Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, from April 24-26, 2010 more than 1,200 students from across the country visited Washington, DC to take part in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals. We the People is the most extensive educational program in the country that educates young people about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We the People program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Education for Democracy Act approved by the United States Congress.

I am proud to announce that a class from Lamar Academy in my congressional district represented the state of Texas at this prestigious national event. These exceptional students, through their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, won their statewide competition and earned the chance to come to our nation's capital and compete at the national level.

While in Washington, the students participated in a three-day academic competition that simulates a congressional hearing in which students demonstrate their knowledge and skills as they evaluate, take, and defend positions on historical and contemporary constitutional issues. Annual surveys consistently show that high school students who take part

in the We the People academic competition outperform national samples of high school students participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress political test by at least 22 percent.

Madam Speaker, the outstanding students from Lamar Academy who participated include:

Aaron Barreiro, Rebecca Basaldua, Victoria Brown, Cameron Crane, Vincent Honrubia, Ali Lopez, Vanessa Lopez, George Mendoza, Luciana Milano, Daniela Montemayor, Patrick Muniz, Jorge Salazar, Paola Salazar, Katy Schaffer, Clark Scroggin, Rodrigo Velasquez, and Tori Velasquez.

I also wish to commend the teacher of the class, LeAnna Morse, who is responsible for preparing these young constitutional experts for the National Finals. Also worthy of special recognition are Jan Miller, the state coordinator, and Mick West, the district coordinator who are responsible for implementing the We the People program in my district.

I congratulate these young ``constitutional experts'' on their tremendous achievement at the We the People national finals.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1257) supporting the goals and ideals of National Financial Literacy Month, 2010, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1257, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Financial Literacy Month, 2010, and for other purposes. I will enter into today's Record President Barack Obama's National Financial Literacy Month proclamation, which I hold in my hands.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pride to bring this important resolution to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. It contains some very important data on financial literacy and economic education. Unfortunately, I'm sad to have to report again this year that the surveys and the studies we reviewed while drafting this resolution indicate that the majority of Americans remain financially illiterate and are in desperate need of financial education.

I represent the 15th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Hidalgo County, one of the poorest counties in the whole country. It is 89 percent Hispanic and contains over 900 colonias. Many of the residents do not speak English fluently, and several speak English as a second language.

They tend to purchase refrigerators, washing machines, automobiles, televisions, and electronic equipment in cash. One of the reasons for this aberration is a question of trust. Another is that lower-income Americans are not aware of the benefits conveyed when they open a bank account at a mainstream financial institution.

A more pervasive problem is that mainstream financial institutions tend not to open branches in the neighborhoods in which these constituents live. Consequently, these residents are left to rely on non-mainstream financial servicers such as payday lenders, such as check cashers and other predatory entities.

For these reasons, I was not surprised by the findings of the FDIC's December 2009 national survey of unbanked and under-banked households. It revealed that approximately 60 million people in our United States are either unbanked or under-banked.

It is for situations such as this that Congresswoman Judy Biggert and I began collaborating on financial literacy and economic education starting in 2003. Two years later, in 2005, we co-founded and currently co-chair the Financial Economic Literacy Caucus. I'm very pleased and grateful that she and I and the members of this caucus have worked together on a bipartisan basis on financial literacy and economic education over the years.

This year, 2010, the caucus has coordinated with several different associations on financial literacy events, including the National Consumer Protection Week Fair, America Saves Week, and the release of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling's, better known as the NFCC, their fourth annual consumer financial literacy survey.

On April 27th of this year, the Congresswoman and I are coordinating on the Annual Financial Literacy Day Fair with Senator Daniel Akaka from

Hawaii, with the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, with the Junior Achievement, and the Council for Economic Education. This fair, on April 27, will be held in the Senate Hart Building from noon to 3 p.m. I encourage you and all my colleagues to attend this special event. If you are unable to attend due to conflicts in your schedule, you might consider sending one of your staff in the Senate Hart Office building.

