Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 743. I do so, not because I oppose ending Social Security fraud and abuse, but because of a section that is damaging to state and municipal employees. Section 418 is bad for teachers, police officers, fire fighters and other state and local workers in Texas who receive government pensions that are currently being reduced because of the Government Pension Offset provision of the Social Security Act. Section 418 would require experienced public servants to quit their jobs prematurely and work for the private sector for the 5 years before they retire in order to avoid the offset. We all know that our Nation has a critical shortage of teachers and public safety personnel. This provision will only exacerbate the problem.

The teachers of Texas have been writing and calling my office to protest this long-standing offset provision that is taking away Social Security benefits that they and their spouses have earned. At a time when federal and state budgets for education are being slashed, this is just one more slap in the face to those who are working hard to educate our children. We need to let them know that education is a national priority and that we value their dedication.

Instead of this bill that will provide no relief for these hardworking public servants, I urge the majority to bring H.R. 594, introduced by Congressman McKeon and which I proudly co-sponsor, to the House floor for a vote. This legislation would repeal both the Government Pension Offset and the ``Windfall Elimination Provision'', another portion of the Social Security Act that is penalizing state and local government employees.

I encourage my colleagues to move quickly to bring real relief to teachers and other public employees by considering H.R. 594 or failing that, by bringing H.R. 743 to the floor under regular order so that this damaging Section 418 provision can be removed. Our public servants deserves no less.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I had to travel to my congressional district for an important event on February 27, 2003. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall Nos. 37 and 38, and ``no'' on rollcall No. 39.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I like and respect my friend and colleague from Ohio. I heard the gentlewoman from Ohio say that NADBank has too little to show, and my response to her is that those of us who live on the southwest border want to correct what is wrong with the NADBank in the way that it has operated and done so poorly in these last few years.

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 all his hard work in shepherding this bill through the legislative process. I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) for their assistance in bringing this bill to the floor for consideration.

As the Congressman from the 15th District of Texas, which includes the U.S./Mexico border region, my constituents are directly affected by the work of the North American Development Bank and are vitally interested in reforms badly needed that will improve the NADBank.

I was born and raised in south Texas between Brownsville and Laredo. This region is the front door to Mexico. I have seen the skyrocketing 48 percent population increase from just 1990 to 2000. I have witnessed the huge export business between Texas and Mexico increase 202 percent from 1993 to 2000, and that increase has reached $68 million of exports in the year 2000.

NADBank was originally passed in 1994 and enacted in 1995. It was created to gain congressional passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The bank was to be a working partner in helping border communities deal with water treatment facilities and environmental problems that would result from the increased trade that was expected. The bank's purpose was to help the border communities cope with the problems created by NAFTA.

Unfortunately, despite large amounts of available capital, the bank has funded only a small number of infrastructure projects along the U.S./Mexico border because it was limited to offering only market-rate loans. The need along this southwest border is too great for the bank to have money sitting idle. H.R. 254 fixes the problem by allowing NADBank to offer low-interest loans and grants to border communities like the ones I represent to fund critical infrastructure projects so that we can have the quantity of water and quality of water that we need for the sustainable growth of our area.

This authorization bill is not perfect. I assure my colleagues that if it improves the NADBank with the corrections that we make here, everyone will be very happy.

In closing, I want to say that the bank has not worked well up until now, but I know that with these reforms it can live up to the promise. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 254.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the attention of my colleagues the remarkably successful coaching career of Robert Capello, the long-time coach for Edcouch-Elsa High School in my congressional district.

Coach Capello recently celebrated his 800th career victory, making him the only Hispanic high school basketball coach in the Nation with 800 victories. Even more remarkable, Coach Capello boasts a 69 percent victory percentage over his 36-year career at the helm of the Edcouch- Elsa Yellowjackets. His great success over the years is evidenced not only by that career victory milestone but by the many championships his teams have won. The Edcouch-Elsa Basketball Team has been District Champions for 11 of the past 19 years. They have played in the Texas State playoffs in 19 of the past 21 years. They are the first school in the Rio Grande Valley to send four players to the Texas High School Coaches Association South All Star games.

Robert Capello is not only an excellent basketball coach, he has also been an extraordinary role model and mentor to hundreds of boys and girls who have graduated from Edcouch-Elsa High School over the years. He inspires his athletes to excel both on the court and in the classroom, and has encouraged all students at Edcouch-Elsa to reach their fullest potential by pursuing a college education.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating Coach Robert Capello for his 800th career basketball victory, and for his 36 years of inspirational leadership and caring commitment to the students of Edcouch-Elsa High School.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4, the Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Protection Act. I opposed this bill last year when we had the same debate. Since then more workers have lost their jobs, more families have lost their homes, and more Americans are in need of Federal assistance. Jobs are scarce as businesses continue to fail. Instead of considering a new bill that reflects this new economic environment, the Republican leadership has brought to the floor the same inadequate bill from last year. Education and training should be the cornerstones upon which this legislation is written. We should be stressing basic literacy, English as a second language, GED completion, and on-the-job training, rather than cynically labeling them welfare scholarships.

