Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), and others once again to cosponsor this resolution supporting National Mentoring Month.

We share the experience and appreciate the value of spending time as an adult to mentor young people. It was my pleasure as the executive director of the Aaron Price Fellows Program in San Diego to organize civic experiences for a diverse group of young people and students with the potential to become strong leaders.

The students that I had an opportunity to mentor learned about their local government. I took them to Sacramento to meet State government leaders, and brought them at that time to see D.C. and to see Congress in action. So you can imagine that it was one of my great pleasures now as a Member of Congress to welcome this group of students here every year as they encounter our national issues.

I will never forget one of these very special young people. Her name is Arzo Mansury. She is an Afghan-American girl who, after graduation from UCSD, chose to work settling refugees from her birth country. She was really uniquely prepared to work with the Afghanistan embassy in the post-war reconstruction of her country. I have

spoken to her on many occasions, and she believes that there is no way she could have done this without the kind of preparation, without the kind of mentoring that she received in this program.

A delegation from the San Diego YMCA's Youth and Family Services Program came to my office today, and they described their new program called Y Friends. It is a mentoring program for children whose parents are in prison, children who are seven to eight times more likely to be incarcerated themselves. One young woman who has been through the Y's Transitional Living Skills Program is now a resident in Turning Point. This is a housing and counseling program for youth who have spent years in foster homes, but have passed the age of 18. Victoria, who had been in foster homes since she was 10, said, ``The key to a successful life for me is mentorship.''

Finally, I want to mention that I have been privileged to meet with military spouses who have formed a mentoring program for other spouses who are dealing with the now frequent and lengthy deployment of their loved ones, and that program is making a great deal of difference for them.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask Members to please join us in honoring the goals of these mentoring programs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Military Families Financial Security Act of 2005. This bill will ensure the brave men and women who serve our country will not have to worry about losing critical services their dependent children need.

The men and women who serve in our Armed Forces are everyday heroes. I know about the valor of military families from my own experience as a military wife when my husband was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War. As a wife and mother in a foreign country with two young children, I observed that many servicemembers were also mothers and fathers and were making the same sacrifices I was. Just as these brave men and women are working to protect our nation, we must likewise protect them and their loved ones through the laws and policies we enact.

In San Diego and around the country, some military families rely on the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) for means-tested financial assistance. This safety net program is designed to protect qualifying families from poverty and provides access to valuable social services such as Medicaid. Without SSI, some special-needs families would not be able to cover their medical expenses.

Current regulations threaten some military families' eligibility. They face a unique risk of losing benefits due to the way military pay is treated under SSI rules. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers anything outside basic pay as ``unearned income.'' This method hurts servicemembers and their families since there are more than 30 types of military pay in addition to basic pay. These different pays, considered unearned income, result in higher countable income and affect eligibility. Just a few dollars can make all the difference in the world to these military families.

My legislation would change how the SSA calculates income for SSI eligibility by treating most military compensation as earned income. This simple change will keep families eligible for SSI benefits and simplify the administration of this program.

Last year, in testimony before the Human Resources Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, Social Security Commissioner JoAnne Barnhart stated her support for such a proposal, which was part of the President's FY05 budget.

As Commissioner Barnhart stated, ``The provision would treat cash military compensation and civilian wages alike, and thus eliminate the present unfair and disadvantageous treatment of cash military compensation other than basic pay under SSI. The proposal would increase SSI benefits for most military families with disabled children, which are currently about 3,000 families. It would be a significant program simplification in these cases and would have a relatively small program cost of only $2 million over 10 years.''

She also mentioned how ``determining the difference in the types of military pay is time consuming and error prone, and the guidelines for making such determinations covers 14 pages in SSA's operating instructions.''

As a proud member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am committed to improving the quality of life of the men and women who serve our country. This legislation is fair, overdue and demonstrates our nation's appreciation. This legislation will give servicemembers peace of mind from knowing that their duties will not jeopardize their families' eligibility for SSI benefits and related services.

I urge you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues to pass this critical legislation into law.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate Ralph B. Thomas of the San Diego Border Patrol Sector. Mr. Thomas celebrates his retirement after 28 years of service in immigration policy and operations. I am honored to have this opportunity to pay tribute to an exceptional public servant.