America Saves Week, the National Consumer Protection Week Fair, and the Financial Literacy Day Fair, as well as the resolutions Congresswoman Biggert and I introduce every year to support their goals and ideals, are substantive and an important statement of Congress' commitment to improving the financial literacy and economic education of all Americans.

The financial literacy fairs are very comprehensive and concrete. Agency staff are on hand at these events to provide our staff with the materials they need to hold events in our districts to help arm our constituents with the information and guidance they need to become more confident, savvy, and safe in the marketplace.

The NFCC's, which is the National Federation for Credit Counseling's, fourth annual consumer literacy survey indicates that a larger percentage of Americans, more than two in five adults, now keep close track of their spending. However, more than half still do not have a budget, and more than 11 million adults fail to monitor their overall spending.

Nearly 64 million adults admit to not paying all of their bills on time. Though 67 percent of adults say they pay for most purchases with cash or with a debit card, approximately 41 percent report that their household carries credit card debt, and more than 11 million say they carry $10,000 or more in credit card debt from month to month.

Approximately 100 million people currently have a home mortgage, and of those, one in three say that the terms of their mortgage somehow turned out to be different than they and their family expected.

Eighty percent of adults feel there are situations where it is acceptable to default on a mortgage, and two of the top three most justifiable circumstances place the blame on the lender.

Despite all this negative data, the proportion of adults who have non-retirement savings has increased from 63 percent in 2007 to 67 percent this year.

So, Mr. Speaker, as you can tell, we have far to go to improve the financial literacy rate of all Americans across the United States during all stages of life. One of the ways that our caucus has moved the financial literacy cause forward is coordinating with several Federal agencies on the National Consumer Protection Week I mentioned earlier.

On a positive note, several Members of Congress have introduced comprehensive and beneficial legislation that will help Americans become financially literate and provide them with the necessary consumer protections.

One such legislation is the Credit Card Reform Act. Authored by my good friend and colleague from New York, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, it was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. Congresswoman Maloney could not be with us on the floor for this debate, but her presence is felt here and throughout the United States, and especially in the wallets of most Americans.

Her legislation takes financial literacy and economic education 10 steps forward. It requires issuers that extend credit to young consumers under the age of 21 to obtain an application that contains the following: The signature of a parent, guardian, or other individual 21 years or older who will take responsibility for the debt; or that person who signs is proof that the applicant has an independent means of repaying any credit extended.

It limits prescreened offers of credit to young consumers and prohibits increases in the credit limit on accounts where a parent, legal guardian, spouse or other individual is jointly liable unless the individual who is jointly liable approves the increase. This law increases the protections for students against aggressive card marketing and increases transparency of affinity arrangements between the credit card company and university. I commend her for her dedication to financial literacy and for managing to pass that legislation.

I coauthored the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act that passed both Houses and was signed into law recently by President Barack Obama. That law invests $750 million in the College Access Challenge Grant Program. These formula grants to States help organizations provide services such as financial literacy and debt management skills that increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in college and manage their student loans.

This Congress is also considering legislation that will establish an office of financial literacy that I requested in the Financial Services Committee. Other financial literacy proposals are being reviewed, including establishing financial literacy centers across the United States.

Mr. Speaker, financial literacy and economic education are both a life skill and a key component of financial and economic stability and development. It is imperative that we pay more attention to the financial literacy rates of our citizens from prekindergarten all the way to retirement. The sooner a person begins to learn good saving habits, the better off he or she will be in the future.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and join the Financial and Economic Literacy Caucus.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

[For Immediate Release--April 2, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 222, a resolution that recognizes the life and contributions of Dr. Hector P. Garcia.

In 1917, at the age of 3, Dr. Garcia immigrated to my hometown of Mercedes, Texas, with his family, where he graduated from my alma mater, Mercedes High School.

