Joe Baca

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my concerns over the Bush administration's mismanagement of the war in Iraq. First and foremost, I am disappointed that the President still refuses to put forward a strategy for a successful transition in Iraq and a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops. Almost 2,500 of America's military personnel have lost their lives in this conflict, and thousands more of our troops have been injured and disabled. Among the most recent casualties was a young man from my district and hometown of Rialto, California. U.S. Army Spc. Luis Daniel Santos was just 20 years old and due to come home to his loving family--his parents Irma and Carlos and siblings Carlos Jr., Amy and Eric--next week. Luis was engaged to his sweetheart from Fontana High School and was looking forward to a family barbeque his mother was preparing for him. Tragically, he was killed one week ago in a roadside bombing while maneuvering his Humvee in combat. I offer my condolences to the Santos family and join in mourning the death of this patriotic young man. Military families especially, and Americans generally, understand the sacrifice that service entails and the dangers involved. And we are united in supporting our troops and honoring their sacrifice. However, the American public has lost confidence in President Bush's leadership. The President has chosen to risk the lives of our Armed Forces without providing a coherent exit strategy, a realistic timetable, or the equipment required to complete the mission. The American people want--and our military forces deserve--a clear plan for completing the Iraq transition and bringing our troops home! As if the loss of life weren't overwhelming enough, the war in Iraq has cost American taxpayers more than 300 billion dollars. Americans have other needs and priorities, and 300 billion dollars could help solve some of the challenges we have here at home. That same money could have paid for 5 million additional teachers in our schools, or 14 million four-year college scholarships, or 2.5 million new affordable housing units across the country. Think about how much money that is and how much of a difference it could have made for working families like those I represent in San Bernardino County, California. So I reiterate my call for the Bush administration to plan for an orderly withdrawal of American forces in Iraq. We must begin to transfer security responsibilities to the Iraqi people and allow the international community to step in and help. Our brave men and women in the Armed Forces have sacrificed enough. They have completed their mission and accomplished what was needed. Their families have waited for them long enough. Now it is time to bring our troops home. Mr. Speaker, American forces are at great risk as they remain in Iraq without a clear objective. Their mission was to be a liberating force, not an occupation force. We cannot allow our troops to become targets of resentment and terrorism while the administration tries to figure out a plan. American forces in Iraq have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Their heroism and compassion in the most trying of circumstances require us to act in their best interest. Despite inadequate equipment, despite shifting priorities, despite sweltering heat, our military has delivered time and again. The recent success in removing the threat posed by terrorist al-Zarqawi is a testament to their tenacity and grit in the field. But the President must not take their commitment for granted and cannot expect them to serve indefinitely. Military forces in Iraq already are serving longer and longer deployments and a high percentage of returning troops are falling prey to mental health disorders and financial difficulty. We need a real solution, Mr. Speaker. I stand with my Democratic colleagues in asking the President to provide a real solution for peace and security in Iraq and ask my colleagues in Congress to recommit themselves to providing adequate funding for our Armed Forces, both at home and abroad, and our veterans.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The topic I want to talk about this morning is hate crimes. As immigration debate has intensified, white supremists, neo-Nazis, and other racists have increased their efforts to spread the racist message. White supremists have not simply expressed racist convictions but have urged others and white Americans generally to fight back against perceived invasion of white United States by Hispanics from Mexico. The rhetoric has grown increasingly by radicals, and their success is spreading and has been coupled with a rise in hate crimes across our country. And I state, across the country. Police reports document a growing number of acts of violence by far right extremists against Hispanics regardless of their status as citizens, whether they are profiling them, making remarks, creating different kinds of attitude and atmosphere and hate. The Anti- Defamation League, a nonprofit that fights anti-Semitism and other biases, put out a report last month that said hateful and racist rhetoric aimed at Latino immigrants had grown to a level unprecedented in recent years. The report detailed numerous examples of hate crimes, including two men in Tennessee who were sentenced to prison in December for shattering a window and painting Nazi symbols in a local Mexican market. Near Houston, two white teenagers were arrested in April accused of beating a Latino youth and sodomizing him with a pipe. Days later on Long Island, a white teen was accused of threatening two Latinos with a machete and a chain saw. Police say ethnic slurs were used in each case. We must condemn these kind of acts and work to promote a unified America, work to promote a unified America. Even the President has warned us of the dangerous rhetoric being used in discussions on immigration. During his speech last month he noted, ``America needs to conduct this debate on immigration in a reasonable and respective tone. We cannot build a unified country by inciting people to anger or playing on anyone's fear or exploiting the issue of immigration for political gains.'' And I state, exploiting it for political gains. The white supremists are employing sophisticated techniques to spread their message over the Internet including blogs, chat rooms, and racist and violent video games. And as you can see by the poster out here, Border Patrol, I recently heard about a racist game distributed freely on the Internet called the ``Border Patrol'' that encourages players to shoot at immigrants as they cross the United States, as you can see right here. These games first surfaced in the year 2002, but have come up once again and aimed at immigration debate. The Border Patrol games. In the game the Border Patrol, Mexican Americans are incarcerated and presented with disgusting and harmful stereotypes. The game does not present them as hard-working individuals who come to this country, like any other who has come to this country before, to build better opportunity. This country is built on immigrants, and many individuals come here for that reason, not for the reason displayed in this Border Patrol display that we have out here. People have come to contribute to our country and will continue to come to contribute to this country because they believe in America and its principles and what it stands for. Instead, you can see from the poster that Mexican American immigrants are labeled as bandoleer- wearing Mexican nationalists, tattoo-touting drug smugglers, and pregnant breeders who must be kept out at any cost. In the second poster, as you can see out here, Border Patrol 2, as you can see by the second poster the object of the Internet game Border Patrol is to shoot Mexican immigrants as they try to cross the borders into the United States. Here, again, we are talking about hate crimes, attitudes and behavior by individuals. Here, a family is being targeted as they rush past a sign that reads, ``Welcome to the United States.'' The sign contains the American flag in which the stars representing 50 states have been replaced with a Jewish Star of David, and a small sign that appears below that says, ``Welfare Office'' with an arrow. These games are not only obscene, it incites anger and violence in the minds of children and creates attitude and behavior changes. Psychologically then people begin to think in terms of hating anyone of color. And when you hate people of color, you demonstrate hate and anger. The fact that the national immigration debate is fueling their efforts in is downright scary. Border Patrol is one of several racist computer games that hate groups are currently offering for sale or download on the Internet. Other games like Ethnic Cleansing, Drive By 2, and African Detroit Cop were created to further racism, anti-Semitic, and other opinions. These images on poster number three is Save The Last Dance. This image contains an altered movie poster. The actual film featured an interracial romance between teenagers. As you note in the version of this poster, the African-American male is depicted by a gorilla. The poster also spreads a traditional anti-Semitic attack that blames Jews for controlling the American media and suggests that a film about interracial tolerance and mutual respect is somehow Jewish propaganda. The most obvious message of this poster is that the way to deal with members of minority groups, as well as whites who have relationships with them, is with violence. It only takes one individual with hate in his heart to act on these notions. For us, that is a very real concern as the national discussion on immigration continues to gain momentum. We cannot have this debate at the expense of the safety of immigrants in our communities and total Americans who are here in the United States. I understand that not everyone in Congress agrees with a more inclusive vision of the American family or the American dream to be here in the United States and to have what everybody else has and to build a better life for themselves. Instead of recognizing the needs for real comprehensive immigration reform, some Republicans have viewed this issue to play on people's fear and exploit the debate for their political gains. I hope that people understand what is going on now and at the national level. Extremists Declare `Open Season' on Immigrants: Hispanics Target of Incitement and Violence Overview As the public debate over immigration reform has taken center-stage in American politics and public life, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other racists have declared ``open season'' on immigrants and attempted to co-opt and exploit the controversy by focusing their efforts--and their anger--on the minority group at the center of the controversy: Hispanics. As a result, to a level unprecedented in recent years, America's Latino immigrant population has become the primary focus of hateful and racist rhetoric and extreme violence-- aided, abetted and encouraged by America's white supremacist and racist haters. Spurred in recent weeks by the debate on Capitol Hill and the groundswell of grassroots activism in support of America's immigrant community, extremists have become increasingly emboldened by, and fixated on, the controversy over immigration policy, encouraging their supporters to capitalize on the issue by encouraging antiimmigrant activism, and even violence against all Hispanics. While white supremacists have for many years attempted to exploit rising anti-immigration sentiments in the U.S., the level and intensity of their attacks against Hispanics has reached dangerous new highs, with right-wing extremists joining anti-immigration groups, distributing anti-immigrant propaganda and holding frequent antiimmigration rallies and protests. As a result, Hispanics, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, increasingly are becoming the targets of hatred and violence from hardcore white supremacists. Racists ranging from neo-Nazis to Klansmen to racist skinheads are among the most active anti-immigration activists in the country. Motivating their actions is the core conviction of modern white supremacist ideology: That the white race itself is threatened with extinction by a ``rising tide of color'' controlled and manipulated by Jews. This following report examines the recent record of extreme rhetoric and violence from white supremacist groups and their followers that has played out against the backdrop of the immigration debate in America. White Supremacist Anti-Immigration Protests White supremacists have taken to the streets in a deliberate attempt to attract publicity and to exploit and co-opt the national discussion on immigration for their own hateful purposes. Viewing immigration as a ``wedge'' issue through which they believe they can foist their racist and anti-Semitic views on the American public, and attract recruits and attention for themselves, white supremacists have organized a number of rallies and protests with anti- immigration and anti-Hispanic themes. Many of the extremist events have taken place in southern states. There, white supremacists hope to exploit anti- immigration sentiment that has risen as a result of a significant influx of Hispanic immigrants, primarily agricultural workers, into areas of the South that had never before had a substantial Hispanic population. Demonstrations, rallies and other events taking place in spring 2006 included: In Seattle, Washington, and Las Vegas, Nevada, members of the neo-Nazi National Vanguard held anti-immigration protests on May 20. On its Web site, the National Vanguard declared that day to be a ``day of protest against George W. Bush's plan to destroy America,'' calling the president's immigration proposals a ``sellout of the nation.'' In Seattle, neo-Nazis appeared along Interstate 1-5, displaying signs for motorists stuck in traffic to read. In Las Vegas, white supremacists held a small rally in front of the federal courthouse. In Keene, New Hampshire, New England members of the Arkansas-based neo-Nazi group White Revolution held a self- described ``anti-invasion'' demonstration on May 7 to protest ``the invasion of America by illegal non white hordes.'' Members of other white supremacist groups, ranging from the National Socialist Movement to the American Front, also showed up. In Russellville, Alabama, members of the Alabama chapter of the Indiana-based National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan held an anti-immigration rally on May 6, yelling ``Let's get rid of the Mexicans!'' National Knights leader Ray Larsen was on hand, telling the crowd that gathered that immigrants ``want you out of here because they want this as their land.'' After the rally, the Klansmen burned a cross in a field outside of town. In Montgomery, Alabama, the neo-Confederate group League of the South and the Coalition against Illegal Immigration together organized an anti-immigration ``Cinco de Mayo'' demonstration on May 5. Promoting the event in his racist and anti-Semitic newspaper First Freedom, Olaf Childress wrote that he planned to be there, ``maybe even with a baseball bat. Already got a placard in mind: MEX GET THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY.'' Childress did show up with such a placard and a baseball bat, telling a local reporter that ``Jewish supremacists'' had a plan to abolish the borders of the U.S. Other signs at the demonstration displayed slogans such as ``multi-culturalism is liberal insanity.'' In Greenville, South Carolina, the racist Council of Conservative Citizens held an anti-immigration demonstration on April 29 in front of the offices of Republican Congressman Lindsey Graham, where they burned Mexican flags and displayed signs such as ``More INS, Less IRS,'' ``Vote for Pedro to Go Home,'' and ``I Didn't Fight in Iraq for Illegal Aliens.'' White supremacists also showed up to counter events organized by immigration and human rights activists, in particular the May 1 ``Day without Immigrants'' events organized around the country by immigrant rights activists. In San Angelo, Texas, members of the Empire Knights of the Ku Klux Klan showed up to counter local events. In Dayton, Ohio, half a dozen members of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement appeared in Nazi uniforms at a pro-immigration march to protest, in their words, ``the illegal wetback scum and Shabbat goy mud lovers.'' In Madison, Wisconsin, in April, members of the neo-Nazi New Order passed out literature at an immigrant rights event at the capitol. Even where white supremacists have not shown up in person, they have plastered communities around the country with crude anti-Hispanic and anti-immigration fliers. In Bakersfield, California, for example, one community was littered with National Vanguard fliers that read ``Civilization: One Job Mexicans Won't Do.'' Residents of Pasadena, Texas, discovered racist fliers that urged people to burn down the homes of people thought to be illegal immigrants. Border Vigilante Group Events Anti-immigration border vigilante groups have also organized anti-immigrant events around the country this spring. The largest border vigilante group, the Minuteman Project, held a reprise in April of their 2005 vigilante border patrols along the Arizona-Mexico border, and followed up with a caravan that staged anti-immigration events across the country. One Minuteman event in Birmingham, Alabama, was organized by Mike Vanderboegh, a former militia leader. At the rally, an attendee distributed copies of Olaf Childress's racist and anti-Semitic newspaper, First Freedom. Other anti- immigration groups held rallies from Arizona to Minnesota. Anti-immigration groups have also turned to publicity stunts. The Minutemen, for example, declared on May 9 that they would start building their own ``border security fence'' on private property along the border with Mexico, unless the federal government itself deployed the military or erected such fencing. The Minutemen claimed that they had received nearly $200,000 in donations to build such a fence. Other border vigilante groups have already begun or announced similar projects. The Rhetoric: Declaring ``Open Season'' on Immigrants White supremacists have not simply expressed racist convictions, but have urged each other and white Americans generally, to ``fight back'' against the perceived invasion of the ``white'' United States by Hispanics from Mexico. The rhetoric in such pronouncements has grown increasingly radical. ``Beaner Brown Supremacist Militias of Latino Communist immigrants firmly intend to conquer [the southwest],'' suggested a topic heading on the white supremacist Legion of Saints message board recently. ``Will White Americans sit back, watch it happen & let them do it? Or will White Americans `remember the Alamo!?' '' Such voices are unfortunately hardly isolated. Here are just a few recent examples: Alabaman Larry Darby, a Holocaust denier and candidate for Alabama attorney general, recently stated in a May 3 interview on Alabama Public Television that he wanted National Guard troops on the border with orders to ``shoot to kill, absolutely . . . we are at war, we are being invaded by a foreign country, we are at war.'' James Wickstrom and Frances Farrell, the virulently racist and anti-Semitic hosts of the ``Yahweh's Truth'' radio program, blamed Jews for the immigration ``invasion'' on his May 3 broadcast. Wickstrom claimed that pro-immigrant marches were being organized and financed by ``communist Jews'' and the ``communist Catholic church,'' and that Jewish organizations are ``criminal