Jim Costa

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of the Fresno High School Senate Club. Fresno High School was founded in 1889 as the City of Fresno's first high school. The following year, the Fresno High School Senate was established on March 21, 1890. The Foundation of the Senate is modeled after the United States Senate, with each member representing a state in our Union. Admission to the Fresno High School Senate requires a majority vote of the body for academically qualified candidates who are sponsored by an active member of the club. Candidates are required to attend at least three club meetings and present a speech to complete the application process. Upon admission, a U.S. state is permanently assigned to the new senator, who is then invited to declare a political party preference. The Fresno High School Senate is primarily a debate club and has the distinction of being the oldest continuously active high school club in the United States. The Senate is governed by both a Constitution and bylaws and it follows parliamentary procedure set by Robert's Rules of Order. The organization instills knowledge of the law making process of our national government. Furthermore, the public speaking debate society addresses current issues of world, national, and community interest and concern. The Fresno High School Senate Club meets every week on the Fresno High School Campus and is guided by a faculty member known as the ``President of the United States.'' Active Senators, in addition to being top academic achievers, also perform hundreds of hours of service to the greater Fresno community. Over many decades, the Senate has produced dozens of outstanding alumni known as, ``Honorary Senators,'' who achieved distinguished careers in law, medicine, business, education, government, architecture, technology, the military, and other notable occupational fields. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Fresno High School Senate on the significant milestone of its 125th Anniversary as I extend my best wishes for the organization's continued success in shaping the lives of young students, creating model citizens and nurturing the studies of United States history and government.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Phillip Levine of Fresno, California who recently passed away at the age of 87. He leaves behind his loving family including his wife Frances J. Artley, three sons, Mark, John and Teddy, five grandchildren and one great grandchild. Mr. Levine was born on January 10, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan, but has called Fresno home since 1958. The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Levine was born and raised in industrial Detroit where he began working in the auto factories at the age of 14. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Wayne State University in 1950 and later earned a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Iowa in 1957. After receiving his graduate degree, he came to California where he began teaching at California State University, Fresno. He went on to teach at Fresno State for 34 years. It was there that he built a nationally recognized program in Creative Writing that inspired many graduates to become illustrious poets. He retired in 1992 but remained deeply connected to the University. Although Levine held teaching positions at some of the most prestigious universities in the land, including New York University, Columbia University, Princeton and the University of California at Berkeley, he always returned to his home in Fresno. As a poetry writer, Mr. Levine celebrated working people, and his words both resonated and uplifted them. He wrote more than 21 collections of poetry and in 1995 received the Pulitzer Prize for his poem ``The Simple Truth.'' He won the National Book Award in 1991 for ``What work is'' and in 2013 he was honored with the Wallace Stevens Award which is given annually to recognize ``outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry.'' In 2011, Mr. Levine was named as the 18th Poet Laureate of the United States, being declared one of America's greatest narrative poets by Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. While achieving numerous successes and accolades for his work, he consistently maintained that the success of his Fresno State students was one of his biggest rewards. Mr. Levine was truly an honorable man with a strong commitment to family, friends and his country that will live on in lives of the many people he touched. His passion for writing, education, and his community will be remembered by all who knew him. I am honored and humbled to join his family in celebrating the life of this amazing man who will never be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in saying farewell to Mr. Phillip Levine, a man full of love for life. His genuine character, commitment to family and community will be greatly missed.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Mr. Nunes to honor the life of Jerry Tarkanian, who passed away on February 11, 2015, at the age of 84. Jerry's family and friends as well as people throughout the nation, will miss him greatly as he dedicated much of his life to inspiring young athletes in countless communities. Although Jerry was most recognized for his achievements as the basketball coach for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Central Valley we remember Jerry as Fresno State's spirited and energetic former head basketball coach. Fresno State was Jerry's alma mater, and the community is very proud to say so. Born in Euclid, Ohio, Jerry was the son of Armenian immigrants. He moved halfway across the country, to California, to get an education and play basketball. In 1955, he graduated from Fresno State, and later earned his master's degree in Educational Management from the University of Redlands. Jerry was an enthusiastic coach for 31 years who began his basketball coaching career at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno. Jerry coached his first Division I team at California State University, Long Beach from 1968-1973. As a coach during the late 60s, his courage defied social norms of the time, becoming one of the first coaches to start more than three African-American players. Jerry took an intense interest in his players and wanted them to succeed both on and off the court. He was a man of encouragement who reached out to young men who lived in inner-cities and normally would not have access to a higher education. I once had the pleasure of having a conversation about Jerry Tarkanian with Magic Johnson. He told me that Coach Jerry Tarkanian was known around inner city playgrounds in America as the coach of second chances. In the Central Valley, we are truly grateful for those second chances. In 1973, Jerry moved to Nevada to become head coach at UNLV. He is now remembered as the determined individual who turned around the basketball program at UNLV and made it into a winning program. Jerry returned to Fresno and coached at Fresno State from 1995-2002. While coaching at Fresno state, his teams had a total of six 20-win seasons for a total of 153 victories. In total, his teams had 729 victories, a National championship for UNLV in 1990, and four straight NCAA tournament appearances for Long Beach State. Additionally, Jerry coached 42 players who were drafted by the NBA, including 12 first- round selections. Due to the efforts made by Jerry and the ``Stadium Builders'' in the mid 1990s, Save mart Center was built. For years, there had been discussions regarding an on-campus arena at Fresno State, but it was not made a reality until Jerry began his successful coaching career at the university. When he finished his coaching career, Jerry worked as the Senior Development Consultant for Save mart Center. In 2013, Tarkanian was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, an honor his fellow coaches argued for years was long overdue. Though hospitalized in the summer for heart problems and weakened by a variety of ills, he went on stage with a walker at the induction ceremony. Jerry is appreciated by individuals throughout our nation, but he is especially treasured in Fresno, California. Central Valley residents take pride in Fresno State, and it was an honor to have Jerry lead our Fresno State Bulldogs on the basketball court. Although I come to you with a heavy heart, I am honored to have known such an admirable man. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that Mr. Nunes and I ask our colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in honoring the life of Coach Jerry Tarkanian, as he is remembered for all of the contributions that he has made to individuals throughout the country as well as the people to whom he gave a second chance.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona. Mr. Speaker, our next Blue Dog colleague who will speak is a gentleman whom I have served with both in the California State Legislature as well as here in Congress. He and I are good friends. We both represent wonderful parts of California, and he is one of the longer serving members in the Blue Dog caucus, the gentleman from northern California, Congressman Mike Thompson from California's Fifth District.

