Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American patriot, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Zachary A. Kolda of Corpus Christi, Texas, who gave the last full measure of devotion to the country he loved and served when he was killed in combat in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on December 1, 2004.

He served with the Marine Reserves' 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division.

This 23-year-old Marine, who taught others how to live and enjoy life, left his studies at the University of Texas at Austin this spring when called to active duty for deployment to Iraq. Those who knew and loved him described him as a compassionate, funny, and lively young man who was always encouraging his friends and family to live life to the fullest each day.

That is a fitting legacy for this brave young Marine, who hailed from a family of military service. One grandfather served in the Navy for 28 years, while the other grandfather served in World War II.

Cpl. Kolda was mischievous, fun-loving, and forever cheering up his family and friends. He was an artist, peppering friends and family with cherished drawings and cartoons. He was proud to be a Marine, proud to serve this Nation in battle. His gentle spirit was uplifting and an inspiration to those who knew and loved him.

He had a sweet soul and he saw the best in people. He had a gift for cheering people up, making them laugh and see the silly side of life. He was friendly, engaging and straightforward.

Cpl. Kolda, who was majoring in international business at UT, lived with his wife, Arleen, in Austin. They were married in April, 2004, after a year-long engagement.

I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering with gratitude this great, sweet, funny patriot; his sacrifice on behalf of all of us; and the family he leaves behind in South Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American patriot, U.S. Army CPL Isaac E. Diaz, of Rio Hondo, Texas, who gave the last full measure of devotion to the country he loved and served when he was killed in Afghanistan on December 1, 2004.

He served with the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light) from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He had been driving military vehicles in the Army for several years.

Like so many young people, Corporal Diaz wanted to find a way to go to college, so he joined the military in 1998, after graduating from Rio Hondo High School. Yet, the 26-year-old never enrolled in college. He was killed in Sharona, Afghanistan, when his Humvee rolled over while on routine patrol in the Paktika province.

In a sad--but brave--irony, after Corporal Diaz completed his initial three-year tour of duty at Fort Campbell, KY, he reenlisted for another four years to financially support his wife, Amber, and their infant son, Aaron.

Those that knew him well in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas spoke of his quiet intensity and his hard-working nature. The Rio High School Principal, Juan Montez, remembered Corporal Diaz as a studious teenager, the sort of student educators enjoyed having in class.

He worked hard and didn't complain. He was an excellent soldier. He was serving in the front of this war that is closest to the hiding places of Osama bin Laden and the al Qaida leaders who plotted the attack on this nation on September 11, 2001.

Corporal Diaz's service was honorable, as was his life. We all mourn the loss of this young American, whose life was cut short, leaving a hole in our hearts and forever altering his young family.

I want Corporal Diaz's son, Aaron, who is too young now to understand the depth of his father's sacrifice, to one day appreciate that his father loved this country--and him--enough to go in harm's way to protect our democracy.

I ask my colleagues to remember this great patriot, his sacrifice on behalf of all of us, and the family he leaves behind in South Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American patriot, Army Major Horst Gerhard ``Gary'' Moore of Los Fresnos Texas, who gave the last full measure of devotion to the country he loved and served when he was killed in Iraq in November.

He was a child of the Army, following both his father and his grandfather in the uniformed services. Roaming the Nation at the whim of the U.S. Army as a child made him yearn for a home in which to grow old with his beloved wife, Raquel Vallejo-Moore.

He came home from Iraq for a while and, before returning to the war zone in September, he and Raquel bought their dream home. Major Moore was killed in a mortar attack in Mosul, Iraq; he never even spent the night in their new home. He felt strongly about getting his family moved in and settled there.

The last conversation with his wife was to wish her happy birthday. Major Moore served with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division for about a year, then he was deployed to Mosul, Iraq, in October to replace the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He served in the Army 17 years and was considering retiring when his tour of duty ended in about 3 years.

Soldiers who knew and served with Major Moore spoke candidly about the human side of this tough soldier. He was known for his kind and caring manner, and his absolute love of Raquel and their 2-year old daughter, Sophia.

Like so many of our soldiers, Major Moore had a mindset that he could do anything. He lived life to the fullest, and often spoke of living in the moment and making the best out of life's challenges.