Despite the social injustices that pervaded the United States, like those that forced him to attend segregated schools, he earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School.

He served the nation as a commissioned officer in World War II. After the war, he returned to Texas and continued his medical practice. His decision to fight for civil rights was spurred by the gross injustice and inequality he witnessed in the United States, Particularly in the treatment of Hispanic veterans returning from the war. He founded the American GI Forum to help give these Hispanic veterans a voice.

Dr. Garcia also believed that every child should have equal access to education and that everyone deserved health care. He personally treated hundreds of indigent patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Dr. Garcia's life and work continue to be an inspirational force for many, especially in deep South Texas.

His tireless advocacy for civil rights has benefitted all in the United States who view equality as a fundamental component of our Great Nation.

I am honored that I can stand here today and urge my colleagues to pass this resolution recognizing the remarkable achievements of this great American.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation on health and higher education. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for their courage in passing this historic legislation this afternoon by making the single largest investment in financial aid in history.

Our Nation is taking bold steps to ensure accessibility and affordability in higher education for years to come and lead us to prosperity, more affordable student loans, and investments of $36 billion in Pell Grants, scholarships which will help students and families pay for college. I am proud that the investments of $2 billion in community colleges and $2.55 billion in minority-serving institutions will move us closer to building a world-class higher education system for all students.

Over the next 10 years, it is estimated that Texas will receive at least $2.4 billion in Pell Grants and a total of at least $2.8 billion from the higher education programs funded in this reconciliation package.

HBCUs and HSIs such as the University of Texas-Pan American, South Texas College, and Texas Southern University will greatly benefit from this legislation.

This Federal funding will prepare a new generation of minority scientists, mathematicians, and innovators in Texas and across our Nation.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of this reconciliation legislation, to say that we have an extraordinary opportunity today to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans, for the 32 million children and families who are uninsured, and for students and workers who dream of pursuing higher education and acquiring the skills needed to access 21st century jobs.

As subcommittee chair for Higher Education, I am proud to say that today Congress will invest billions of dollars to increase accessibility and affordability in higher education for our Nation's students and workers. This landmark legislation provides $36 billion in Pell Grant scholarships over 10 years. It provides $2 billion of moneys for our Nation's community colleges, and $2.55 billion for our minority-serving institutions of higher learning, including HSIs and HBCUs. By moving to the Federal Government's direct loan program, we will put the best interests of students first and make college loans more reliable and affordable for students and families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to say that millions of Americans are waiting desperately for Congress to act on health care reform and higher education reconciliation legislation. As Chair of the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee, I call on my colleagues in the House to put the uninsured and our students and families first. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, known as SAFRA, H.R. 3221, which we passed in the House last September, must be included as part of the final health care reconciliation legislation. SAFRA makes the single largest investment in college financial aid in history. It's bigger than the GI Bill. It expands accessibility and affordability in higher education by investing tens of billions of dollars in Pell grants, building a world-class community college system, strengthening early educational programs, and making landmark investments of $2.55 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions.

I am proud to stand with my colleagues in the Tri-Caucus in urging the House and Senate leadership to maintain the investments for Minority-Serving Institutions in the final reconciliation bill. This legislation is an investment in the ``future of our country!''

Through the government's Direct Loan program, SAFRA will make college loans more affordable for students and families.

I urge my colleagues to make the right choice for millions of students, families, and uninsured residents who need our help to improve their lives. Vote for Health Care and Higher Education Reconciliation Legislation.

I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1144. The resolution expresses the House of Representatives' condolences for the families of the victims of the powerful earthquake in Chile, as well as solidarity with and support for the people of Chile.

Let me first thank Chairman Berman, Subcommittee Chairman Engel, and my friend and colleague Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for helping bring this resolution to the floor. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who are unanimously in support of H. Res. 1144.

Chile and the United States have a long-standing and important partnership. It is one of mutual respect and understanding. Both countries understand their democratic and economic prosperity are aligned, and that we need to work together for our mutual benefit. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has worked to build on this relationship by recognizing the rich cultural heritage both nations share.