accomplices of these illegal aliens.'' Farrell suggested that ``one attack on one of their marches with automatic weapons or even just rifles will put a stop to them and the time's coming when this is going to happen.'' One member of an Aryan Nations faction, ``Pastor'' Jay Faber of Pennsylvania, claimed on April 10 on the Aryan Nations Internet forum that ``I already know they will not throw one of these stumpy little brown beasts out of here, so for the amount of guats in my area, I have at least 10 rounds of ammunition for each of them.'' Aryan Nations faction leader August Kreis in October 2005 claimed on his Web site that ``this infestation of cockroaches need deportation or extermination!'' If legal means of ``stopping this rising tide'' were not enough, ``then these brown squat monsters should begin to turn up dead all across Amerika . . . We now have another game animal to add to our list of available targets for our favorite pastime, hunting, and we'll declare permanent open season on these dirty wetbacks! From what I have heard through the grapevine the Skinheads and Klans across the country are more than prepared for this type of action. I say let's play by state and see which state can claim the most kills and let the jewsmedia whores keep score!'' Oregon National Socialist Movement leader Jim Ramm wrote in June 2005 that ``the browner invasion is much like a cancerous tumor that should of [sic] been removed. But instead, it was allowed to grow and infect other organs . . . as this brown disease rages out of control the white patient faces racial death.'' Kevin Strom, leader of the neo-Nazi National Vanguard, gave a shortwave radio broadcast in June 2005 in which he claimed that ``These Mestizo invaders are so different from us that by mixing with them or being dispossessed by them we will cease to live, we will cease to be ourselves or have a place to exist to support the lives of our future generations. And that is the crucial reason why this invasion must be stopped.'' ``AliisioRex,'' a member of the neo-Nazi web forum Stormfront, wrote in July 2005 that ``they are barbarians, they are our enemies, they want to destroy our civilization and we have to fight them. We need to organize better and be more open activists; otherwise, I only see race war in the future.'' Another Stormfronter, ``Strasser,'' wrote in November 2005 that ``White minorityhood on a national level is a very real possibility. How can White folk tolerate this? Do they care that most minority populations become a cultural hostage? What is the interest in having their children a minority on a mestizo dominated campus? Mestizo immigration is going to force White America to make some very important decisions.'' Such statements appear routinely on white supremacist Web sites and in white supremacist literature. Perhaps the white supremacist most active in explicitly advocating extreme violence against Hispanics is New Jersey racist radio talk show host Hal Turner. He reserves his most extreme statements to urge violence against illegal immigrants from Mexico: May 3, 2006: Following the May 1 demonstrations, Turner posted to his Web site a 145-page ``ethnic cleansing manual'' that he said explained ``in graphic detail why white people need to prepare to ethnically cleanse this nation and how to do it using force and violence.'' October 31, 2005: ``Slowly but surely we are headed toward the solution that I have been advocating for years: kill illegal aliens as they cross into the U.S. When the stench of rotting corpses gets bad enough, the rest will stay away.'' October 11, 2005: ``For years I have been publicly advocating on my radio show and this web site, that Mexican illegal aliens be shot dead as they cross into the U.S. illegally . . . I plant the seeds verbally and the seeds grow in the minds of others . . . I am proud to advocate even more killings!'' July 15, 2005: ``I once again advocate extreme violence against Mexicans . . . Once they're dead, their heads should be cut off and put on pike poles as a warning to others.'' May 17, 2005, responding to news that a restaurant owned by the mayor of Denver had employed an illegal alien who allegedly murdered a police officer: ``. . . his policy of affording sanctuary to other illegal aliens makes Mayor John Hickenlooper worthy of being killed. I sincerely hope that someone takes a rifle with a scope and puts a bullet through [his] head.'' May 15, 2005: ``I advocate extreme violence against illegal aliens . . . I think it would be terrific to trap them by their ankles in steel bear traps then beat them to death when you return and find them in the trap . . . Oh, if any American sides with the illegals--like a big mouth politician or a politically correct, ass-kissing local sheriff, lawyers, judges, or the like--it would be a real public service to kill them too!'' Anti-Immigration Groups The violent rhetoric has not come only from explicitly white supremacist groups, but also from members and leaders of anti-immigration groups. Anti-immigration activist Fred Puckett, the leader of ``Minuteman of One,'' was caught on camera in late April telling an undercover reporter for a local Phoenix television station that ``once you shoot a couple of these sons of bitches, they'll think twice.'' Perhaps most strikingly, Arizona anti-immigration activist Laine Lawless, who has been associated with several border vigilante groups and eventually started the group Border Guardians in 2005, sent an e-mail in April to a prominent Ohio member of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement, Mark Martin, asking him to pass its contents on to his white supremacist contacts. Martin did so, forwarding the message to several white supremacist forums on Yahoo and Usenet in early April, but unfortunately for Lawless, Martin ignored the part of her message which read, ``Please don't use my name,'' and instead forwarded the message in full. Lawless's e-mail, titled, ``how to get rid of them,'' urged a variety of intimidating, harassing, and even illegal and violent tactics to intimidate immigrants into leaving the U.S., including cutting down the broadcast tower for a Spanish language radio station near Phoenix and stealing money from illegal aliens. ``I hear the red necks in the South are beating up illegals as the textile mills have closed,'' she wrote. ``Use your imagination.'' Lawless's suggestions were consistent with previous statements she had made, including a late March posting to an anti-immigration Internet forum in which she wrote that ``my Southern friend tells me the rednecks in the South just beat [illegal aliens] up. Unfortunately, there are too many of them to use that tactic there any more.'' Earlier, in February, Lawless posted to a Texas Minuteman message forum that ``We need borders to . . . preserve our culture, instead of accepting any kind of flotsam and jetsam that seeks to float into our territory.'' Mark Martin himself seemed willing to personally engage in intimidating tactics. In early May, he admitted in a Google Internet forum that he and another member of the National Socialist Movement had passed out racist fliers in Covington, Ohio, at houses ``surrounding a suspected illegal Mexican jobsite.'' The two neo-Nazis also approached workers at the jobsite and demanded to see identification from them. When workers refused, Martin allegedly told one of them that he ``was an illegal, wetback who was stealing American jobs and . . . spreading disease.'' Workers called the police, who told the neo-Nazis to leave or be charged with harassment. The Violence: Growing Number of Assaults Not surprisingly, white supremacists have not limited their actions to hateful or even violent rhetoric. The past several years have seen a growing number of violent assaults and attacks by white supremacists against legal and illegal Hispanic immigrants, as well as Hispanic American citizens. The crimes have ranged from vicious vandalism to brutal assaults and murders. In most cases, the perpetrators did not even know the victims, but targeted them solely because of their appearance. Only a minority of hate crimes are committed by ideological extremists, but such extremists have committed some of the worst hate crimes in America. The increased willingness of such white supremacists, especially racist skinheads, to attack Hispanics represents a dangerous and disturbing trend. Here are some of the hate crimes committed by white supremacists against Hispanics in the U.S. in the past three years. April 29, 2006, New York. A teenager was arrested in East Hampton, Long Island, after he allegedly threatened a Hispanic teenager with a machete and chased a second teenager with a chain saw while shouting racial epithets. Described by classmates as a skinhead, the alleged perpetrator had previously posted to the Internet photographs of himself posing as a Nazi and adorning a shed with swastikas. He and two others, whom police have allegedly linked to the incident, were suspended from school. April 22, 2006, Texas. David Henry Tuck. 18, and Keith Robert Turner, 17, were arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault in the brutal attack of a teenage Hispanic high school student in Houston. The victim was beaten and sodomized with a plastic pipe from a patio umbrella, then kicked in the head with steel-toed boots. He was left with head wounds and major internal injuries. The victim had bleach poured on him and was burned with cigarettes. Witnesses allegedly stopped the attackers from carving something onto the victim's chest. Tuck is a self-described skinhead who sports Nazi tattoos. In 2003, at age 14, Tuck and two adult white supremacists were implicated in the racially motivated beating of a Hispanic man, according to court records and witnesses. The two adults received federal and state sentences for their role; juvenile records are not public in Texas. January 2006, California. Ryan Nicholas Newsome, a member of the Another Order white supremacist gang, pleaded no contest on January 20, 2006, to assault charges in Yuba County. He pleaded no contest to assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury with a criminal street gang enhancement as a result of an August 2005 incident, in which he and an associate allegedly assaulted a Hispanic man. December 2005, Tennessee. A Blount County judge on December 1, 2005, sentenced Jacob Allen Reynolds and Thomas Matthew Lovett to four years in prison and six months in prison (and two and a half on probation) respectively after they pleaded guilty to vandalizing a Mexican food store in Maryville on May 7, 2005, causing over $17,000 in damages. The men allegedly broke windows and a refrigerator, vandalized a car, and spraypainted Nazi symbols on the store. Three others charged still await trial. November 2005, Texas. Christopher Chubasco Wilkins, a prison escapee, was recaptured on November 5 and charged with murdering three men in the Fort Worth area during his month- long escape. Wilkins, who is according to police a self- proclaimed white separatist heavily tattooed with a variety of white supremacist tattoos. including a portrait of Adolf Hitler, is alleged to have killed two Hispanic men and one African-American man by gunshots to the head. Police are examining a possible racial motive. Wilkins had been living at a halfway house in Houston, after being released from federal prison, and left the house without permission. November 2005, Tennessee. A federal judge sentenced former Klansman Daniel James Schertz to 14 years in prison for selling pipe bombs to a person he thought would use them to kill Mexican and Haitian immigrants. The person turned out to be an undercover informant. Schertz, a former corrections officer and member of the North Georgia White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, pleaded guilty to making five pipe bombs to be used to blow up a bus carrying Mexican workers. Later, Schertz expressed gratitude that the government had stopped him, but said, ``We should have people here who know how to speak English. They are over here illegally and nothing gets done to them.'' October 2005, California. A Sacramento man and two other suspects who allegedly attacked and injured six people in a hate-crime spree at two local parties were arrested in the early morning of October 16, 2005. Ryan Marino, 22, posted bail from El Dorado County Jail later Sunday after being charged on four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with an extenuating circumstance of a hate crime. He allegedly used brass knuckles after shouting epithets against Hispanics and proclaiming ``white pride'' at a home Sunday evening. Party attendees later identified Marino, who police said crashed the parties with the intent of ``beating up Mexicans.'' September 2005, Utah. A federal judge on September 27, 2005, sentenced Lance Vanderstappen to 20 years in prison for trying to kill a Hispanic man while in a holding cell in July 2005 awaiting sentencing for a racketeering charge. The victim had stab wounds to his neck, throat and chest. In court, Vanderstappen, a member of the notorious Soldiers of Aryan Culture white supremacist prison gang, admitted that he targeted the victim because he was Hispanic, saying ``I intentionally tried to kill him.'' Vanderstappen pleaded guilty to attempted murder. September 2005, New Jersey. Joseph Schmidt of Little Egg Harbor received a sentence of three years' probation in September 2005 after pleading guilty in June to two counts of bias intimidation, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of criminal mischief, two counts of possessing weapons for an unlawful purpose, and simple assault. The charges were related to a string of attacks on minorities, primarily Hispanics, in Ocean County in 2003. Schmidt, a member of the white supremacist skinhead group East Coast Hate Crew, received a light sentence because he had cooperated with authorities in prosecuting other members of the group. Three others involved in the incident pleaded guilty and one was acquitted. Others have yet to go to trial. July 2005, California. Four people, three men and one woman, were arrested in Riverside, California, on July 11-12, 2005, charged with making terrorist threats with a hate crime enhancement. Some of the people arrested had ``white pride'' tattoos, according to authorities, who also seized a variety of white supremacist items. According to police, the suspects drove to a home and challenged several Hispanics there to a fight, threatening them and using racial slurs. A similar episode occurred the next night. According to police, the people arrested claimed no particular group affiliation but said they were proud to be ``members of the Aryan race.'' May 2005, Arizona. White supremacist Steve Boggs was sentenced to death on May 13, 2005, for murdering three fast- food workers in Mesa, Arizona, in 2002 during a robbery. He had been convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and various robbery, burglary and kidnapping charges. Boggs shot the victims, a Native American and two Hispanics, then stuffed their bodies into a freezer at the store. Boggs wrote to a Mesa police detective that he had wanted to ``rid the world of a few needless illegals. I don't feel sorry.'' Another defendant still awaits trial. According to prosecutors, the two men were members of a small hate group they called the Imperial Royal Guard. May 2005, Texas. Two racist skinheads pleaded guilty on May 5, 2005, to a racially motivated beating of a Hispanic man in January 2003. Douglas Brannan of Hockley and Mark Fletcher Smith of Spring, both sporting many white supremacist tattoos, were convicted of civil rights violations. The two men, and a teenager, had attacked a Hispanic customer at a gas station, beating him and kicking him with steel-toed boots until he was unconscious while shouting ``border jumper,'' ``spic,'' and ``we kill people like you.'' Brannan received a five year sentence and Smith a three year sentence. December 2004, California. Ten racist skinheads from Redlands and Riverside attacked three Hispanics in the parking lot of a topless bar on December 29, 2004. According to police, they assaulted the men while yelling racial slurs at them and identifying themselves as members of skinhead groups. No arrests have yet been made. November 2004, Wisconsin. Mark Lentz of Sheldon, Wisconsin, received a three-month sentence and two years of probation, as well as 40 hours of community service, after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor hate crime. Lentz was the last of four racist skinheads to be sentenced for luring a Hispanic man outside a bar in Waukesha, then hitting him on the head with a bottle and repeatedly kicking him. Mark Davis II of Watertown earlier received a 3\1/2\ year sentence and two years of extended supervision, Kasey Bieri received an 18- month jail term and three years of probation, and Jeffrey Gerloski received four months in jail and two years probation. June 2004, Texas. Ranch Rescue member Casey Nethercott was convicted by a Texas jury of felony firearm possession in connection with an attack on two illegal immigrants from El Salvador outside of Hebbronville, Texas, in 2003. He was sentenced to five years in prison. The two immigrants (now in the U.S. legally) successfully sued Nethercott and others involved in the incident for a total judgment of $1,450,000. November 2003, Idaho. Aryan Nations member Zachary Beck was arrested for felony malicious harassment as a hate crime for attacking a Hispanic male in the parking lot of a supermarket after asking if the victim was Mexican. While awaiting trial on that charge, he was later re-arrested after allegedly shooting at a police officer in Longview, Washington, during a standoff. He still awaits trial on the alleged crimes. June 2003, California. Two racist skinheads, Waylon Kennell and James Grlicky, were convicted in separate trials for the brutal beating of a Mexican migrant worker in San Diego in the fall of 2003. Grlicky was convicted of attempted murder, conspiracy, robbery, assault and battery, with a hate crime enhancement. Kennell was convicted of assault causing great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury. According to the prosecutor in the case, the two went hunting for a ``beaner'' to beat and rob. They kicked the victim in the head around a dozen times, including ``curbstomping'' him--kicking down on the back of the head when the victim's open mouth is placed against a concrete curb (emulating a scene in the movie ``American History X''). The victim suffered brain damage as a result of the attack. May 2003, New Hampshire. Aryan Nations member Russell Seace, Jr., of Hampton Beach, pleaded guilty on May 27 to being a felon in possession of a firearm as part of a plea bargain with the federal government. In exchange for money, Seace had agreed to kill a Hispanic inmate after he was released, in retaliation for an alleged attack by the Hispanic man on a white prison inmate. February 2003, Oregon. A Mexican landscaper in Beaverton was beaten with a baseball bat, robbed, and told to ``go back home,'' by a man with a shaved head and a coat with ``KKK'' on it. Baseball bats are one of the weapons preferred by racist skinheads. Authorities posted a reward but were unable to make an arrest in the crime. Anti-Immigration Activists and White Supremacists It is not surprising that the most radical anti-Hispanic sentiment is coming from white supremacists; however, there are other groups joining the anti-Hispanic crusade. With mounting public awareness and concern over illegal immigration in America, the issue is also being exploited by extreme anti-immigration activists, some of whom are reaching out to white supremacists. The rhetoric of these activists is largely aimed at Mexicans, not other illegal aliens, and frequently does not distinguish between Mexicans and Mexican- Americans. This extreme end of the anti-immigration movement includes both anti-Hispanic hate groups masquerading as immigration reform groups as well as vigilante border patrol groups, who conduct armed patrols along the borders of the United States. Several border vigilantes have been arrested on weapons charges. Casey Nethercott, for example, associated with border vigilante groups such as Ranch Rescue and the Arizona Guard, is currently serving a five-year prison term on weapons charges stemming from a 2003 incident in which he and others confronted and assaulted two Salvadorans when on ``patrol.'' The vigilante border patrol groups have operated for several years but have expanded greatly in the past twelve months, spurred on by the media attention given to the so- called ``Minuteman Project.'' In April 2005, Chris Simcox, who founded the Arizona-based Civil Homeland Defense, a border vigilante group, and Jim Gilchrist, based in California, joined forces to create the Minuteman Project, whose purpose was to gather thousands of volunteers for a month-long watch for illegal border crossers in Arizona. The project, which was highly publicized among right-wing extremists and white supremacists, attracted far fewer volunteers, many of them armed, during its first week. However, the publicity generated by the event resulted in numerous Minuteman chapters and spinoffs forming across America, even in states such as New York, Virginia, Vermont, and Illinois. These groups use the same radical rhetoric: that the United States is being ``invaded'' by Mexicans who must be stopped. That message was clear at a three-day summit, ``Unite to Fight Against Illegal Immigration,'' held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in May 2005. More than 400 anti-immigration activists gathered at the event to hear speakers describe illegal immigrants as ``the enemy within'' and ``illegal barbarians,'' while suggesting that America was ``at war'' with illegal immigrants and urging people to ``take America back.'' Many of these anti-immigrant extremists have switched their focus from the border to day laborer centers, where they photograph Hispanics whom they assume are illegal aliens. This racial profiling has also occurred at fast food restaurants and other businesses where Hispanics are employed across the United States. White supremacist and anti- government groups continue to express interest and take part in these activities, and their rhetoric has become more and more confrontational. Internet Video Games Target Hispanics Extremists have shown a renewed interest in populating the Internet with links to video games that target Hispanics, portraying them not as productive contributors to society, but as objects of scorn, derision and hate. Shoot-to-kill video games such as ``Border Patrol,'' a game created in Flash that is easily accessible on the Internet through extremist Web sites, have become increasingly popular among those opposed to immigration and are widely shared among extremists in the United States. This has especially been the case as the national discussion over immigration has gathered force. In ``Border Patrol''--one of the more popular Flash games available on the Internet through various extremist Web sites--the object is to ``kill'' caricatures of Mexicans as they attempt to cross the border and gain entry to the U.S. Players control a gun and are charged with killing stereotypical Mexicans. Targets include a ``Mexican nationalist,'' who carries a Mexican flag and a pistol; a ``Drug smuggler,'' wearing a sombrero and carrying a bag of marijuana on his back; and finally a ``Breeder''--a pregnant woman who has two small children in tow. Aside from the virulently anti-Hispanic themes within the game, it also hints at anti-Semitic myths such as ``Jewish control'' of the U.S. through an image where the border is represented by a bullet-ridden sign showing an American flag whose 50 stars have been replaced by a single Jewish Star of David. Under this sign, another small sign directs the Mexicans to a ``Welfare Office.'' The player ``wins'' when he or she has made 88 kills. The number 88 has significance to neo-Nazis, who use it as shorthand for ``Heil Hitler'' (``H'' is the eighth letter of the alphabet). ``Border Patrol'' was first created in 2002 by the now- defunct website ``Zine 14,'' and was soon being copied and distributed by extremists and others. In March 2003, the neo- Nazi Aryan Nations group and Christian Identity preacher James Wickstrom both linked to copies of this game from the front pages of their Web sites. In recent months, the game has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, largely due to neo- Nazis trying to capitalize on the national immigration debate. Neo-Nazi leader Tom Metzger posted the game on his Web site, and other extremists have linked to it and promoted it on fringe online discussion groups. Games, music and cartoons are some of the methods extremist groups rely on as part of their efforts to reach a younger audience and to expose them to their hateful ideas and beliefs. Cartoon-like Flash games are seen as ideal for this task, because they are small and easy to create and share over the Internet, or enclose in an email message. In recent years, extremist groups such as the neo-Nazi National Alliance have also created more sophisticated video games, such as ``Ethnic Cleansing,'' a game available on CD-ROM that also engages in the stereotyping and demonizing of Hispanics. Their aim is to attact unsuspecting users to extremist Web sites, where they can be exposed to the message and goals of the hate groups. Such games are tools that extremists increasingly use to desensitize people against acts of violence, to portray hate crimes as something to be celebrated, to dehumanize America's Hispanic population and to draw attention to their cause using the new technologies available to them on the Internet.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5449. This bill, sponsored by Representative LaTourette, will restore fairness and accountability to the FAA's negotiating process. It is time that Congress steps in to ensure that no serious damage is done to the integrity and safety of our aviation system. We must support the men and women who help keep our airways safe and on time. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been trying to circumvent real negotiations and to unilaterally impose a contract on the air traffic controllers. Increasingly, they have refused to negotiate in good faith in an effort to create a false impasse. Congress must act! Earlier this week, the FAA moved to start implementing its unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment for our nation's air traffic controllers. The system is already facing a massive staffing crisis that could leave fewer and fewer qualified and trained controllers guiding record air traffic. More than 7,000 air traffic controllers are expected to retire over the next nine years. Air traffic controller staffing is critical. We will need 1,000 new air traffic controllers per year over the next five years to avert a staffing crisis. These conditions will lead to an erosion of talent at the agency because retirement-eligible controllers, the FAA's most experienced, would see the imposition as a reason to retire. This will in turn make recruiting replacement controllers of quality and excellence much more difficult. Possible delays due to staff shortages and inexperienced staff, as well as the closing of severely understaffed facilities could impose hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary costs for consumers and communities. H.R. 5449 would encourage the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) in the contract negotiations to reach an agreement and turn toward other important matters, including the future growth and safety of the U.S. air traffic system. This bill would allow for the existing sections of the law to be utilized to solve the contractual differences--the same way disputes are settled for other federal workers. It would allow for this and future disputes to be settled in a manner that ensures a fair hearing for both sides. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5449 and restore fairness to this negotiating process and keep America's airways flowing safely and professionally.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, the Rabbi Norman F. Feldheym Award was established to pay tribute to those members of Congregation Emanu El, located in my home district of San Bernardino, California, who have conspicuously and exceptionally reflected Rabbi Feldheym's qualities of love for and loyalty to the synagogue, and service to the community. I stand here today to honor Doctor Philip M. Gold for receiving this distinguished award. Dr. Gold has been an extraordinarily devoted leader of Congregation Emanu El. He began his service as a member of the Congregation's Board of Directors in 1990, and since then he has served as Secretary, 2nd Vice-president, Vice-president, and from 2000-2002, as the President of the Congregation. During this time he has helped to masterfully guide the Congregation through its period of rabbinic transition. He has been an inspirational leader of the Congregation, giving evidence of his deep love for Judaism, a strong participation in worship and education, and an exemplary commitment to Jewish values and their application in contemporary society. Dr. Gold is a distinguished graduate of Stanford University, where he received his B.A. degree in 1958, and of the UCLA School of Medicine, where he received his M.D. degree in 1962. At UCLA, Dr. Gold also completed his internship and residency, which included being Chief Resident in Medicine. Dr. Gold is a highly respected physician and teacher, a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Sub Specialty Board of Pulmonary Disease. Since 1977, Dr. Gold has been associated with the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he currently serves as Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Pulmonary and Intensive Care Division, Program Director of the Pulmonary Fellowship Program and Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Medicine. Dr. Gold has been recognized by his colleagues as a leader in the field of medicine. His numerous accomplishments include serving as a Governor and President of the California Chapter of the American College of Physicians, President of the American Lung Association of California, President of the American Lung Association of San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono Counties, Chair of the Council Practice Committee of the American Thoracic Society, President of the California Thoracic Society, and President of the Society of Graduate Internists of UCLA. While the awards Dr. Gold has received are too abundant to mention in total, some of the most notable include a Mastership in the American College of Physicians, the Lifetime Achievement A ward of the American Lung Association, the Laureate A ward of the American College of Physicians, the William L. Cover MD Award of the San Bernardino County Medical Society, the American Lung Association Pottenger Award and the Michael Stulbarg California Medal of the American Lung Association of California. Dr. Gold is known to family, colleagues, patients, fellow congregants and friends as a person of the highest integrity, extraordinary sensitivity, perceptive insight, humility and love of the arts. He and his wife, Roberta, are the proud parents of Jana, Matthew and Jason, all of whom received their Jewish education at Congregation Emanu EI, and the proud grandparents of Eddie, Leah, Cary and Molly. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 115th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation Emanu El. It is fitting, on such a momentous occasion, that we stand here today to honor Dr. Philip M. Gold, for outstanding service to his Congregation, the field of medicine, and to his family and community.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 5037. First of all, I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Buyer, for his support and his leadership and his vision in protecting and speaking on behalf of our veterans. I think it is important that we have someone who has served in the military who will stand up for a lot of our veterans. As you see in Congress today, we do not have a lot of individuals who have served in the military or are willing to stand up with it. The other individual I would like to thank is Sylvestre Reyes, because he truly has served as a veteran, has served in the committee and stands up for important legislation that talks about the Fallen Heroes Act. Right now, that is important for a lot of us. I want to thank both of you for standing up and your leadership on behalf of all veterans of America, because we owe it to our veterans. Many of our veterans who serve our country serve with honor and dignity. They believe in this country. They believe in standing up for the freedoms we enjoy today. A lot of them do not know what is going to happen to them, but they serve with honor and dignity because they believe in the freedoms that we enjoy today and the freedoms that we will enjoy tomorrow. But if a fallen hero falls, we have the responsibility as Americans to make sure that we protect them and that they have the right to bury their families with honor and with dignity. As Americans, we have that responsibility because, ultimately, they give the sacrifice for us so that we can enjoy those freedoms, those freedoms that we take for granted every day of our life, whether to buy a home, go to school, go to college, enjoy the freedom of speech, enjoy whatever we need. We have the same responsibility to those individuals who have fallen. To the parents and the relatives, to a wife or anyone else who is there, I think this bill is the right thing to do because we need to respect with honor and dignity those who are willing to sacrifice for us. Too often, we forget. As we look at the flag right behind you, Mr. Speaker, it is a flag that we honor. It is a flag that many individuals have stood for. It is our veterans who have done that, and when they receive that flag, and many of them receive that flag, it should be done with honor and dignity, without any disruption of anyone picketing, and too often we forget that. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this important legislation on behalf of all veterans who are willing to serve now and will serve us in the future. We owe it to them, and I appreciate what Mr. Reyes has done and Mr. Buyer has done.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We must stop throwing away good money after bad policy. Some States are taking misguided steps in administering the Food Stamp Program and other public benefits. Moving 20 to 50 percent of all cases online or to remote calling centers makes little sense, creating problems for those most in need. The fact is, disabled, undereducated and minority food stamp participants are losing their food stamp benefit because of these cost- cutting privatization initiatives. What is happening in Texas is a waste of Federal funds. The Texas State comptroller called for an investigation of the new public benefit system. The Texas State comptroller said that the Accenture contract appears to be a perfect storm of wasting tax dollars, reducing access to services, and profiteering at the expense of taxpayers. The new eligibility system is a disaster. More than 300,000 children have left the CHIP program. This has been blamed on the contractor's loss of applications, payments that were not credited to the proper accounts, and families who have been improperly denied benefits. Mr. Chairman, we cannot allow other States to be misguided down the road. If the Baca-Doggett-Green amendment would have been in order, we would have forced States to certify that changes to the application process are not hurting sensitive communities under existing civil rights and disabilities law. People on food stamps and other public benefits need our help to ensure that new program structures, privatization and other changes do not harm them and do not take away food from the table. That is the purpose of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment given that this amendment would be subject to a point of order, and hope that Chairman Bonilla and Ranking Member DeLauro will work to increase congressional oversight on this issue.

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

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, the people of this great Nation share a common spirit and heritage. Whether born on the soil of this land or having chosen to come here in search of a better life--one free of political, social, and economic oppression, we are a nation of pioneers. We believe in the American dream, and the promise that through our labors we can achieve educational and economic success. No barrier is too imposing, no obstacle to tall that it should stand in the way of pursuing this dream. Two of my congressional predecessors, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Jacob Javits, advanced legislation in the 1960s that promoted this dream by laying the foundation for an organization called TELACU. Since its founding in 1968, TELACU has become the largest community and economic development corporation in the United States. TELACU is a pioneering institution committed to service, empowerment, advancement and the creation of self-sufficiency. Brought to life through a small investment appropriated by Congress, TELACU has grown to become an organization with nearly $500 million in assets, creating thousands of jobs, affordable homes, loans to small business people, and most importantly, numerous educational opportunities for young people and veterans. In 1983, TELACU established the LINC TELACU Education Foundation. For 23 years, the foundation has partnered with corporate donors, private individuals, and a vast network of colleges and universities, providing the driving force behind one of the most effective national institutions ever to impact the educational needs of the Latino community. In conceiving the foundation, TELACU discovered that while financial assistance is vital for college students to achieve academic success, other factors are also important. Students who are the first in their families ever to attend college often lack the support system necessary to achieve their dream. Socioeconomic factors, family responsibilities, cultural identity and financial stress create very real conflicting challenges to academic life. The LINC TELACU Education Foundation has accepted this challenge head on, combining important financial assistance with highly effective programs that ensure college completion. The foundation supports 600 college students and serves 2,000 elementary, middle and high school students and veterans each year. The success of this extraordinary foundation is best summarized by the numbers: Its scholar retention and college graduation rates are an astounding 100 percent. Mr. Speaker, I join today with community leaders throughout my State in expressing our Nation's gratitude to TELACU and the LINC TELACU Education Foundation for believing in the dream of higher education for America's next generation of pioneers and helping to make it possible.

