Brian Bilbray

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support, but let me say not support in the traditional sense. There are those of us who are parents who have lost young ones and have watched and had to make the decision of what to do with embryos that they have. I think the sanctity of life works both ways. One of the sanctity of life concepts is to make sure that if you are going to lose a loved one, you respect the life and try to maximize the benefit from that loss. I think this bill is trying to address that. I would ask both sides not to point fingers, but to try to find that sanctity of life is something that is interpreted in many ways. One of them is to make sure that if a life is going to be lost, we have a moral obligation to maximize the potential benefit from that loss. That is a respect for sanctity of life that is not discussed enough.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Madam Speaker, I think everyone will agree, when it came to earmarks, the big concern about the abuses of the past were two components: one is transparency or the lack of transparency in previous proceedings when it came to earmarks. The other was the issue of what is called air drops, those that could be in a conference and at the last minute add things into the budget without going through the review of the committee or subcommittee and a public review of that aspect. I have to compliment both sides of the aisle when it comes to transparency. I think that both Republicans and Democrats are working together to make sure the public knows who has asked for earmarks to be included. But I ask that at the same time, and to say we are a little let down, I think the public is going to feel let down, because both sides, both Republicans and Democrats, have not addressed the air drop issue. In fact, let's face it, why put your earmark or your request through the review process of committee and subcommittee if you can get put on the conference committee at the last minute, and just before the votes are brought to the House floor add your item in without going through the review process? So I would ask the majority and the minority to take a look at this aspect and not move this bill without having it specific that unless an item has been voted on in the House or the Senate before it got to conference, that it shouldn't be added in at the last minute. And I come from the 50th District of California, as you know, and we saw the crisis in credibility and government that was created by the Member that preceded me, and one of those crises was the fact that the game here was get on that conference committee so you could add your item in, in an air drop, at the last minute. So I would ask the majority to go back and take a look at this item and bring back something that stops the abuse of air drops, the last- minute inclusion of earmarks that doesn't go through the review process, doesn't allow the public to know about it, and doesn't allow you and me as Members to be able to address this issue individually. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the chance, and I ask you to reconsider that before we move this item.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Mr. Latham and both the majority and the minority for presenting this resolution today. I do not talk about a situation that occurred over 22 years ago in my family. Actually it was 22 years, 2 months ago that my wife and I lost our child at 3 months to crib death. I am sure you have got to believe that 22 years should be able to cover up the pain and the hurt and the scar. But it does not. And though we have been blessed with five healthy children, we will always have that missing spot that that little 3-month-old baby filled. But I want to thank you for today, and I stand up here today and speak of this matter to represent the men and women who have gone through what my family has gone through, and thank you for this. If I may leave you with one message: more important than us grieving for our losses of those young ones that have died and are not here today, the best way for us to really remember them is to appreciate and worship and thank God for the blessings of having healthy children and babies that we can take care of. Because they truly are the best memorial for our babies that we have lost, by preserving and protecting the treasures that God has given us in healthy children.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I stand today in support of H.R. 2679. Let me just say as a Representative from San Diego County, we have had a situation that I think both sides of the aisle would say was absolutely absurd, where there was a movement to destroy a war memorial on Mount Soledad, and the justification was because that war memorial happened to have been a religious symbol, a cross. One group, or a small plaintiff, not only was pushing for the destruction of the war memorial, but actually got the fees paid to gain profiteering from the destruction of this war memorial. Now, you may say there must be a logical reason, it must be reasonable, there must have been some good reason to tear down this war memorial. Mr. Speaker, let me remind you that this body had a chance to vote on exactly the same issue, and this body voted 349 to preserve the war memorial, with 74 voting to destroy it. I think that it is quite clear that this body has said that the preservation of certain religious artifacts did not justify the profiteering by those who would want to destroy it. I strongly ask us to look at this bill and just think about this: this profiteering not only affects the agencies or the people that have to pay out, like the city of San Diego, but that money could have gone to services throughout the community which proportionately help those needy, those poor and those who need it the most. So, so much of this profiteering is being made at the expense of those who people on both sides of the aisle say do not get enough resources. I just think it is time that we tell the trial lawyers and we tell those who are profiteering from trying to destroy our religious heritage that we are no longer going to allow them to walk away from the courts with bags of the people's money and individuals' resources that can be used in better locations.