As chairman of the CHC's task force on commerce and international relations, I am committed to working with my colleagues to strengthen our relations with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere.

The devastating disaster that has struck Chile is a humanitarian imperative requiring immediate action. Millions of families have lost their home or been displaced by the gigantic earthquake and the following tsunami and strong aftershocks. Hundreds have died and many are still missing. Hundreds of thousands of families in Chile remain without running water or power.

The United States has been quick to respond to President Bachelet's call for help and is providing much-needed equipment to reestablish communication and has deployed two C-130 cargo planes to help transport humanitarian cargo. The United States stands ready to provide whatever additional aid is necessary to help the victims of this natural disaster. We have seen the generosity of the American people during the recent disaster in Haiti, and I am confident that spirit of generosity will also be extended to the people of Chile.

In closing, I want to say that the resolution recounts the tragic events that have unfolded in Chile so I will not read it again. The resolution reaffirms the House of Representatives' commitment to the people of Chile to aid in their speedy recovery. We applaud the resolve and the resilience of those affected by the earthquake. The people of Chile on other occasions have come together to help their friends and neighbors rebuild. Today we want to assure them that we will stand by their side to help as they recover from this tragedy.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 40, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mr. Kissell

Mr. Speaker, I, together with Congressman Henry Cuellar, rise to honor the McAllen Monitor newspaper in McAllen, Texas, on its 100-year anniversary. Since its first issue on December 11, 1909, the McAllen Monitor has been a round-the-clock operation.

It began as a weekly newspaper. Its reporters recorded the events when McAllen became incorporated in 1911. The Monitor was there to record the history of the Rio Grande Valley and its people. The names of the pioneering families leave a roadmap all across the Rio Grande Valley, families like the Canales, the Guerras, the Lopezes, the Cuellars, the de la Garzas, the McAllens, the Youngs, the Closners, the Sharys, the Hinojosas, and the Bentsens.

Now a daily paper, the McAllen Monitor takes pride in telling the success stories of homegrown people who have become famous, from Narciso Martinez, el Huracan del Valle's accordion sounds to Kris Kristofferson singing and acting; from Bobby Morrow's Olympic Gold Medal to the distinguished political career of the late Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

The McAllen Monitor has covered the good and bad, the sad and the joyous news for 100 years. Congratulations to the McAllen Monitor on its 100-year anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3904.

Mr. Speaker I rise today to express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the soldiers and civilians who were killed in yesterday's attack on our Army military base in Fort Hood, Texas.

The senseless and cowardly act by one has inflicted a terrible wound in our military family. But I want the Ft. Hood family to know that we stand with them today and offer them all of our love and support.

We in Texas, in the Nation and around the world grieve and pray for the families of the 13 lives who were taken so violently. We pray for the swift and full recovery of the more than 30 wounded who are holding on to life.

The sacrifices our troops make are already so great. It is particularly tragic that after surviving the dangers of combat, they lost their lives back home where they should have been safe. Today and every day we stand with them as they stand for us, as they stand always and forever for our country.

Mr. Speaker, I am here representing the families in my congressional district that need health

care reform to happen now. In my district, almost half of my constituents go without insurance. They face some of the most expensive costs and are afflicted with high rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Congress has neglected these problems for far too long. Those that are suffering the most and need the most care do not have access to the affordable coverage they need.

What's in it for you? Stability, security and quality. Let me summarize our Democratic plan like this: No discrimination for preexisting conditions like diabetes, heart conditions or cancer. No drop in your coverage because you become sick. No refusal to renew your coverage if you've paid in full and become ill. No more job or life decisions made based on loss of coverage. No need to change doctors or plans if you like the coverage you have. No copays for preventive and wellness care. No excessive out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or copays. No yearly or lifetime cost caps on what insurance companies cover.

I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic proposal.