Mr. COSTA. I appreciate your explaining your experience in the California Legislature because we not only worked together in a bipartisan fashion, but we also worked together with the lower house and the State senate, because you could never get anything done if you didn't work together with both houses. Of course, that is part of our problem here today.

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, my name is Congressman Jim Costa from Fresno, California. Since I was first elected over 10 years ago, I have been a member of the Blue Dog caucus. This afternoon, members of the Blue Dog caucus that stretch the width and the breadth of this great country of ours are going to speak about what brings us together, about the passions that they have and the people that they advocate for and why they believe that their efforts at being a constructive and a very positive member of the Blue Dog caucus adds value to their ability to represent their constituencies and to the vision that I think we, as Americans, all share together, which is to make our Congress, to make our representative democracy, a more functioning system. Because clearly today, the American public, in poll after poll after poll, demonstrate their frustration with the inability of the United States Congress to come together and to work on common solutions for our country, solutions that share our common values but also involve the art, the art of the political compromise, too often I believe an art that has become lost here in our Nation's Capital in Washington, D.C. So among the first of the members of our caucus that will speak is the gentlewoman from Arizona's Ninth District, Kyrsten Sinema, a colleague of mine who always is advocating for her constituency in the most positive ways.

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois, my classmate, for his good words. Clearly, I think he speaks on behalf of not only the Blue Dogs, but the majority of Americans who believe that we need to be working together to solve problems, whether it is our budget, our fiscal deficit, or whether it is our transportation system, as the gentleman from Illinois so succinctly pointed out. It can never be ``my way or the highway,'' because if that is the case, we will never get anything done, as has been witnessed here for the last couple of months. But when we do work together, as the compromised bipartisan vote that we saw this afternoon on Homeland Security, we can get something done. My next friend and colleague is the gentleman from Georgia, Congressman Sanford Bishop, from the Second District. He has distinguished himself over the years and has been a member of not only the Blue Dog caucus, but he represents some of the best parts of Georgia--Fort Benning and agriculture, like I represent. Sanford, we are glad to have you here this afternoon to tell us the thoughts of the people of Georgia's Second District on the terrific job you do on their behalf.

Mr. COSTA. Congressman Bishop, my friend, I could not have said it better: for the people and by the people. Mr. Speaker, for those who are watching on C-SPAN this afternoon, we welcome your input, and we welcome your comments. For those of you who are interested, please sign onto our Web site, which is www.bluedog .schrader.house.gov, as a way by which you can communicate with us. We all have our Web sites. Obviously, not only our constituents from our respective districts but people from throughout the country, we would urge you to weigh in. Let us know how you feel, which is an appropriate segue for our next speaker. The Blue Dogs every 2 years select three leaders to represent them and to organize our agenda. We have a policy individual who will be speaking in a moment, Congressman Jim Cooper. We have the communications director, which is the position I serve, and then we have our chairperson. Our chairperson is a gentleman whom I have the honor and privilege to serve with. He is my friend, and he is doing an excellent job, the gentleman from Oregon's Fifth District, Representative Kurt Schrader.