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill and would like to thank the chairman of the committee for this legislation, and I would like to thank the ranking member, my old friend, Mr. Filner from San Diego. Let me just say, sincerely, I think this is what America wants, this is what our veterans need. I think it is a great bipartisan cooperative effort. The fact is that there are challenges under today's new technology opportunities we have that can be used or abused, and hopefully this bill will be able to tighten up the procedures to make sure we reflect those new realities. Mr. Speaker, I in no little way want to praise both sides of the aisle for doing what is right for our veterans. Hopefully, we have been able to avoid a major problem in the past and with this legislation will make sure that no major problem occurs. The identity and the personal records of our veterans are cherished possessions that we hold in the Federal Government, and we want to maintain those for the veterans and not allow it to leak out. I thank very much both the ranking member but, most importantly, the chairman of the full committee.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6094, the Community Protection Act of 2006. Right now, the government is releasing numerous rapists, child molesters, murders and other dangerous illegal aliens onto our streets. The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General said that in the first six months of 2005, more than 696 high-risk aliens were released. This act will ensure that these dangerous illegal immigrants will not be released back into society. If we are to address the public safety concerns created by our Nation's lax illegal immigration policies, then we must adopt new procedures to will expedite the removal of dangerous criminals. Of the 55,322 illegal alien criminals found in 2005, about 24 percent were arrested on drug offenses, 15 percent for property-related offenses and about 12 percent were arrested for more serious crimes such as murder, robbery, assault, and sexually related crimes. Even more troubling is the fact that the 55,322 illegal alien criminals committed a total of 700,000 crimes or 13 crimes each. These repeat offenders pose a serious threat to the safety and security of our country. H.R. 6094 will give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to get these criminals off of our streets and out of our country. One of the key provisions of this bill addresses the problems created by illegal immigrants who belong to violent gangs. In the last decade, the U.S. has experienced a dramatic increase in the number and size of transnational street gangs. These gangs have held entire communities hostage with their violence and our current laws don't do enough to stop these gang members from crossing our border. The Community Protection Act designates these violent gang members as an inadmissible class--expanding the authority of Homeland Security officials to detain and deport alien gang members. These are common sense provisions that should have adopted years ago. We now have the opportunity to do the right thing and pass this bill that will help combat the violence created from criminal aliens.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6095. Let me say as somebody who was involved in local law enforcement as a county supervisor, mayor, and city council member, it is astonishing to me when it comes down to enforcing our immigration laws how individuals in this institution can find every excuse in the world to not enforce the laws or not wanting the laws enforced. Now, in all fairness, you want to talk about the cost of law enforcement. Mr. Speaker, in my County of San Diego, the cost of illegal immigration to our law enforcement agencies is $50 million a year, just identified from the County of San Diego. The fact is that there should be involvement in local law enforcement to have the option. But actively there are groups here and groups in California that are telling local law enforcement officers they can't get involved in the illegal immigration issue until there has been a major crime such as murder, rape or mayhem. That is absolutely absurd. The frustration in law enforcement is being pulled both ways on these issues. Anyone who is sworn to enforce the law knows the impact of illegal immigration, and every law enforcement officer in the long run wants to do everything they can to participate. I just cringe to think about what our drug policy and drug enforcement policy would be in this country if we took the same attitude, that if a San Diego police officer saw a drug smuggler coming across the border, somehow he or she could not intervene because that is a Federal drug law that is being addressed. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we stop finding excuses on not allowing our local law enforcement to get involved. Let me throw this out. If we want to talk about the money issue, let's ask our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join with us, and why don't we talk about doing fines and forfeiture allocations like we do with drug interdiction. Let's allow the local law enforcement to be able to keep a large percentage of the assets if they catch someone smuggling or is caught. Maybe that is something we can talk about, but not today find an excuse for not giving the authority to our local law enforcement to do what they know is right, and that is fight illegal immigration.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify, as somebody who supervised one of the largest counties in the United States for 10 years in the voter registration system, that voter fraud is not something you can come back on after the fraud is committed. The person who voted for those dead people is long gone by the time it comes up on the record that somebody who has got a death certificate filed is also somebody who supposedly voted. Then to say why didn't we catch the person who was doing it, it is too late to stop voter fraud once the vote is done and they are out of the booth. That is just a practical experience of actually administering the programs. Mr. Speaker, last June, in the 50th District, my constituency was rocked by statements made by a candidate that you do not need papers for voting. Those words were rocked across this country as the scandal over the issue of whether a candidate was actually soliciting people who were not U.S. citizens to vote in a public meeting. The fact is in the State of California there is no checking, no reviewing, and not even the ability for those of us who supervise the electoral process to be able to question those, when they register to vote, if they were qualified. It was strictly on an honor system, and the honor system did not even say I am a citizen. It just says I am qualified. The integrity of our republican form of government, the electoral process that we like to call democracy, has two major threats. Yes, stopping those who can qualify to vote from being able to participate if they are franchised. But the other violation that we have not addressed enough of when it comes down to violating voters' rights is disqualifying a legitimate vote by allowing those who do not have the constitutional right to vote to cancel out those legitimate votes. That is the violation of the Voting Rights Act that we have not addressed in this body enough. Mr. Speaker, I ask us to stand up for our process, for fairness, and with the American people, that we will do everything we can to protect our process.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, in a day that will be looked upon as one of the worst days in American history, I remember it as a day where the world saw the best in all of us. Together, we mourned the loss of our fellow countrymen, grieved for the families they left behind and reaffirmed our resolve to cement the lessons of their sacrifice. Today, we celebrate their memory by forging a renewed commitment to never forget the lives lost on September 11th. For every life we lost, there was also a tale of courage and spirit. I'd like to take a moment to tell you the story of a 53-year-old Catholic priest living in San Diego named Bill Metzdorf who is also a member of the California National Guard. On September 11th, Father Metzdorf was fulfilling his annual National Guard requirements by performing funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. Minutes following the attack on the Pentagon, Father Metzdorf was coordinating an impromptu prayer service. He would later accompany rescue workers into the Pentagon debris and perform blessings over the remains of those who did not survive the attack. He did this for more than two weeks, working 12-hour shifts. Consoling family members, friends and survivors, Father Metzdorf helped strangers become friends, facing his difficult mission with unshakable resolve and fierce determination. Amidst all of the fear and uncertainty, Father Metzdorf stood with unwavering strength and gave others the gift of comfort. His story is similar to many of the police, fire and emergency responders who went into action, unafraid and unwilling to let cowards win the day. As we honor those people lost five years ago and the heroes who helped rebuild an injured nation, let us also remember the men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces, who did not expect nor invite what would follow after September 11th. The people living in the San Diego region that I represent understand as well as anyone what kind of sacrifices come with military service. They have agreed to put a greater interest above their own and are the cornerstone of our Republic. They are defending the very thing the terrorists tried to destroy and we will never forget their service or sacrifices. The truth is--we survived the worst and we still stand tall today. Bound by a common spirit of enterprise and a love of liberty, we have moved beyond the shadows cast by the events of 9-11 and persevered. The terrorists may have succeeded in tearing down structures, but no deed can extinguish the flames of freedom, or the American spirit.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Madam Speaker, today the House of Representatives is poised to pass House, Resolution 622 honoring and recognizing the service of Filipino World War II veterans in their defense of our society and the freedoms we enjoy today. I am proud to co-sponsor this resolution highlighting the efforts of a community that came together with the United States to triumph over Japanese Imperialism. In 1946, on a hot July day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a military draft calling the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines into armed services under the command of United States Army officers lead by General Douglas MacArthur. Those brave soldiers stood side by side with American military service members courageously fighting to defend America. These Filipino World War II veterans are part of what is often referred to as the ``greatest generation'' and with good reason. From Bataan to Corregidor, Filipino soldiers unselfishly fought to preserve and protect the democratic principles we champion, with the hope that those principles could liberate a people enveloped by tyranny. Today, we stand to recognize those heroes who fought so valiantly to help win the peace in the Pacific. Madam Speaker, in San Diego we have a vibrant and robust Filipino community that includes many military families with a storied line of military service to our nation. Through the sacrifices of these brave veterans, serve as an example for all Americans. The Filipino community in San Diego has a distinct pride that defines them, and for that they enrich San Diego and make it a better place to live. I thank my colleague from California, Mr. Issa, for introducing this legislation and I look forward to voting on its passage.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 394, 395 and 396, I was detained due to aircraft malfunction. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all three rollcalls.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. This memorial is in my district. It is a very prominent memorial, not just in the landscape, but in the history of San Diego County. I remember as a child my father driving me past this memorial and looking up and saying this is one of the few memorials in the country that recognize the heartbreak of what went on in Korea. As a Korean veteran, he was also very much impressed with the fact that San Diegans set aside a memorial for the Korean war. Frankly, I am shocked in a time of war, a time when our men and women are out exchanging deadly fire with the enemy, that we are talking about destruction of a war memorial. It is a war memorial dedicated to 800-plus people that never came back from the Korean war, the missing in action. Now, in San Diego County, we have many religious symbols on public lands. We have a cross to Father Serra on Presidio Hill. We have a cross to Cabrillo, who found San Diego Harbor. We have Point Lomo. We have a county synagogue in our county park, and we have a cross on Mount Helix that was set aside by a gentleman for his wife. We are not asking to tear those religious symbols down. All I have to say, Mr. Speaker, is we have enough tolerance for a cross to Father Serra. If we can find the tolerance to save a major historical building such as the synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, if we can find the tolerance to have a cross for Cabrillo, my God, can't we find the tolerance to preserve a war memorial to 800,000 missing in action in Korea? This really is about common sense, common decency and tolerance. Mr. Speaker, there are those who will find excuses to attack what they may not like, but this is not about religion; it is about the tolerance of our heritage and the memorials to those who have fought for our heritage across the board. I would just like to point out, if somebody wants to say that this is somehow a Christian conspiracy, that Phil Thalheimer, the chairman of Save the Cross, happens to be of the Jewish faith, his family survived the terrible Holocaust in Europe. One of his biggest statements, that his family always talked about, the first thing that the Fascists wanted to do was to destroy religious symbols when his parents were trying to escape. Now, Mr. Speaker, the State of California has many religious symbols, and we do too here. All I have to say is I don't think anybody in California or in this Chamber is asking for the cross in Father Serra's hands to be taken off that statue in Statuary Hall. The fact is that both of the statues for California happen to be someone who is affiliated with the Christian faith. But their affiliation with Christianity does not change the historical significance or the justification and the logic of us honoring him here in Washington. Mr. Speaker, we are asking today to do a very easy thing. Understand that mistakes can be made by courts; but the voters have said very clearly they do not find offense in a memorial to veterans. They do not find offense to this symbol for these people, for the people that committed so much for America. I would ask anyone who thinks that the cross is offensive, because it is a religious symbol, to go to the memorial and walk around the wall of it. You will see every religious symbol thinkable around that memorial that have been dedicated. If we take this cross down because someone may take offense to a religious symbol, when will they next go for the Star of David, the star or crescent? They will go after the other symbols that somebody may take offense to. Mr. Speaker, I think we need to honor our war dead, our missing in action from Korea. We should honor ourselves by showing that tolerance is not a politically correct catch term, but truly is the sign of an enlightened people, that as Moses looks down on us here, we will be proud to have him guide us on this vote. I ask for a ``yes'' vote on this, and ask you, for the people of the 50th District of California, to support their will, support their veterans, and vote ``yes'' on this resolution.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Royce for holding a hearing in Imperial Beach in San Diego County this week. And I think there was one very clear message, that amnesty is the greatest mistake that we could have, not only for immigration, but for common sense, and if not for common decency, that we should not reward those who have broken our immigration laws while people, millions, wait to immigrate legally. But the one consensus we could make in that hearing was that Democrats and Republicans agree that the missing link in immigration reform is not spending more money, but having more enforcement against the source of the major cause of illegal immigration. That is illegal employment. And so I would ask Democrats and Republicans to find these hearings as a consensus to talk about what are we doing to stop illegal employment. And I would ask both of you to take a look at Silvestre Reyes' and David Dreier's bill, H.R. 98, which says that we are going to crack down on illegal employers. But we are going to create a very simple way for employers to know who is legal and who is illegal, and that is to have a Social Security card that is as tamper resistant as our voting card. So let's get together. If Silvestre Reyes and David Dreier can work together, can't the House, both Democrats and Republicans, work together to protect America?

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to, first of all, in the traditional way, thank my family and my friends, who were willing to support me through this quite unusual campaign. I would like to thank the people of the 50th District for giving me their trust and huge responsibility to represent them. For those who may not know, the 50th District is a classic California coastline district, very environmentally sensitive; and I am grateful today that they believe in recycling Congressmen. I know there are those in this room that are not happy to see me return, and all I ask of those is give me a chance to work with you again. I think we had a good working relationship in the past, and I look forward to a great working relationship in the future. I would like to thank those of you that stood up and helped me in every way. This was obviously a team effort, and it was one that was well thought, hard fought, and well won. Ladies and gentlemen, I leave you with one message: there were 18 people running for this seat. The voters had one of the broadest choices of any congressional race. But there was one issue and only one issue that allowed me to be elected. It was not my experience. It was not my hard work, and God knows it was not my intellect. It was the fact that the people in the 50th District wanted something done, they wanted a job and a message sent to Washington, that now and here is the time to address illegal immigration. We did not enjoy the situation or appreciate the problem that created the vacancy, but let me say quite clearly what is obvious in the last few months is that the greatest scandal in America is not that one man broke the law, but that 12 million illegal immigrants are in this country and Washington is not doing enough about it. So I ask you, even if you disagree with me on this issue, let us join together and work to address this issue so that both sides, Democrat and Republican, and Independent, can go home proud that we did right by the American people and worked together for our future and our grandchildren's future. Thank you very much.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, this week, there is a man named Sam Walker who passed a way in Picayune, Mississippi, GENE TAYLOR'S district. This man had moved from Nebraska down into the deep South and found his bride in New Orleans. He served in the United States Navy; and, as he didn't always remind his family, he had a destroyer shot out from under him during World War II. He settled down in Mississippi, and was called back into service as a reservist during the missile crisis in Cuba. This man had served his community in many ways, but he was truly the salt of the Earth. He was a man who worked with his hands, a member of the Plumber's Union, and somebody who had served his country as a civilian and active duty military. It is sad for me to ask that this body forgive that I will not be here tomorrow or Saturday, because I feel it is my obligation to be there for his wake and funeral. Sam Walker was a great American, a great father, and a great father- in-law. I think we should all remember the Sam Walkers all over this country that have served, that have been there. Sadly, the time has come for us to say good-bye and let him pass.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I was in the House and listened to the discussion, and I guess the discussion of talking about a drop of water is maybe very appropriate. Some Members here may not know this, but I am probably the only Member of Congress that has rescued illegal immigrants as they were drowning. I am probably also the only Member of Congress that, sadly, has had to recover their bodies when they were not rescued. Now, I would just ask, as we talk about this in political terms, that we remember there is a human factor here. And the human factor is not just in the neighborhoods way up north. The human factor is also in our neighborhoods along the frontier. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues that over 260 people die every year trying to come into this country illegally and that is more or equal to those who were killed in the Oklahoma explosion. I wish this institution would be as outraged at the carnage along our frontiers as they are with the terrorism within our borders. But they admit it is not the fault of the Immigration Service that we have these problems. It is the fault of those fuzzy thinking people around this country who think that breaking the law and rewarding people for breaking the law somehow will come out to be a good thing. The concept of breaking the basic tenants that, playing by the rules, people should be rewarded, breaking the law and breaking the rules, they should not be, that is a basic concept we try to especially teach our children. But will this institution learn that? I am just asking my colleagues to consider that every one of us that offers a job or offers a benefit or offers amnesty to somebody who is illegally in this country is doing the bait-and-switch on those people that are out of the country right now watching, that they are going to say, let us come to America illegally because the Congress of America will reward us for doing that; and then when they are drowning, when they are dying in the desert, when they are dropping off the cliffs in the Southwest, we will be responsible for it. I am asking us to get back to common sense and fairness, playing by the rules here in Congress and in our immigration policy.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chairman Bliley and leadership for working with me to bring this resolution to the floor. H. Res. 650 is a simple, straightforward resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission release it's completed report on the California electricity crisis before November 1, 2000. FERC has been investigating the electricity market place in California as a result of unexpected rate volatility this summer. San Diego and Orange Counties were the first in the nation to experience the effects of an unregulated electricity market. After speaking with the Commission and writing a letter, a copy of which is included for the record, requesting that the completed report be released as soon as possible, I introduced H. Res. 650 to ensure that the report be made public sooner rather than later, so that all interested parties can examine, analyze and make respond to the report as quickly as possible. The initial report is complete. Why not let the public have access to it now? The consumers in southern California have had a difficult time this summer, and the crisis is not over. The entire State of California will be facing these hardships unless consumers, industry, utilities, generators, legislators, the Governor, and regulators--both