In 1960, after a long day of campaigning for the presidency, John F. Kennedy arrived at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to find thousands of students waiting to hear him speak. He challenged the assembled students with the following immortal statement: ``Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.'' These fateful words launched the Peace Corps.

A twenty-something Ralph Thomas learned of this challenge and answered it. In 1961, he joined the newly established international volunteer organization and traveled to the Philippines. He taught English as a Second Language in an elementary school and gave support to 35 volunteers in education and community development assignments as a volunteer leader.

Ralph Thomas completed his doctoral studies in Asian history and culture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971, and taught Asian and American history at the University of Pennsylvania and Adrian College in Michigan.

His deep interest in urban and ethnic issues led to positions as Director of Black/White Curricula for the Education Development Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and as a process observer for the Detroit Education Task Force.

His involvement in immigration matters resulted from his friend and fellow Peace Corps/Philippines volunteer Leonel Castillo being named Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1977. After working as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner for two years, Ralph became Deputy Director of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. The Select Commission recommended a number of the policy changes enacted as part of 1986 and 1990 immigration reform legislation. Ralph returned to the INS as a special assistant and consultant for the first two years of the Reagan Administration.

In September 1983, Ralph was selected as an appellate examiner for the new Administrative Appeals Unit. In 1984, he was transferred to an inspector position in the Office of Refugees, Asylum and Parole. From 1986 to 1991, he served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner. Ralph spent six more years in the INS Office of Congressional and Public Affairs before coming to the San Diego Sector.

Ralph's career spans the arenas of international development, education, immigration policy and border management. His sincerity, modest demeanor and community involvement make him a true public servant. For example, when impassable road conditions at Border Field State Park threaten to cancel a mass organized in memory of those who lost their lives crossing the border, Ralph stepped in. The mass took place as scheduled.

As Special Assistant to the Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Border Patrol Sector, Ralph has impressed me with his dedication to conveying the magnitude of the Border Patrol's work. I have experienced first-hand the rugged and steep terrain along the Imperial Beach- Tijuana border and flown over the expanse of the San Diego-Tijuana border with Ralph and Border Patrol Chief William Veal. Border Patrol agents are working hard to secure our borders.

On behalf of the people of San Diego, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation

for Ralph's commitment and my best wishes for his retirement. I wish him, his wife Janet, and their son, Michael, the very best in their new endeavors. My office will miss his hard work, hearty laugh and quick wit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great man who stood up for justice and fair treatment for all Americans.

During his life, Cesar E. Chavez was committed to providing fair wages, better working conditions, decent housing, and quality education for all. He organized in Southern California and accomplished a great deal to improve the living and working conditions for the people of San Diego.

Mr. Chavez also made tremendous sacrifices for all Americans, serving the United States proudly in the Navy during WorId War II.

His spirit and his vision are still alive today and I am determined to celebrate what he stood for and his great accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce legislation to rename the post office located at 2777 Logan Avenue in the Barrio Logan section of San Diego as the ``Cesar E. Chavez Post Office.''

This is the least we can do to honor such a great but humble man dedicated to justice. Please join me in giving Mr. Chavez his rightful place in American history.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for all their fine work on this reauthorization, and I rise in support of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 because I believe it will clarify and improve the support for students who have special needs.

Many of us, as my colleagues heard, are disappointed that this reauthorization does not respond to the congressional promises of 1975 by making funding for IDEA an entitlement. While the authorization language suggests that full funding will be met by 2011, the Labor-HHS bill, the appropriations bill for 2005, does not match this commitment. So we have to ask ourselves, will starting with a baby step get us to the finish line on time?

There were a number of aspects of the Senate bill that were incorporated in this, and I certainly support those, but I do want to point out that it does not include so many improvements which we had offered in the House bill that professionals who worked with special education students offered would clarify and streamline services, and I remain committed to providing the flexibility and common sense while assuring that a student's reasonable needs are met in a timely fashion with full participation and information for parents.

I was particularly concerned that responsibility for States to provide related services such as mental health for special needs children be clear. IDEA part B funds should be used for educational purposes, not to supplant State responsibilities. This is enormously important to my district and to California, and I appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner) to work with me on this issue and of the Senate Members to provide the language.