Thank you, Chairman Bart Gordon from Tennessee, for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 793, a resolution recognizing the week of October 18 as National Chemistry Week.

I want to thank Congressman Silvestre Reyes, co-Chair of the Diversity and Innovation Caucus, for sponsoring this resolution.

The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, established National Chemistry Week in 1987 to help educate the public, particularly school-aged children, about the important role of the chemical sciences and their significant contributions to our quality of life.

This year, more than 10,000 National Chemistry Week volunteers, from both the public and private sectors, will help educate millions of children about the practical applications of chemistry by engaging them through stimulating hands-on science activities in local schools, in libraries and museums around the whole country.

During this year's observance of National Chemistry Week, students and chemistry professionals will celebrate the theme ``Chemistry--It's Elemental.'' This theme recognizes the 140th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev's creation of the periodic table of the elements. The elements are the basis of the universe and of life on Earth, composing the graphite in pencils, the tungsten in light bulbs and in neon lights, the copper for cooling applications and the sodium in table salt, almost everything we encounter in our day-to-day activities.

The promotion of STEM education and the advancement of minorities in the STEM areas have become increasingly important in my congressional district and across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, just last month, the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, held its eighth annual Hispanic Engineering Science and Technology Conference to promote the importance of science literacy to thousands of students, parents and teachers. It was a big success.

HESTEC was created to address the shortage of scientists and engineers in our country. This year, the event drew more than 400,000 participants in deep south Texas. Since its inception in 2002, the university has created an exceptional pipeline of Hispanic scientists and engineers.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, I am proud to say that in the past 2 years, Congress has expanded educational opportunities in STEM education, particularly for women and minority students, and authorized programs to recruit highly qualified teachers to high-need school districts in the STEM areas with the passage of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act in 2007, as well as the passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008.

This legislation made historic investments in higher education to strengthen STEM education and create a new generation of minority workers in STEM fields. As you know, the House passed H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, last month to increase affordability and accessibility in higher education.

If the House-passed bill is signed into law, this legislation will provide $2.5 billion over a 10-year period to strengthen minority- serving institutions in STEM areas and ensure that the students they serve graduate and become the engineers and scientists our country desperately needs.

National Chemistry Week highlights the importance of chemistry and the natural sciences to our students. It's critical that our schools continue to cultivate exceptional scientists, engineers and technicians from every background to help strengthen our Nation's competitiveness and to promote scientific discovery and innovation in the 21st century.

I want to thank Chairman Reyes from El Paso for introducing this resolution, H. Res. 793, and I thank Chairman Gordon for bringing it to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, National Chemistry Week is critically important in promoting STEM issues in our schools and in preparing our students to pursue careers in STEM. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding time to me.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Congressional Rural Housing Caucus, I rise in strong support of the Agriculture appropriations conference report for fiscal year 2010. It goes a long way to improving the affordability, availability, and quality of housing in rural America.

On April 2, 2009, several of my colleagues and I sent a letter to Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro and to Ranking Member Jack Kingston from Georgia encouraging them to provide significant funding for several rural housing programs. I am pleased with the amount of funding each of these have received and look forward to providing additional funding to some of those that were kept at the fiscal year 2009 appropriations level.

Mr. Speaker, rural America needs our help. Our rural constituents, their families and their communities need our support. This conference report will improve the quality of life in rural America, an area of the country that was neglected for quite some time.

I want to thank Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro and Ranking Member Jack Kingston of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture for finding and for providing the ways and means to improve the affordability, availability and quality of housing in rural America. I also want to thank Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis for bringing this conference report to the floor. I applaud you for your efforts and thank you for this conference report. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to increase funding in future fiscal years for programs that help rural America.

I urge all my colleagues to support this conference report that will bring much-needed help to our neighbors in rural America.

Madam Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 739 on the Conference Report to H.R. 2918, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``nay'' when I should have voted ``yea.''

Stated against: