Floor Statements

Speaker, since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the cable industry has invested more than $75 billion of private risk capital nationally, or about $1,000 per customer. These investments--including $45 million by Time Warner Cable in the Sixteenth District of Texas alone--have transformed cable's one-way video delivery system into a two-way interactive digtal platform that offers consumers new competitive services--digital video, high-speed Internet access, cable telephony, and interactive and high-definition television.

Competition for residential high-speed Internet is here. Consumers today can choose among a variety of wireless and wire line providers. Cable's lead in the marketplace is due to its early investment in cable modem technology, aggressive marketing, generally lower prices and a consistently positive online experience for customers. I am proud that when Time Warner Cable launched Road Runner high-speed online service in El Paso in 1998, it was the first Road Runner launch in Texas, and the eighth in the nation. Time Warner provides free cable modems to the schools and libraries in its communities, as do many cable operators, ensuring that our young people benefit directly, even if they do not have access to computers at home. Cable is a proactive player in the effort to address the Digital Divide.

Cable was the first industry to aggressively upgrade its networks to offer broadband Internet access to consumers at home, thereby creating the first real alternative to the much slower dial-up modem systems offered by local phone companies. Cable's rapid deployment of its always-on, high-speed Internet product spurred phone companies to offer competing DSL technology, a broadband data technology that was invented over a decade ago.

Cable has taken an early lead in the investment and marketing of cable service, but there are a number of other providers in the broadband marketplace. Consumers today have access to an expanding choice of broadband providers, including wireless, satellite and alternative broadband suppliers.

According to a March 2003 report in Cable Datacom News, the cable modem and DSL residential customer total reached approximately 16.7 million in the U.S. at the end of 2002, out of an estimated 105 million who have access to broadband service. Of the 15 percent of residential customers currently purchasing wireline broadband service, approximately 67.4 percent are cable modem customers and 32.6 percent are DSL customers. Others purchase broadband service from providers of fixed wireless, satellite or other technologies. Every broadband provider has the same ability and opportunity to sell service to the remaining, large group of untapped potential customers and need not take a customer from another provider in order to gain one.

I urge the FCC to adopt rules that ensure the existence of true, head to head facilities-based competition for all types of communications services, especially voice telephony and broadband.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, time after time during these times that our families are deployed overseas fighting for America's freedom and for the freedom of others, we hear many Members of this body talk about how great our soldiers are, and they are; how great their sacrifices are, and they are; how great the sacrifice of their family and the sacrifices that they are making, and they certainly are.

So perhaps I can clarify for my colleague here that one of the ways that we judge ourselves as a Nation is not about talking about today's heroes, but how we take care of yesterday's heroes. Cutting back veterans benefits is certainly not one of those ways that we honor the heroes of yesterday, because today's heroes fighting for our freedom across the country and across the world you are paying attention.

Mr. Speaker, today, as we speak, tax rebate checks are being sent to families around the country. But in my own district of El Paso and across America, there are hardworking families and families of brave members of our Armed Forces whose mailboxes will be empty. The tax bill passed in May leaves behind 8 million children by denying their families full access to child tax credit. This law fails to give the child tax credit to those earning between $10,500 and $26,625 per year.

Of the 8 million children left behind in this tax law, 1 million live with parents who are on active duty or are veterans. The children of our working families, especially those of our armed services, deserve better support from this body.

Mr. Speaker, there are over 16,000 military families with children stationed at Ft. Bliss in my district. With loved ones serving in Iraq, these families understand more than most what it means to sacrifice for our Nation. These families certainly do not deserve to be left behind, I would say to the gentleman from Kentucky that is handling the time on the Republican side.

The tax bill passed by this House penalizes enlisted soldiers who are serving in Iraq. For example, a staff sergeant with two children earning $29,000 qualifies for the child tax credit. But if this same staff sergeant is deployed in Iraq, 8 months, 10 months, 12 months, we do not know what the duration is. That is why they are frustrated, his taxable income drops and his children do not qualify for the tax credit.

Mr. Speaker, this is no way to treat our soldiers. This is no way to treat those that we exalt here on the floor of this great House who are risking their lives for our country.

This motion will help these families. It instructs conferees to include provisions to allow our men and women in uniform and their families to include combat pay in their gross earnings for the purposes of calculating eligibility for the child tax credit. They deserve it. We ought to provide it for them. Let us send a message to our hard- working families that they count too and that we recognize the sacrifices being put on the line by military families around the world. Let us pass the Solis motion.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I know you know about veterans issues, because I was honored to serve as your ranking member on the Subcommittee on Benefits. As I sit here and listen to my good friend and colleague trying to deal with a very difficult situation, trying to put the best face he possibly can on this, the thought occurs to me that if we are interested in doing right by our veterans, and I spoke earlier about the sacrifices that today are being made by the families of our veterans and current members of the armed services, it occurs to me that no amount of parliamentary gerrymandering that talks about unauthorized appropriations and those kinds of fancy words can make this issue go away.

Yes, there have been increases in the VA budget, but I would remind my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that not too long ago we were in a situation where we had a surplus. I spoke about putting our veterans at the head of the line. Instead, we put tax cuts before our veterans. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) is absolutely correct, we do not have the resources today. Why do we not have the resources? Because we prioritized tax cuts ahead of our veterans and ahead of so many other programs.

Those of us that continuously have an opportunity to go visit with today's heroes, heroes that we talk about on the floor of this House, heroes that we talk about in our respective committees, and I am talking about the men and women that are laying down their lives in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East and around the world in serving proudly for our country, we go to Walter Reed Hospital and to Bethesda and we see the results of those sacrifices. Why can we not increase the budget of the veterans administration that take care of today's heroes? Because we are not even taking care of yesterday's heroes.

Veterans today are not coming in just to get prescription drugs. They are coming in because they need attention after putting their lives on the line for this country. They deserve better. They deserve to have us do our job for them, if nothing else. Vote against this rule.

Mr. Speaker, in my home district of El Paso, Texas, Operation Iraqi Freedom will always be remembered for the tragic ambush of the 507th Maintenance Company. In a city that is home to nearly 60,000 veterans and thousands of troops and their family members stationed at Fort Bliss, we felt for these soldiers as if they were members of our own families. We mourned for those who had lost their lives, and prayed for the safe and speedy return of those who had been captured. The losses suffered by the 507th Maintenance Company were the first combat casualties to be experienced by Fort Bliss in at least a quarter century. These soldiers are heroes, and they are more than deserving of all of the honor and respect they have received.

The soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company, while exceptional, are not the only heroes who call Fort Bliss home. Each and every one of the more than 3,600 other United States Army soldiers who were deployed to Iraq from Fort Bliss is also a hero, and all of their sacrifices should be remembered. The thousands of soldiers who contributed to the war effort from home and the family members who offered their unwavering support must also be recognized. El Paso is a city full of soldiers-- they and their families deserve our respect and gratitude.

El Paso is proud to be the home of so many of our nation's soldiers. During the week of August 3-10, 2003, El Paso will celebrate ``Freedom Fiesta Week,'' a series of events to welcome home and honor the region's armed services personnel. The celebration will kick off on August 3rd with the ``Freedom Fiesta Picnic,'' featuring free food and drinks and live music and entertainment. Throughout the week, active duty and reserve military personnel and their families will have free or reduced admission on selected days to Wet n' Wild Water Park, Western Playland Amusement Park, the El Paso Diablos, the El Paso Zoo, and various clubs and restaurants in Downtown El Paso. The week will culminate in Saturday's parade, featuring more than 6,000 of our Fort Bliss soldiers.

The organization of Freedom Fiesta Week was a collaborative effort, and I would like to commend the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the El Paso Black Chamber of Commerce, the City of El Paso, the County of El Paso and the Association of the U.S. Army for their hard work in planning what promises to be an exciting week. I must also thank all the organizations participating in Freedom Fiesta Week for their generosity. I do not have the words to express my thanks to our troops, but Mr. Speaker, it is with events like Freedom Fiesta Week that we can begin to show them how grateful we are for their hard work and dedication during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

I have about four pages of things that I wanted to say, including statistics about Head Start, but I would like to just put it in the context of personal experience. Fifty-three years ago, a 6-year-old boy was sent to school by his parents. I was born on a farm, and in Texas one has to go to school when they are 6 years old. The problem was that we only spoke Spanish in my house. So about 10 other kids and I were moved to kindergarten from first grade because the teacher did not speak Spanish, and we did not speak English. That did not work too well; so they decided that we were holding back the kids of kindergarten; so they devised a new grade that was called prekinder at that time. That was 53 years ago.

So those that are wondering why we are apprehensive about the changes that they want to make in a program that works, if that program had been in place 53 years ago, I and nine other brothers and sisters that followed me would have been much better off. We made it, but how many kids do not make it? And if we change Head Start, Head Start that is working today, shame on all of us as Americans.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the so-called ``School Readiness Act.'' This bill is a direct attack on the Head Start program. Head Start has been serving low-income children from birth to age 5 and their families since 1964 in order to increase their school readiness. Passage of this bill will lead to the dismantling of the program as we know it.

Mr. Chairman, the Head Start Center in my district of El Paso, TX, serves 3,803 children and their families, 94 percent of whom are of Hispanic decent. There are even more children who can benefit from what Head Start has to offer. This bill does not do nearly enough to increase the number of needy children served. This bill also leaves behind children of migrant and seasonal farm workers who are currently not being targeted. This is unacceptable.

Under this bill, States would be allowed to run Head Start programs, thus allowing for children to be held at lower educational and child care standards. Accountability for these programs are key to their success. Mr. Chairman, Head Start programs are already held to high developmental and performance standards that were created by this body. We need to be taking steps forward when preparing our children for school. Passage of this bill will be a step backward.

This bill would also allow for Head Start providers to discriminate in their hiring practices on the basis of religion. Under this bill, faith-based organizations will be allowed to provide this service and again not be held to the same Federal accountability standards.

I urge my colleagues to support the children of their districts and oppose this bill. I also urge my colleagues to support the substitute provided by Mr. Miller.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2799, the bill providing appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary.

As you know, Mr. Chairman, I represent a district that lies along the U.S.-Mexico border. For many years, the region along the 2,000 mile stretch of our southern border was ignored. The bill before us today, will make tremendous strides to recognize the need for increased resources along the southwest border.

This bill includes 168 additional positions for the United States Marshals Service for areas of high priority need and specifically recognizes that the southwest border is such an area.

My district of El Paso lies within the Western District of Texas. This judicial district has been one of the greatest increases of criminal caseloads over the last decade. The majority of these cases are being heard in the El Paso Division of the Western District. The number of federal criminal cases filed in El Paso County has increased from 443 to 2,192 cases since 1994. Last year, the El Paso Division received its second federal judge. Pending Senate confirmation this year, the El Paso Division will have a total of four federal judges.

Mr. Chairman, needless to say, our case backlog is being addressed and more of our cases will be heard. This increase of work for our judges, in turn, means more work for our Marshals Service. Currently, our Marshals are reporting inoperable work load levels in the southwest border districts. As you know, our Marshals are responsible for providing protection for the federal judiciary, transporting federal prisoners, protecting endangered federal

witnesses and managing assets seized from criminal enterprises. This bill would provide much needed relief for our United States Marshals Service along the southwest border communities.

This bill also provides an increase of appropriations for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) from $250 million to $400 million. SCAAP is vital to communities all across the country. This program has been dodging the President's ax for the last couple of years. The President has proposed to eliminate this program in his last two budget proposals. Mr. Chairman there is at least one jurisdiction in every state and territory that receives SCAAP funding. Last year, SCAAP appropriations were cut by over 50 percent. Although not nearly enough to fully reimburse our states and localities, the increase for this program is a step in the right direction.

El Paso County relies on SCAAP funds to assist in detaining federal criminals. Without these funds, El Paso County would be forced to tap into other over-stretched resources. These resources are generated by local revenues and are being used to provide for this otherwise federal responsibility. I support this provision in the bill before us, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to see that SCAAP is adequately funded in the future.

I would like to thank my friends and colleagues, the Chairman, Mr. Wolf, and the Ranking Member, Mr. Serrano, for their work on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to share my thoughts on two programs funded by the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill: the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships (CASS) and the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). Both of these programs provided bottom-up development tools for our Latin American neighbors, and as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Task Force on International Relations, I am proud and thankful to those members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that joined me and Caucus Chairman Ciro Rodriguez in a letter to appropriators supporting the critical work of these two programs.

The CASS program, which is funded at $10 million this bill through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), serves as a bridge between the United States and our neighbors in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean by focusing on education and service to the community. CASS designs and implements international development programs to support sustainable socio-economic growth. These programs include technical training for employment, leadership development, business education, improving public policy and administration, and strengthening health and education. The CASS mission is to foster the direct involvement of disadvantaged populations in the economic and social development of their countries. The countries that are currently served include the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

I would like to extend my thanks to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, especially my friends and colleagues Chairman Jim Kolbe and Ranking Member Nita Lowey for including language in the Fiscal Year 2004 Foreign Operations committee report supporting the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships (CASS) program.

Through the CASS program, young leaders are given the opportunity to come to the United States and receive education and training at 1 of 20 participating education institutions, including El Paso Community College in my own district. Concentration is given to training to support broad-based economic development and environmental protection as well as programs focusing on skill enhancement to primary school teachers and healthcare workers to improve the region's rural schools and support the fight against infectious diseases. Each participant must develop a project for their home community and upon completion of their education and training in the United States return to their countries and implement their project.

During their time in the United States these young people give back to the communities where they are residing through service and by developing close ties with their host families and other American students, leaving them with a positive and lasting link to the United States. They also learn to read and speak English. The CASS approach has led to an exceptionally high rate (98.2 percent average over the past 6 years) of participants who return to their home countries where they contribute to economic growth and social progress. Employment rates among alumni are 90 percent in countries where unemployment rates are often very high.

Presnelty there are 405 CASS scholars in the United States in 12 States where the network includes community, technical, and junior colleges, and 4-year universities and colleges. These U.S. community- based institutions of higher education manage programs in the designated fields of study and contribute financially through cost sharing of at least 25 percent of program costs. Though recent state budget cuts have undermined the ability of some institutions to provide the cost sharing funds, the program still thrives.

El Paso Community College, located in my district, is one the Hispanic-serving institutions

involved in the CASS program. The college focuses on training rural health workers to deliver desperately needed services to some of the most poor and remote areas in the hemisphere. The program provides training and internships in a variety of areas such as infectious diseases, maternal and child health, environmental health, and community outreach. Students also spend time volunteering in the local community at health clinics and other social service and youth agencies. Upon their return home, they work with other rural healthcare professionals to improve and expand services in their communities.

I would like to take a moment to share some specific success stories coming out of the CASS program at El Paso Community College.

Ramona Caceres from the Dominican Republic and a CASS scholar at El Paso Community College during 2001-2002, has returned to her home country and is presently actively working in her community teaching first aid in a local school and has trained some of the teachers to perform eye exams. The program is known as ``Agudeza Visual''. Further, Ms. Caceres will soon be presenting her thesis and graduating.

Mr. Carlos Sanchez, also a CASS scholar for 2001-2002 at El Paso Community College, is a Septima Clark award recipient and since returning to his home country of Honduras, has been working as a health promoter and within a year of assuming his job has been advanced to the position of regional supervisor.

During this year's internship at El Paso Community College, four students worked on a joint project between the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the El Paso City-County Health & Environmental Health District to prevent rabies in dogs in the county.

These stories are just a few examples of the way which the CASS program is making a difference not only in Central America and the Caribbean but also within the United States.

Unfortunately, this bill did not provide as much good news for the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) as it did for CASS. I am disappointed that this bill cuts appropriations to the Inter-American Foundation by about $1 million, to $15,185,000 for fiscal year 2004. I understand that the chairman of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee is a supporter of the IAF and did the best he could within the constraints of a low budget allocation.

Established under the 1969 Foreign Assistance Act, the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) promotes entrepreneurship, self-reliance and democratic principles as well as economic progress for the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IAF is one of the many tools we have to help our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere work their own way out of poverty. I hope that as this bill moves through the conference committee, funding for the IAF will be restored to its fiscal year 2003 level.

Mr. Chairman, the economic and social development of countries in the Western Hemisphere benefits us here at home. Programs such as CASS and IAF help our neighbors become stable, free, and prosperous. I therefore urge my colleagues to support these and other such programs in this bill and in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise in strong support of H.R. 2799, the bill providing appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary.

Mr. Speaker, I represent a district that lies along the U.S.-Mexican border. For many years, the region along the 2,000 mile stretch with Mexico has been ignored. The bill before us today will make tremendous strides to recognize the importance of increased resources to our southwest border.

This bill before us includes 168 additional positions for the United States Marshal Service for areas of high-priority need. It also recognizes that the areas along the southwest border are in the greatest need for these positions.

My district in El Paso lies within the western district of Texas. This judicial district has been one of the greatest impacted by a criminal caseload over the last decade. The majority of these cases are being heard in the El Paso Division of the Western District. The number of Federal cases filed in El Paso County alone has increased from 443 to over 2,100 cases since 1994. Last year, the El Paso Division received our second Federal judgeship. Currently pending before the Senate is a confirmation of an additional two Federal judges.

Mr. Speaker, needless to say, our caseload is being addressed and more of our cases are being heard. This also increases the work of our judges which, in turn, means more work for our Marshal Service. Currently, our marshals are reporting inoperable workload levels in the southwest border districts.

This bill would provide much-needed relief for our United States Marshal Service along the southwest border districts. I urge all of my colleagues to support the rule and to support passage of this bill.

In addition to that, this bill also includes funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which the President, in the last two cycles, has zeroed out. Last year we were able to provide $250 million, and this year, $400 million.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this rule and this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 212. During the last year that we observe the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, this resolution would honor the 1,800,000 Americans who courageously served in Korea by recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of 2003 as the Year of the Korean War Veteran. With the passage of this resolution, Congress would call upon the President and state leaders to urge Americans to mark the Year of the Korean War Veteran with events that remember all those who so bravely fought in the defense of freedom. H. Con. Res. 212 shows our veterans that their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

A veteran myself, I represent thousands of Korean War veterans living in my home district of El Paso, Texas. During my time in Congress I have gotten to know many of these exceptional men and women, and I have gained an understanding of the dreadful conditions they were forced to face in Korea. As a member of the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, I am grateful to have this opportunity to simply thank them, and to honor them for their service to our country.

Too many Americans know the Korean War as the ``Forgotten War,'' as a blurb lost in their high school history books among better known wars. Yet the sacrifices made by our soldiers and the advancements they made for democracy are no less significant and no less deserving of our respect. The price paid by the 36,577 Americans who were killed in Korea and the 103,284 who were wounded is testimony to that fact. The time has come to properly recognize and respectfully honor veterans of the Korean War. I hope all my colleagues will join me in support of this resolution.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me and giving me this opportunity.

I would like to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor), the chairman of the subcommittee.

As the gentleman from North Carolina (Chairman Taylor) knows, in my congressional district of El Paso, Texas, we are fortunate to have a unit of the National Park Service, the Chamizal National Memorial. The Chamizal commemorates the peaceful 1967 settlement of a 100-year boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico.

Today, the Chamizal is dedicated to furthering the spirit of goodwill and understanding between two nations by using the visual, literary, and performing arts as a medium of cultural interchange. The Memorial maintains a 500-seat theater and presents more than, on the average, 300 performances a year. An outdoor stage is situated in the middle of the 66-acre park where the Park Service hosts the nationally recognized Border Folk Festival and many other significant cultural events. Also, the Memorial, which is located in one of the poorest ZIP codes in the country, sponsors a series of free outdoor concerts in the summer which often draw crowds of more than 10,000 people. In short, the Chamizal is the centerpiece of El Paso cultural and recreation life and is used frequently by visitors and residents alike.

Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, the Chamizal lacks adequate parking facilities, especially for people with disabilities and the elderly, which significantly impedes their ability to enjoy our Memorial. Visitors are forced to park outside of the Memorial boundary and walk across very busy roadways to reach the facility, making access very difficult and oftentimes dangerous. It has gotten to the point that I am personally concerned that a visitor to the Memorial will be hurt, perhaps even killed, unless the situation is addressed.

A new 400-space parking lot is desperately needed at the Chamizal National Memorial in order to meet the needs of visitors, particularly the elderly and disabled, as have been identified in the Memorial's General Management Plan and, Mr. Chairman, more importantly, to rectify a very serious safety hazard to the visiting public.

In addition, the Chamizal is located at the main port of entry of El Paso between Mexico and the United States. This project would also allow our Park Service and their law enforcement rangers to better control and monitor access to the Memorial and to protect the security of visitors. The estimated cost would be approximately $1.2 million.

Do I have the chairman's assurance that he and our ranking member will work with me as the bill before us today goes to conference?

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct conferees offered by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from South Carolina.

Earlier this year, the administration proposed a complete repeal of a law that has been on the books for over a decade, the Spratt-Furse ban on research and development of new nuclear weapons with yields below five kilotons. The Spratt-Furse ban is not a complete ban. It bans just R&D of new low-yield nuclear weapons. It permits R&D on new weapons with yields above five kilotons. It permits R&D of modifications to existing nuclear weapons regardless of their yield.

It also permits our national laboratories to conduct R&D on low-yield nuclear weapons for the purposes of counterproliferation, that is, how to detect a low-yield nuclear terrorist device and devise ways in which to disable them.

The Spratt-Furse ban also permits R&D of low-yield nuclear weapons if it is necessary to help keep our nuclear arsenal safe and reliable.

When asked, Department of Energy officials admitted that there is no military requirement for a new low-yield nuclear weapon, and they had no plans to develop one anytime soon.

They simply wanted to repeal the Spratt-Furse ban because they maintain that it somehow has a chilling effect on the freedom of their scientists to look at any nuclear weapon option regardless of whether or not there is a military need.

During the markup of the defense authorization, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) offered an amendment that was adopted by the full committee by a voice vote, and I think this is a very sound compromise. The Spratt amendment permits research on new low-yield nuclear weapons, but draws the line on moving past research and into development. In short, the Spratt amendment makes sure that the Congress will be a coequal partner with the executive branch if there is any decision to move past research and actually start developing new low-yield nuclear weapons. I think that the Spratt amendment makes good sense and protects Congress's right to fully participate on any future decision to start up development of new low-yield weapons. I urge all of my colleagues to support this motion to instruct.

Mr. Chairman, today I sought to offer an amendment that would have increased funding for dislocated worker employment and training programs under H.R. 2660, the FY 2004 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill by $88 million, from $1.46 billion to $1.549 billion, restoring funding for these essential services to their FY 2002 level. The bill before us today would freeze funding at last year's level.

In my congressional district of El Paso, TX, 20,000 workers have lost their jobs as a result

of the North American Free Trade Agreement--more than any other community in the United States. These job losses have left dislocated workers struggling to learn new skills that will allow them to find jobs that pay a living wage, and they have left El Paso with an unemployment rate that has soared into the double digits at times.

My district is not alone in facing these challenges. In communities across the country, workers have lost good jobs as a result of NAFTA. These workers desperately need Federal assistance to prepare them to successfully rejoin the workforce and provide for their families.

At a time when the national unemployment rate is at a 9-year high, this bill fails to provide additional, desperately needed funding to ensure that all dislocated workers get the services to which they are entitled. Unfortunately, these programs are just a couple of the many critical health, education, and worker programs that are woefully underfunded in the bill. And yet, this Congress recently saw fit to give millionaires a tax cut of at least $88,000 each.

Mr. Chairman, America's workers are the engines that drive our economy. We need to make sure that they have all the tools they need to help get it moving again, both for their sake and for the nation as a whole. Restoring funding for Federal dislocated worker programs would be a good start toward that goal, and toward putting our spending priorities back in proper order.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I reflect today on the passing of my dear friend Congressman Bob Stump. Bob was a great man and I am deeply saddened by his passing. He was a great American, a respected legislator, and a good friend.

He served with great distinction in Congress for twenty-six years, two years as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and six years as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

I had the honor and privilege to serve on both of these committees with Bob as my Chairman. Although we did not always see eye to eye, I always had a great deal of respect for Bob's patriotism and leadership. Bob was a true supporter of men and women in uniform. Under his leadership, we made huge strides to improve the quality of life for our troops and veterans, increasing pay, housing, and healthcare allowances, increasing assistance to disabled veterans and their survivors, and strengthening the Montgomery GI Bill to help millions of veterans fulfill their educational and career goals.

Bob was a modest and decent man who, in dedicating the majority of his life to public service, was a dedicated patriot and a true American Hero. Bob's enthusiasm and spirit touched the lives of all who had the pleasure of meeting him. Although his presence is greatly missed in the halls of the House, I know that Bob is and will be well remembered.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Stump family and with everyone else who loved and admired him.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman, ranking member, for yielding me this time.

I want to thank the chairman for his leadership, along with our ranking member, in presenting a bill that I think addresses many of the concerns that many Members of Congress have expressed to a number of us on the committee.

H.R. 2417 expresses, among other things, the committee's deep and longstanding concern about the lack of progress made by the intelligence community in diversifying its workforce, especially in the senior ranks and the core mission areas. In fiscal year 2002, the intelligence community had a smaller proportion of women and minorities than the Federal Government workforce and the civilian workforce at large. Women and minorities continue to be especially underrepresented in senior grades GS-13 through 15 and in Senior Intelligence and Executive Services positions.

This bill requires that the Director of Central Intelligence submit a report outlining the current diversity action plan including short- and long-term goals. This report should also include the DCI's plan for implementing diversity initiatives across the intelligence community and plans for measuring the progress made by the individual agencies in the intelligence community. The bill limits the use of a portion of the money authorized to be appropriated to the Community Management Account until such time as the Director of Central Intelligence reports to this committee on his plan for implementing an effective and a meaningful diversity plan.

Diversity in the workforce is a corporate imperative. It is critical to defeating global threats and simply makes good business sense. Therefore, the committee will look to the Director of Central Intelligence and each intelligence community agency director to ensure that more is done to diversify the intelligence workforce. The DCI and agency heads are also urged to take diversity into account when selecting officers to fill the many senior management vacancies in the agencies across the intelligence community. It makes good business sense. Therefore, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2417.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Hastings amendment. As has been stated, and I hope those that are watching this debate tonight can see the kind of cooperation and willingness to work together to solve some of the issues that greatly effect the national security of our country watching our chairman and ranking member and other members of the committee talk about what is good for our country.

Mr. Chairman, I think that people of diverse backgrounds can bring their unique cultural experiences, skills and language proficiencies to bear on intelligence problems, intelligence issues and intelligence expertise. The percentage of women and minorities in the intelligence community has for way too many years been smaller than the percentage of women and minorities in the total Federal workforce and the civilian workforce. Fiscal year 2002 data demonstrates that women and minorities continue to be under-represented in the intelligence community, especially in core mission areas and the senior ranks, as has been noted here by other members of our committee.

The committee has repeatedly expressed grave concern about the lack of progress made by the intelligence community in recruiting, in hiring and retaining a diverse workforce, essential if we are going to protect our country's national security. New tools must be brought to bear on the challenge of sufficiently diversifying the intelligence community workforce. Intelligence agencies must think, as we like to say, outside the box. I believe that the Hastings amendment encourages this kind of thinking, out-of-the-box thinking, by requiring the Director of Central Intelligence to carry out a pilot project to test and evaluate innovative alternative methods for recruiting and hiring people with diverse backgrounds.

The amendment, like the general provisions that have been reported out of our committee, also requires that the DCI report to Congress on his current diversity plan, including short- and long-term goals and the progress that is being made in implementing it by each of the intelligence community agencies.

Mr. Chairman, not only does this make good sense. It is good practice, it is good business, and it is good public policy. And, therefore, I urge all of my colleagues to support the Hastings amendment.