FERC and the California Public Utility Commission--come together to fix the flaws in the California electricity market. Until the FERC report is released, all of these interested parties are in limbo. Help San Diego. Help California. Vote for H. Res. 650 Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, October 20, 2000. Chairman James J. Hoecker, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Hoecker: I am writing regarding the ``Order Announcing Expedited Procedures for Addressing California Market Issues'' issued October 19, 2000--the result of the staff fact-finding investigation you commissioned on July 26, 2000, of the conditions of the electric bulk power markets in various regions of the country, particularly California. I commend you for initiating this process, the results of which will surely be critical in developing a strategy for moving beyond the crisis we are now enduring in California. It is my understanding,that the results of this investigation are complete; however, they are not currently scheduled for public release until November 9, 2000. Given the time-sensitive nature of the electricity crisis in California, with small businesses closing and consumers suffering, I would strongly urge you to make the results of your investigation public immediately, so that this information can be put to use as soon as possible in developing sound remedies for the adverse situation to which California electricity consumers have been subjected. Additionally, with the State legislature set to reconvene in December, it would seem to make sense to provide California's legislators with this information as soon as possible, in order to enable them to ``hit the ground running'' on this critical matter once they gather again in Sacramento in December. It is my intention to do everything within my power to make this information available to the decisionmakers who will need it to help bring some relief to the long-suffering electricity consumers in San Diego and elsewhere throughout California. I greatly appreciate and thank you in advance for your attention to this request, and your anticipated affirmative response. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with any questions or to further discuss this important matter. Sincerely, Brian Bilbray, Member of Congress.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman for not only this bill, for including my bill into this package, but also all of the work that he has done to help us with the Tijuana sewage problem in San Diego Imperial Beach area. I want to thank the ranking member for his sensitivity to it. I know we have been discussing this a long time. This bill that the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) and I have been working on that has been included in this package is actually one that goes back to a recognition that 20 years ago the Federal Government of the United States decided that the Tijuana estuarine area was so important environmentally that 50 percent of the City of Imperial Beach, my hometown, had to be taken by condemnation to be able to preserve it for future generations. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that from the month that that designation of estuarine preserve was given by the Federal Government, the estuary has been polluted by foreign sources of sewage. I want to commend the chairman and the ranking member, because in this bill, it is the first comprehensive, long-term strategy to address that pollution problem that has existed for all too long. I think it recognizes the fact that if the Federal Government thinks that the Tijuana estuary is so important to preserve by taking it in possession, it is also important enough to make sure it is not polluted and destroyed by a foreign government's adverse activity through the introduction of sewage. This bill will finally have that comprehensive approach and do it in a way that is not only not piecemeal, but actually binational as we work into it. I think again, as we have said before, the fact is that this bill will include a prototype that I would ask my colleagues to look at, that will not only work in Imperial Beach and San Diego and the Tijuana estuary, but I think will be the vanguard of environmental strategies around the world, and that is paying for a service done, rather than a project built; paying for the environment to be cleaned up, not for a plan or a project that hopefully will clean up the problem. This is not the end, but it is definitely the beginning of the end of addressing a problem that some of us have worked on for over 20 years and spent many years working on. I want to thank everyone involved, and the estuary and the people that live around the estuary will thank you for this for years to come.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, on October 24 I was in my district and was absent for rollcall votes No. 541, No. 542, and No. 543. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on H. Res. 634 (rollcall vote No. 541); ``yea'' on H. Con. Res. 414 (rollcall vote No. 542); and ``yea'' on H.R. 4271 (rollcall vote No. 543).

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out and our prayers go out to the families of the 17 men and women who were lost in this tragic incident in the Red Sea. Coming from a naval family myself, born on a Navy base and raised with a father who went off to sea months at a time, I understand the challenges that not only the active duty personnel go through but also the trials and tribulations of those who are left behind, the families, the loved ones. This is a great Nation that demands great sacrifices to maintain its greatness, and I think we underestimate the price of our greatness so often. This last week, we were able to see exactly what kind of price Americans have to pay for our greatness. San Diego has some of the largest military installations in the world, Mr. Speaker. In fact, it is the largest naval facility on the West Coast. San Diego is especially proud of our military tradition; but this week, we are grieving for the loss of our native daughter, Lakiba Nicole Palmer. Ms. Palmer was only 22 years old and a seaman recruit fresh out of boot camp. She was looking forward to a bright new future and a challenging new career. Along with another woman, Seaman Palmer sadly are the first women killed in a hostile action against an American combat ship. Mr. Speaker, what is particularly tragic for this family and to our community is that she was looking so much towards her service as an American sailor. She was an athlete at San Diego High School in my district, Mr. Speaker, and she was a member of the all-academic team on the track in 1995. It was known that she was a fierce competitor who always tried harder than anyone else. Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to the family of this young lady and our sympathies to the family. And I just ask every one of us to remember when we vote here in the House at what price the freedom of representative government comes to and what a great responsibility we have, not just to our colleagues and our citizens, but also to our men and women who stand in harm's way every day and every night.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, as things are cooling off here in Washington and the temperature of the city is dropping, to the relief of the local communities, back in San Diego things are heating up. And sadly, they are heating up not because of the weather but because of the inappropriate action of Government and the inaction of those who should be taking care of their constituents. A few years ago, the State legislature of the State of California tried an experiment called energy deregulation, at the same time that those of us in the Congress were working on deregulation of telecommunications. But unlike what we did successfully here in Washington, the State did not assure competition, access, and infrastructure for the energy consumers of San Diego County, and soon to be the entire State of California. Now, it may seem like a political comment to say that, when politicians make mistakes, terrible things happen. But I think too often some of our elected officials do not consider the impact on the real people in the community who are out there doing the great things that we take for granted. Mr. Speaker, I am in a sad position tonight to announce that an institution in my district in Pacific Beach, a landmark that has been there for 54 years, is going to close because the State legislature of the State of California passed a so-called energy deregulation bill that is now causing electric power rates to rise to such astronomical levels that small businesses are going bankrupt. The small business I am speaking of is DeVaney's Bakery in Pacific Beach. It has been a bakery that has been around since 1946. It has been a family-owned business that has served not only the local community but the entire sub-region of the coastal area that we call San Diego. It is sad to see that Sacramento adjourned, Mr. Speaker, this year before they addressed this absolutely critical economic and social crisis in San Diego, which is soon to spread throughout the State of California. I would hope that the speaker and every Member of this Congress would join with me in asking that we try to work together here to do what we can to save the constituency and the citizens of San Diego County, and soon to be California, from this horrendous mistake by the State legislature. Mr. Speaker, it took a bipartisan effort in Sacramento to create this disaster that is closing down this landmark in Pacific Beach. I would ask us here in Washington to step forward and make a bipartisan effort to save businesses throughout San Diego County and California from the devastating effect of this legislative mistake in Sacramento. So I ask us to learn from this tragedy of DeVaney's Bakery and let us work together at trying to see what we can do to protect the constituents from Sacramento's mistake. I hope we do not find excuses to walk away before we can address this issue. It is sad that Sacramento did that. I would ask us, both Democrats and Republicans, to work together. I hope I am not here next week announcing the next business that had to go under. I would remind Mr. Speaker that this is not just a San Diego problem. San Diego and California has been a driving force at generating revenue for this Federal Government that has constituted what we call the surplus. If we do not address this power crisis in San Diego, it will not only spread throughout California, it could severely hurt the entire Nation's ability to continue the economic prosperity that so many of us in elective office want to point to and take credit. Now the challenge is, will we rise to protect this economic recovery by addressing this government problem that was created in Sacramento and may only be corrected now by working together to protect the consumers, the taxpayers, the citizens and, yes, even small businesses like DeVaney's Bakery that has been around so long and will not be around tomorrow because of mistakes that have been made by others, but that we must address.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), the ranking member, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. I appreciate the bipartisan way we have approached this issue. I am glad to see the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member, here today who has worked on a lot of water quality issues over the years. H.R. 999 is really a bipartisan approach to addressing an old problem. What we have done is try to raise not only our environmental strategies to a higher level of outcome-based approaches, but also the political process here in Washington, to one of putting the public's health first ahead of partisan bickering. It has been a privilege to work with the subcommittee chairman and the ranking members. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) has been a leader on this issue. The Senate has taken up the challenge after we passed this on Earth Day a year ago, and they have moved it along. I would just like to say sincerely that we are talking about a bill, H.R. 999, that will allow the American people to know when their beaches are clean, and if it is safe for their children to go in the water. They will be able to go on the Internet to see that, should one want to go to Ocean City, whether Ocean City be safe enough to be able to surf in this weekend. If one wants to go to San Diego next week, will it be safe at La Jolla, Imperial Beach or Coronado to be able to allow one's children, indeed, allow oneself, to get in the water and enjoy the waves and the ocean. It will mean that those from the Gulf to the Great Lakes will finally be able to say we know about our water quality and we know if it is safe. I would just ask every Member here to recognize that this is not just a victory for the environment, it is a victory for this institution and the system because, while we may fight and bicker about a lot of things, when it came to our children and our grandchildren's health, when it came to the safety of our communities and the safety of our families, Democrats, Republicans worked together on this bill. They worked together and found reasons to vote aye. I want to thank both sides for that kind of cooperative effort. I want to thank my colleagues for not only setting an example here in the House, but I think to the rest of the country that we can work together as Americans for Americans. I think people are going to look back at the Beach bill of 2000 and say, why do we not do more of that? Why do we not work together more? Why do we not help the environment together? Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 999, on behalf of all surfers, swimmers, divers, sailors, lifeguards, and all Americans who love the ocean. This is a real triumph, not only for coastal communities and ocean enthusiasts of all kinds, but in fact for all beach users or visitors all across this country. We've been able to take a strong bill that we passed unanimously in the House last year, and make it even more effective, by taking the perspectives and real life experiences shared with us by local and state public health officials and water administrators, members of the environmental community, and other stakeholders. H.R. 999 reflects what can really be accomplished for the environment by working together in an inclusive and bipartisan manner, and I'm very proud of both the process that produced this important public health bill, and the fact that we are in a position here today to send this bill to the President. Mr. Speaker, we've come a long way since I first sat down with the Surfrider Foundation and the San Diego Department of Environmental Health to seek their input in the process of drafting what became H.R. 999. Now, no longer will surfers, swimmers, and beach-going families and their children have to serve as the proverbial ``canaries in the coal mine''. H.R. 999 will provide coastal states with both the incentive and the financial means to develop and implement a specific monitoring and public notification program for its recreational waters, in partnership with local, state, and federal public health officials. This is a strong step in a new direction, away from a punitive, over- regulatory approach to an inclusive and incentive-based process, which is tailored specifically to encourage the growth and implementation of testing and notification programs that meet the needs of individual communities or regions. What is most effective for water quality testing and subsequent public notification in New Jersey may not be as appropriate along the California coast, or vice versa. This bill recognizes the need for flexibility and partnership in developing these programs, based on strong and current science. One of the problems we've encountered in water quality testing in general is the use of outdated science and methodology; under H.R. 999, that science will be constantly under scrutiny and review to help ensure that the best available information is being used as the foundation for these custom- made programs. The bottom line is that due to the implementation of this bill, families from across the country will be able to go to the beach with the expectation that it is either safe to go into the water at a given location, or that they will be properly informed if it is not. In many instances, families will be able to go on-line to determine whether a given beach is clean and safe before leaving their house, another example of how H.R. 999 uses current technology to better inform the public. Mr. Speaker, this is something I'm extremely proud of, but it has been an incredible team effort. I want to particularly thank my colleagues in both the House and Senate, who worked so hard and in a bipartisan fashion to help achieve this wonderful result we have here today. In the House, Water Resources Subcommittee Chairman Sherry Boehlert and full Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster, along with their counterparts Robert Borski and James Oberstar, have committed considerable time and energy toward this day. The committee staff deserve particular recognition for the considerable time, attention, and long hours they've focused on this goal, particularly Susan Bodine and Ben Grumbles of the Chairman's staff, and Ken Kopocis of Mr. Oberstar's staff. In the other body, Senate Environment committee Chairman Robert Smith made H.R. 999 a top priority of his Committee, which was already preoccupied with an active pro-environmental agenda, and I am very grateful for the time and resources he devoted to shepherding this bill through the Senate. This success was due in large part to the efforts of John Pemberton, Christy Plummer, and Ann Klee of the EPW committee staff, who did yeoman's work on this issue, as did Jo-Ellen Darcy of Senator Baucus' staff. I want to particularly thank my beach bill partner in the Senate, the senior Senator from New Jersey, Frank Lautenberg, who introduced the companion beach bill and has been working on water quality issues throughout his distinguished career in public service. The people of New Jersey will certainly miss his presence in the Senate, but the legacy he's helped shape with this bill will be a permanent reminder of his leadership. I greatly appreciate Senator Lautenberg's willingness to work together with me to craft a bill which will do so much for our own constituents, and for all Americans who enjoy the beach. He and Amy Maron of his staff have done their home state proud. There has been strong support for this effort from the environmental community since my other New Jersey colleague Frank Pallone and I first introduced H.R. 2094 back in the 105th Congress, which paved the way for H.R. 999. The Surfrider Foundation, the Center for Marine Conservation, and the American Oceans Campaign have all been strong partners in this shared effort. I want to particularly thank the Surfrider Foundation, for their willingness to work with me from the very early going, and stick with me, to help accomplish this long- shared public health goal. I have to also thank Chris Gonaver of the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, for providing critical input on the need to provide for a substantive role for local public health officials in crafting and implementing an effective monitoring and notification program that is tailored to fit a specific region. This kind of brings it full circle for me, Mr. Speaker. Coming from local government myself, and knowing how important it is to have that perspective and expertise applied to any effective environmental or public health strategy, I think that the path we have blazed with H.R. 999 is critical for the success of our current and future environmental strategies. I can't think of any better result or legacy, than for the outcome and incentive-based approach of this Beach Bill, H.R. 999, to be used as a blueprint for the next generation of environmental strategies. Thanks again to my colleagues and all the stakeholders who worked so hard with me to make this bold step on behalf of our ocean environment and the public health.

Mr. BILBRAY

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. BILBRAY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)