I want the Major's daughter, Sophia, who is too young now to understand the depth of her father's sacrifice, to one day appreciate that her father loved this country--and her--enough to go in harm's way to protect our democracy.

I ask my colleagues to remember this great patriot, his great sacrifice, and the family he leaves behind in South Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a unique American patriot and pioneer in the Tejano recording industry and the world of radio and broadcasting, my friend from our hometown of Robstown, TX, Humberto Lozano Lopez.

Humberto was just inducted into the Tejano Hall of Fame in Texas for his lifetime of excellence in broadcasting and for the extraordinary

addition he has made to the tapestry of our lives through broadcasting--both music and community interest programming--composing, promoting Hispanic talent, and finally obtaining and operating the Lopez Broadcast System that now consists of several South Texas radio stations.

His introduction to radio came in 1955, while he was still in high school, conducting the American GI Forum Weekly Program on KCCT in Corpus Christi, TX. After graduation he continued this work he loved, and it took him all over south Texas and northern Mexico. In the early 1960s, he moved the family to San Antonio, where he branched out to television, and worked in the first U.S. Spanish Radio station, KCOR, and the first U.S. Spanish Television station, (KWEX).

His voice won him voice-over roles in some classic American movies-- for voices of Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Anthony Quinn, and many more--and he dubbed several Hollywood movies into Spanish for broadcast into Mexico and Latin America. For his work in this venue, Humberto picked up an award for ``Best Performance in Dubbing.''

In the early 1970s, he returned to live in Robstown and work in Corpus Christi. He began as program director for KCCT, spicing up the classic station with a new motto, ``Radio Jalapeno--Caliente.'' While in Corpus Christi, he worked for a while in print journalism for the Corpus Christi Sun Newspaper, as sales manager and columnist.

In the early 1980s, he longed to put his management skills and talent to use in a larger sphere, and applied with the FCC to own his own station. He quickly began acquiring radio stations in South Texas under the Lopez Broadcast System, which currently includes: KTMV-TV, Corpus Christi; KTMV-TV, Victoria (UPN affiliate); KTMV-TV, San Antonio; KMIQ 104.9 FM, Robstown-Corpus Christi; KINE 1330 AM Robstown-Kingsville; KXTM 107.7 FM, Benavidez; KHMC 95.5 FM, Victoria; and KLMO 98.9 FM, San Antonio. He continues to explore expanding Lopez Broadcast System into other markets such as College Station, San Angelo, and Houston.

Humberto's most memorable experiences included interviewing the widow of Mexican legend, Pancho Villa; Texas' first Hispanic Congressman, Henry B. Gonzalez; and the members of Battalion 201, the World War II Mexican Battalion. Easily, his most rewarding experience is the continuing success of the Lopez Broadcast System, which serves our home community in South Texas. Humberto's philosophy is: ``It's not about how much money someone may earn but the accomplishments and lives you touch--which leaves a legacy of hope.''

He is supported by the love of his life, his wife Minerva Rodriguez- Lopez; their children: Mario Humberto, Luis Homero, Larry, Manuel, Carlos, Humberto II, Ernesto, Mena Lamar, Melinda, Ray, Lisa, and Mary Helen; their 27 grandchildren--Mario Humberto II, Michael Anthony, Marissa, Celina, Carissa, Crista, Lizette, Lynsey, Ashley Nicole, Manuel Omar, Mireya, Alejandro, Gabriella, Laura Lynn, Carlos Eric, Crystal, Katherine, Ernesto Nicholas, Raul Jr., MiaMar Minerva, Isabella, Giselle Fey, Cristian Esai, Ray Jr., Amy Desiree, Nayeli, and Orlando DeLeon II; and their 2 great grandchildren, Mario Humberto III, and Michael Anthony.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending my dear friend, Humberto Lozano Lopez, for the amazing achievement so far in his lifetime and for his recent induction into the Tejano Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the distinguished Members of Congress from Texas who will not be among our number in the 109th Congress . . . and to thank these notable public servants for their service to the nation, to the House of Representatives, and to the great State of Texas.

In the next Congress we will be without the considerable talents of the following members: Martin Frost from Dallas, Charlie Stenholm from Abilene, Ciro Rodriguez from San Antonio, Max Sandlin from Marshall, Jim Turner from Crockett, Nick Lampson from Beaumont, and Chris Bell from Houston.

All together, when the House reconvenes in January, the State of Texas--and the House of Representatives--will have lost 86 years of experience and seniority in tending to the peoples' business here in Congress.

Marty Frost has been the dean of the Texas Delegation Democrats for a long time and is an extraordinary leader for us in Texas and as Caucus Chairman for the Democratic Caucus. His work on the Rules Committee led the House Democrats in fighting for the rights of the minority party in the legislative process.

Charlie Stenholm is the dean of the House conservatives, a leading moderate whose fiscal discipline was stamped on budgets throughout the 1990s--the last time we ended our spending seasons with a surplus. This House--which desperately needs moderate voices now more than ever--will miss Charlie's influence. His work for the rural communities and farmers of the nation, from his seat as the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, will be sorely missed by all our rural states.

Ciro Rodriguez, the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, has been a forceful champion of the rights of Americans of Hispanic descent during his tenure in the House of Representatives. He has represented the interests of border communities in Texas, and his home city of San Antonio, with excellence and distinction.

Max Sandlin, an illustrious former East Texas judge, brought tremendous understanding and judgment to the debates in this House that come from his front line experiences with how the laws we make in Congress are practically applied beyond the beltway. He knew intimately how what we did here would affect people's lives.

Jim Turner, a former state legislator and another much-needed moderate voice in Congress, understood how our work in Congress affects states, state budgets and practical policies. Jim's tenure as top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee leaves a big hole in the influence of Texans in the sphere of the defining interest of our time.

In Nick Lampson's work on the Science Committee, he was a valuable advocate of Texas interests in the space program, which is the leading frontier of science for the nation and a reliable source of jobs and industry in our state. His work in the House will be sorely missed by both the nation and the state.

Chris Bell's experience as a city councilman provided an excellent view of how our work in Congress affected local governments, and his service on the Financial Services Committee in the House was valuable to the nation and Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in offering our respect and our gratitude for the outstanding service to the nation by these 7 Members of Congress who left an indelible mark on this nation, within this chamber and for the State of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, due to attendance at a funeral in my district, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below.

Rollcall No. 532, ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 533, ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, this week my heart is heavy with the sad news of the passing of a unique and beloved patriot, Raul A. Besteiro Jr., known affectionately throughout South Texas, and around the world, as ``Mr. B.'' His death has devastated the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where he was simply a legend.

Mr. B was just an exceptional human being. He did in the course of his life what all of us want to do, he literally changed people's lives . . . locally, nationally and internationally. His name was so synonymous with Brownsville that many people actually thought that ``Mr. B'' meant ``Mr. Brownsville.''

He touched the lives of thousands of young people in Brownsville as an educator and school administrator in his early years. He was their role model, surrogate parent, teacher, inspiration, motivator and champion.

He was a force within the national business community in persuading the Congress to pass NAFTA, giving South Texas the economic opportunity and the development tools to attract more commerce--and better jobs--to Brownsville. He was my powerful ally in working to improve the economic circumstances and vitality of the Rio Grande Valley.

Over the last decade, with NAFTA in place, he turned his attention to harnessing global trade routes to the Valley and the Port of Brownsville, a task now only partially complete.

He remained an important part of improving the lives of young people in South Texas--and the Nation--through his work with the University of Texas at Brownsville, and with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's intern and fellowship programs.

I loved Mr. B so much, and relied heavily on his counsel and his friendship. He loved trains; whenever I see a train, I think of Mr. B. I will miss him personally and professionally. Yet it is the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the Port of Brownsville that will miss the presence of his sweet soul most profoundly.

Brownsville has lost three legends in 2004: Senior U.S. District Judge Filemon B. Vela, U.S. Circuit Judge Reynaldo G. Garza, and now Mr. B. Brownsville Public Utilities Board member Cris Valadez offered a beautiful tribute when he said, ``In Spanish there's an old saying that we don't bury men like Mr. B; we plant them in hopes that others like him will grow and be here with us because it will be a better world.''

Mr. B gave so much of himself to his community; he was a principled example to all those around him. He was the principal of Brownsville High School; he was superintendent of the Brownsville Independent School District; he was elected president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; he became director of the Port of Brownsville; he was the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Distinguished Alumnus in 2000; he was named to the Legends of Texas Hall of Fame; he served as Chairman of the Board of the International Bank of Commerce for Cameron County; he was vice chair of the Brownsville & Rio Grande Railroad; he was a member of the Institutional Development Board at the University of Texas at Brownsville; he was a member of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership; he was board president of the Historical Brownsville Museum; he was elected vice-chairman of the Brownsville Public Utilities Board in 2004; and he was a leader in the local Salvation Army, Red Cross, United Way of South Texas and the American Cancer Society.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I hope when you say your prayers tonight, you will ask God to bless Mr. B's family--his beloved wife Mina and their children--as they learn to live without him; and pray for the community of Brownsville which has lost such a dear pioneer of our city.

Mr. Speaker, because of business in my district (27th Congressional District of Texas) I was absent for rollcall vote Nos. 509-530. If I had been present for these votes, I would have voted as indicated below: 509--``Yes''; 510--``Yes''; 511--``Yes''; 512-- ``Yes''; 513--``Yes''; 514--``Yes''; 515--``Yes''; 516--``No''; 517-- ``Yes''; 518--``Yes''; 519--``No''; 520--``Yes''; 521--``Yes''; 522-- ``Yes''; 523--``No''; 524--``No''; 525--``Yes''; 526--``No''; 527-- ``No''; 529--``Yes''; 530--``Yes.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment by my friend from Texas, and the co-chair of the House Border Caucus, Mr. Bonilla.

Let me begin by thanking the gentleman for his hard work to find a way to stop the current ``catch and release'' policy propounded by this government . . . by releasing many of the illegal immigrants we are catching into the U.S. population. This is frightening for all of us.

Now, the basis for this ``catch and release'' policy is a lack of beds for the Department of Homeland Security to hold these illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico (OTMs). The gentleman's amendment today specifically addresses this shortcoming and I join him in advocating it to the House.

We are apprehending an alarming number of OTMs with not enough space to detain them--forcing us to release them into our community--we need additional beds. The gentleman's amendment is certainly a good beginning and I am grateful for his efforts to end this policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. We are all proud of the tremendous sacrifice our military members make for the defense of our country. Our 1.4 million active duty service members, and an additional 875,000 citizen soldiers--National Guardsmen and reservists--are serving the nation under the most arduous of conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe these Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines a tremendous debt of gratitude for the service they provide in our defense. Their sacrifice is an honor to our nation; it is our responsibility to provide for their readiness.

I would also like to take time to recognize the thousands of government service civilians and private individuals who support the readiness of our service members and our military. Their sacrifice is sometimes overlooked but their jobs are vital to the continued success of our armored forces in this time of war. We could not fight and win without them and I thank them for their dedicated service to our national defense.

This act provides for the immediate needs of our Armed Forces and we have proactively considered their future needs as well. In this global war, we must not lose sight of the challenges we face in maintaining our readiness in the future. Our military has been engaged in combat for nearly three years. The equipment

and weapons systems our service members fight with has taken a tremendous beating in the harsh conditions of Iraq and Afghanistan. As this conflict drags on we must remain steadfast in our resolution to fully man and equip our maintenance and support activities to deal with battle damaged and worn out vehicles and weapons systems while at the same time we begin to transform our forces to new weapons and mobility systems.

I am very pleased that we were able to eliminate the cap on the privatized housing program. I was a co-author of the original provisions to establish the privatized housing program in the 1996 Defense Authorization bill. This is a ``win-win'' program that builds quality family housing for our troops and their families much more quickly than we could through the regular family housing construction process. The Budget Committees put this program in grave jeopardy by refusing to include any way to eliminate the cap in the budget resolution, but I am proud that our committee, on a bipartisan basis, was able to save the program. If we had not found a way to eliminate the cap, new housing for almost 50,000 families over the next two years would have been delayed indefinitely.

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that the House did not stick to its position, validated by a bipartisan majority on the House floor, to delay BRAC for two years. The Army is in the midst of restructuring itself. We are bringing two divisions home from Europe. We are revising our warplans to support new strategies and are still reviewing the division of labor between our active duty forces and our reserve components. Last but not least, we are still at war in Iraq.

With this many unknowns, I think it is irresponsible to push forward with BRAC. The House position to delay it for two years was the more prudent and responsible approach, and I am sorely disappointed that this provision was dropped in conference.

Mr. Speaker, we have done our best to provide for the Readiness of our Armed Forces who so selflessly serve in the defense of our Nation. I commend our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians and thank them for their service.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this act and I yield the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am so disappointed in the result of the conference report, whereby they caved into the Senate language on BRAC, when the House made a significant statement to delay BRAC for 2 years.

We passed that matter by nearly 100 votes in the full House. Yet the conference ignored that. I am deeply disappointed. Since we conceived BRAC in 1989, the United States has sent troops abroad 24 times . . . to nearly every continent on the planet.

Our interests in democracy, in protecting other democracies and allies, in our own self-defense, as in Afghanistan . . . or building democracies as in Iraq . . . are global. That means our military forces stand on the wall far and wide in a dangerous world . . . and our interests are everywhere danger can gather.

We are at war . . . and there is a lot of uncertainty over the resources we need. Congress cannot fly blind, we need to fully evaluate our global posture situation . . . and we must hear the analysis on that before we allow BRAC to proceed. The war in Iraq--and the war in Afghanistan--are not the only unknowns we face. As Chairman Hunter advocated and I supported--this bill increases our troop levels by 39,000.

We are also considering major movement of troops from South Korea and Europe back to the U.S. . . . So, where will we put them? You do not close major components of your military infrastructure while you are still unsure if you need it . . . and world events yet to happen over the next few years will dictate that need. The most-often heard arguments in favor of BRAC are that there is excess space we do not need, and it will save us money. I respectfully disagree with both prospects.

As for excess space . . . that could be a possibility in peacetime . . . maybe . . . but not now . . . not when the nation is at war. It's not entirely accurate to say we have excess space--does anybody know the current workload for our maintenance and repair? There is no excess space at the depot in my district. That will likely not change if the operations tempo continues at the present pace.

While I know we hear about cost savings associated with BRAC, I profoundly disagree with DoD estimates . . . mostly because they are not all-inclusive. For instance, in a recent GAO Report, the opening letter notes that DoD calculates net savings based on eliminating/ reducing personnel and base ops . . . and the cancellation of mil con projects. That's it. Really? So the math doesn't include the astronomical cost to clean up the surrounding environment? The cost of clean up continually streaks upward.

I suppose if you leave out all the costs, it would appear to save money. But Congress should insist the Pentagon include all those costs if we are serious about understanding any savings in this. A GAO report presented to my Readiness Subcommittee says: ``BRAC rounds have generated substantial net savings . . . for the Department. We have . . . viewed these savings estimates as imprecise for a variety of reasons, such as weaknesses in DOD's financial management systems that limit its ability to fully account for the costs of its operations; the fact that DOD's accounting systems . . . are oriented to tracking expenses and disbursements, not savings; the exclusion of BRAC-related costs incurred by other agencies; and inadequate periodic updating of the savings estimates that are developed.''

As a member of this Congress, I'm more interested in the savings TO THE TAXPAYER than to the Department. So while the math provided by the Pentagon certainly shows on paper what they think will be savings, that math is only as solid as ALL the information on which they base decisions.

Another consideration in this discussion is the fact that the Department of Homeland Security has not nearly grown up into what it needs to be. It is a brand new, major reorganization of all the national assets that protect our families and the country. DHS may need to use some elements of the current military infrastructure as they determine future needs. It will be much harder to reacquire a property for the government if we dispose of it through BRAC.

At the end of the day, we'll be OK in this war--but we need ask the question: are we going to need additional training facilities? Training has been a concern in Iraq . . . we may need facilities a BRAC could close to use for training. When Congress designed a BRAC for 2005, we were at peace. Now we are at war, and near a BRAC that could very well dispose of military assets we will need again--either for a growing military or for DHS.

We didn't have to be tied to this schedule . . . we should not be sheep. This is the most bipartisan of matters. After many years in politics, I've discovered when friends on both sides disagree with you . . . you've hit the middle.

On another matter, I am pleased that the conference did restore funding for Military housing. The idea for public-private military housing was born in Kingsville Texas--after BRAC 95. The community wanted quality low-cost housing for area Naval bases. The idea was this: private developers would build quality homes for sailors and their families--and sailors would pay rent through their housing vouchers.

The program was so wildly successful; in 1996 Sec. Perry implemented it service-wide. The need is still enormous--service members and their families are still often in condemned or insufficient housing. It is a shame we had to beg and beg to get the conference to include this provision to keep our brave soldiers--and the families they leave to fight in wars beyond our shores--in housing that is not condemned.

I reluctantly signed the conference report, because it's too important not to. But I remain deeply offended that the House position on the matter of delaying BRAC was ignored by the conference.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the bill to reinstate a military draft in the United States. It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in this position . . . but it is not a matter of needing a draft . . . this administration has not managed our resources and our troops well.

We went into the Iraq war with no exit strategy, and the current military reinforcements are coming from the administration's backdoor draft via calling the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) back into service. The IRR are those who have already fulfilled their active duty service requirement to the United States.

The Nation does not need a draft for an all-volunteer force. We need to wisely and effectively manage or troops and our resources in the theater. Charging into Iraq with insufficient troop numbers--against the advise of the Army Chief of Staff--and allowing an insurgency to fester, have combined to put our troops in far more danger than need be.

Even our distinguished former U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, said just yesterday that the United States ``paid a big price'' for not having enough troops on the ground after we overthrew Saddam Hussein.

Bremer said when he arrived to head the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad in early May, 2003, there was already ``horrid'' looting occurring. I agree with Ambassador Bremer when he goes on to say: ``We paid a big price for not stopping it because it established an atmosphere of lawlessness. We never had enough troops on the ground.''

Now, our current method of retaining a list of people for the Selective Service, for registration only, is important tool to retain should we ever need an enormous, rapid infusion of manpower in the military.

Let me say to my colleague from New York, Mr. Rangel, our distinguished friend who introduced this bill to illustrate the point that many of our service men and women today are in the military because they have very few economic choices in their lives. I join you in urging all the sons and daughters of America, rich and poor, to be part of the uniformed service. We cannot have one class of Americans to fight our wars and another class of Americans benefiting from those wars.

Freedom isn't free--for any of us.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a politically motivated diversion. It is not well conceived . . . it did not get a hearing in our House Armed Services Committee and it's not a serious attempt--for if it were, it would have gone through our process here and would not be destined for defeat as a ``non-controversial'' bill.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the ``Marriage Protection'' Constitutional amendment.

In the past, I have supported legislation that defines marriage, and keeps the control of the institution of marriage within each State in the Union. I don't believe in gay marriage, and supported the Federal statute Congress passed in 1996 making sure one State does not have to accept a marriage license not issued in their State.

Amending the Constitution is a grave matter, given it's only been amended 27 times in the history of this Republic, actually, 17 times excluding the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution were adopted along with the original Constitution.

I am opposed to amending the Constitution generally, and remain concerned about the repercussions of opening up our precious founding document to amendments about social issues.

But I have heard from thousands of my constituents in south Texas who believe the matter of marriage raises to the importance of including this definition as the 28th Amendment of the Constitution. I have heard the voices of south Texans on this matter.

We can never legislate the way people are born or the way they will live their lives. But we can make a statement today on the importance of marriage by passing this amendment and urging the Senate and three- fifths of the States to do the same.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment as well.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is good news for veterans around this great Nation, and it is particularly very good news for South Texas. It recognizes a fundamental truth: The population of veterans in the South Texas area is exploding and the services we currently offer simply are not enough to adequately serve veterans' needs in the 21st Century.

Veterans across South Texas have joined me in talking to DVA in forums and conferences around our area--that one-on-one illustration of how veterans were being served had a large impact on the legislation we are considering today.

I have hosted an annual South Texas Veterans' Fair for the last several years, bringing together South Texas veterans with concerns about the health services and the policy makers at DVA. Earlier this month was the most recent fair I hosted, in Corpus Christi. The most often-repeated concern, as always, was with how to address the lack of in-patient hospital services in South Texas.

Nothing will ever be enough for our veterans--and change can never come fast enough, but this bill, with specific directions on in-patient hospital care and funding for the Secretary to lease medical facilities, is a considerably better place to be than we were before.

Those who wear the uniform of the United States serve this Nation; it is our duty to serve them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) for bringing this bill to the floor, as well as the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the gentleman from Tennessee (Chairman Duncan), the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young), the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and members of the staff for quickly bringing this bill to the floor.

I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) for also speaking on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, today we are passing long overdue legislation that names the United States Federal Courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, the Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse. Earlier this year, Judge Vela sadly passed away, and 2 weeks ago Judge Garza also passed away, leaving behind two distinct and honorable legacies in South Texas.

These two men were judicial stalwarts. Individually, they were trailblazers, pioneers, and an inspiration for many Hispanics, particularly Mexican Americans from the Rio Grande Valley. Together they are an enormous wealth of riches we want to forever remember.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for their action on this bill, and ask that we pass it unanimously

Mr. Speaker, I provide the following for the Record:

Quorum Report

Brownsville native described as trailblazer, judicial legend

Tributes have been pouring in for Judge Reynaldo Garza, the

nation's first Hispanic federal judge. The Brownsville native

and son of Mexican immigrants died Tuesday at the age of 89

after battling pneumonia.

President Kennedy appointed Garza to the federal judgeship

in 1961. President Carter appointed him to the 5th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals. In between, he turned down an

opportunity to be Attorney General under President Johnson

because he liked being a federal judge and did not want to be

away from his family.

``Judge Garza was a trailblazer, a pioneer who set the

stage for all those that followed,'' said state Sen. Eddie

Lucio (D-Brownsville). ``He was a man of great stature. He

lived life as he preached it, as a devout Christian. He had a

tremendous work ethic and was an inspirational speaker. He

gave you a big grin that made you feel good. You just knew he

cared.''

Lucio said he knew Garza all his life. Garza officiated

when Lucio took his oath of office as Cameron County

Treasurer in 1971.

``I remember seeing him around the county courthouse when I

was a young boy and he was still practicing law,'' Lucio

recalled. ``I am proud to say that he and my father were the

two most influential men in my life. He preached Americanism

and patriotism.''

U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Corpus Christi) said South Texas

has lost a friend, pioneer, hero and judicial legend with his

passing.

``Judge Garza became a legend in the South Texas area by

virtue of his commitment to education, community and family .

. . and in the evenhandedness of how he dispensed justice,''

Ortiz said.

``Judge Garza's wit, workhorse energy, pointed candor, and

razor sharp focus on questions of law won him an amazing

number of fans in Washington and elsewhere in the legal/

judicial establishment.''

Ortiz said Garza's granddaughter had worked as an intern in

his Capitol Hill office this summer. Ortiz said he was

working in Congress to name the new federal courthouse in

Brownsville partially in his honor.

``I have talked to members on the Committee where the bill

is being held, appealing for them to move quickly to pass

this bill. Its rapid passage would be a great tribute to

Judge Garza's life work,'' Ortiz said.

Garza's funeral is scheduled for Saturday at the Fort Brown

Memorial Center in Brownsville.

Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) that this bill has some good items in the bill, but I think that the heart of the bill was in housing. And I do not know whether we have thought about what are we going to do with reenlistments? How are we going to do with retainment?

The first time the young men and women enlist in the military they enlist on their own. Once they serve 2, 3 years in the military, then they marry. Then the second time they are going to reenlist, they reenlist their families. That is why this bill, the family housing portion of this military construction bill, was the very center of this bill.

The idea was born about private-public housing in my district in Kingsville because we saw the need to free loose some of the moneys for other purposes, and this is where this came about. In Kingsville, Texas, this idea was born, and we have been able to save millions and millions and millions of dollars.

I am concerned about whether we are going to be able to retain these young men and women if we do not provide adequate housing for their wives, for their children.

I have four military bases in my district. Thank God that we do not have a seriousness yet in housing. But right before 9/11, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) and myself, we visited 25 bases in 4 days. I hope that some of the Members have been with us to see the deplorable conditions of the housing that we have throughout this Nation.

I think that we are beginning to see retention numbers coming down. We are going to be able to see within the next few months that reenlistment will come down.