Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Ronald H. Ruby, whose lifelong commitment to educating others influenced lives of people from the Central Coast of California to Norway. His mother, Ruth Bittman, his wife Dorothy Ruby, two daughters, two sons, and two grandchildren survive Mr. Ruby, who passed away on November 5, 2003.

Mr. Ruby was born in San Francisco, California on December 1, 1932. He attended UC Berkeley, and after receiving a bachelor's degree in physics he served in the U.S. Navy. Following his tenure in the Navy, Mr. Ruby returned to Berkeley to obtain his PhD. He was subsequently recruited to join the faculty of UC Santa Cruz as a physicist and remained there from 1965 to 1991, while also conducting research at UCSC and University of Oslo in Norway. I have been told that Mr. Ruby was an amazing educator; his innovative teaching techniques enthralled both students and colleagues.

Not only was Mr. Ruby an astonishing educator but he was also a loving husband, father, and sports enthusiast. Mr. Ruby met his wife Dorothy Bell as he began graduate school at UC Berkeley. The two began a family and raised four children in Santa Cruz. Mr. Ruby enjoyed bike riding, competitive rowing, and Nordic skiing. He also found time to coach the UCSC rugby team.

Mr. Ruby had an admirable career at UC Santa Cruz and dedicated himself to teaching and research. I join the Santa Cruz community in honoring the life of Mr. Ronald Ruby, whose dedication and contributions were truly commendable.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor and pleasure that I am able to rise today to recognize Mayor David Pendergrass, a dedicated public servant of Sand City, California. Mayor Pendergrass has served Sand City for 25 years, where throughout his tenure as a Mayor- Councilmember, Mayor Pendergrass has distinguished himself as a strong leader.

Under Mayor Pendergrass' leadership, the City of Sand City has been enhanced in many different ways. He has overseen the establishment of an active redevelopment program and agency, the organization of a modern city government with a City Administrator-Council administrative structure, and maintained an on-going forum to receive and respond to citizens' concerns. Furthermore, Mayor Pendergrass has been able to keep Sand City's focus on its primary goals with diplomacy, patience, and consideration.

Mayor Pendergrass' committed public service has improved the quality of life at Sand City, California. He has made great contributions, and his lifelong dedication to public service is commendable. His achievements are truly honorable, and I along with the City of Sand City, honor this great man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the dedication, spirit, and accomplishments of my good friend Sargent Shriver who celebrated his 88th birthday last week. I met Sarge while I was in Peace Corps Training in Questa, New Mexico in 1963. He was a hero figure: handsome, smart, engaging, and the President's brother-in-law. We were all so proud of being chosen to be in one of the

early waves of the Peace Corps. President John F. Kennedy asked our nation's citizens to ``ask not what this country could do for you, but what you can do for your country.'' Sargent Shriver was a living demonstration of the way to serve and the spirit it took to launch the new and bold idea of the Peace Corps.

Peace Corps began under Sargent Shriver's directorship on March 1, 1961. Today, over 170,000 Americans, including six members of Congress, have served in 136 countries. Many volunteers who served under Sargent Shriver have become Ambassadors, Presidents of Universities, and Chairmen of major corporations.

Sargent Shriver began his public service in the United States Navy where he earned the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Following his naval career, Sargent Shriver dedicated himself to the societal problems facing the youth of the country--organizing the National Conference on Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency in Washington and serving as the President of the Chicago Board of Education. He continued to foster quality social programming through the creation of VISTA, Head Start, Community Action, Foster Grandparents, Job Corps, Legal Services, Indian and Migrant Opportunities and Neighborhood Health Services. In addition, Sargent Shriver has served on the Board of many humanitarian organizations, including as President of the Special Olympics

Sargent Shriver's dedication to living his ideals, and making them a reality has inspired subsequent generations to do the same. His invaluable contributions to the formation and longevity of the Peace Corps has brought hope to people around the world and has educated generations of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, such as myself, in the necessity and value of public service. The Peace Corps continues to be a means for understanding the cultures, and languages of the world while recognizing the differences between different countries.

The vision of peace that Director Shriver has committed so much time and energy to has only become more important during this time of war. Director Shriver once wisely said, ``I say what our nation needs now is a call to peace and service--peace and service on a scale we have scarcely begun to imagine.'' Mr. Speaker, today I honor Sargent Shriver and wish him the very best in the coming year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Donna Teresa, a compassionate and devoted member of the children's literacy community. In recognition of her activism, Ms. Teresa has been selected by Reading is Fundamental, as the Western representative for the ``2003 Anne Richardson Reading is Fundamental Volunteer of the Year.'' For over six years, Ms. Teresa has worked tirelessly to develop and improve literacy programs at Henry F. Kammann School. In this effort, she has truly embodied the spirit of volunteerism and empathy that is attributed to the distinguished few who receive this award.

In her position as the school librarian, Ms. Teresa has restored the wonder and excitement that reading can provide to our Nation's

children. She understands the value of literacy and has implemented many new programs to encourage reading, including a summer program that gives each a child a free book. Ms. Teresa has expressed her concern that for many of her students, books are scarce at home and the break from school puts many students behind their peers. This type of understanding and consideration of a student's living situation has allowed Ms. Teresa to reach out to each child and cater to their interests and needs. She also manages a student book club with more than 60 students and personally acquaints herself with each new text before giving it to a child to ensure that it is appropriate for their reading level and interests. Ms. Teresa derives her inspiration from the hope that her push towards literacy will encourage students to continue their education and make better choices down the line. Her efforts have also been recognized in Monterey County, where she was recently awarded the ``2003 Monterey County Lighthouse for Literacy.''

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to honor the accomplishments of Donna Teresa and express sincere gratitude for her commitment to our community's children. I wish Ms. Teresa much success in her endeavors and I am confident that the efforts of those who strive to improve literacy will be valued for many generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's hope to be the world leader in clean energy is flushed down the drain with this bill. This bill is about old politics, old oil, old coal. It is about making us more dependent, not less dependent on fossil fuels. It is about tax breaks to the polluting companies. It is about power lines through national forests and offshore oil drilling. It is about removing State and local governments from the planning and conditioning of energy projects in their backyards. It is about opening up the coast of California for oil drilling.

The bill is a slap in the face to innovation and creativity and to alternatives. Wake up, Japan and Europe, this bill hands you the world's future for clean energy technology development. It is a sad day when the United States Congress looks at our energy future by looking in the rear view mirror.

Hunters and Anglers Agree: Public Lands Provisions of the Energy Bill

Are Unwise

Dear Senator Domenici and Representative Tauzin: We, the

undersigned organizations, represent millions of hunters,

anglers, wildlife and fish professionals and commercial

interests, and others concerned about fish and wildlife

habitat. The Energy Bill presently in conference between the

Senate and the House of Representatives contains numerous oil

and gas leasing provisions that could diminish conservation

measures on public lands for water resources, wildlife and

fish habitats, and scenic landscapes. As you know, informed

energy development does not

have to impact fish and wildlife and their habitats on public

land.

Public lands are home to some of the most important fish

and wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities in

the nation. We urge you to resist reducing protection of the

lands and waters that sustain these resources. Specifically,

we are concerned about certain provisions within the Oil and

Gas title of the bill that may have the effect of elevating

energy development on public lands to a dominant use over

fish and wildlife, water, recreation, and other multiple-use

values. We believe this is both unwise and unnecessary.

Fish, wildlife, and water resources found on our public

lands are extremely valuable, and are growing more so each

day as private lands become developed. We urge you to ensure

that these resources receive the high level of stewardship

they deserve, and conservation efforts for them are enhanced,

not undermined, by the Energy Bill on which you are working.

Thank you for considering our recommendations.

American Fisheries Society.

American Fly Fishing Trade Association.

Campfire Club of America.

Izaak Walton League of America.

North American Grouse Partnership.

Pure Fishing.

Trout Unlimited.

Wildlife Management Institute.

American Sportfishing Association.

International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Mule Deer Foundation.

Orion the Hunters Institute.

The Wildlife Society.

Wildlife Forever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Conference Report of H.R. 1588, the Defense Authorization Act. This bill contains anti-environmental provisions that roll back fundamental protections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

H.R. 1588 exempts the military from protecting endangered species. Provisions in this Conference Report compromise the survival of some 300 threatened and endangered species living on military lands by prohibiting the designation of critical habitat as mandated under the ESA. Instead, military lands will be managed under Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans, prepared by the Secretary of Defense. Currently, such plans have no definitions, no standards, and no limits.

