Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today we are setting aside a special time to pay tribute to fallen heroes. My South Texas district is mourning the loss of three such heroes, Pfc. Dustin Sekula, Sgt. Christopher Ramirez and Sgt. John Wayne Russell. These three men were very different. One was a fresh-faced 18-year-old who had only been in the Marines for 8 months. One was a 34-year-old veteran of the Gulf War and Kosovo who was looking forward to retiring and joining the Border Patrol. One was a 26-year-old, former high-school football player whose own hero was his 34-year Army veteran father. Yet all shared a love of country and a sense of patriotism and duty.

Sergeant Russell, a member of the Army's 101st Airborne was killed when his Blackhawk

helicopter collided with another helicopter on November 17, 2003 over Mosul, Iraq. Private Sekula, an infantry mortarman with the 2nd Battallion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, died April 1, 2004 from enemy fire in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. Sergeant Ramirez, who served with the Army's 1st Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry out of Ft. Riley, Kansas, was killed two weeks later on April 14 when his patrol was ambushed in Fallujah.

When you hear the stories that friends and families tell about Dustin, John and Christopher, you understand just how special all three were. They were role models to their peers, devoted sons, loyal friends and active in their communities. All could have chosen to use their talents in other career paths, yet they chose the path of military service.

Military service will not make you rich. It requires long absences from home and family, often in dangerous and inclement corners of the world. Yet Americans like Dustin, John and Christopher continue to volunteer to defend this country and protect our freedom, all the while knowing it may cost them their lives.

John, Christopher and Dustin are true heroes and we owe them more then we can ever repay. For their friends and families left behind, we offer our prayers and the comfort of knowing that the sacrifices of these young lives will not be forgotten. To those still on the front lines we pledge our unity and support. As we approach the Memorial Day holiday let us all take time away from the picnics and the sales to remember every fallen American hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2729 and the other OSHA bills under consideration today.

Let us not fool ourselves. Today, we are considering legislation that will weaken the enforcement of our Occupational Safety and Health laws. The bills before us will delay the abatement of unsafe working conditions, weaken the Secretary of Labor's authority to regulate workplace safety and discourage the filing of complaints for unsafe working conditions.

A safe working environment should be the right of every worker. Sadly, in the United States of America, the world's lone superpower, the wealthiest Nation on the planet, it is not. The

workplace is particularly dangerous for the Hispanic workers.

The Associated Press recently reported that Mexican-born workers are more likely to die on the job than any other group, and the disparity is increasing. Mexican migrants take the most dangerous jobs. Many of them are afforded no safety equipment and no training. They are killed in the fields, or they fall from construction sites.

Listen to these staggering statistics. Mexican workers represent one in 24 workers in the United States and are victims of one in 14 workplace deaths.

Training and workplace safety must be a part of our workforce development. Employers must be held accountable for meeting basic occupational health and safety standards. No one should lose a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, a son or a daughter because of a lack of training or safety equipment. Workers are not disposable. Yet when OSHA fails to seek criminal prosecution for 93 percent of the companies that have willfully and flagrantly violated workplace safety laws at the cost of workers' lives, that is the message that is sent.

We have a responsibility to send a different message. Our workers are a firm's most valuable resource, and that should be our bottom line. Unfortunately, today we will not send this message. Today some of the majority in the House will vote to weaken workplace safety without a thought or concern for those whose lives are at risk. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 2729. In fact, it seems to me we should oppose all four OSHA bills.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3722. I am appalled that the Republican majority would bring such a mean- spirited and discriminatory bill to the floor of this House for a vote. Under current law, hospitals can receive reimbursement for emergency services they provide to uninsured people, including immigrants. Our current law is a responsible public health and safety policy. It is humane. In this country, we do not deny emergency medical treatment because someone is poor, uninsured, or born in another country.