I believe that this is, on balance, a bill with significant improvements, and I am certainly committed to monitoring its implementation so that we can continue to look for ways to see that our neediest students are served with dignity and meet with success.

Mr. Speaker, with another Veterans Day recently passed, we heard much about the incredible sacrifices made by America's veterans and their tremendous bravery. I strongly echo those sentiments.

Because our courageous military personnel are willing to go into battle and sacrifice on our behalf, America's independence and liberties have remained intact for over 200 years, and we are truly indebted to those who fought in the Armed Forces.

However, Mr. Speaker, I strongly feel that we must honor these brave men and women with more than our words. After risking everything on our behalf, our veterans ask only that we work to improve the services they earned through their dedication and their bravery.

This is why the Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2004 before us today greatly enhances the services we provide to our military heroes. It increases the compensation we provide to surviving spouses and their children; gives veterans new opportunities to receive vocational training when leaving the military; and protects the civilian jobs of Reservists deployed overseas.

I was very honored, Mr. Speaker, by the opportunity to contribute directly to this comprehensive benefits legislation.

During my first term in Congress, I became interested in improving the home loan program offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and introduced H.R. 1735 and cosponsored H.R. 4345, which increases the home loan limit available to veterans. I also introduced H.R. 4616 to offer adjustable-rate mortgages through the VA program.

Our veterans certainly deserve the same opportunity for home ownership as the public at large and the freedom to choose which loan will best meet their needs.

This legislation links the VA home loan amount to the Freddie Mac index to guarantee annual increases, and at the same time, it extends a program offering veterans the freedom to choose a fixed-rate or an adjustable-rate mortgage.

It is particularly helpful and a real victory for those veterans in San Diego because we are a high-cost area.

Additionally, S. 2486 provides new protections from fraud and abuse to a vulnerable class of veterans who require a guardian or fiduciary to oversee their finances and VA payments.

My staff in San Diego tried to assist a veteran who lost out on his VA disability compensation over a long period of time because his fiduciary had withheld payment for herself. Unfortunately, we could not recover the veteran's losses because current law did not provide revenues to recoup stolen payments.

After learning about this abuse, we introduced H.R. 4032 to give the VA the authority to conduct more thorough background checks of fiduciaries and to give veterans who fall victim to this abuse new revenues to recover their losses, and I am pleased these provisions were included in the legislation before us today.

I want to thank the House leadership for bringing this comprehensive veterans benefits package before the Congress and for acting in the interest of our former service members, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize and honor the service and career of Captain Robert C. Wilkens as he retires after 32 years of distinguished service in support of our Nation. Throughout his career, Captain Wilkens has epitomized the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and has displayed exceptional leadership and dedication to his country and commands.

Captain Wilkens earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1974. He then embarked on a remarkable journey in the Navy's Medical Service Corps, beginning as a staff pharmacist at the Naval Hospital, Charleston, South Carolina.

Captain Wilkens' next tour of duty was right here in the U. S. Capitol, where he served as the Director of Pharmacy in the Office of the Attending Physician to Congress from 1981 to 1985. He then entered advanced training as a Pharmacy resident at the Navy's Flagship hospital, the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, in 1986.

Captain Wilkens continued with his stellar career as the Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator and Director of Inpatient Services at the Naval Hospital, Portmouth, Virginia. Upon completion of that assignment in 1990, he became a Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

Captain Wilkens then served as the Chairman of the Pharmacy Department at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California from 1992- 1999. By special request, he next served as the Specialty Leader and Consultant to the Navy Surgeon General for Pharmacy Policy at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, DC. Upon completion of that exceptional tour in 2001, Captain Wilkens returned to San Diego, and served once again as Chairman of the Pharmacy Department at the Naval Medical Center. He was home.

Captain Wilkens completes his distinguished and honorable career leaving a lasting impression of inspired leadership, mastery of science in pharmacy and policy, and allencompassing support for the Navy's medical readiness programs and quality of life.

I am pleased to recognize and thank Bob Wilkens for his long and dedicated service to this country and join with his friends and colleagues in wishing him ``Fair Winds and Following Seas'' as he and his wife, Linda, leave the Navy after 32 years of remarkable contributions and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my colleagues for acting to protect the benefits of a vulnerable class of America's brave veterans.

