions such as California, where the average cost of a home greatly exceeds the national average.

GSE and FHA backing of mortgages are key to ensuring access to affordable mortgages for many home buyers and homeowners. Permanently increasing loan limits is perhaps the single most important thing we can do to ensure that Californians can benefit from congressional efforts to address the mortgage crisis and have access to affordable, fixed-rate mortgages.

I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and vote in support of this legislation so that we can help our neighbors keep their homes and begin to revitalize our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5919) to make technical corrections regarding the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5919, a bill to make minor technical corrections to the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act that was signed into law last week by President Bush.

I thank Chairman Dingell and Chairman Pallone for bringing this technical corrections bill to the House floor so promptly.

Passage of H.R. 5919 will help us implement the provisions of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act to address the State disparities that currently exist in newborn screening. The act encourages States to uniformly test newborns, and keep an updated scientifically recommended panel of disorders.

The new law also provides resources for States to expand and improve their newborn screening programs; it provides grants to empower health care professionals and parents with information about the importance of newborn screening and follow-up care; and it requires the Centers for Disease Control to ensure the quality of laboratories involved in newborn screening.

Passage of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act has been one of my legislative priorities for over 4 years. I sincerely thank my original co-sponsors, Congressmen Michael Simpson, Tom Reynolds, and Henry Waxman, and my colleagues in the House whose support helped to make passage of the bill a reality.

I also thank Senators Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton, and Orrin Hatch for championing the Senate companion bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5919 so we can begin to eliminate preventable newborn disabilities and deaths, and give all newborn babies in our country an equal opportunity for a healthy life.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his support.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5919.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this week the Nation is celebrating National Public Health Week, and I can think of no better way for this House to have begun the celebration than by the passage of today's packet of critical bipartisan public health legislation.

I commend Chairman Dingell and Chairman Pallone for their leadership in helping to pass this group of bills which will make a significant contribution to improving our environment and the quality of our Nation's health.

Regrettably, I was unable to return from Los Angeles in time to be a part of today's floor discussion. I am particularly pleased, however, that the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, S. 1858, as amended by my bill, H.R. 3825, was one of the public health bills that passed today.

I extend my sincere thanks to my colleagues, Congressman Michael Simpson, Tom Reynolds, and Henry Waxman for their original cosponsorship of H.R. 3825, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act. Their commitment and steadfast efforts have helped

make possible the passage of this significant piece of legislation.

In addition, I thank Senators Dodd, Orrin Hatch, Hillary Clinton, and Edward Kennedy for championing the Senate companion bill, S. 1858.

I also thank the coalition of public health groups, especially the March of Dimes, for working with us over the last 4 years on this critical issue.

Madam Speaker, approximately 5,000 babies are born each year with detectable and treatable disorders. Forty years ago, these disorders would have gone undetected until symptoms appeared. This resulted in otherwise preventable deaths or lifelong suffering from disabling consequences such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy.

Today we have the ability to give a newborn baby a simple blood test that can identify many life-threatening genetic illnesses before symptoms occur. Fortunately, this early identification makes it possible to treat babies in time to prevent severe disorders, serious complications and even death.

Yet tragically in the United States, approximately 1,000 infants a year die or are permanently disabled from these treatable disorders. These preventable tragedies are largely due to the fact that our country lacks a national newborn screening standard. Without a national standard, our States have great disparity and variation in the quality and number of newborn screening tests an infant may receive.

Today's passage of Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act is a major step toward correcting these disparities because it encourages States to uniformly test for and keep updated a scientifically recommended panel of disorders. And it makes available the resources States need to expand and improve their newborn screening programs.

The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act also has the potential to save millions of dollars in health care costs for families and States because it empowers parents and health care professionals with knowledge about the importance of newborn screening and follow-up care.

In addition, the bill requires the Centers for Disease Control to ensure the quality of laboratories involved in newborn screening and it establishes a system for collecting and analyzing data to help researchers develop better detection, prevention, and treatment tragedies.

Madam Speaker, by passing the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, this Congress seized an opportunity to protect vulnerable babies from undue suffering and death and to give them a chance for a long and healthy life. Once again, I thank my colleagues for voting to pass this critical piece of public health legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize TELACU, an organization based in East Los Angeles in my 34th Congressional District, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary and to recognize TELACU's Education Foundation on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.