The proposed H.R. 3722 would turn hospital emergency rooms into immigration processing facilities or, worse, detention facilities. Hospitals would be required to collect sworn statements of citizenship from individuals suffering medical emergencies. Hospitals would have to collect fingerprints or other biometric identifiers of all emergency patients. Under this proposed H.R. 3722, they would have to submit the information to the Department of Homeland Security and store it for a minimum of 5 years.

It seems to me there are a few Republicans who want to make people afraid to go to the hospital. This legislation will have deadly results in many of our congressional districts, especially in my district, a border district. We have daily trade and commerce across the border. Businesses depend on it. Fear will keep people from seeking lifesaving medical treatment. I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to send a message to those who would sow fear and hate, by strongly opposing H.R. 3722.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision to end segregation as the law of the land. This day, in short, changed everything or almost everything in the field of race relations. This day was Monday, May 17, 1954.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was about more than Topeka, Kansas. It was, in fact, a consolidation of five cases challenging segregation in public schools in the United States of America. The five cases had been heard by lower courts and had been appealed to the United States Supreme Court by attorneys representing black school children in South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Virginia, and Topeka.

Today, we celebrate the fortitude, the integrity, and the conscience of those who stood up for American values, from the 1930s and 1940s with the Mexican neighbors in Lemon Grove and the Mendez family in Orange County, California, to the 1950s with the students of Robert Moton High School in Virginia, parents in Washington, D.C., Summerton, South Carolina, Delaware, and, yes, the Brown family of Topeka, Kansas.

In communities across the Nation, minority families united to make America's promise of equality apply to their children, too. Brown was a turning point in the battle for equal educational opportunities for all, but there is still a long way to go before we can declare victory.

Although the Supreme Court handed down its decision 50 years ago, we must not forget that Brown is not only a historical moment, but it is living law. We must rededicate ourselves to keeping the spirit of Brown alive in every State, every school district, and every school building in the country. More than 40 percent of the 1.8 million Hispanic students in Texas attend schools where they are the overwhelming majority. Texas is not the only State seeing this trend.

Across the United States, communities are increasingly isolated by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Our schools reflect this isolation. Today, in 2004, Hispanic students attend the most segregated schools in the Nation.

Wealth is concentrated in certain communities and because of our system of funding schools with local property taxes, that wealth is also concentrated in certain schools. Nearly every State in the Union is engaged in court battles over school finance. It seems to me that equal opportunities and equal resources go hand in hand; do you not agree?

It is no coincidence that the Texas miracle in education followed the implementation of the so-called Robin Hood system of funding schools that moved resources from wealthier school districts to poorer ones.

In staying true to the spirit of the Brown decision, we must ensure that America's young people have equal opportunities and that the resources to achieve them are provided, no matter what the color of their skin, no matter what their ethnic background is, no matter if they are poor, and no matter where they live in the United States, whether it be in the metropolitan cities or rural areas.

Today, the unfortunate truth is, not only have we not fulfilled the dream of equal educational opportunities, but also many of our young people are not even in ``separate but unequal schools.'' Many are completely separated from school altogether.

The graduation rate for African American and Hispanic students hovers at 50 percent. The Manhattan Institute reports that only 20 percent of the African American students and only 16 percent of Hispanic students leave high school prepared for college. The high school diploma is the minimum entry requirement for postsecondary education and being able to compete in the 21st century workplace. Yet half of our poor and minority students are being denied the basic ticket to a productive future. The spirit of Brown demands that we take immediate action to improve high schools and graduation rates.

We must focus on fundamentals. We must work to improve the basic literacy skills of our secondary school students.

We must support reforms, which have proven effective in improving educational outcomes at the secondary school level. More importantly, we must adequately fund these programs instead of penalizing schools that desperately need our help.

Finally, we must hold ourselves accountable for high school graduation rates. Representative Susan Davis and I have introduced H.R. 3085, the Graduation for All Act, and Senator Patty Murray has introduced S. 1554, the Pathways for All Students to Succeed Act to support these kinds of reforms.