Over 100,000 of America's military veterans or their dependents are not able to manage their own finances because of physical or mental disabilities. In these cases, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) appoints a family member, a guardian, or another person to act as a ``fiduciary'' to protect and manage their monetary payments and VA benefits.

Caring for a dependent veteran involves using the payments the VA sends each month to pay utility bills, buy food, and to meet the other needs on behalf of the veteran. It is a tremendous responsibility.

Last year, during an oversight hearing into the VA's fiduciary program, I learned that some of these veterans are not always cared for by the appointed fiduciary.

In fact, the Inspector General has found cases in which a fiduciary has withheld payments completely for several years--defrauding the veteran out of several thousand dollars.

In my District Office in San Diego, my staff has tried to assist veterans who lost out on their payments only to learn that under current law, the VA does not have the authority to replace the benefits when misuse has occurred.

Because it was our veterans suffering from the lack of oversight, I introduced the Veterans Fiduciary Act of 2004 or H.R. 4023 to provide veterans with protections similar to those recently enacted to protect Social Security beneficiaries. Surely our Nation's veterans also deserve the same protections as Social Security beneficiaries.

H.R. 4032 gives veterans new avenues to recoup their losses if they fall victim to fraud. In addition, the VA will conduct more thorough background checks and will have new authority to take action against fiduciaries who are not fulfilling their obligations.

I am pleased provisions of H.R. 4032 have been included in the servicemembers Legal Protection Act of 2004 or H.R. 4568. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation today.

Mr. Chairman, I must regretfully rise in opposition to the Ose amendment, which has been sprung on us this afternoon without any notice or prior opportunity to discuss the issues.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I have spent hundreds of hours devoted to the issues surrounding Homeland Security. Situated as my district is in San Diego, I am concerned to secure not only our border but also our busy port and ship-building facilities located on San Diego Bay, which is crossed by a dramatic bridge, our international airport, and our numerous military installations which are the home bases for nuclear carriers and nuclear submarine. We have much to be proud of--and much to protect.

It is challenging to us all to prioritize actions that we can take with our Homeland Security dollars to provide increased security against past and likely focal points for terrorists. It is important that we assure that scarce resources are devoted to the kinds of actions that will in fact keep our borders safe from known entry points for terrorists.

The measure before us to expedite the long-proposed triple border fence overturns years of effort on the part of the local communities along the border, civic groups, and elected representatives to come to consensus with the Border Patrol about appropriate means to enhance and strengthen the existing fence.

Fortunately, during the past ten years since the inauguration of Operation Gatekeeper, the numbers of illegal border crossers in the area under consideration has dropped 80 percent.

Nonetheless, I agree that the present quality of the single fence needs updating at least to the highest quality of fence construction proposed and already implemented along adjacent border areas. Moreover, I have been assured by local high tech companies which provide sophisticated technology for other homeland security needs that much more could be done with electronic surveillance and detection.

Similar views have been officially expressed by the California Coastal Commission, which has jurisdiction in this area, and by the California Coastal Conservancy which has a $6 million road and access improvement project in this area.

In the past, the California Border Patrol has been unwilling to pursue any alternative proposals other than the one which has been so thoroughly rejected by state and local interest groups. Their view has been ``my way, and it's a highway.''

However, since its February vote to object to the proposal, the California Coastal Commission has been working with the Department of Homeland Security's office of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection in charge of construction to resolve this issue. I understand the parties met in April to discuss their views and that both parties expected and have planned to continue this effort at a meeting on October 26, 2004, to continue the ongoing negotiations. Perhaps the author was unaware of this plan. I believe we must support this effort.

It is no surprise that the Ose amendment waives all powers of the Clean Air Act; the Clean Water Act; the Protection of Wetlands; the Floodplain Management; the Coastal Zone Management Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act as amended by Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act; the Farmland Protection Policy Act; the Endangered Species Act; the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; the National Historic Preservation Act; the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; and the Archeological Resources Protection Act.

That is because this proposal is so overwhelmingly threatening to the sensitive lands that would be destroyed as to offend all of these acts.

Above all, this wholesale destruction is unnecessary. I would welcome continued work with the affected parties, most particularly with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to find a solution to their staffing needs that does not destroy millions of dollars of prior investment by California in these sensitive areas. We must use our scarce Homeland Security dollars in projects that are focused on major areas where there are large numbers of border crossers who might become a threat from terrorists.

San Diego deserves to be protected, but we have many areas in need of new programs and technology that will address likely targets.

I urge your defeat of this proposal at this time and your willingness to work together toward a reasoned proposal.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4794, which will amend the Tijuana River Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Cleanup Act of 2000 to bring it up to date to include the International Boundary and Water Commission Treaty Minute No. 311 between the United States and Mexico. Reauthorization will pave the way for an ultimate solution to the long-standing problem of sewage outfall that pollutes the Tijuana River Valley Estuary and the precious beaches of Imperial Beach.

Located on the southwest corner of the United States, Imperial Beach offers its residents and visitors an exceptional coastal experience situated as it is between the wonderful Tijuana Estuary natural wetlands and bird habitat and the mighty Pacific Ocean.

Unfortunately, the metropolitan area of Tijuana and San Diego has grown well beyond the existing capacity to provide for the current sewage volume and allow a healthy and safe environment for the population along the border.

The 2000 Act provided the framework for improving the existing South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was constructed by the International Boundary and Water Commission following authorization in a 1987 Water Quality Act. However, the plant was only built to advanced primary standards and not to the required secondary treatment standard as required by the law.

Since that time, the rapid growth in the metropolitan region has resulted in a frequent flow

of untreated or partially treated sewage through the Tijuana River, which flows north from Tijuana across the border to the Pacific Ocean at Imperial Beach. This pollution is a public health threat as well as an environmental danger.

This reauthorization addresses a multitude of details to implement a privately built and operated plant in Tijuana. Although the realization of the new Minute in February took a very long time, I hope that with new leadership now in place on the Commission and with this authorization in place there will be rapid progress toward the fulfillment of this desperately needed public safety facility.

I want to thank my colleague from San Diego, Representative Hunter, for taking the leadership in the time-consuming process of bringing agreement on the details from numerous administration entities.

I urge your support for this measure, which has been co-sponsored by the bipartisan San Diego delegation.

Mr. Speaker, I want my constituents to know that Congress is not going to legislate a draft today, but I also want to ask my constituents and all Americans to read between the lines.

What is going on here today? What they are seeing is an admission of this administration's failure to adequately plan for our troops in Iraq. What they are seeing is a bait and switch.

On the one hand, Americans are being told today that they do not need to worry about a draft, and believe me, this was an issue that if my colleagues would have left it alone, it would have died on the Internet. But on the other hand, I am afraid that Americans will think that they are being told there is nothing to worry about in Iraq.

What we are seeing is a very controversial matter being brought up before Congress by using a procedure that is meant for noncontroversial items.

I want to acknowledge how much military servicemembers' contributions have meant to Americans through their voluntary and selfless service. And how do we honor them? Well, we honor the profound and valiant successes by keeping our forces strong.

The solution to our overburdened military lies in expanding the all- volunteer force; and this solution, as it has been stated, has been voted on and passed by both Chambers of the Congress. It provides a much-needed increase in military end strength, and as a member of the Committee on Armed Services, I have worked hard to provide the solution.

I feel strongly, and I know that most of the people here do, that everyone benefits from keeping an all-volunteer force. So I urge my colleagues to stand firm with this conviction, but I also say let us have a serious discussion. Let us not make this political.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a wonderful leader of 28 years in my community: Charles W. Johnson.

Charles Johnson is a father, a son, a husband, and most of all a beloved friend.

San Diegans will honor him at the Linda Vista Civic Association meeting on October 21, 2004. His friends, family, and supporters will join together to salute Charles for his selfless and steady dedication to improving our community.

His life is a great American story. It is a classic story of one of the kids that made good.

A retired Navy Master Chief, he graduated high school in Paris, Texas and joined the Navy immediately after.

The Navy brought Charles to San Diego, where he attended San Diego City College and Mesa College

He is a Linda Vista community activist. He has dedicated countless hours to improving the quality of life for Linda Vista residents.

