Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my views on H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. This is an important bill for our country as we continue to move out of the economic recession. I will be voting in favor of H.R. 4213. However, I have strong reservations about the carried interest tax provisions in this bill and its impact on job growth in areas like Silicon Valley, where innovation and venture capital funds play a key role in the economy.

The American economy gained 290,000 jobs last month, the largest number of job gains in a month since 2006, and the GDP increased by 3 percent last quarter. While these numbers clearly show positive economic growth, the economy has not been recovering fast enough for many families in Santa Clara County where unemployment is still at 11.4 percent--nearly 2 percent higher than the national average.

H.R. 4213 will do much to help California and Silicon Valley families hit by this recession. This bill will provide California with billions of dollars for unemployment benefits, direct assistance to needy families and children,

emergency rental assistance, and summer youth programs. I support all of these programs because they will provide a critical lifeline for families trying to keep their heads above water and survive this economic downturn.

These programs will help maintain the short-term stability of the economy, but families in the long-term need jobs the private sector will create. Venture capital investments help create these jobs of the future. This is why I am so concerned about the section in the bill that will increase the tax rate for carried interest as applied to venture capital. Unlike private equity funds, venture capital investments typically span multiple years and funding cycles. It is not uncommon for it to take 10 to 15 years for these ideas to reach the market, and in many cases they never do.

We have all heard of Google, Apple, Cisco, Genentech, and Tesla Motors. All of these companies were at one point just an idea in the minds of their founders. The system of venture capital allowed these ideas to develop and grow into major industries that created hundreds of thousands of jobs.

I applaud House leaders for delaying the implementation of changes to the carried interest tax for a year, but the eventual hit to venture capital investments is worrisome. Just as we are starting to emerge from the ``Great Recession'' this seems an inopportune time to overturn the venture capital system that has been an engine of job growth.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, I rise today to honor the life of Tam Tran.

Tam and her family overcame great odds to come to America. The Vietnamese government sent Tam's father, Mr. Tuan Ngoc Tran, to a ``re- education'' camp for anti-communist activities. Mr. Tran and his wife, Ms. Loc Thi Pham, escaped political persecution in Vietnam by fleeing in a boat and were rescued at sea by the German navy. They lived in Germany as refugees where Tam and her brother, Mr. Thien Ngoc Tran, were born.

The Tran family came to the United States when Tam was 6 years old to reunite with family members who had settled in California. Her parents applied for political asylum. Their asylum request was denied, but the family received withholding of deportation because they would have faced persecution if they were sent to Vietnam. But withholding does not lead to a green card or U.S. citizenship. Tam and her brother were born in Germany, but were not German citizens. They were stateless, trapped in immigration limbo.

In the meantime, Tam and her brother grew up in Garden Grove. She graduated from Santiago High School, and was accepted into the University of California at Los Angeles. She worked multiple jobs while carrying a full load of classes, but still managed to graduate from UCLA in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in American Literature and Culture and with Latin, Departmental, and College honors.

Tam also became one of the leading advocates for the ``Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors'' Act, commonly known as the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as innocent children, if they graduate from a U.S. high school and serve in the military or attend at least two years of college. The DREAM Act would finally allow Tam to officially become what she always felt herself to be--an American.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tam when she testified before the Immigration Subcommittee on May 18, 2007, on the DREAM Act. Tam described growing up in California, ``watching Speed Racer and Mighty Mouse every Saturday morning.'' She described her frustration at the work permits that never arrived on time even though she was in the country legally, and at not being able to afford the $50,000 out-of- state tuition and living expenses a year for the Ph.D. program at UCLA, even though she had grown up in California and had been accepted into the program. Tam nonetheless hoped that she would overcome these odds and become an ``academic researcher and socially conscious video documentarian.'' The poise and eloquence of Tam and the other student witnesses at the hearing was the best evidence of how America would benefit from their skills and talents by the passage of the DREAM Act.

Tam came one step closer to achieving her dream when she was accepted into the Ph.D. program in American Civilization at Brown University. She was excelling in her studies and continuing her leadership and advocacy on the DREAM Act, when she was tragically and unexpectedly taken from us. Tam and one of her close friends, Cinthya Felix, also a DREAM Act student, died in a car crash on May 15, 2010.

My heart goes out to the Tran family at their unthinkable loss. I have no doubt that Tam would have contributed much to America. Even though our broken immigration system constantly threw roadblocks in her way, Tam always persevered and fought to live the American dream. I will redouble my effort and commitment to pass the DREAM Act in her memory, so that other innocent children in her predicament will not have to suffer the hardships that Tam had to endure just to become a productive member of this country.

Madam Chair, today I rise in support of H.R. 5116, to reauthorize the America COMPETES Act. This bill continues the commitment we made to science and innovation from the first COMPETES Act, passed in 2007.

As a Member representing Silicon Valley, I have seen firsthand what innovation and research can do to keep us competitive and economically strong. H.R. 5116 will foster research by reauthorizing the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and keep them on a path that will double their authorized funding over 10 years, based on 2007 appropriated levels. This funding will support basic research in labs across the country. The Act also includes loan guarantee programs for small- and medium-sized manufacturers to bring their new and innovative products beyond the prototype stage and into production.

Madam Chair, the bill fosters STEM education and will help ensure that today's children are prepared to be tomorrow's competitive workforce. H.R. 5116 provides greater coordination of STEM education programs across federal agencies and aligns the programs at all levels of education--from K-12 through doctoral degrees. Once students are interested in STEM fields, we need to foster their growth and ensure that they have the right tools and support to stay within the STEM pipeline.

The COMPETES Reauthorization Act also encourages innovative thinking and solutions by reauthorizing the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) to perform high-risk, high-reward energy research that could lead to the game-changing technology we need to wean ourselves off of polluting fossil fuels.

I would like to note one concern I have with this legislation. Section 123 establishes a working group to coordinate the policies of various agencies regarding public access to the results of federally- funded research. I agree that coordination could improve technical uniformity in the dissemination of data, boosting interoperability across agencies and disciplines. However, the working group should not extend its mandate to demand uniformity in all public access policies, such as those for scientific publications. In particular, it should not interfere with the policy of the National Institutes of Health, which requires free public access to the published results of research funded by NIH. This legislation should not be interpreted to restrict existing open access to scientific knowledge, or to prevent its expansion.

This issue aside, I am pleased of the commitment we are making to science and innovation today, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of the 16th Commemoration of Vietnam Human Rights Day.

I am proud to represent San Jose, home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of

Vietnam itself. Many of my constituents have family and friends still in Vietnam, and the reports about the human rights situation in that country are concerning.

Beginning in 1994, Congress has designated May 11th as Vietnam Human Rights Day--a day to reflect on the struggles of the thousands of innocent Vietnamese citizens that seek basic human rights and freedom.

Sadly, in the sixteen years since Congress first established this day calling for Hanoi to respect basic human rights, the situation has not improved. In fact, after the United States granted Vietnam Permanent Normal Trade Relations in 2006, conditions worsened as the Vietnamese government, having received the trade agreement it sought, returned to its violent and incursive methods of silencing free speech.

While the Vietnamese government presents a facade of democracy to the world, journalists, bloggers, and whistleblowers are imprisoned for merely raising questions about government policies or calling attention to corrupt behavior. Pro-democracy activists are arrested and jailed under arbitrary, expansive, and vague anti-propaganda laws, often without due process. Despite years of pressure from Congress and humanitarian organizations, the Vietnamese government continues to deny these charges, show a lack of a serious commitment to reform, and openly violate both its own constitution as well as its international human rights obligations.

Moreover, religious freedom remains an issue. Reports of harassment, discrimination, and repression related to religion continue. In its Annual Report for 2010, released this month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has renewed its call for Vietnam to be designated as a Country of Particular Concern by the State Department. I wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation, and strongly urge the State Department to follow it.

On this May 11th, I ask my colleagues to honor the efforts of those who are fighting for freedom and democracy in Vietnam, and to consider how we might be of assistance in their difficult and courageous struggle for the basic human rights that we, as Americans, enjoy.

Madam Speaker, I rise along with my colleague Congressman Bonner to provide, pursuant to

Rule 7(g) of the Rules of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, a statement of the Chair and Ranking Republican Member regarding H. Res. 1193, H. Res. 1220, H. Res. 1255, and H. Res. 1287.

The House has referred H. Res. 1193, H. Res. 1220, H. Res. 1255, and H. Res. 1287 to the Committee for its consideration. We acknowledge the referral of those resolutions. If adopted, the resolutions would have required the Committee to report to the House regarding aspects of its investigation ``In the Matter of Allegations Relating to the Lobbying Activities of Paul Magliocchetti and Associates Group, Inc. (PMA).'' Although the resolutions were not adopted, we are responding to expand further upon the Committee's previous public statements regarding its investigation in this matter.

The outside Office of Congressional Ethics, OCE, after investigation, concluded that matters for five Members regarding the PMA matter should be dismissed. After review, the Committee concurred with the outside ethics office. The Committee concluded that the matters of two other Members should also be dismissed because the facts regarding those Members' actions were not different from those of the five Members for whom both the Committee and OCE concluded dismissal was appropriate. The Committee's action to date does not preclude future Committee action related to these matters should new information warranting action become available.

The Committee publicly released a 305-page report that discusses the scope of the Committee's work in the PMA matter, as well as the basis for the Committee's bipartisan and unanimous conclusions. This report is available to the House and the public on the Committee's Web site, at http://ethics.house.gov/. As noted in that report, the Committee's investigation during a nine-month period included extensive document reviews and interviews with numerous witnesses. As a result of its own investigation and OCE's seven separate reports and findings, the Committee--whose Members include equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans--unanimously determined that the evidence presently before the Committee merited dismissal of all seven matters.

The information reviewed by the Committee included statements from all seven Members. Summaries of interviews with five Members were included in OCE's findings, which the Committee chose to publish. Since the Committee agreed with OCE's recommendation that those five matters should be dismissed, the Committee was not required to publish any statement or OCE's reports and findings in those matters, but did so because of the unique circumstances of this matter and in the interests of public disclosure and transparency.

In addition, the Committee sought statements from Representatives Tiahrt and Visclosky to respond specifically to allegations about their conduct. Both Members provided the Committee with statements through counsel, and the Members certified under penalty of perjury to the truth of those statements. Both statements are available, in their entirety, in the Committee's public report. Based in part on those statements, the Committee found no evidence to conclude that the facts regarding Representatives Tiahrt and Visclosky differed substantially from the facts regarding the other five Members--for whom both the Committee and OCE recommended dismissal. Accordingly, the Committee concluded that the matters of the two other Members should also be dismissed.

In reaching its unanimous conclusion, the Committee relied not only on the findings provided by OCE, but its own investigation. During the course of its investigation in this matter, the Committee's staff reviewed close to one-quarter of a million pages of documents. The Committee investigation covered more than 40 companies with ties to PMA. OCE's findings included summaries of interviews with five Members' offices. The Committee investigation included interviews with 33 Members' offices. The Committee investigation involved interviews with chiefs of staff, military legislative aides, other Members' staff, and Appropriations Committee staff. In reaching its conclusions, the Committee relied on the totality of this large magnitude of information.

As in other investigations, although the Committee has discussed in general terms the scope of its investigation, it did not address more specific details of various investigative steps taken by the Committee. To do so would compromise the investigative capabilities of the Committee in this and future matters by chilling voluntary cooperation. Requiring the disclosure of the details of any investigative body's activities would damage its ability to conduct its activities. Ethics investigations, in particular, rely not only upon subpoenas, but upon voluntary cooperation. Success in such an investigation usually comes because people connected to the matter choose to cooperate with the investigators and volunteer information. In many cases, their decision to cooperate is based, in part, on their belief that their identity or the details of their cooperation will not be publicly disclosed.

Moreover, disclosing specific investigative steps taken in the PMA matter could compromise any ongoing criminal investigations; harm the ability of the Committee to investigate any additional allegations of wrongdoing in this or related matters; discourage those who might bring credible allegations to the Committee in the future from doing so; and chill the voluntary cooperation of those called before the Committee in various investigations.

Prior to the House referral of the resolutions to the Committee, on February 26, 2010, the Committee unanimously voted to release a public report in the PMA matter. By a unanimous and bipartisan vote, the Committee concluded that, based upon the totality of current information gathered during a nine-month investigation, no House Member or employee violated provisions of the Code of Official Conduct or laws, rules, regulations, or other standards of conduct applicable to his or her conduct in the performance of his or her duties or the discharge of his or her responsibilities relating to proposed appropriations requests and activities of PMA.

In addition, we note that policy decisions--whether about the current appropriations process, including earmarks, or about the campaign finance system--are not within the jurisdiction of the Committee. Whether these policies should be changed is a subject that should be taken up in the appropriate venue.

The task before the Committee in the PMA matter was to determine whether House Members and staff complied with the current law and House rules. In a unanimous and bipartisan manner, the Committee concluded the evidence presently before the Committee merited dismissal of all seven matters. The Committee's action to date does not preclude future Committee action related to these matters should new information warranting action become available.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4543, a bill to designate the U.S. Post Office located at 4285 Payne Avenue in San Jose, California, as the Anthony J. Cortese Post Office.

For over four decades, Mr. Cortese was a proud and dedicated employee of the United States Postal Service. He was also a loving family man, respected community leader, and a friend to many of us in local government.

Mr. Cortese was born in the East Bay and moved to Santa Clara County with his family after his father went to work at the Ford Plant in Milpitas. A few years after graduating from James Lick High School in San Jose, Mr. Cortese started working as a letter carrier in the downtown San Jose post office.

Mr. Cortese was a tireless advocate for letter carriers in the region and made a significant impact on his community. In addition to his forty-two years with the Postal Service, Mr. Cortese served twenty- seven years as the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 193. Under his leadership, Local 193 procured a building for its members, secured expanded health benefits, and provided an open forum for discussion with union members, community advocates, Postal Service supervisors, and local elected officials. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Cortese developed strong relationships with postal workers and management.

Mr. Cortese's service was not limited to advocacy of union members, but extended into the San Jose community and beyond. In 1990, Mr. Cortese started a food drive program through the Second Harvest Food Bank to help needy families in the San Jose area. Under Mr. Cortese's guidance, this program served as a pilot for what would become a national food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

I urge all of my colleagues to join Congressman Mike Honda and me to vote in favor of this bill to honor our good friend, Anthony J. Cortese.

Madam Speaker, due to an immediate family health situation, I was absent from vote for the afternoon of March 18, and absent from votes for March 19 and 20, 2010. Had I been present I would have voted: rollcall Nos. 128--``yes''; 129--``yes''; 130--``yes''; 131--``present''; 132--``yes''; 133--``yes''; 134-- ``yes''; 135--``yes''; 136--``yes''; 137--``yes''; 138--``yes''; 139-- ``yes''; 140--``yes''; 141--``no''; 142--``yes''; 143--``yes''; 144-- ``yes''; 145--``yes''; 146--``yes''; 147--``yes''; 148--``no''; 149-- ``yes''; 150--``yes''; 151--``yes''; 152--``yes''; 153--``yes'' and 154--``yes''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill.

I'm proud to stand on the floor of the House of Representatives today to cast my yes vote for this historic bill. I vote yes for the nearly 50,000 currently uninsured residents of the 16th California Congressional District who will now be eligible for health insurance. I vote yes for the 6,000 seniors in my district who will no longer be subject to the donut hole in Medicare Part D. I vote yes for the 55,000 young adults in the 16th District who will now be able to extend their coverage under their parent's existing insurance. I vote yes for the roughly 15,000 small businesses in the 16th District who will be able to extend coverage to their employees because of the tax credits in this bill. I vote yes for the 800 families in the 16th District who every year are forced to file for bankruptcy due to medical bills. I vote yes because this legislation will reduce the deficit by $130 billion over the next 10 years and by some $1.3 trillion over the second decade. Simply put, I vote yes because it is the right thing to do and because my constituents overwhelmingly demand it.

Madam Speaker, as the Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, I rise today to recognize and commend the great work of Mehdi Morshed, who at the end of March is retiring from California High-Speed Rail Authority. For over 40 years, Mehdi has worked on transportation policy in various capacities in California and is widely considered a leading expert. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mehdi for over thirty years.

Mehdi Morshed was educated at the University of Washington in Seattle as a civil engineer and he received a master's degree in transportation engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Since then, he has worked to make sure that Californians have safe and accessible transportation. He worked for the California Department of Transportation in various capacities, including planning, design and construction of bridges.

He then served as the lead transportation policy staffer in the California State Senate for over 20 years. During his time at the State Senate, Mehdi was responsible for developing and enacting some of California's most ground-breaking transportation laws, policies and programs, including vehicle safety and emission standards, as well as assisting with the establishment of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the California Transportation Commission and other local and regional commissions, transportation districts and agencies.

At the end of this month, Mehdi will be retiring as the Executive Director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, a position he has held since 1998. His dedication to high-speed rail in California has resulted in the project evolving from a planning concept to a fully developed project with an 800-mile system that will link Los Angeles and the Bay Area through Central Valley, with links to Sacramento and San Diego. Mehdi was at the helm of the Authority when State proposition 1A was passed by voters in November 2008, which is a $9 billion bond measure for the State's high-speed train system. Mehdi's ability to successfully develop California's high-speed rail system has led to California receiving $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funding.

Madam Speaker, Mehdi Morshed has played a major role in developing and implementing California's transportation policies for over 40 years. I can assure you that his leadership will be missed in California, and his transportation projects throughout the State will be a lasting reminder of his years of service to the people of California.

Mr. Speaker, soon health care insurance reform will be on this floor, and I believe that the women of America have the most to gain from the bill.

In the individual insurance market, women are charged up to 48 percent more than men for the same coverage. The health bill will prohibit that discrimination. Women are denied coverage for preexisting conditions like domestic violence or C-sections or pregnancy. The health care bill will prevent that.

We know as mothers that we are worried about our young adult children. They can't get insurance, but the health care bill will allow us to keep our young adult sons and daughters on our own health care insurance plans.

Preventative services are sometimes unaffordable for women, but the health care bill will require preventative services to be provided without a copay.

Health insurance reform is just what the doctor ordered for the women of America.

Madam Speaker, today I rise as the proud sponsor of

House Resolution 935, congratulating Drs. John E. Warnock and Charles M. Geschke of Adobe Systems, Dr. Esther Sans Takeuchi, Dr. Forrest M. Bird, and IBM Corporation as the recipients of the 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is the highest honor for technological achievement bestowed by the President on leading innovators in the United States.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation has been awarded annually since 1985 and recognizes outstanding contributions to America's economic, environmental, and social well-being through the development of technological products, processes, and innovation.

The purpose of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation is to recognize those who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness, standard of living, and quality of life through technological innovation. By highlighting the national importance of technological innovation, we hope to inspire future generations of Americans to prepare for and pursue technical careers to keep America at the forefront of global technology and economic leadership.

The 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation Laureates include innovation and achievement in the display and dissemination of information, lifesaving medical technology, and computer design and development.

I'm particularly proud that two of the 2008 Medal recipients, Drs. John E. Warnock and Charles M. Geschke, hail from my district in San Jose, California. Drs. Warnock and Geschke, through their work at Adobe Systems, pioneered innovations that were crucial to the revolution in desktop publishing that began in the 1980s and continues today. The advances in desktop publishing had, and continue to have, a profound effect on the way we create and communicate information across mediums such as print, video, and Internet. It is fitting that today we recognize two individuals who have been influential in informing how we create, communicate, and interact with information; the work of Drs. Warnock and Geschke played a prominent role in ushering in what we know as ``The Information Age.''

As a Member representing Silicon Valley, I know firsthand how technological and scientific innovations provide invaluable contributions to our society. Research and innovation have long been key drivers of our economy, particularly in the Bay Area. Advances in science, medicine, and technology will continue to shape our economy and our world. Therefore, it is vital that we encourage and recognize those who lead the way in these critical areas--those like our 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation Laureates. It is my hope that in spotlighting the very best in technology and innovation, we provide encouragement to the next generation of students, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and businesses to continue to invest their time, energy, expertise, and resources into creating the next era of technological achievement. It is through innovation and advancement in science and technology that we will continue to be a leader in the global economy, protect our environment, and improve the lives of all Americans.

Again, I am proud to join my colleagues in honoring the 2008 recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and I urge the passage of the resolution.

I want to thank Ms. Woolsey from California, a cosponsor and great supporter of this resolution and of education in California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud sponsor of the resolution congratulating the California State University system on 50 years of providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable education. I want to thank my colleague, Wally Herger, for introducing this resolution with me. As has been mentioned, the CSU system is the Nation's largest and most diverse university system. It includes 23 campuses and seven off- campus centers, with 44,000 faculty and staff and almost 433,000 students.

The California State University system was created in 1961 under the master plan, about 50 years ago, but San Jose State University preceded it. San Jose State University is the oldest university in the system. It's in my district, and it's in my neighborhood. It was founded in 1857 in the basement of a high school in the Bay area. That first class had four graduates, all women, and San Jose State has obviously grown since that time. It's based in the heart of what is now Silicon Valley. San Jose State now is the single largest provider of engineers in Silicon Valley. The university sits on a 154-acre campus in downtown San Jose and has over 30,000 diverse students. It is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a top 15 master's level public institution in the West.

San Jose State's population, like many of the other CSU campuses, is a representation of the diverse community that it serves. Many of its students are from immigrant families and are the first in their families to attend or graduate from college. San Jose State University is also redefining what a traditional student is, as over a quarter of the undergraduates at the university are over the age of 24.

Surrounded by Silicon Valley, students are able to supplement their classroom knowledge with hands-on experiences at many of the innovative firms and agencies in the Valley through internships, summer programs, and research assistance.

All of the CSUs, including San Jose State, play a critical role in preparing students for California's economy. With 91,000 annual graduates, the CSU is the State's greatest producer of bachelor's degrees. These students then help drive California's economy. And according to CSU, for every $1 the State invests into the CSU system, the CSU returns $4.41. CSU sustains more than 200,000 jobs in the State. And CSU-related expenditures create $13.6 billion in economic activity.

Often referred to as the ``People's University,'' CSU reaches out to California's growing underserved communities. CSU provides more than half of all undergraduate degrees granted to California's Latino, African American, and Native American students. In fact, the Chancellor, Dr. Charles Reed, is here with us today and told us at our delegation meeting today about the

outreach efforts into African American churches on Sunday to tell families, 100,000 families in California about the opportunity that CSU presents to those families. Minority enrollments and graduation and success is up among Latino families, among African American families, among families who didn't really see a way for their kids to move forward.

We know that there have been cutbacks, but the California delegation and President Obama have worked to preserve and improve affordability. Almost 190,000 CSU students will pay no fee increases due to increases in the State University Grants, Federal grants, and CSU fee waivers. So the Recovery Act has provided millions of needed dollars to the CSU. It has provided an additional $81 million for 120,000 of CSU's neediest students through the Pell Grant program. It also provided $76.5 million to restore classrooms that would have been cut so that students can graduate in 4 years.

Mr. Speaker, I gave the commencement speech at San Jose State last year. And as I looked out over the student body, I saw thousands of young people, and some not so young, who had a dream, whose family never thought that their kids would have a chance to get an education and bite off a part of the American dream. Because of the CSU system, they are really part of our future.

I am really thrilled to be part of honoring CSU, and also noting that the entire California Democratic delegation has cosponsored this resolution. I thank my colleague for allowing me to speak, and I urge passage of the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 18th anniversary of the massacre at Khojaly and to honor the 613 Azerbaijanis who died under these tragic circumstances. I ask that my colleagues join me in remembering those who lost their lives that day.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of a distinguished member of my community, George Rios. After more than thirty years of service, George is retiring from the City of San Jose on March 6, 2010.

In the great tradition of the American Dream, Mr. Rios is the son of Mexican immigrants. He grew up in Oakland, California and spoke no English as a child. His father was a

stucco factory worker, and his mother took care of George along with his 2 brothers and 1 sister. To help support the family, George and his brothers and sister took odd jobs, such as picking fruit, and loading and unloading produce.

Mr. Rios graduated from high school in 1969, and then went to college at San Jose State University and graduated in 1974. He graduated from University of California's Davis King Hall School of Law in 1977.

After completing his legal studies, George worked at San Jose Legal Aid helping indigent clients with civil legal issues. After two and a half years at Legal Aid, George was hired at the Office of the San Jose City Attorney. He began work in January of 1980 under then-City Attorney Bob Logan. After only five years, he was promoted to the position of Assistant City Attorney. George has handled complex lawsuits for the City including arguing numerous cases in State and Federal courts. He has argued 2 cases before the California Supreme Court and assisted in arguing one case before the United States Supreme Court.

George has served on the Mayors' Gang Prevention Task Force and the Task Force to implement Fast Track rules in Superior Court. He has been active in the Bar, served as a pro tem judge, a trustee for the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and as a member of the La Raza Lawyers Association. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Almaden Valley Counseling Center, and as a member of the California Council for Criminal Justice and the Legal Advocacy Committee of the League of California Cities.

George is a tremendous role model and is a valued member of the San Jose community. I wish him, his wife and three sons the very best as he enjoys his retirement.