Mr. BACA

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

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I first wish to commend Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro and Chairman Bonilla for their good work on this appropriations bill. It is a good bipartisan bill that has brought in a very important issue, especially as it pertains to Hispanic Serving Institutions and Colleges. I now rise in favor of this collaboration amendment by my Congressional Hispanic and Black Caucus to boost funding for minority education in farming programs at the USDA. This amendment is being offered by me, Representatives Butterfield, Hinojosa and Thompson to increase funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions and for the 2501 Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program. This amendment is important because it provides funding to help minority educations in agriculture.

Mr. BACA. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I don't mind. I just wanted to read it for the Record to be recorded that I am fighting on behalf of everyone, if you don't mind, Mr. Chairman. But I appreciate that. I think it is important, and I appreciate the fact that they are moving on the amendment. Also I felt it was important for people to hear the amendment itself in terms of what it does. This amendment is important because it provides funding for minority education in agriculture and helps rebuild a minority farming community that has been often neglected and discriminated against. Hispanic Serving Institutions are a great source of innovation and deserve funding to continue generating advances in agricultural sciences. We must stop the long-standing practice of underfunding these institutions. HSI funding lags behind funding for other minority institutions and remains underfunded by nearly 75 percent. With population growth, and this is why I appreciate the chairman's concern, and innovative ideas in terms of helping Hispanic-growing populations, we see enrollment at HSIs has skyrocketed, but funding remains very low and it is still unacceptable. HSIs have grown to a number nearly equal to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The funding has remained much lower. A decade ago, we had less than 100 of the HSIs, and now we have nearly 250. In my district alone, we have three Hispanic Serving Institutions: Chaffey Community College, San Bernardino Community College and San Bernardino Cal State University of California. Hispanic community colleges want to know why they should not receive the full $20 million per year in investment we promised them in the farm bill. In addition, the 2501 program helps socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, the fastest growing population in agriculture. We need to help these small minority farmers who are investing and keeping our country's farming legacy alive and well. This program can help thousands of farm workers who are leaving strawberry fields behind and growing their own crops. This is a great example of the American Dream. On the opposite side of the American Dream, this program helps keep farming traditions of thousands of African American farmers forced to the brink of discrimination, often by our own Federal Government. Mr. Chairman, I understand you have agreed to accept this amendment, and I appreciate that. Again, I want to thank you; I want to thank Ranking Member DeLauro for the fine and great work on this legislation and this bill. So I thank both of you.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, its been 4 years since 9-11, yet the Republicans in Congress and this President have failed to secure our borders and protect this country against future terrorist attacks. Americans want and deserve better. The country is depending on us to take action but this Administration and the Republians in Congress have let us down over and over again. The Democrats' plan offers real security that will protect America from harm. It's time for Republicans to put politics aside and enact real reforms now. It's time for Republicans to stop playing politics with our security. Just take immigration reform, for example. Instead of recognizing the need for real, comprehensive reform Republicans have used th border security issue to play on people's fears and exploit the debate for their political gain. They've hijacked the debate to incite xenophobia in the minds of the American people! I want my colleagues to be aware that this rhetoric can provoke extremists to commit violence against immigrants. Remember that words have consequences and set the tone for public debate. Unfortunately, all over America racists are taking advantage of the immigration debate to voice their message of hate. And they are using the media--which our Constitution protects--to do so. Several years ago, I founded the Congressional Sex and Violence in the Media Caucus because I was disturbed by the messages our children were receiving. As co-chair of this caucus, I have led the effort to help parents protect their kids from harmful and inappropriate content such as graphic sex and violence. Now we must be on the lookout for racist content in the media. On March 29, 2006, a New Jersey radio talk show host Hal Turner exclaimed, ``. . . It is time to fight. To kill such invaders. . . . If you don't fight AND don't support those of us who do, when we're done with them, we can come for you.'' I recently learned about a racist game distributed freely on the Internet called ``Border Patrol'' that encourages Players to shoot at Immigrants as they cross into the United States. The game first surfaced in 2002, but has come up once again amid the immigration debate. This is obscene and crosses the line! For years, White supremacists have used the Internet to get their messages out to as many people as possible. But the use of computer video games is new. They are deliberately targeting our children and recruiting them into their hate groups! The fact that the national immigration debate is fueling their efforts is downright scary. It just takes one individual with hate in his heart to act on these notions! Border Patrol is one of several racist computer games that hate groups are currently for sale or download on the Internet. Other games like ``Ethnic Cleansing,'' ``DriveBy 2'' and ``African Detroit Cop'' were created to further racist, anti-Semitic or homophobic opinions. Already, the National Alliance, a violent neo-Nazi group, is selling ``Ethnic Cleansing'' and is promising to market and sell similar games. As the issue of comprehensive immigration reform has moved to the forefront of national policy debate, these hate-messages have grown more radical. As the Aryan Nation's Web site puts it, ``We now have another game animal to add to our list of available targets for our favorite pastime, hunting, and we'll declare permanent OPEN SEASON on these dirty wetbacks! From what I've heard through the grapevine the Skinheads and Klans across the country are more than prepared for this type of action. I say let's play by state and see which state can claim the most kills and let the jewsmedia whores keep score!'' This is a big real concern especially as the debate continues. These extremist groups are going to gain momentum. A report by the Anti-Defamation League shows that hate groups have organized numerous assaults against immigrants within this month alone. As members of Congress, our first responsibility is the security of every American and of that means securing our borders. But the outcome of this debate will speak volumes about how we embrace diversity in our communities and welcome foreigners in our society. We cannot have this debate at the expense of the safety of immigrants in our communities. I understand that not everyone in Congress agrees with a more inclusive vision of the American family. But regardless of your position on immigration and border policy, I call on you to join me in condemning all the extremists who are hijacking this debate for their hateful agendas.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I am disappointed with the recommendations that have just been made. We have just heard the President over the week talk about the need for 60,000 National Guard troops. Well, basically what we are doing now, it is going to impact the State of California and the family members in that area. How can we comply then with the President of the United States saying that we need an additional 6,000 troops on the border when we are cutting back additional guards. Mr. President and the Nation should know what we are doing here today and the impact it is going to have on the National Guard and the State of California and the Federal Government to meet the needs of what the President has recommended. I am disappointed in what has been submitted right now.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. There is a pay as you go.

