Joe Baca

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. America's health system is not working. We cannot stay with the failing system that we now have. What good is an insurance card if there's no real access to services? What good is the current system if I have a senior under Medicare, like in my district, scared that their doctors won't see them any more? We also need a health care reform that gets past the politics and past the rhetoric that every single person is covered. I stand here to advocate for those without a voice, for those who cannot afford to travel to Washington, D.C. I stand here to advocate for a viable public option to compete with the private sector. I stand here to advocate for American families. And I stand for the American families who are busting at the seams, trying to make ends meet, and hoping one day they won't get sick. I urge my colleagues to advocate for all American families and pass health care reform that is needed for all American people in this country.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 69) recognizing the need to continue research into the causes, treatment, education, and an eventual cure for diabetes, and for other purposes.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, I would like to thank Majority Leader Hoyer, Chairman Waxman, Ranking Member Barton and Health Subcommittee Chair Pallone and, of course, my colleague from Louisiana, a good baseball player, for their support of this resolution. I also want to take the time to thank all my colleagues in the House of Representatives for their bipartisan support of this resolution. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 69, the Latino Diabetes Awareness Resolution. The resolution recognizes the need to continue research into the causes, treatment, education and an eventual cure for diabetes and commends those organizations that are working to increase awareness of diabetes and conducting research for methods to help patients and families in Latino communities suffering from diabetes. It also congratulates the work of the Latino Diabetes Association for its great efforts to educate, support and provide hope for individuals and families who suffer from diabetes. The resolution also supports the designation of July 2009 as ``Latino Diabetes Awareness Month.'' It calls upon the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities. It is critical for the long-term sustainability of any health care reform plan to make sure that steps for the prevention of diseases, like diabetes, are encouraged by Congress. This prevention of disease would do a great deal in helping keep costs down for current patients, as well as favorably changing the attitudes and behavior of diabetes patients and their families, thereby improving their quality of life. We can take a good first step in achieving these goals by passing this resolution here today. Diabetes is a chronic disease of the pancreas and adversely affects its ability to produce and use insulin in the proper way. Diabetes has no cure, treatment varies from patient to patient, and it is quite often very painful. Some side effects of treatment include weight gain, skin rash or itching, various stomach problems, tiredness and dizziness, and swelling in the leg and ankle. The impact of diabetes is not focused solely on the patient; family members and immediate care takers also suffer greatly from the effects of diabetes on their loved ones. I say this from personal experience. In the Latino community, diabetes can result in high prevalence of foot problems, kidney failure, renal disease, blindness, heart attacks, strokes and eventually death. What's scariest is that diabetes patients who need to take one or more insulin shots daily, and for whatever reason do not, greatly increase their risk of stroke and heart attack. One of the reasons I believe diabetes disproportionately affects the Latino community is the lack of sound health communication that speaks to those Hispanics who are most at risk of coming down with diabetes, or who already suffer from it. This means targeting communications efforts to both English- and Spanish-speaking communities and specifically referencing these efforts towards the area of our culture that puts us at risk the most: our diets. Over 23.6 million Americans suffer from diabetes, and of these, 2 million are Latinos or of Latino descent; 8.6 of all Latinos over the age of 20 live with this disease. However, Latinos are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Latino whites of similar age. Individuals suffering from diabetes can reduce their risk for complications if they are educated about their disease and take the proper steps to care for themselves. This means learning and practicing the skills necessary to better control their blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They must exercise and receive regular checkups, as well as maintain a healthy, balanced diet, as well as maintaining willingness to change these dangerous eating habits. And that becomes very difficult for a lot of us because we like our frijoles, our tortillas, our tamales, our enchiladas, our menudo; but we have to put that aside. This could include eating meals prepared healthier, eating more moderate portions, or a combination of these. Two people ought to be commended for their hard work in the attempts to educate the public about diabetes and treatments for patients, and that's actors Rita Torres and Edward Olmos. A few years ago, I worked with Rita Torres and Edward to help put together a short documentary highlighting the day-to-day lives of