Charles is a proud founder of the Linda Vista Civic Association and is the immediate past chair.

The Civic Association is a positive force for improving the quality of life for all Linda Vista residents and promoting the involvement of community members of all ages.

They are committed to coordinating, advising, and ensuring that projects operating in the neighborhood do so with collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork, and in a manner consistent with the vision of the Collaborative.

Charles continued his activism as a past chair of the Linda Vista Boys and Girls Club and of the Access Center.

He was a member of the Linda Vista Planning Committee for over six years and the City of San Diego Citizens' Advisory Board on Police- Community Relations.

Charles Johnson was an enthusiastic member of the City of San Diego Redistricting Commission, where he was a strong advocate for his community.

He is an American patriot. He honorably served our country in the military. He continues today as a member of the American Legion and

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that we are here today to debate this amendment.

As a strong supporter of civil rights protections, I am extremely concerned about the devastating implications of this legislation.

I am concerned because I believe that every individual deserves to be treated with respect, and our Nation's laws should be used to promote civil rights, not limit them.

In addition, the United States Constitution should be modified only in the most rare and necessary of circumstances, and those circumstances simply do not exist here today.

Amending this sacred document that has governed us for centuries has only been done 17 times in our Nation's history--and those changes have served to protect our rights as Americans.

Now is not the time to depart from that tradition by threatening the basic principle of equal treatment under the law.

And speaking of tradition, Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot today about the value we should place only upon ``traditional'' marriage.

I would ask those who support this amendment so strongly to talk to the countless special needs children of this country, who have been adopted by caring and nurturing same-sex couples, what ``traditional'' means to them.

Although special needs children are a special gift to this world and to any family, it is often same-sex couples who are most willing to welcome these children into their homes.

If not for these couples, many of these children would never experience the value of a loving, stable home and the unconditional support of a family.

I am willing to venture that if any one of us asked any one of these special needs children if they would prefer two mothers--or two fathers--or no family at all, that choice would be simple.

And that is because there is no exact formula for creating a loving family. The only thing you need for certain is love.

Are we really challenging whether or not that love can exist in a home with two mothers or two fathers? I certainly hope not.

Mr. Speaker, we are still trying to bring peace and stability to Iraq and are losing more and more American lives in this process every day. Our economy is struggling under a $400 billion deficit. And we have a long way to go to get American workers back into meaningful work and to continue improving the education of our children.

It is regrettable that we have decided to overlook these pressing national needs to take up an amendment that I believe threatens healthy American families in our country today.

If it is truly our hope to protect the best interests of our children, we will join together to oppose this dangerous and unnecessary amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to express my concern about House and Senate conferencing on the Defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2005. I am concerned that the House has not appointed any conferees to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, the House passed the Defense Authorization Bill on May 20 of 2004, and the Senate passed their version on June 23. Fast forward 3 months to today. It is now September 23. Next week marks the end of the fiscal year, and the House will adjourn for the elections in less than a month.

I would also like to remind all of us, Mr. Speaker, that the House and Senate finished the conference report agreement on the fiscal year Defense appropriations bill in July.

The reason for my concern should be obvious to all of us. Our country is at war. Large numbers of brave men and women remain in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. I recognize there are contentious issues in both of the versions of the bill, but confronting these types of issues is our job, and we are quickly running out of time.

The bill is a life-and-death matter. It impacts service members' safety, their readiness and personal and financial health. More than anyone else, they have earned the right to a government that is a responsible steward of their safety and their well-being.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which commemorates the extraordinary contributions that Latinos have made to our country throughout history. During this one-month period of celebration and tribute, we honor the culture and achievements of the Hispanic community, all of which have played a historic role in our Nation.

I am proud, honored and privileged to represent California's 53rd district in Congress. My district is extraordinarily diverse and home to many citizens who are of Latino background.

To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month 2004, I would like to highlight the remarkable accomplishments of six San Diego residents who have been named local heroes as part of the Union Bank of California and KPBS Hispanic Heritage Month Local Hero Awards, a program honoring outstanding members of the Hispanic community.

These individuals were selected for their exceptional commitment and contribution to San Diego through community activism, the arts, business, education and social services.