A coordinated national campaign to improve secondary schools is desperately needed. This campaign must leverage resources from all stakeholders: school districts, local governments, states, philanthropic organizations, corporation, community-based organizations, and the federal government. Together we will turn this around. Together we will make the promise of the Brown decision a reality for all of our young people. Our future depends on our success in achieving equal educational opportunities for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4299, a bill that will rename the post office in Edinburg, Texas, home of the University of Texas Pan American, in honor of Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) and the gentleman from California (Ranking Member Waxman) for their assistance in bringing this legislation to the floor so quickly.

I want to congratulate and thank one of the great modern heroes of south Texas, Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez, my good friend, who is retiring this year from the presidency of the University of Texas Pan American.

Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez has presided over a sea change in south Texas. His leadership of the University of Texas Pan American has transformed the region. In fact, he laid the infrastructure that will transform south Texas.

Dr. Nevarez has guided this institution from the days when this was still a position called Associate Dean of Men and only 8,000 students, many in remedial education, to today when UTPA is a full-fledged research institution, offering 56 undergraduate programs, 42 master's programs and three doctoral programs. Today, in 2004, UTPA enrolls over 15,000 students.

The growth and development of south Texas are inextricably linked to the growth and development of UTPA. Dr. Nevarez has risen to the challenge and has made south Texas and its south Texans proud. He has mentored faculties, students, and administrators.

He has built the capacity of the institution both physically and intellectually. UTPA is one of the most beautiful and well-equipped campuses in the State of Texas, and it is on the cutting edge in new research and technologies.

As UTPA has matured, so has south Texas. This is a dynamic region with dramatic growth in population and jobs in all areas of economic activity; and UTPA, with Dr. Nevarez as the university president, is at the center of it all. This is his legacy.

Furthermore, Dr. Nevarez has been the longest-serving Hispanic president of a college or university. He was one of the pioneers that paved the way for Federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions. His leadership and advocacy on behalf of HSIs helped create a specific designation in the 1998 higher education reauthorization. This designation has resulted in increased Federal funding by all Federal agencies for HSIs nationwide. These colleges and universities open the doors of higher education to half of the Latinos attending college in the country.

Dr. Nevarez's leadership has laid the foundation for the educational advancement of the fastest-growing, largest minority group in the country, Hispanic Americans. Raising the level of educational attainment for the Hispanic community is of paramount importance to our future security and prosperity.

I want to also acknowledge and recognize Dr. Nevarez's family. First, his beautiful wife Blanca Medina Nevarez who has been a very loving and strong supporter of her husband. Second, I have seen his three children, Miguel III, Annette and Marc, who have had to share their father with so many people. His duties and responsibilities may have kept him from participating in some important family gatherings, but rest assured that his family's sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. I thank them for supporting Miguel's efforts.

I am happy for my friend. He has earned his retirement. He has given so much of himself to the great State of Texas, to the Hispanic community, and to our great Nation. His efforts and his accomplishments will long be remembered. The post office in Edinburg, Texas, an all- American city, shall bear the name of Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez. He is ready to pass the mantle of leadership for UTPA and south Texas as we move into the 21st century; and thanks to him, we are ready.

Que Dios le bendiga! May God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true hero who gave his life to free his country from foreign oppression. Ignacio Zaragoza Segun was born in 1829 near what is now Goliad, Texas, in my 15th Congressional District.

In 1862, French troops began to march to capture Mexico City. They met the Mexican forces at the city of Puebla in a battle that lasted the entire day of May 5, 1862. Under General Zaragoza's leadership, the vastly outnumbered Mexican Army forced the withdrawal of Napoleon III's Army, the premier army in the world at that time. French losses were heavy, but Mexican casualties were few. The costly delay in Puebla helped shorten the French intervention. It also helped preserve the American union, as it kept the French Army too busy to directly aid the Confederacy with troops during the U.S. Civil War.