TELACU, which stands for The East Los Angeles Community Union, is a pioneer in empowering and revitalizing communities in our great State of California and throughout our Nation. In 1968, TELACU was born as a Community Development Corporation (CDC) through seed money appropriated by Congress. Since then, TELACU has grown to become the largest CDC in the Nation with more than $500 million in assets.

For 40 years, under the innovative and dynamic leadership of David C. Lizarraga who serves as Chairman, President and CEO of TELACU, this corporation has provided our young people and families with the tools they need to achieve the American dream. Through its core businesses, TELACU has created thousands of jobs, affordable homes, loans to small businesses and families, and most importantly, numerous educational opportunities for our Latino community.

In response to crisis-level dropout rates for Latino students in college, TELACU created the TELACU Education Foundation 25 years ago. Working in partnership with a vast network of colleges, universities, corporations and individuals, the TELACU Education Foundation has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships to thousands of deserving students.

As the centerpiece of the foundation, the TELACU Scholarship Program annually provides scholarships to 600 college and graduate students who are the first in their families to access higher education. Realizing that financial resources alone cannot fully meet these students' needs, the program also provides the scholars with comprehensive academic and career guidance to ensure that all of them graduate.

The foundation also serves an additional 2,000 elementary, middle and high school students, nursing students, and veterans. Through comprehensive educational programs, these scholars are not only inspired to pursue higher education, but are also equipped to meet the rigorous expectations of college. As a result, 100 percent of TELACU's high school students earn their high school diploma and continue on to pursue post-secondary education.

Madam Speaker, on the occasions of TELACU's 40th anniversary and its Education Foundation's 25th anniversary, I join today with fellow leaders throughout my State in commending David Lizarraga and these dynamic institutions for their extraordinary efforts to empower our young people and our communities, and I wish them many years of continued success ahead.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend the 190,000 former and current volunteers of the United States Peace Corps, as we celebrate the 47th Anniversary of this extraordinary agency.

In a 1960 speech to students at the University of Michigan, President Kennedy issued one of his most historic challenges. He asked Americans to trade the comforts of home for the adversities of volunteer work overseas and, in doing so, serve our country by serving the rest of the world. -

President Kennedy's original mission for the Peace Corps remains unchanged today. The Peace Corps volunteers--who range from college graduates to retirees with decades of experience--help the people of host countries by sending trained men and women with expertise in a variety of professional fields. The volunteers also promote a better understanding of Americans abroad and create bonds of friendship that last a lifetime.

More than 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers currently serve in 74 countries. In some of the most deeply impoverished regions of the world, the volunteers are often the first glimpse of America that the people have ever encountered. These volunteers make significant and lasting contributions in each host country through their work in agriculture, business development, information technology, education, youth, environment, health and HIV/AIDS.

Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, Peace Corps volunteers continue to meet the challenges of the HIV/AIDS pandemic working both formally and informally in 10 of the 15 focus countries. In 2007, approximately 93 percent of all Peace Corps posts contributed to HIV/AIDS activities. These volunteers assisted more than 1 million people.

I am especially proud of the seven volunteers from the 34th District currently in service with the Peace Corps. These remarkable men and women from my Los Angeles district and the countries they are currently serving in are as follows: Jennifer Baez, Ecuador; Roberto Dubon, Paraguay; Anna Frumes, Ukraine; Joyce Hahn, Azerbaijan; Roanel Herrera, Panama; and Christina and Justin Senter, Mauritania in North-West Africa. I congratulate them and all of the 821 Californians currently serving around the globe as Peace Corps volunteers.

I also thank Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter, himself a former volunteer in India, for his service at the Corps's helm since September 2006. Mr. Tschetter is the latest in a long line of distinguished Peace Corps Directors that includes Jack Vaughn, Carol Bellamy and, of course, Sargent Shriver, who served as the organization's first leader under President Kennedy.

Peace Corps volunteers each cross the borders of language and culture to inspire new perspectives, provide real assistance in their host countries, and extend American values and friendship around the world. They are a unique and effective corps of informal ambassadors for this country.

