Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues from Indiana and Pennsylvania very much for their support on this bill.

I rise today, of course, in support of my bill, H.R. 3998, which would direct, as you have heard, the General Services Administration to sell, for fair market value, the historic post office building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy Biehl High School Foundation.

As you have also heard, the charter school is named after a young Fulbright Scholar from Santa Fe who was, in fact, tragically killed in South Africa in 1993 while working to end apartheid.

The high school is located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. It is a few blocks away from a public library, a historical city theater, and a robust transportation center.

Fifty-five percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch, 64 percent of the students will be the first generation to attend college, and 70 percent of the students represent minority families in New Mexico. In fact, this school primarily serves at-risk youth.

The school's central location ensures that all of the students have access to transportation and allows the school to partner with nearby businesses and nonprofits to collaborate on community projects.

The Amy Biehl High School holds an impressive track record, with 99 percent of its graduates enrolling directly into college, and has been a recipient of several awards.

In 2000, the school was designated as one of 20 Mentor Schools in the Nation by the Coalition of Essential Schools. In 2006, the high school also won the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award.

The school has leased the old post office at the corner of Fourth and Gold in downtown and has held the lease from GSA since 2006. Currently, this lease is for a term of 60 years. The building was built in 1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties.

The Amy Biehl High School moved into the old post office, which sat unoccupied for 6 years, and they were able to raise and invest more than $3 million in Federal, State, and private funds to renovate and restore the building for use as a school.

Selling the building to the high school provides the school with greater autonomy. It opens the door to capital campaigns and creates a permanent home for the school and the students.

The Amy Biehl High School Foundation and the GSA have determined that transferring ownership of the building is, in fact, in the best interest of both entities, the Federal Government and the school.

I would like to thank Senator Tom Udall for working with me on this bill, and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation that will help the Amy Biehl High School continue to provide Albuquerque students with a first-rate education, while also preserving a historic piece of downtown Albuquerque.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in opposition to the language in this bill that rolls back standards that ensure our children are being fed nutritious foods at school.

As a former State health secretary, I want to refocus this debate where I think it belongs, and that is on health. What we are really talking about here is the health of our children. More than one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, and more than 2 million adolescents are prediabetic.

Mr. Chair, children who learn to eat nutritious food are more likely to continue those healthy habits as adults. The best place to teach children about healthy eating is where they spend most of their time-- in school.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues concerned about the cost of nutritious food to think about the cost of obesity and malnutrition and to think about our children's future. My colleagues say that it is too hard, that children really don't like healthy foods. I agree that making change isn't easy, but we are going to have to invest some time and energy into teaching our children to make healthy choices. That is a change worth making.

I thank the gentleman from California, who has been a real leader on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support his efforts to fix the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of New Mexico resident Andrew ``Andy'' Garcia, a man of iconic proportions who developed, refined, and transformed New Mexican cuisine in our great State of New Mexico.

Andy began his entrepreneurial pursuits on his own, 50 years ago with his first venture selling New Mexican food at carnivals and street fairs. It was not until a few years later that Andy founded the wildly successful Garcia's Tents and Events. Andy's life success culminated with the establishment of eight Garcia's Kitchen restaurants, a popular food choice throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

For those visiting Albuquerque, as locals will tell you, a stop at Garcia's is a must. Today at Andy's establishments, business leaders, political icons, and New Mexicans enjoy great food, hospitality and camaraderie. Garcia's embodies the spirit of New Mexico culture and is a historic pillar in the Albuquerque community--still today and for years to come.

The truth is that Andy's life is a testament to the American Dream and the idea that with hard work, persistence, and dedication nothing is unattainable. His vision and accomplishments serve as an inspiration for future generations of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and demonstrate the impact one individual can have on an entire community. As a proud family man, Andy was fortunate to see these values passed down to his children and grandchildren who continue to manage and build his enterprises.

His family will tell you that he:

Shared his love, his wisdom, his will to love life and all

it brings. He has had many peaks and valleys, highlights and

adventures

in his 90 years of life, more than most of us. He lived

everyday with passion to do his best and to be happy. He is

now on his journey into somewhere we will all meet again.

A successful businessman, loving father, and community icon, Andy was indeed a talented man of courage and integrity. His character, love of life, enthusiasm and selflessness were felt by all who knew him. It is individuals like Andy that make our Nation a sought-after home for those with a dream. My thoughts and prayers are with family, and everyone who has enjoyed Andy's hospitality and a meal at one of his restaurants. May the memory of Andy live on in our hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and commemorate the 70th wedding anniversary of Joe and Celia Salazar.