General Zaragoza received a hero's welcome in Mexico City. While visiting his sick troops, he contacted typhoid fever and he died September 8, 1862, at the age of 33. On September 11, 1862, President Juarez declared May 5, Cinco de Mayo, a national holiday.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world, but I hope that as we celebrate this holiday, we remember the courage and sacrifice of this true hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 578 that the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and I introduced earlier this year. The legislation supports the goals and ideals being acknowledged in naming April as Financial Literacy Month. I should note that the gentlewoman from Illinois and I have been working together on a number of financial literacy projects for quite some time, and I look forward to continuing to coordinate our efforts to improve financial literacy programs for our youth and for U.S. residents at all stages of their lives.

I want to thank the Committee on Government Reform for bringing this legislation to the floor today to celebrate April as Financial Literacy Month. Improving financial literacy, especially in the communities of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Central Texas, has been a top priority of mine. My ultimate goal is to educate our youth about financial issues in order to prepare them for the real world.

It is also important that we educate adults and seniors on the basics of financial literacy to bring them into the mainstream financial system and to protect them from payday lenders, as well as to protect them from predatory lenders and others who would take advantage of them. And so I have decided to act to address these concerns.

The chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit of the House Committee on Financial Services, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), held a hearing at my request on bringing the unbanked into the mainstream financial system. The chairman of the Subcommittee on Education Reform of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), held a hearing on financial literacy that allowed the gentlewoman from Illinois and myself to discuss the CENTS Act, which would establish a commission to educate our nation's teachers and students on financial literacy skills.

I also promoted financial literacy when I spoke at a panel with the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) at the FDIC's symposium on financial literacy held at the National Press Club. With the assistance of the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), the ranking member on the Committee on Financial Services, I

was able to add a section to the FACT Act to ensure that the commission it creates on financial literacy will develop and promote financial literacy and education materials in languages other than English, including for the commission's Web site, a toll-free number, a national media campaign, and all the materials it disseminates.

Before I conclude, I want to point out some financial literacy programs of note. The FDIC has a well-written and helpful program in English, Spanish, and numerous other languages known as Money Smart that targets adults. It is being disseminated in my district, and it is helping to encourage the adults in my district to move into the financial mainstream.

Several large banks, such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have implemented financial literacy programs that are now being used in schools for K through 12 programs. The Independent Bankers in Texas have been attempting to encourage the Texas State legislature to include financial literacy programs as a requirement for graduation from high school for quite some time.

There are numerous other financial literacy programs out there: Freddie Mac's CreditSmart Espanol program to train the teachers to train other teachers how to teach their financial literacy program; NCEE's K through 12 program; ACB's Money Rules program; Fannie Mae's Homeownership program in English and Spanish; ICI's Investing for Success program; and Operation Hope's Banking on Our Future program, and many others.

There are too many other programs to mention in the time I have been allotted, which is why a financial literacy commission was created by the FACT Act. The gentlewoman from Illinois and I will monitor it with our colleagues in Congress to ensure that it is a success.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and her legislative assistant, Danielle English, for working with me on this important legislation and all other projects; and I especially want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), and Jaime Lizarraga, on his staff, for all their assistance on financial literacy issues.

On behalf of the Committee on Financial Services, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 578.

Mr. Speaker, on March 10, 2004, I regret that I was unavoidably detained in my congressional district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcalls 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unavoidably detained in my congressional district attending the funeral of one of my constituents, a soldier killed in Iraq. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 130. I would have voted ``no'' on rollcalls 126, 127, 128, and 129.

Mr. Speaker on rollcalls No. 124 and 125, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Edinburg North High School for being selected for one of the 2004 College Board Inspiration Awards. Edinburg North is one of three exemplary high schools in the nation being honored for their steadfast commitment to fostering student success in some of America's most poverty-stricken communities. Each school receives a prize of $25,000 to use in furthering its academic goals. The Inspiration Awards recognize outstanding work in improving the academic environment and helping economically disadvantaged students achieve the promise of higher education. I would like to congratulate the superintendent, Eugenio Gutierrez, the principal, Mario Salinas, the teachers, students, and entire school community for this prestigious award.