The 2004 honorees are Sylvia Galvez, Jovita Juarez, Beatrice Fernandez, Mario Aguilar and Beatrice Zamora Aguilar, and Lupe Ortega.

Sylvia Galvez: Sylvia Galvez opened a group home in 1995 to help troubled female teens who had no place to stay, and is now operating two six-bed, 24-hour licensed treatment facilities in San Diego. Sylvia was inspired to help these girls because she felt she could relate to them. She herself dropped out of high school when she was 16 and pregnant with her first child. By the age of 21, she had given birth to three children and was working as a painter for both the Navy Public Works Department and the painting company of Mr. Willie Davis. It was Mr. Davis who helped her return to school at the age of 28. She graduated from City College in 1991 with an A.A. in Liberal Arts and transferred to National University where she earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in Human Behavior. Recently, she and her husband purchased an eight-unit apartment complex to help foster teens after they turn 18 years old.

Jovita Juarez: Jovita Juarez is a Prevention Specialist and Community Organizer for the North City Prevention Coalition and an activist working with SAY San Diego. She uses her leadership skills to provide guidance for new prevention professionals, helping them become more productive and successful. Jovita is also the chairperson of two countywide prevention efforts: the statewide organization Latinos and Latinas for Health and Justice, where she is the Southern Chair, and the San Diego Cinco de Mayo Con Orgullo Coalition, where she has been chair for the past four years. Jovita has volunteered with many organizations throughout the years, including the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug, Hispanic Advisory Council-MADD Pass Las Llaves and Youth Access to Alcohol Policy Panel, to name a few. She is now writing a book, God's Transforming Power, which will provide a framework for early leadership development.

Bea Fernandez: Bea Fernandez has worked for San Diego City Schools for 20 years. She is currently the program coordinator for the San Diego District's San Diego Parent University, a four year program designed to help parents become involved in their children's education as academic coaches. Fernandez was also the Chair of the Board of MANA, a National Latina Organization. She began her service in 1995 in the San Diego chapter of MANA, the largest chapter in the nation, and was named MANA Member of the Year in 1995 for her activism, community service and commitment to the organization. Fernandez was born in Calexico, CA and the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a B.A. and M.A. in Education, and an administrative credential from San Diego State University.

Mario Aguilar and Beatrice Zamora-Aguilar: Mario Aguilar is Assistant Director of the Early Academic Outreach Program at University of California, San Diego. Beatrice Zamora-

Aguilar is Interim Dean of the School of Counseling and Personal Development at Southwestern College. In 1975, Mario became involved with the ancient indigenous dance tradition called Danza Azteca. In 1980 he and Beatrice were married and together they formed their own dance circle, Danza Mexicayotl. Their dance circle was recognized on December 12, 1980 in Mexico City at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe at a traditional dance ceremony. Since that time, Mario and Beatrice have consistently offered free dance classes to the communities of San Ysidro and Sherman Heights. Danza Mexicayotl has gained status as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and has as its mission, ``To preserve and teach the indigenous traditions of Mexico and the Southwestern U.S.'' Danza Mexicayotl has become an active and well established dance tradition known throughout San Diego, California, the United States and in Mexico. Under the leadership of Mario and Beatrice, many other dance groups have formed throughout California and the Southwestern United States. Together, these groups help proliferate the songs, dance and spiritual movement of this ancient tradition from Mexico.

Lupe Ortega: Lupe Ortega is the Business Manager for O'Day Consultants, a civil engineering firm in North County, where she uses her bicultural background and bilingual skills as assets in her job. She is also a licensed real estate agent operating under Lupe Ortega Enterprises/PMT Companies, a public notary and member of the San Diego Association of Realtors. Ortega strongly agrees with giving back to the community and she donates her time, talents and skills by serving as a director on a number of boards and committees. She is also a skilled photographer and had some of her work published in Photographers Forum Best Photography Annual 1999.

Today, with an estimated Hispanic population of over 39 million in our country, we must also recognize that our efforts to commemorate Hispanic culture should not be limited merely to a one-month period. This is an outlook that each of the six San Diego Local Heroes embodies. These community leaders have used their skills and experiences to empower others. Their time and efforts are truly changing the lives of those around them.

I hope you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues will join me in honoring these unsung heroes and their accomplishments for the Latino community.