On June 1, 1944, Joe and Celia began their wonderful journey together. At 7 a.m. at the Air Force Base Chapel in Pratt, Kansas, Joe and Celia married one another, cementing a lifetime of love and happiness that continues to live on seventy years later.

The newlyweds did not have much time together once they said their vows; in early July, Joe was deployed in the Pacific, where he honorably served his country in World War II. During this separation, Joe and Celia committed themselves to one another, enduring one of many tests of their married life. After two long years, Joe and Celia reunited in Lamy, New Mexico, where Joe was introduced for the first time to his nine-month-old son, Johnny Carlos.

Tragically, Carlos passed away on June 19, 1952, and while it was a devastating moment for this young family, they continued to build a lasting legacy. They bought their first home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 229 West DeVargas, and were blessed with two girls and a boy: Betty, Patricia, and Joe Jr. They traveled and visited every State in the contiguous United States, traversed across all of Canada, and embarked on trips to Europe. They explored the world and everything it has to offer, and yet, if you ask Joe and Celia, they will tell you that their favorite times and most meaningful conversations are the ones spent right at home, with family, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I want to take a moment to recognize the Salazar's significant commitment to one another. After 70 years together, Joe and Celia continue to live a life full of joy and happiness. They serve as an inspiration, an exemplar of the power of marriage and the fulfillment that comes with 70 loving years of sacrifice and devotion.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 224, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Thank you to my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, Federal law clearly states that tax-exempt social welfare groups must exclusively promote social welfare, and yet the IRS continues to allow these groups to engage in partisan political activity, instead of in their social welfare missions.

This has allowed social welfare nonprofits to spend over a quarter of a billion dollars on partisan political activities while keeping their donors secret. Congress has known about this issue for years, and it has done absolutely nothing.

Mr. Speaker, I came to Congress to solve problems on behalf of the American people, and this resolution does absolutely nothing to solve the underlying problem that we have identified at the IRS.

As long as Congress continues to ignore the fact that social welfare organizations are actively engaged in political activity, social welfare groups will continue spending hundreds of millions of dollars on partisan political campaign activities in direct contradiction to current Federal law and congressional intent.

So I urge my colleagues to vote against this very partisan resolution, as it doesn't solve any underlying problems, and, instead, pass legislation that enforces Federal law and that prohibits tax- exempt social welfare groups from engaging in partisan political activity.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 195, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker: I rise today to honor 32 high school students from Highland High School and Moriarty High School that will represent New Mexico this month in the We the People National Finals, a three-day academic national civics competition on the U.S. Constitution. During the competition these exceptional students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of constitutional principles in simulated congressional hearings before panels of judges.

The We The People program of constitutional study was initiated in 1987 and since its inception more the 30 million students have benefited from the program. The program divides students into teams where they are able to learn together and challenge each other. Surveys have shown that these students are more civic minded, politically active and have a better understanding of how the government functions.

Highland High School was the winner of the New Mexico We the People state competition and Moriarty High School is a wild card entry. I commend these students and their dedicated teachers and coaches for participating in this instructional program that fosters attitudes that students need in order to participate as effective, responsible citizens.

School: Highland High School; Teacher: Bob M. Coffey; Students: Ethan Alley; Ezra Geilin Baldwin; Dakson Byle; Kathryn Cook; Giuseppe DeLeers-Certo; Diana Garcia; Hannah Glasgow; Brendan Heath; Rachel Lentz; Angelina Malagodi; Pilar Martinez; Gabriel Pereira De Medeiros; Morgan Roberts; Alexandra Shomaker; Sahleah Tubbeh; Francisco Viramontes; Rosemary White.

School: Moriarty High School; Teacher: Amy Page; Students: Arianna Abrams; Peter BrownShelbee Geyer; Mason Howells; Tyler Cruzz Howse; Brian Landes; Emily Montano; Alexander Neverdousky; Allison New; Alicia Page; Rachel Pozzi; Jenna Purpura; Tony Ramirez; James Saunders; Cassandra Scott; Griffin Woolery; Donzlynn Worthington.

I congratulate these outstanding students and thank them for their contributions to New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, March is Women's History Month, and I rise in memory of a trailblazer, Georgia Lee Lusk, the first woman to ever represent New Mexico in the House of Representatives.