Edinburg North High School is truly an inspiration for all of us who value education and academic excellence for all students. For the Hispanic community, it reaffirms our core faith in our own potential. Over 95 percent of the students at Edinburg North are Hispanic, and eighty percent of them are bilingual.

Edinburg North High School has succeeded in the face of many challenges. More than half of its students participate in the free and reduced price lunch program. Many students are the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers, and many of these young people work in the fields themselves. As recently as the late 1990s, Edinburg North's poor academic performance led the state of Texas to notify all parents that they had the option of sending their children to another school.

The school community--students, parents, teachers, administrators, local officials, and community leaders--made a commitment to turn things. The school did not merely aim for proficiency, but rather it reached for excellence with stunning results.

The school community decided although its students come from the most economically disadvantaged part of the district, they were not going to be educationally disadvantaged. Edinburg North High School made access to challenging courses a number one priority. It instituted an ``open- door'' policy for advanced placement courses, and now enrolls more students in college-level courses than any other school in the city. Over the last five years, Edinburg North has doubled the number of students taking at least one advanced placement exam.

This focus on rigorous courses has opened the doors to higher education for students of Edinburg North, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. Last year almost three-quarters of the students were accepted to college, including some of the most selective institutions in the nation, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, Columbia University, and Rice University.

This is what is possible when we invest in excellence in the Hispanic community. I urge my colleagues to join me in saluting Edinburg North High School for its achievement and applauding the college Board for sponsoring the

Inspiration Awards. May each year be more competitive than the last.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend and constituent, a beloved citizen of Aransas Pass, Texas, an established entrepreneur, and a compassionate neighbor--Mr. Charles Marshall. He has served his town, its needy and especially, its children, for nearly half of a century.

I can think of no one more deserving of recognition for empowering a community with the best educational opportunities that can be bestowed upon its youngest citizens. It is the personal values he has held throughout his years of public service which enhance the contributions and unshakeable faith he has for the people of Aransas Pass.

Charlie Marshall was born July 7, 1923 in Skidmore, Texas. He attended public school in Raymondville and later graduated from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. He served his country in the Navy during World War II, serving for 3 years on a back-up troop transport in an operating room. After returning from the war, he threw himself into civilian life and enrolled in Landig Mortuary College in Houston, Texas--eventually rising to valedictorian and class president.

He moved to Aransas Pass in 1949 and went to work for Cage Funeral Home. In 1953, it became Cage-Marshall Funeral Homes. Thirty-five years later, in 1998, the Charlie Marshall Funeral Home and Crematory of Aransas Pass was officially dedicated. Charlie's professional commitment was recognized

by the State of Texas. He was appointed to the Texas State Board of Morticians by Governors Price Daniels, John Connally, Preston Smith and Dolph Briscoe.

Charlie knew Aransas Pass was a great place to live and that the area would flourish if it had a solid educational hub. So in May 1959, he ran and was elected to the school board. This position enabled him to use his ability to inspire, attract and engage students and parents to work together to support academic excellence, and enhance pride in their community. Mr. Marshall continues today to visit the school campuses and talk to the students. He attends the Panther Sports events and supports many school activities that provide young people a chance to represent their school and community.

In addition to his exemplary service to his profession and the local educational community, Charlie has also served in civic, charitable and social organizations which propel the community and its citizens to prosperity.

These organizations include the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he received the Good Citizenship Award, and the Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce, where he has served for many years as an officer. He is credited as the founder and early organizer of the Shrimporee Festival, which continues to benefit San Patricio County. He was a distinguished director of the Overbid Property Trust, whose proceeds built the Aransas Pass Public Library. He was awarded the Aransas Pass Citizen of the Year Award 1972, and the coveted Murl Smith Award in 1981. Mr. Marshall was one of the founders of the Aransas Pass Associated Charities, which later grew into the Christian Service Center, serving thousands of needy families and children.