Mr. BACA. Then you should look at the pay-as-you-go plan. You know that? It is there.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise and urge the defeat of this previous question. It should come as no surprise to anyone in this country that Democrats and Republicans differ in their priorities for America. With the White House set to vote on the budget tonight, I as a Blue Dog oppose the majority party's misguided plan which will result in a staggering $10 trillion deficit by the year 2010. The Blue Dog 12-step reform plan is a comprehensive, responsible alternative to the meager attempt to reform and contain the Republican budget. The Blue Dog plan is based on a commitment to resolving the fiscal problems facing our country that includes a call for a balanced budget, strict spending plan, and a pay-as-you-go rule, especially establishing a rainy day justification. The budget resolution debated tonight will cut critical programs in order to pay for millionaire tax cuts, cuts to food stamps, the WIC program, the school lunch program, the breakfast program, student financial assistance, Community Development Block Grants, veterans health care, and funding to help local law enforcement, to name a few. I ask our colleagues to defeat this budget. We need to help those poor and disadvantaged, our veterans, our health block grants, and students who need an education.

Mr. BACA. That is why we are supporting the Democratic substitute amendment, and that is pay as you go. The Democratic substitute budget.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. Mr. Chairman, I want to voice my support for H.R. 4200. The catastrophic wildfires that devastated southern California in late 2003 are proof that forest health and recovery are essential. We must expand these tools however possible to protect the lives and property of our constituents. I only wish the agency and administration would have heeded our demands from then Governor Davis, Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and many others including myself for emergency fuels reduction funding. The fact is that many forests in southern California continue to be matches waiting to set ablaze. Bark Beetle infestations have ravaged the San Bernardino National Forest and many populated rural areas. Either we learn the lessons of the past or we are condemned to repeat those mistakes in the future. By the time the 14 major wildfires in southern California were extinguished in November 2003, 24 lives were lost, 3,710 homes were destroyed, and 750,043 acres were blackened--70,000 of those acres in San Bernardino County. We must also remember the post-fire flooding in the erosion-prone mountain watersheds, and how 17 lives were lost in San Bernardino County alone. Sixteen of these lives were lost on Christmas Day, including those of two constituents. Mr. Chairman, I completely agree that recovery is essential, but I am also very interested in ensuring that the contractors doing this recovery are not engaging in criminal violations of health, safety and labor law. At the December hearing on this bill in the Agriculture Committee, I introduced into the record an expose by the Sacramento Bee on the deplorable, and often criminal, conditions to which these H2B and other contract employees are subjected. Some are not paid their full wage, denied safety equipment, or made to live in subhuman conditions because of their H2B guestworker status. Mr. Chairman, that is why I will be holding a briefing tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Science Committee room on these forest workers and how agencies can improve their oversight of wage and workplace safety violations. Mr. Chairman, I agree that we need to protect the lives and property of our constituents by maintaining healthy forests and recovering after disasters and pest infestations. That is why I am voting in favor of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) and, of course, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) too, as well, and I would like to also thank Congressman Dreier, Congressman Lewis, and Congressman Pombo in helping us work with this simple amendment that basically asks the Department of Defense to require a study of the perchlorate contamination at formerly utilized defense sites, otherwise known as FUDS. The amendment also requires an assessment of what military installations or contractors have stored perchlorate. This study will help us have a national understanding of this problem that has so far been seen in our region. Southern California, the Bay Area, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, are only a few of the regions affected. Is this happening in your State? Cities and counties across the country are closing their groundwater wells due to perchlorate contamination. From most accounts, 90 percent of perchlorate in water comes from a Federal source, primarily from former military sites and other Department of Defense installations. This volatile organic compound is a rocket fuel additive that has been found to be harmful to thyroid function. 319 groundwater wells are impacted in California alone, with 78 of them in my district; and 186 sources in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties have been impacted. Several States throughout the county are now waking to a similar problem and are also seeing similar effects in their areas. Perchlorate does not just affect the drinking water supply, but our food supplies as well. So it does affect supplies. It has been reported in lettuce in the Imperial Valley which relies on the Colorado River for irrigation, and perchlorate has been found in milk. Hardworking families living in the United States with large military and aerospace facilities are not at fault and should not have to pay for a federally created problem. Many communities cannot afford costly toxic cleanups, and the alternative is no better. Cities are being forced to raise water rates to outrageous levels, forgo dust control on highways to meet clean air requirements, and to truck in water from other regions. For the 43rd Congressional District of California and many other districts throughout the country, the Federal Government needs to step up and take responsibility. That is basically what we are asking is just the Federal Government to take responsibility and do a study. We need to fully understand the scope of the problems so we can protect our children and protect the elderly from this dangerous health risk. The House of Representatives has already twice passed a bill I introduced, H.R. 18, the Southern California Ground Remediation Act, which authorized $50 million for groundwater remediation, including perchlorate. Meanwhile, the Senate has not allowed this bill to become law. It is clear my colleagues in the House support this measure. But our communities cannot wait any longer. That is why I have introduced this amendment to study the perchlorate contamination legacy from FUDS. This is required to advance the body of research already under way. Ultimately, we must remember that this is a federally created problem; and, hence, the solution must be Federal as well.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Mexican patriots who gave their lives to fight valiantly and successfully against an overwhelming French Army on May 5, 1862. This is the week of Cinco de Mayo, a time to celebrate the courage and bravery of Mexican Americans and of all those who have fought for the freedoms of self-governance. By celebrating Cinco de Mayo we honor the history of democracy in North America and remind ourselves that though our nation is made up of many diverse people and cultures, we all share a commitment to democratic freedom. Last year this House passed Concurrent Resolution 44, a bill that recognizes the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo. Today, along with the other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I have called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to take up this resolution and pass it. Many celebrate this day with festivals, singing, and dancing. But this day is more than a party. It is a celebration of cultural pride and the respect for the rights of all people. And the Senate should celebrate this day by passing H. Con. Res. 44.

Mr. BACA

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I appreciate the gentleman from Arizona's leadership in taking up this legislation along with the cosponsor, Mr. Frank, who feels this is important for a lot of the hospitals in rural communities, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 4912, the Rural Health Care Capital Access Act of 2006, along with Mr. Frank who is one of the cosponsors of this important legislation. This bill extends and exempts under the Hospital Mortgage Insurance Act of 2003 small, rural critical-access hospitals. This allows them to qualify for the Department of Housing and Urban Development section 242 mortgage insurance program. This section 242 program is an important program which provides mortgage insurance for loans made for construction, renovation and equipment of acute-care hospitals. To be eligible for section 242 requires that at least half of the hospital's net patient days qualify as acute care, which is referred to as a Patient's Day Test. Small, rural hospitals sometimes have a hard time meeting these requirements. This is because rural communities often have hospitals and nursing homes combined in order to achieve savings by sharing facilities and services such as pharmacy and food services. The Hospital Mortgage Insurance Act of 2003 eliminated the so-called Patient Day Test for critical-access hospital, but limited the exemption to 3 years. The exemption expires on July 31, 2006. Today only one hospital sought approval under this exemption. This is not surprising considering the length of time required for applying to the program, particularly for small hospitals with limited staff and resources to devote to such complicated processes. As we all know, there are many small hospitals throughout the Nation that need this kind of help. It is very complicated, applying for this kind of a process. Nevertheless, this exemption is necessary for small hospitals to have access, and I state, to have access to section 242 programs. And it is important that they do have the access. H.R. 4912, the Rural Health Care Capital Access Act of 2006, would extend the exemption for an additional 5 years. During this time, HUD and FHA can review the impact and recommend to Congress whether the exemption should be made permanent. Again, Mr. Speaker, I express my strong support for this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.