Georgia was elected in 1946 and served Congressional District One, my district. Georgia is in our history books as a woman who wasn't afraid of a fight. She grew up on a farm in Carlsbad and went to Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Georgia went to Washington to fight for better education and better care for veterans. As a school administrator, she had seen the effects of book shortages and overcrowded classrooms on young students. As a mother of three boys who all fought in the Second World War, she knew all too well the challenges faced by those returning from war. Georgia served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and worked across the aisle to make sure that veterans received the benefits provided to them in the GI Bill of Rights. She fought for Federal aid to education, hot meals for students, and helped establish what we now know as the Department of Education, and she did so much more.

Mr. Speaker, as only the third Congresswoman in New Mexico's history, I am determined to carry on Georgia's fight--a fight for better care for our veterans and a better education for our students. When women succeed, America succeeds.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 15 to demand a vote on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that unites our families.

Thank you very much, Congressman Joaquin Castro.

Muchas gracias, al congresista Joaquin Castro.

Thank you so much for calling us together to talk about this critically important issue for our families.

Twenty years ago, when I was running the New Mexico Department on Aging, I remember an incredibly tragic call from a family of a 60-year- old woman who had fallen and broken her hip. She was in a hospital in Albuquerque.

Now, of course, hospitals are required to provide stabilizing emergency treatment and even surgery if that is required in that instance; but unfortunately, this 60-year-old woman didn't have insurance, and she was rolled out of the hospital in a wheelchair without the required surgery for her hip fracture.

If the Affordable Care Act was in place when this happened, this 60- year-old woman could have simply provided her health insurance card to someone at the hospital, and the hospital would have stabilized her hip, performed the surgery, and then provided follow-up rehabilitation care. This would allow this woman to walk again.

The required stabilization is critical for successful recovery of that particular hip injury, and the long-term consequences of not receiving the care, in addition to the pain and suffering of this woman, are significant. Quite frankly, she would never have walked again without that surgery.

Now, thankfully, in her case, the whole community came together to gather enough money to pay for her treatment; but if this were to happen today, she could have already purchased subsidized insurance in the health insurance marketplace or qualified for Medicaid, and she would have been able to receive treatment without the scare and the subsequent fundraising by her family in that instance.

People across the country face situations like this every single day. That is why it is critical that we tell our friends and neighbors that they only have 5 days left to enroll in health insurance through the marketplace--5 days. There is absolutely no time to waste.

Like many of my colleagues, I have been working with groups in my district and have been participating in enrollment events to help provide information and to assist New Mexicans to enroll.

Two of my constituents, Mark and Elizabeth Horst from Albuquerque, signed up for bronze plans through the exchange last fall. They make $24,000 a year between them and have qualified for $612 in subsidies, which covers the cost of the bronze plan.

Thousands more New Mexicans are still eligible. New Mexico had the third highest uninsured of any State before the Affordable Care Act went into effect this year. In the Hispanic community, more than 25 percent are uninsured, and more than that are underinsured.

Today, more than 360,000 in New Mexico are still eligible for enrollment. By enrolling in a plan, you don't have to risk injury or a lifetime of debt. You can get your family covered; and, by having access to primary care, your family can stay healthier longer.

I appreciate my colleague's effort today. I thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard passionate arguments in support of and in opposition to this bill. We have heard Members argue that this bill is needed to prevent the Obama administration's overreach on issues such as immigration and health care.

Conversely, we have heard Members note that the Republican leadership has refused to pass comprehensive immigration reform, refused to raise the minimum wage, and refused to compromise on a budget until they had shut down the Federal Government. These Members argue that this has forced the President to act within his constitutional authority to faithfully execute the law.

That sharp rhetoric and disagreement is a result of the political realities that we find ourselves in today, and it reflects Congress's failure to work together and solve problems on behalf of the American people.

I oppose the underlying bill, but I more strongly oppose the gridlock that has consumed this Congress and is leading it to become the most unproductive Congress and uncompromising Congress in the history of the United States.

I believe that we can move past that today by coming together and supporting my amendment, which would address significant national security concerns raised by this legislation.

My amendment would ensure that the bill's requirement that the executive branch explain why it prioritizes resources would not impact or expose critical national security and foreign policy interests, positions, or strategies to terrorists, drug cartels, and foreign enemies of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory are located in my home State of New Mexico. These laboratories ensure the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of the Nation's nuclear deterrent.