Such sweeping changes in the management of species living on military lands are completely unnecessary. Sea otters and toads do not and will not prevent our military from being the best trained and prepared in the world. But if for some reason the toads rise up, the military already has, but never has used, a national security exemption as part of ESA. The military has shown so little previous concern with this issue that it was only in March of this year that the Department of Defense began developing guidance on how to assess and process exemptions requests inappropriate situations.

Marine mammal protection is under its greatest fire today. Although unnecessary from the start, a full exemption from the MMPA was granted for military readiness activities in the version of this bill that passed the House on May 22, 2003. The Senate version of the bill contained no MMPA exemption for any reason. How then did it come to pass that the Conference Report we debate today broadens the exemption to include scientific research activities by the Federal Government? The Conference Report, agreed to by Republican conferees behind closed doors, opens gaping loopholes in the management of marine mammals and creates unequal standards for ocean users. This is both unfair to the marine mammals struggling to survive and to the shipping, fishing, and tourism industries, which will now be held to different standards under MMPA than scientific researchers and the Navy.

The ``encroachment'' of civilian communities on military managed lands is a serious problem as the separation between where people live and where the military trains decreases. As such, there has never been a more necessary time for the military to look out for the public's best interest. The public wants and needs a healthy and well-managed environment and for the military to be held to complying with our nation's fundamental environmental protection laws. The military should be listening to its neighbors and respecting their requests, and Congress should have listened to its constituents and prevented the weakening of the ESA and MMPA.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tim Jenkins, who passed away unexpectedly on October 2, 2003. He served as one of my campaign staffers when I originally ran for the California State Assembly many years ago, and will be sorely missed. He is survived by his mother, Doris Jenkins, and his son, Nolan Jenkins.

Tim Jenkins was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, but had lived in California for much of his life, and made Santa Cruz his home for nearly thirty years. He transferred to UC Santa Cruz in 1974 as a psychology major, but he is best known on the Central Coast for his political activism. In addition to the effort he put in to my campaign for the State Assembly, he also worked as a campaign strategist for, among others, County Supervisor Mardi Wormhoudt and Santa Cruz City Council member Mike Rotkin and Emily Reilly, the current mayor. Without the hard work and dedication to progressive politics that Tim embodied, Santa Cruz would not be the way it is today.

His friends and family have established ``The Tim Jenkins Scholarship Fund'' in his memory, which will help support future UC Santa Cruz student activists. The annual scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates a notable commitment to practical, progressive politics and academic excellence. For Tim, politics was about more than running for office; it was a lifelong commitment to changing society for the better. His passion for politics that people could believe in was an inspiration to everyone who knew him.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Tim Jenkins' achievements and accomplishments. Throughout his life he demonstrated an outstanding commitment to our community through his political work. His character and dedication have made lasting impacts on our community and the people with whom he worked, myself included. I join the County of Santa Cruz, and friends and family in honoring this truly commendable man and all of his lifelong achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Terry Brickley, who passed away from pneumonia on October 6, 2003. Throughout his life, Terry was an exceptional community activist and a tireless crusader of rights for the disabled, himself a sufferer from multiple sclerosis. He is survived by his life partner of thirteen years, Sally Jorgensen, his daughter, Tori Bradford, and her husband and son.

A native Californian, Terry lived in Santa Cruz for the past thirty- seven years and has played an important role in this community during that time. He played a vital role in making public spaces handicap accessible, including making the transit district in Santa Cruz the first in the country to have fully accessible buses, long before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. In addition to his amazing work as an activist, Terry also founded, headed, and sat on the boards of several organizations dedicated to improving the lives of the disabled, including Adaptability Unlimited; a San Francisco chapter of the California Association for Physically Handicapped which is now the Californians for Disability Rights; and the Stroke Center at Cabrillo College.