different diabetes patients, regardless of age or ethnicity, and they ought to be recognized for their tireless efforts to raise diabetes awareness. I have been affected personally by diabetes through the loss of five members of my immediate family. My father was a proud, hardworking man, never missed a day of work for any reason until he was struck down by diabetes and ultimately needed to have a leg amputated. It originally started with a toe, half a leg, and then the leg itself. My mother also was very strong, was never sick until she, too, came down with diabetes. My two brothers, Abelio and Tanny, and my sister Annie fought with diabetes but ultimately lost their battle largely due to lack of education and awareness of how the disease would affect their lives and not willing to change their eating habits. Tanny recently passed away due in part to the fact that he could no longer afford all the necessary treatment to keep his diabetes at bay. He is not only a victim of diabetes but of the high cost of health care as well. My brother-in-law, Ted Dominguez, was also a victim of diabetes. Ted was a great athlete back in his day, always in great physical shape. His lesson to us is that anyone, regardless of age, weight or physical condition, can get diabetes. He eventually went through dialysis and ultimately ended up losing his life. Also, a former staff member of mine who has been a close friend for many years, Daniel Hernandez, is a testament to us and to many other folks. He worked for me because he needed coverage for diabetes. He left my office after 2 years and became an independent consultant. He came back, however, and approached me one day and told me that the only reason he was willing to come back to work was to qualify for health care benefits that he would not be able to receive otherwise. It was their fight and their example that opened my eyes to the horrid realities and difficulties of this disease and the need for education and awareness about diabetes and ultimately to introduce this resolution. However, a great diabetes success story and a perfect example to prove that diabetes can be beat is Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Judge Sotomayor was diagnosed and has lived with type 1 diabetes since the age of 8 years of age. Due to carefully monitoring her condition, she fought the disease head-on and continues to be a great example of someone who can live with diabetes. She will soon not only be the first Latina to become a Justice on the Supreme Court, but also the first Latina with type 1 diabetes. Another example of a remarkable type 1 diabetes patient is Sara Rodriguez. Sara is a constituent of mine, a rising junior at Rancho Cucamonga High School, a straight A student, and letter winner in basketball, volleyball, and track. In order for Sara to lead as normal a teenage life as possible, she must test her blood sugar levels eight to 20 times per day, every day. She will never outgrow her disease and will require care and medication for the rest of her life. She is a very brave and courageous young woman whose fight and determination should not only be an example to diabetes patients everywhere, but to anyone facing adversity. On behalf of all of the other young people like Sara Rodriguez, Congress recently reauthorized the special diabetes program. This is a wonderful example of the government's commitment to cure diabetes for people like Sara and the millions of others who live with the disease and its complications. This program funds $150 million a year in type 1 diabetes research and is aligned with the goals of this resolution to keep us on the path towards a cure for diabetes. Yet another great example of a person living a healthy life with diabetes is Roque Martin, the grandfather of Matt Gomez, one of my interns, who has been instrumental in assisting with this resolution. Roque was diagnosed with diabetes over 25 years ago and continues to live a healthy life even at the age of 78. He eats rights and checks his blood sugar level three times a day and is a great example, along with Sara and Judge Sotomayor, for all diabetes patients that with proper care, diet and exercise, one can survive with diabetes. That is why it's so important to pass this resolution, which I introduced in the hopes of bringing awareness to those lucky enough to not have to face the disease firsthand, or through the fight of a loved one. It takes a small, but a critical, first step to help raise awareness about diabetes for not only the Latino community, but for all Americans and all individuals impacted with diabetes. But, also, it's a giant step for those individuals that have suffered from diabetes for many years and lack the ability to tell their stories firsthand, along with families and immediate caretakers of diabetes patients, who oftentimes suffer the impacts of the disease more so than the patient themselves. Diabetes is a disease that can, and does, affect anyone: Democrats, Republicans, black or white, Latinos, Asians, American Indians, all nationalities. The alarming statistics regarding diabetes are on the rise. With the greater scope of the health care debate, there is no better time to raise the awareness for a preventable disease than right now. And there is no better time than right now to stress that no diabetes patient should be denied health care coverage because of their preexisting condition. For these reasons, I ask you to stand with me and fight against diabetes and pass this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend from Houston, Texas (Mr. Gene Green), also an outstanding basketball player.

Mr. BACA. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. BACA. First of all, I appreciate some of the comments that my colleague, the doctor from Georgia, ended up making. And it is about knowledge, education, and awareness, and it's about preventive, because preventive is really the key to saving money. Once you do the early detection, early prevention, then we could save a lot of lives on account of treatment, because in his statement he indicated many of the people that he treated--those are people that I recognize in terms of my own personal family that lack that kind of knowledge, that kind of awareness, and did not follow the doctor's orders in terms of what they should have been doing to preserve their life. That's why it's very important that we create this kind of legislation to recognize diabetes awareness for all America, because it impacts all of us. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank both sides for bipartisan support on this resolution. I look forward to the strong support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, we have a critical role in reviewing the specific details of health care reform. Access to health care is something we owe to every American family across this Nation. Everyone should have coverage. Everyone should have access. There is no question that we must have comprehensive reform to our health system. Critics to reform are failing to get the message and only talk about rhetoric. Doing nothing for a broken system is not the answer. They do not understand the fear and devastation families face while on trips to the emergency room. They do not understand the severe ramifications faced by families when they receive the doctor's bill or hospital bill. Families must have access to health care. Never again will you have coverage be denied. Never again will you have to make a decision between life or job decision based on coverage. I urge my colleagues to support comprehensive health reform.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 409) to provide for the conveyance of certain Bureau of Land Management land in the State of Nevada to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. BACA. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 409, introduced by Congressman Dean Heller, would provide for the conveyance of certain Bureau of Land Management land in Nevada to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for use as a parking lot. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts NASCAR and other racing events and can draw as many as 100,000 racing fans to these races. For several years now, the Speedway has been looking for options to expand its parking and accommodate the growing number of fans attending this event. H.R. 409 would require the conveyance of 115 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to the owners of the Speedway specifically for expansion of the parking lot. This land is adjacent to the land owned by the Speedway which is already used for a parking lot. The bill further provides that the land be withdrawn from public land, mining, and mineral leasing laws and must be used only as a parking lot. I would add that the Bureau of Land Management supports this conveyance. We have no objections to H.R. 409, and I urge its adoption by the House today. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3082, FY 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. As we welcome our returning valiant soldiers from abroad and near, let us not forget what they so desperately need. Their fight is not over once they return home. Congress has a responsibility to provide for our sons and daughters that we send overseas. Today, this bill will provide for much needed funding assistance for our soldiers who continue to struggle with PTSD and other mental health illnesses. We will fund 28 new Vet Centers and 30 new Community Based Outpatient Centers to provide readjustment aid to those returning veterans and their families, because we must fight for them like they have fought for us. This bill will help house those homeless and low-income veterans, who may otherwise be left in the cold and in the streets. I am especially pleased with the funding to add 1,200 necessary personnel to streamline the process of veterans' claims to ensure that all our men and women are properly taken care of. I urge my colleagues to vote for the passage of H.R. 3082, and recognize that veteran care must and should be a priority.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Every week my office in San Bernardino, California, receives phone calls from constituents seeking assistance for their health care needs. The cost of health care is flying through the roof. American families are struggling to pay premiums that are going up three times faster than the wages. The health care system is broken. This is not just disturbing, this is inhumane and un-American when you're being denied health care or can't get the health care coverage you need. In my district, local small businesses are faced with choosing between offering health care coverage to employees or closing their doors. I met with local health care leaders in my district. Among other problems, we are seeing sharp increases in emergency room use. If we don't have the health coverage, then we, the taxpayers, will end up picking up the cost. Rising unemployment rates lead to higher numbers of uninsured and sharp declines of normal doctor visits. No one should be denied; they should be able to have access to health care. Health care reform will not be an easy task. We must act on behalf of the American families that we represent. I urge my colleagues to give American families peace of mind again by working towards a true health care reform.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 2997, the Agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010. I thank my good friend Rosa DeLauro for her leadership on this vital legislation which helps put food on the table for more needy families. Americans are suffering through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. More and more families are forced to seek assistance in order to feed themselves and their loved ones. As Chair of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, I am pleased that this legislation makes a strong commitment to feeding the impoverished and ending hunger in America. Today's legislation provides more than $7.5 million to ensure that some of the most wonderful in our society, women and young children, have access to nutritious foods during these tough times. These funds will ensure another 700,000 women, infants and children will have access to WIC benefits. In addition, H.R. 2997 provides $180 million to give nutritious foods to over half a million low-income senior, disabled, and women and children through the Commodity Supplemental Foods Program. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I stand here today to honor the career and contributions of a longstanding community activist, dear friend, loving husband, and father--Frank Reyes. After 32 years of loyal service to the Inland Empire of Southern California, Frank recently announced his retirement from his post as Executive Director of Governmental Relations for the San Bernardino City Community College District (SBCCD). Frank has made San Bernardino, California, his home since first immigrating to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico, at age 12. He attended San Bernardino High School and Valley College before earning his degree in business from Cal State San Bernardino. While Frank's academic background is in business, his true passion lies in the field of education. Before joining SBCCD, Frank worked as both a professor and a student counselor. During his tenure at SBCCD, Frank's strong leadership helped secure over $100 million in grant money for both Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College. Frank has received numerous Community Awards, from myself and many others for his excellent work in the areas of education, county safety, and community leadership. Frank has been an active member of many distinguished professional organizations, including, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the California Teachers' Association, the California Community College Counselors Association, the Association of Mexican American Educators, and the Inland Empire Latino Business Council. In addition, Frank has been involved in numerous philanthropic activities in the San Bernardino area. He is a board member with Hands of Mercy, which builds homes for the needy in Ensenada, is an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater San Bernardino, and has been very involved with the Jerry Lewis Fire Training Facility. I know Frank will continue to work tirelessly, even in retirement, to support the causes he believes in. I have had the great privilege of becoming close, personal friends with Frank, his wonderful wife, Eloise, and their son Christopher. In addition to being an outstanding husband and father, Frank has always been a strong supporter to me and my family, and for that--I am forever grateful. My wife Barbara and I, my sons Councilman Joe Baca Jr. and Jeremy, and my daughters Natalie and Jennifer cherish their friendship, and are appreciative of all they have done over the years to create positive change in the Inland Empire. In fact, I gave Eloise Reyes a ``Woman of the Year'' award in 1993, when I was in the California State Legislature. She was recognized for all her great work in the community, and for being a true trailblazer as the first Hispanic, female attorney in the Inland Empire. Madam Speaker, my good friend Frank Reyes has lived a true life of service. He is a perfect example of what one can achieve with hard work, dedication, faith in God, and love in family and friends. My family and I congratulate him on a wonderful career, and wish him nothing but the best in retirement.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced H.R. 2681, the PROUD Act, which will allow motivated students who are immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship. America is the land of opportunity. And it is wrong to unfairly punish innocent young people who came to America by no choice of their own. A high school graduate, upon turning 18, may apply by presenting their transcripts to prove that they have completed grades 6 through 12, show that they understand U.S. history, government, civics, and additionally can prove they are of good moral character. The PROUD Act will be a positive impact in schools and communities throughout the Nation. This is one piece of the puzzle. There is more that needs to be done for comprehensive immigration reform. Today the President will hold a long anticipated meeting about immigration. Now is the time to act. We need reform now more than ever. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2681, the PROUD Act, and work towards comprehensive immigration reform.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote Nos. 417 and 418 on H. Res. 520, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask Congress to pay special tribute to the life of a loving husband and grandfather, my brother, Ladislao ``Tanny'' Baca, of Barstow, CA. Tanny passed away June 6, 2009, at the age of 69 after complications with a brave life-long battle with diabetes. Born in Las Nuetras, New Mexico January 8, 1940, Tanny made an impressionable impact on all he came in contact with. Tanny was widely admired by family, friends and colleagues. He was hard-working, dedicated, committed, disciplined, loving, supporting. Even though his bark was worse than his bite, he was a kind and loving brother, husband, father and grandfather. For 16 years he worked as a Switch Man and Local Engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad in Barstow, CA. He worked and retired after 19 years as a Local Engineer at the Marine Base in Yermo, CA. Tanny also honorably served 16 years with the National Guard. He is remembered by most as a generous man who always had time to share with others. His giving spirit will be missed by his community. He loved his brothers and sisters especially Florenio, Morris, Raymond, Lupe and Theresa. He enjoyed spending time loving us all. He was everything you would want in a brother, son, husband, and grandfather. Tanny enjoyed spending time in his garage. He and his brothers, Florenio and Morris would love to hang out and just enjoy their time there. Tanny also spent time in his garage helping teenagers, seniors and others with limited resources work on their cars. He was less worried about being paid and always happy to help those in need. He was that kind of man. Even though he was Lupe Napier's little brother, he would help take care of her. He was always willing to give her a hand with her car, and moving whatever she needed, he was always there to help her. On behalf of my brother I would like to share a message from him to his children, Toby, Nick, and Liz. ``Even though we were separated, in my heart I never stopped loving and caring for you.'' To all his children, he loved you all very much. I would also like to share a few memories from his wife and several of his children. The thing I remember most is when we went to Las Vegas to get married and the judge said, ``Do you take this man Ladislao Baca as your husband?'' and I said, ``What?'' because I only knew him as Tanny. Later we all laughed about it because we thought it was funny and the judge thought that she wants to marry this man and she does not even know his name. Edwina Baca, Wife. Dad no matter what, you were always there for us, through good and bad times, we always will respect and love you, and you will be in our hearts forever. Liz Pullen, Toby and Nick Connolly, Daughter and Sons. My dad was a caring and loving man. He never let anyone be without what they needed and his garage was always open for anyone. He and his friends would sit out there for hours talking. He will surely be missed. Angel Baca, Daughter. Dad, you are the best and you will always be in my heart. You were always there for me. You touched many lives. I will always remember when you were by my side when I really needed you. Eloisa Madero, Daughter. Memories I have of my dad growing up are going to work with him everyday as a child and riding the trains with him. Another good memory was all the bar-be-que we had and how he always had enough food to feed all the family and the whole neighborhood and still had plenty of leftovers. Lisa Baca, Daughter. The things I remember most about my dad is when he took me hunting and he lost me and he did not want me to tell my mom because then I would never be able to go with Dad again. I also remember the time I dug a hole on the side of the house and filled it with water and was playing in the mud. Oh man, did I ever get in trouble. Tim Baca, Son. I remember most about my dad is when my mom went out of town and dad tried to cook us spaghetti and he just threw everything in a pot all together and said it was just like our mom's and it tasted nothing like how mom made it. Penny Gray, Daughter. He will be remembered by his grandchildren as someone who was always able to bring a smile to their face and share a lot of love and time with them. He was an active outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting various game; including deer, antelope, and bear. When he wasn't enjoying the great outdoors he could be found enjoying Spanish music and dining at his favorite restaurant, ``Del Taco''. He also loved to get his family together through his cooking. Barbequing was his way of having family reunions to enjoy barbequed cow and pig. He enjoyed bringing us together; he was always about family. Tanny was a devoted Catholic and attended St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Barstow with his wife Edwina. From Las Nuetras, New Mexico to Barstow, California, Tanny's life was dedicated to family, friends, and his community. His memory lives on in our thoughts and prayers. We say ``goodbye. God bless you, we love you, and we will miss you''. Tanny is survived by his wife, Edwina Baca; his children, Angel Baca, Eloisa Madero, Penny Gray, Tim Baca, Lisa Baca, Nick Connolly, Toby Connolly, and Liz Pullen; brothers and sisters, Florenio Baca, Lupe Napier, Morris Baca, Raymond Baca, Joe Baca and Theresa Perea; his grandchildren and by a large extended family who share in the loss. The thoughts and prayers of my wife Barbara and children, Councilman Joe Baca, Jr., Jeremy, Natalie and Jennifer and I are with the family at this time.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, If I would have been here, I would have voted in support of Motion to go to Conference on H.R. 2346-- Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 1886--Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2009, H.R. 1687 and H. Res. 529.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, please excuse me for departing early on Thursday, June 4, 2009. I left for personal reasons due to the severe illness of my brother. If I would have been here, I would have voted for H.R. 626, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of Raymond Bragg, Director Redevelopment and Special Projects for the City of Fontana. Mr. Bragg has had an impressive 42 year serving the public in California and abroad. A native of Burlingame, CA, Mr. Bragg currently resides in Fontana, CA. His accomplishments as a City Planner can be seen throughout Fontana. Prior to his professional career, Mr. Bragg attended California Polytechnic State University, Pomona where he met his wife Karolyn. His Scholastic career also includes a Master's degree from California State University, Fullerton in Comparative Public Administration, specializing in the Middle East. In 1967, his venture into public service began when a newly married Mr. Brag and his wife Karolyn, honorably served two years with the Peace Corps. He and his wife taught English as a second language at the university level in Turkey. California and The City of Fontana are not the only beneficiaries of Mr. Bragg's talents. In 1978, he accepted a position with the R.M. Parsons Engineering Company and was contracted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to build a new city on the Red Sea. Through this position, as a City Planner, Mr. Bragg was given the opportunity of a lifetime to see a new city develop. The City of Fontana has capitalized upon Mr. Bragg's education and experience abroad. The pride he takes in his work is visible throughout downtown Fontana. Over 10,000 people from the community joined him to celebrate the opening of a library constructed under his guidance. His achievements with the revitalization of downtown Fontana will impact the community for years to come. Throughout his extraordinary career Mr. Bragg has also led a harmonious family life. He and his wife Karolyn have been married for 42 years with 3 children, including 7 grandchildren. I congratulate Mr. Bragg on his impressive 42 year career in public service and I wish him well in his retirement.