The experiments and tests that they conduct are at the cutting edge of science and human understanding. They work every day to study, analyze, solve, and prepare for emerging and potential national security threats, contingencies, and risks.

They help inform our Nation's defense and foreign policy decisionmakers on how to confront the increasingly complex dangers that our Nation faces.

I am sure there is not one Member of this body that would want the sensitive national security work conducted at the National Laboratories and other government agencies to be revealed to terrorists, to drug cartels and foreign enemies. But that is the risk that all of us will bear if we pass this bill today with this current broad language.

This bill requires the Attorney General to monitor every executive branch agency and every Federal officer who issues a formal or informal policy that refrains from enforcing any Federal statute, rule, regulation, program or policy.

So let me say that again: it would require the Attorney General to monitor every Federal officer's alleged non-enforcement of any Federal statute, rule, regulation, program, or policy.

The language would include Federal officials who are making decisions on national security concerns and interests, based on information and assistance supplied, in many cases, by the national labs in my home State.

This could put the Attorney General in the dangerous position of choosing between keeping strategic foreign policy positions and information from foreign enemies, and complying with the requirements of this legislation.

This would, undoubtedly, lead to litigation, court cases, and appeals, costing the American government embarrassing legal battles and leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.

That time and money is better spent on the activity that these national security agencies are intended to conduct: providing for the safety of the American people.

It just doesn't make sense to impose costly reporting requirements on activities that could potentially hurt national security interests. You wouldn't require a general to reveal his strategy and tactics before he goes into battle.

Mr. Speaker, we came together just last week to pass an aid package for Ukraine to address national security concerns due to recent Russian aggression. We passed that bill on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis. Leaders of both parties came together in solidarity.

We can do that again today with the adoption of this amendment, which ensures that nothing in this bill adversely impacts our Nation's security.

I want to be clear. The adoption of this amendment will not prevent the passage of the underlying bill. If adopted, it will be incorporated into the bill and will be immediately voted upon.

Although we may all disagree on the need for the underlying bill, we have an opportunity to stand united and support our Nation's vital policy and foreign policy goals.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this final amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Jason Blankenship, a constituent who was tragically taken from us last fall.

A Texan by birth, Jason made Albuquerque his home. For over ten years, Jason gave back to the community as a staff member at the University of New Mexico, including several years in Human Resources and scientific research.

A Ph.D. by education, Jason most recently put his talents to work at UNM's Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, where he served as research scientist and member of a team advancing the field of study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This was more than just a job to Jason. He was passionate about his research and truly believed in its ability to improve the lives of those suffering from these diseases.

Even though he was engaged in such important work at UNM, Jason always found time to give back to the Albuquerque community, most notably through the Make-a-Wish Foundation where he took great pride in being a ``wish granter'' to children with tragic illnesses.

He was loved by all for his wonderful personality, his thoughtfulness, his dedication, self-discipline and loyalty. Colleagues and fellow researchers remember Jason as kind, generous and highly skilled. Jason truly believed that the results of his research could positively impact the world around him. At just 43 years old, Jason was taken from us far too soon.

Mr. Speaker, may the life of Dr. Jason Blankenship serve as an inspiration to us all as we work to improve not just ourselves but the community around us.

Mr. Speaker, Federal law states that social welfare groups must exclusively promote social welfare. Social welfare includes activities like early childhood education, environmental protection, or veterans' assistance, not partisan political campaign activity.

Now, there is an important book on the House floor, and it is a dictionary. We have that book here because this is a lawmaking institution, and the precise definition of words is incredibly important.

Now, last time I looked up the word ``exclusively,'' it meant everything, excluding everything else, solely, or only.

However, the IRS must have found an alternative definition for exclusively when it issued a regulation allowing social welfare organizations to only primarily promote social welfare. This contradiction between Federal law and IRS regulation has allowed these groups to spend over a quarter-billion dollars on political campaign activity, not their social welfare mission, while keeping their donors secret.

I urge my colleagues simply to vote against the bill and let the IRS move forward with this proposed regulation to correct this. ``Exclusively'' should mean exclusively.

Madam Speaker, I also seek unanimous consent to insert my statement into the Record in support of extending unemployment insurance for 1.6 million Americans, including nearly 7,500 New Mexico job seekers, instead of this radical Republican assault on women's health care rights.