The citizens of Aransas Pass honored Mr. Marshall by naming an elementary school in recognition of his many community and educational contributions. It is my pleasure to pay homage to Charlie Marshall on the House Floor for his tireless efforts and 45 years of stellar leadership in education. I must also commend Charlie's late wife Gayle, his daughter, Marty, and son, Bill, who not only supported his service to Aransas Pass, but have shared his compassion and commitment.

I ask my Congressional Colleagues to join me in commending Mr. Charles Marshall for his exceptional career and contributions to the great State of Texas and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 93, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 254, the North American Development Bank Reauthorization bill. I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for his hard work in shepherding this bill through the legislative process. I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), for their assistance in again bringing this bill to the floor for consideration. Hopefully, this third time will be a charm.

As the representative from the 15th district of Texas which includes the U.S.-Mexico region, my constituents are directly affected by the work of the North American Development Bank and are vitally interested in reforms that will improve it.

The NADBank was originally created to gain passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The NADBank was to be a partner in helping border communities deal with water and environmental problems that would result from increased trade. For example, adequate waste water treatment facilities were supposed to be built on the U.S.-Mexico border after passage of NAFTA 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, despite large amounts of available capital, the NADBank has funded only a small number of projects along the border because it was only allowed to offer market rate loans. Most communities in this impoverished region are unable to repay market rate loans. The environmental need for projects along the southwest border is too great for the bank to have money sitting idle. Many border communities still lack water and waste water infrastructure. Residents on both sides of the border remain at risk from the diseases caused by untreated water and pollution.

H.R. 254 fixes the problem by allowing NADBank to offer low-interest loans and grants to border communities to fund critical infrastructure projects. While I would have preferred that the bank have more flexibility in using grant funding, when appropriate, to assist the most distressed communities, the compromise which has been reached with the Senate will allow the bank to give up to $50 million for grant assistance.

The gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) has given many of the details, so I will not repeat them; but that compromise certainly is acceptable. The reforms in this bill will finally allow the NADBank to live up to its promise and bring real assistance to border residents. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 254.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), home to the NADBank. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) has served more than three terms on the Committee on Financial Services and has spent a lot of time on this legislation and is very knowledgeable about the benefits to the communities on the U.S.-Mexico border that would benefit by the passage of H.R. 254.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), who represents the border between Texas and Mexico starting in Brownsville, a gentleman who is very knowledgeable about trade and commerce and the importance of this bill.

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

I am delighted that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) has given a good explanation of the benefits that we will receive along the Texas border region where we have had a drought of over 7 years. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and the Members from the border region who represent Texas are delighted that we are going to be able to help so many farmers and ranchers in improving the water distribution that is coming down the Rio Grande River all the way down from El Paso to Brownsville.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who also represents some of the Texas border area.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act. I would like to commend the committee and subcommittee chairs, Mr. Boehner and Mr. Castle and our ranking members, Mr. Miller and Ms. Woolsey, for bringing this bipartisan bill forward. It is a bill that strengthens the child nutrition programs for our most vulnerable families.

Measures to allow for the direct certification of migrant students and the direct verification of eligibility will protect our most at risk students from being dropped from the program, not for lack of eligibility but for lack of understanding or fear. The provisions to ensure that school lunch information--throughout the entire process--is in a language and form that the parents can understand will go a long way to building understanding and trust. These are significant improvements to the program.

Additionally, the bill strengthens nutrition education. Childhood obesity and diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions in South Texas and across the nation. We must do more to help young people develop healthy lifestyles. This legislation is a step in the right direction.

In conclusion, I would like to concur with my colleagues that we should make a commitment to replace the reduced lunch program with free lunches for all low-income children.

America is the wealthiest nation in the world. We can afford to feed our children. This investment is the right thing to do.