I had personal contact with him while serving in the California Assembly, as we worked together to pass a bill that would allow people eager to return to work to remain on Disability Insurance until their new job insurance came into effect. With the passage of this bill, it made it possible for more people to return to work and once again participate in their community. He has shown it is possible for one person to make a difference in the lives of so many people, not only in his local community but across the state, in starting a movement that works to guarantee equal rights for all Americans. Terry was an inspiration to me and his legacy will not easily be forgotten. He was a true friend and will be missed by many.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Terry Brickley's achievements and accomplishments. Throughout his life he demonstrated an outstanding commitment to this community and to equal rights nationwide that should serve as an inspiration to everyone. His service is admirable and his character and dedication have made lasting impacts on our community and the people with whom he worked, myself included. I join the County of Santa Cruz, and friends and family in honoring this truly commendable man and all of his lifelong achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Steve Belcher, retiring Chief of Police for the city of Santa Cruz. Serving for more than 32 years in the Santa Cruz Police Department, Chief Belcher will surely be missed by both his co-workers and the residents of Santa Cruz. His unyielding commitment to public service has, for the past three decades, won him the respect and admiration of the community as a whole.

A graduate of Santa Cruz High School, Steve has lived in Santa Cruz for almost all of his life. In front of his proud wife, Sisi, and two daughters, Erin and Amy, Steve will retire on November 5, 2003. After 32\1/2\ years of service, Steve, with his characteristic humility, will boast a lengthy list of accomplishments and achievements.

Chief Belcher was sworn in as Police Patrol Officer on May 26, 1971, and has been a steadfast leader in the department ever since. His poise and leadership have enabled him to rise up the ranks of the Santa Cruz Police Department, culminating in his appointment to the position as Chief of Police on September 30, 1994. Holding the positions of Sergeant, Lieutenant and Deputy Chief of Police, Steve has excelled in every facet of his job. His entire career, from police patrol officer to his current position as Chief of Police, has been with the Santa Cruz Police Department. Over the years, Steve has achieved an extremely long list of accolades and accomplishments, many of which will leave an indelible footprint on the entire community. Chief Belcher has improved training, staffing and community policing policies, and has overseen a steady decline in the overall crime rate.

Focusing on the problems facing the Beach Flats area of Santa Cruz, Chief Belcher has promoted a strong spirit of community development and civic participation. Steve has received an overwhelming amount of praise for this work, and humbly takes credit for helping the department create a Spanish Citizens Police Academy.

I am proud to call Steve a friend. A colleague in the realm of public service, Steve possesses the qualities that personify good police work. I would like to wish him well in his retirement, and thank him for the outstanding--above and beyond the call of duty--service that he has provided our community for the past three decades.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of California, Santa Cruz's Long Marine Lab on celebrating its twenty- fifth anniversary on October 25th, 2003. The Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory is a research and education facility of Institute of Marine Sciences and is known throughout the world for innovative research on marine mammals, marine ecology, and issues relating to ocean health. The Long Marine Lab has grown from a few marine scientists into a research institute with more than 170 scientists and research associates, 130 graduate students, and $12 million in annual research funds.

With its collaborative interdisciplinary approach to programs and facilities, Long Marine Laboratory enables students from the University of California, Santa Cruz to engage in hands-on research, and to have the opportunity to work with professionals in their field of study. The site is also home to the California Department of Fish and Game Marine Wildlife Center, the National Marine Fisheries Service's Southwest Science Center, and plans are underway to bring coastal and marine scientists from the United States Geological Survey.

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center houses the lab's public education and visitor programs and brings marine research to life for 50,000 schoolchildren and other public visitors every year. Programs such as this are vital to teaching children about conservation and the marine environment, and ensuring that they will continue the struggle to save and preserve our oceans.

The President of the University of California has chosen this day to name one of the original Long Marine Laboratory buildings the William T. Doyle Research Building in honor of Bill Doyle, founding director of the Institute of Marine Sciences, for his great vision, wisdom, and persistence in the establishment and early development of the Long Marine Laboratory.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Bill Doyle's memory and the dedicated work of the many staff and researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory. Through their commitment to marine research they are able to offer new solutions and approaches to conservation and preservation of our oceans. The lab's twenty-fifth anniversary is a tribute to the role it plays in our community, and I wish the Long Marine Laboratory the best successes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the strong bond between the Monterey Institute of International Studies and the Peace Corps. The Monterey Institute is strongly committed to preparing individuals for two years of dedicated service in the Peace Corps with a new Master's International Program. Students who successfully return after volunteering in the Peace Corps through the Master's International Program are eligible to receive scholarships, which can cover eight of the remaining credits for the final semester. This has become a great tool for students in fulfilling their educational requirements.

Since its inception in 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged the youth of this country to experience and work to relieve the poverty in underdeveloped countries. After 42 years, the Peace Corps have grown to have over 170,000 volunteers in 136 different countries. These courageous and enthusiastic young people have helped change third world countries through education, business development, and most recently, volunteers are helping as a part of President Bush's HIV/AIDS Act of 2003.

I am proud to say that I share the honorable and memorable experience of volunteering my service for the Peace Corps in Colombia during 1964- 66. Mr. Lawrence Horan, the Director of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, had the same experience with the Peace Corps and today is now helping hundreds of current volunteers through their experience. Mr. Horan, the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and the Peace Corps as well should be commended for helping shape the world into a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1446, which is known as the California Missions Preservation Act. This is truly a bipartisan piece of legislation cosponsored by 48 of my California colleagues. I also want to thank the efforts of the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) for moving this legislation to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, even before the fuse that led to the explosion of American independence was lit at the Boston Tea Party, the first California mission was established in San Diego in 1769. The last mission in the chain was established in 1823 in Sonoma. All 21 missions are California registered historical landmarks, seven of which have Federal status of national historical landmarks. I am fortunate to have five of the 21 missions in my congressional district extending along the coast of California on what is known as the El Camino Real, or the King's Highway, that would link the missions, now commonly known as Highway 101. Those missions are in Santa Cruz, in San Juan Bautista, in the city of Soledad, a mission called San Antonio de Padua which is in Fort Hunter Liggett; and in my own hometown of Carmel, San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, known as Carmel Mission.

The California missions represent a historic vein running through the State from the south to the north. They also symbolize the east to west exploration that expanded our Nation to its four corners. Of all the institutions that define California's heritage, none has the historic significance and emotional impact of the chain of Spanish missions that stretch from San Diego to Sonoma. The missions are an important part of the State's cultural fabric and must be preserved as priceless historic monuments. They are a living link to our past.

The missions stand as landmarks of more than 2 centuries and are recognized for the important impact they have had on the development of California, including California art, architecture, agriculture, food, music, language, apparel, and recreation. The missions help drive tourism, the State's third largest industry. These symbols of California are the most visited historical attractions in the State, attracting over 5.3 million visitors a year. They account for a sizable contribution to the State's economy from millions of tourists, including a large number of international visitors. And they have become synonymous with the State's fourth grade curriculum. Students build mission models and write research reports as part of California history lessons. This serves as an important education function in teaching young students about the role of missions in the history of our State and our Nation.

For 230 years, the missions have stood as symbols of Western exploration and settlement. Time, natural deterioration, and neglect have taken a toll on the missions. Some are crumbling and are at risk of full destruction. Most need preservation and seismic work to restore their antique beauty and bring them up to modern safety standards. Without immediate repairs, these centuries-old structures could be lost. The need is urgent and of near-crisis proportions: rotting roofs, cracking tiles, crumbling adobe. The backlog of needed repairs is long, the price tag is high, and the message is clear: the California missions need our help. Now.

H.R. 1446 will provide an important step toward addressing some of the most severe problems the missions are facing. This legislation provides authorization for funding of up to $10 million over 5 years. In partnership with the State of California and in partnership with the California Missions Foundation, a statewide funding campaign has begun. Under this legislation, the process requires that each mission submit a list to the foundation of its most urgent preservation needs. All mission repairs and restoration projects are reviewed, approved, and supervised by professionals qualified in the disciplines of history, history archaeology, architectural history, planning, architecture, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, conservation, landscape architecture, or related fields. Projects must be accomplished in accordance with the applicable Secretary of the Interior's standards for the treatment of historical properties. All repairs and capital improvements must have competitive bids, which the foundation's funding review committee reviews. The foundation board of directors assesses the proposal and has final approval on all restoration projects funded. The missions are required to submit timely progress reports and an accounting to the foundation on all projects funded.

Since the Spanish friars and native peoples joined together in building these settlements, the land we call California has been shaped and influenced by what they accomplished in the most ambitious undertaking. From the vineyards of Sonoma to the ranches of Santa Barbara to the adobe arcades and red tile roofs of San Diego, the California missions have left their mark on who we are and what we have become.