In my congressional district I have seen how education can bring economic prosperity to one of the poorest regions in the country. Our unemployment rates have dropped from over 20 percent to almost 10 percent, and we lead the State of Texas in job creation. I urge my colleagues to vote against the Republican bill. It is the wrong bill at the wrong time.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for their leadership in the Committee on Small Business. I rise today in strong support of S. 141 as introduced by Senator Snowe and passed by the Senate. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, especially in times of financial crisis, and this bill is important because it would help to reduce the cost of small businesses throughout the United States.

S. 141 would encourage the administration to use a 7(a) subsidy rate model that would more accurately reflect the true cost of the small business loan programs to the taxpayer. The current model has resulted in overcharges of $1.5 billion over the last 10 years, according to the GAO study. The measure authorizes the Office of Management and Budget to adopt a new econometric model for calculating the program subsidy rate. The change would enable the SBA to boost 7(a) lending authority from $4.8 billion to $8.2 billion for fiscal year 2003 by significantly reducing the 7(a) credit subsidy rate.

The bill's projected impact on small business lending should result in near 21,000 more loans to small firms with a potential to support at least 103,000 new jobs. Moreover, implementing the new econometric model will not require any increase in Federal spending.

Mr. Speaker, S. 141 simply requires SBA to use the new econometric model a year earlier than planned and thus enable small businesses to benefit from the lower subsidy rate immediately. The new model will reduce the cost to both the lender and the borrower. The change combined with reprogramming of unused STAR funds will yield a 7(a) program level of $9 million below the demand, but it is sufficient to lift the current administration-imposed cap that has hurt small businesses since October 2002.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend Chairman Manzullo and Ranking member Nydic Velazquez for their leadership in the Small Business Committee!

I rise today in strong support of S. 141, as introduced by Senator Snowe and passed by the Senate. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, especially in times of financial crisis, and this bill is important because it would help to reduce the costs to small businesses in the United States. S. 141 would encourage the Administration to use a 7(a) subsidy rate model that would more accurately reflect the true cost of the small business loan programs to the taxpayer. The current model has resulted in overcharges of $1.5 billion over the last 10 years, according to a GAO Study.

The measure authorizes the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to adopt a new econometric model for calculating the program's subsidy rate. The change would enable the SBA to boost 7(a) lending authority from $4.8 billion to $8.2 billion for Fiscal Year 2003 by significantly reducing the 7(a) credit subsidy rate.

The bill's projected impact on small business lending should result in nearly 21,000 more loans to small firms--with the potential to support at least 103,690 new jobs. Moreover, implementing the new econometric model will not require any increase in federal spending.

Currently, the 7(a) Program is operating at a reduced capacity from previous years, with the size of loans capped at $500,000. The shortfall in lending authority leaves many small firms nowhere to go for money to maintain or expand their operations in a slow economy. Each year, 40,000 or more small business concerns that cannot obtain comparable credit elsewhere turn to the 7(a) program for critically- needed financing.

To combat this problem, the SBA contracted with the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) to construct an econometric model that considers additional factors with the goal of representing a more accurate cost. Developed by the SBA and the OMB, the econometric model will use far more comprehensive data about individual borrowers and loans when forecasting anticipated defaults and establishing loan reserves to cover them.

SBA has finished the review and plans for the implementation of the new model in FY04. This delayed implementation would leave the current model in place for FY03. The difference in the two models is approximately 70 basis points, 1.07 v. 1.77, which is roughly a $1,000 difference annually per loan.

Each year, the Office and Management and Budget (OMB) calculates the federal cost of guaranteeing small business loans administered by the Small Business Administration.

Critics of the current method of calculating those costs argue that it does not take into account historical data and recent statutory and regulatory changes that have improved default rates and program performance. Critics therefore contend that the current federal cost, expressed in the form of a subsidy rate, is over-estimated, which, in turn, limits the amount of loans that can be guaranteed. Again, a recent General Accounting Office report supports this contention.

S. 141 simply requires SBA to use the new econometric model a year earlier than planned and thus enables small businesses to benefit from the lower subsidy rate immediately. The new model will reduce the cost to both the lender and the borrower. The change, combined with reprogramming of unused STAR Funds, will yield a 7(a) program level of $9 billion below the demand, but it is sufficient to lift the current Administration imposed cap that has hurt small businesses since October of 2002.

For these reasons, I rise in strong support of passage S. 141 and urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an outstanding group of young scholars from my Congressional district. The McAllen Memorial High School Constitution team recently won the Texas state title at the ``We The People, The Citizen and the Constitution'' annual competition. Remarkably, this is the McAllen team's 10th State win in 13 years. They have also been successful nationally, finishing among the top ten finalists in 4 out of 10 appearances.