Madam Speaker, as the organization observes its 47th Anniversary, please join me in congratulating Ron Tschetter and the Corps's thousands of volunteers on a job well done. They truly represent the best of what our great Nation has to offer.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Rusty Hammer, a dedicated leader and advocate on behalf of the Los Angeles business community and a dear friend, who passed away recently after a long battle with cancer.

I had the privilege of working with Rusty during his 5 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

At the chamber's helm, Rusty dedicated himself to improving the quality of life and economic prosperity of the Los Angeles Chamber's 1,500 members and their more than 600,000 employees throughout the Los Angeles region.

Under Rusty's dedicated leadership, the Los Angeles Chamber successfully built partnerships between business, community, labor and civic organizations. Today, these partnerships have reestablished the Chamber as the Los Angeles region's premier business advocacy organization.

Rusty's talents, innovative strategic thinking and willingness to work with stakeholders on all sides of the political spectrum played an integral role in the Los Angeles area's economic growth. I observed this first hand during the chamber's annual trips to Washington, DC, which became immensely productive and influential under Rusty's leadership.

While we all deeply miss Rusty, I know his work and many contributions will continue to benefit the Los Angeles business community for many years to come. My thoughts and prayers are with Rusty's special wife, Pam, and their family during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, in honor of Rusty's life, I would like to submit for the Record his obituary that appeared in the Los Angeles Times on January 30. It provides more insight into Rusty's full and accomplished life.

Russell Hammer, 54; Head of L.A. Business Group

(By Elaine Woo)

Russell J. ``Rusty'' Hammer, former president and chief

executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, died

Monday at a hospice in San Jose. He was 54.

The cause was leukemia, according to a chamber spokeswoman.

Hammer was credited with revitalizing the Los Angeles

business group, which he led for five years until 2006, when

he stepped down because of his illness. During his tenure,

chamber membership grew from 1,200 to 1,600 companies, and

new initiatives helped to refocus the organization on local,

state and national policy issues.

``He had a substantial impact on the chamber and also on

the people he worked with,'' said George Kieffer, a Los

Angeles attorney who was chairman of the chamber during the

first few years of Hammer's presidency. ``The chamber has an

extraordinary legacy but . . . had become less active in the

business community and the greater civic community. Rusty

played a very big part in turning that around.''

Born on May 12, 1953, in Orleans, France, Hammer grew up in

San Jose. He received a bachelor's degree in political

science at the University of Santa Clara in 1975 and a

master's in public administration from San Jose State

University in 1979.

He entered politics at an early age, organizing high school

students for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign

in 1968. Hammer ran for office himself in 1972, becoming at

18 the youngest person elected to the Campbell, Calif., City

Council. At 21, he became mayor and made headlines as the

nation's youngest mayor.

After two terms as mayor, he entered business and served in

a variety of management

positions, later rising to president of Quadrex Corp., an

engineering firm.

In 1994 he was recruited to become chief executive of the

Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Over the next

seven years he raised the profile of the Sacramento chamber,

leading it to take a prominent role in local issues, such as

the effort to save McClellan Air Force Base, and starting a

public policy seminar that attracted world figures, including

Henry Kissinger and Margaret Thatcher.

When he arrived in Los Angeles in 2001, Hammer worked in a

similar fashion, finding ways to make the Los Angeles chamber

more relevant to members. He reached out to other local

business groups, small companies and entrepreneurs and

organized events that offered a regional perspective, such as

a 2002 conference on transportation that drew 500

participants from business and government.

In 2003 he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and

spent 303 days in a hospital undergoing intensive treatment.

While battling his illness, he helped organize a Silicon

Valley branch of the Wellness Community, a support group for

cancer patients.

He also wrote a book, ``When Cancer Calls . . . Say Yes to

Life,'' which he published on his own last year. The book

discusses how his battle against cancer forced major

adjustments in his life and changed his values.

He told the San Jose Mercury News last year that he was

inspired to write the book by his children, twins Gerald and

Jennifer, who told him he could not die until he had taught

them everything he could about how to approach life. He is

also survived by his wife, Pamela.

Madam Speaker, I was ill today and was not present for naming bills S. 2110 (Roll No. 23) and H.R. 4140 (Roll No. 24). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on both measures.