H.R. 1446 presents us with the opportunity to address the needs of the missions and to preserve an integral part of our Nation's history and the heritage of the West that combines with the East to make this truly the United States.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. This debate tonight is not about support of our troops. There is not a Member of Congress that does not support our troops. And it is not about national security. It is about one thing. It is about politics. And I say that for three reasons:

First of all, the timing. It was just a year ago that we were rushed to judgment to give the President the authority to unilaterally invade Iraq, at a time when the U.N. inspectors were saying give us more time; we have not found weapons of mass destruction. If they are there, give us more time to look for them, which had the support of the international community. But why was that vote passed a year ago today? Because it was on the eve of the November elections and the President wanted the vote before the November elections so he could use it in the campaigns.

We followed that vote last spring with a $78 billion supplemental request. That money does not run out until next April. In the defense appropriations bill, we put enough money in for the troops, so why now? Why have this vote now? Could it be the rush to judgment this year is to get it as far away from the next November elections? Because if we went to next spring, there may not be national support for this bill. I think today is a sure rush to judgment, and I do not think we need to do that. We need to prove to the world that we have a workable plan.

The second is capacity. Where is the building of Iraq capacity? Look at the number of idle people in Iraq, unpaid. Yet American contractors are rushing in on American salaries and American consultant fees who require protection of American troops in order to do the American work in Iraq. We ought to be spending that money on building the capacity for the Iraqis to do it, not for American corporations.

And lastly, the contracting. These are emergency appropriations. They are asking that we forego the regular corporate way of giving out contracts. There is no transparency. This is a gift of funds to American companies, not to Iraqi people.

This Emergency Appropriations bill can't be called the ``Iraq bailout bill'' when the contracts only go to businesses friendly to the partisan interests of the White House.

The money doesn't go to Iraq, it goes to K Street. It goes to American companies that pay U.S. consultant wages, not the wages earned by Iraqis.

Timing is not necessary, its political capacity building for Iraq is not planned. Contracts don't help earn friends but create animosity.

I have and will continue to vote against the wrong approach to winning peace in the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 25th anniversary of the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation. Robinson Jeffers lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, from 1914 until his death in 1962, and the stone house and tower that he built there provided a powerful inspiration for his poetry. It is thanks to the hard work of many local residents that we are fortunate to have Tor House preserved for us today as an important part of our local history.

The heirs to the property, Donnan Jeffers and his wife, Lee, were in agreement that the buildings should be preserved as a literary shrine to Donnan's father, Robinson Jeffers, and that the property should have public and educational uses as a museum and scholarship center. Many local and national figures were involved in creating awareness of and raising money for the project: actress Dame Judith Anderson, photographer Ansel Adams, National Trust President James Biddle, publisher Ward Ritchie, Carmel resident Maggie Downer, Rockefeller advisor Joe Lee, poet and Monterey Peninsula College instructor Allston James, and many others. Also instrumental in the purchase of the Tor House was Carmel resident, former California State Senator, Fred Farr, who at the time was chair of the National Trust, Monterey Council.

With the generous contributions of many individuals and the Carmel City Council, the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation, Inc., a non- profit organization, formally took possession of the property on February 28, 1979. Building upon the prescient and extraordinary efforts of many people in the late 1970's, subsequent Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation Boards and docents during the Foundation's 25 year history have worked tirelessly and successfully to make the dream of preserving Tor House a reality.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea in honoring the dedicated work of the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation. Their 25th anniversary is a tribute to the remarkable effort by the Tor House Foundation to preserve the property and the buildings of Carmel's revered and internationally known poet, Robinson Jeffers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the inauguration of two new residential colleges at the University of California, Santa Cruz. When this university opened in 1965 it chose to undertake a bold experiment in its college system, which today is hailed as a resounding success. The University of California, Santa Cruz serves as a national model for undergraduate education within the context of a major research university.

These residential colleges make it possible for students to enjoy the resources and academic vigor of a major research university within supportive living and learning communities. In addition, the colleges provide students with opportunities for social and cultural events, academic excellence including research, internship programs and community-service and scholarships for academic achievement.

Colleges Nine and Ten are a welcome addition to the University of California, Santa Cruz, and their respective themes of International and Global Perspectives, and Social Justice and Community will serve as inspiration for students both today and in the future. This celebration to inaugurate the two new colleges is also a celebration of the positive effects higher education can have on issues such as social justice and international cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the achievements of the University of California, Santa Cruz in creating an excellent learning experience through the college system and I am proud to commemorate the inauguration of Colleges Nine and Ten.