I am proud to represent a community that produces students with such a passion for learning the democratic principles and foundation of our government. I congratulate the team members and their parents for this extraordinary achievement. I congratulate the team members and their parents for this extraordinary achievement. The members of the team are thirteen high school seniors; Erika Garcia, Brian Trautman, Victoria Montemayor, Allison Glass, Gregory Goldsmith, Danessa Litam, Gisela Medina, Edwin Monroy, Kelly Monroy, Jeffrey Murray, Steffy Phillip, Sabrina Tully, Brian Van Burkleo. Ms. LeAnna Morse coached the team. I wish these students success when they compete at the national competition in April, here in Washington, DC.

In closing, I would like to share with my colleagues an article that ran in the McAllen Monitor highlighting the accomplishment of these young constitutional scholars.

McAllen Constitution Team Wins 10th State Title

(By Juan Ozuna)

McAllen.--Hamilton, Madison and Franklin would be impressed

with the McAllen Memorial High School Constitution team.

The 13-member team comprised of high school seniors was

named state champion in the We The People, The Citizen and

the Constitution competition in Austin Jan. 4.

It is the 10th time in 13 years the group has won the

competition, sponsored by the State Bar of Texas.

``They really demonstrated an ability to think on their

feet,'' said LeAnna Morse, a government teacher and the

team's coach. ``I'm really proud of them.''

During the competition, each team is divided into groups of

three. These trios each face a panel of attorneys, educators

and community leaders and make a three-minute presentation on

the Constitution. They answer questions asked by the panel of

judges and are awarded points for their answers.

``This was a small team, so they had to carry extra weight,

and they really rose to the occasion,'' Morse said.

Teams usually have 15 members. To help train the group,

Morse asked some friends and other community people to come

in to the class to act as judges for her team.

``We'd have practices and invite attorneys and academics to

judge them so they could have the full experience,'' Morse

said. ``When you practice, you always try to anticipate what

questions you'll be asked in the follow-up.''

Mick West, history coordinator for McAllen school district

and a sponsor of the team, accompanied the students to the

competition, which he said was extremely competitive.

``They did an outstanding job,'' he said. ``It was very

close. They have a great reputation.''

Team member Erika Garcia said there was a lot of pressure

on the students to perform well because of their reputation.

``It's good to know that we fulfilled that tradition one

more year,'' Garcia said. ``Our sponsors have prepared us

very well.''

Teammate Brain Trautman said he also felt the heat of the

competition, calling the win ``a relief.''

``I'm really excited,'' he said. ``I can't wait to go to

nationals to compete.''

As the winning team, the McAllen Memorial High School

students will be sent to Washington, D.C., in April to

compete against the top team from each state.

Though Morse's teams have seen top-10 finishes at the

national level, the highest they ever placed is fourth.

Though also excited about being able to attend the national

Constitution competition, Victoria Montemayor said she would

be more focused on the sights.

``I just want to see the actual documents,'' Montemayor

said. ``I want to see the monuments, see all the places you

see in the books.''

Other students on the team include Allison Glass, Gregory

Goldsmith, Danessa Litam, Gisela Medina, Edwin Monroy, Kelly

Monroy, Jeffrey Murray, Steffy Phillip, Sabrina Tully and

Brian van Burkleo.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in expressing my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the seven Columbia astronauts who tragically lost their lives Saturday over the skies of Texas. This tragedy is a reminder of the risk involved in exploring the frontiers of space and furthering human knowledge.

Every child, at one time or another, has dreamed of becoming an astronaut to explore distant planets and stars. Unfortunately, many children lose their dream as they grow up. These seven extraordinary people never lost that dream. They dedicated their lives to studies and training to develop the technical skills they needed to become an astronaut.

I attended the memorial service yesterday in Houston, wanting to provide the astronauts' family members some comfort. They are all at different levels of grieving. Everyone spoke of the joy and pride the Columbia crew felt in being astronauts and their commitment to sharing their love of space exploration with the next generations. I admire them tremendously.

I know firsthand how inspiring astronauts can be to children. This past fall I hosted the Hispanic Engineering and Science Technology Week in my congressional district. Over 17,000 students and teachers filled the baseball stadium of the University of Texas Pan-American. They listened to speeches about the importance of becoming proficient in science, math and technology in order to expand their career opportunities. But the highlight of the day was when former astronaut Alan Bean rose to speak. The students were transfixed as they listened to him talk about the wonders of space and its potential for mankind's future. The awed and excited expression on those faces as he fired their imaginations is something I will never forget. This is a legacy we must preserve.

I urge my colleagues to continue their support for NASA and the dream for which these seven heroes gave their lives.