Mr. COSTA. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. COSTA. We have talked a lot about this among our fellow Blue Dogs, but I think the point that you raise there is worth repeating because, frankly, I think there are a lot of Members on both sides of the aisle who, if they had the opportunity, would like to figure out how they could work together. I know, as the chair of the Blue Dog Caucus, it is your desire to reach out and continue to make that effort. I just want to applaud you for that. I also want to ask: Are there other ways in which constituents can make their Congresspeople feel more comfortable about doing that? With this notion of ``it is my way or the highway,'' I think the majority of my constituents wonder what is going on there. I mean, ``What are you folks thinking in Washington? because that is not the way we do it at home.''

Mr. COSTA. I want to thank the gentleman from Oregon for his leadership as the chair of the Blue Dog Coalition. Your efforts to reach out to the Tuesday Group and to the No Labels Caucus and your efforts to take difficult positions and cast hard votes, I think, are all examples of political profiles in courage, and we commend you for your leadership and your efforts.

Mr. COSTA. I thank the Congressman from California. Congressman Mike Thompson, I think, expressly indicated why he is a Blue Dog and, over the years, his efforts to bridge the gap, to reach across the aisle, to get something done; because he recognizes, as do all of us Blue Dogs, that the political dysfunction that is occurring here in our Nation's Capital is real. It has measurable costs, and it is preventing our country, sadly, from solving the problems that our constituents send us here to solve, whether it is the economic recovery that could be stronger, whether it is fixing our Nation's deficit, whether it is fixing a broken immigration system, or an array of other issues that are pressing, that are important to the people back home. The next gentleman who would like to address our Congress is the gentleman from the great State of Illinois, Congressman Dan Lipinski, my colleague and classmate from Illinois' Third District.

Mr. COSTA. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, the next Blue Dog Coalition member who will speak is one of our newest members. He hails from the great State of Nebraska, and we are honored to have him as one of our newest members of the Blue Dog Coalition. He is Brad Ashford from Nebraska's Second District. A lot of agriculture and a lot of good people Congressman Brad Ashford has the opportunity to represent, and we appreciate the fact that he is here.

Mr. COSTA. During your visit, on a bipartisan basis, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Jordan, you were visiting some of the most challenging hotspots in the world today, and I suspect you got an opportunity to visit and see American men and women serving abroad and the heroic and difficult jobs that they are doing and the great sacrifices of their families. I suspect you had an opportunity to tell them that in Washington we are trying to do all we can to support them.

Mr. COSTA. Well, I have made that trip several times, and we can never say thank you enough to the American men and women who serve in our Nation's military. I would just ask you, every week, I know you go back to your district and the good people in Nebraska--and that good water you are drinking there, bring more of it here to Washington because I think, if we can drink some more of that water, it certainly wouldn't hurt us here in our Nation's Capital. I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his good words. As I prepare to close, I want to thank my fellow Blue Dog colleagues for coming down to the well of the House of Representatives this afternoon to talk about the common interests that we as Blue Dog Coalition members have, the efforts that we are making to reach across the aisle, the efforts that we are making to work with the No Labels group, as well as others, on a call to service to repair the engagement of civic dialogue, understanding that, frankly, if we tone down our rhetoric and we have a better understanding of how the different congressional districts that we all represent are, we can find the common threads, the common bonds to bring together solutions that we can agree upon for all of America. After all, we all believe that is what we have been sent here for, I believe, in one way or another. Another effort that the Blue Dog Coalition is engaged in with No Labels and others is congressional reform. Clearly, many Americans, when they look at Washington and they see the news of the evening, they think: Jeez, there must be something broke there. It ain't working right. It's not working the way we read in our textbooks. We are trying to restore efforts in congressional form in terms of regular order, in terms of our budget process and producing all 11 budget bills every year and go to a conference as we are supposed to do. We haven't done that in 12 years in Congress, whether it is the Democrats in the majority or the Republicans in the majority, so there is a lot of fixing. Obviously, finger-pointing doesn't fix the problem. In addition to that, we have electoral reform. I think we all know that last year, last November, we had the lowest recorded turnout in America since 1942. What does that tell you? What does that tell you when the majority of Americans, regardless of whether they are registered as Republicans or Democrats, identify themselves as Independents? It tells you that America is looking toward people in Washington to provide the leadership to solve problems. They don't expect us to solve all of them--they are not unrealistic--but they would like us to prioritize on getting a budget on time, getting our fiscal house in order, on trying to fix a broken immigration system, produce a 5-year transportation bill, improve government accountability, and transparency. That is what they would like us to work on. As I said when I began earlier this afternoon, I am Congressman Jim Costa. I represent the 16th Congressional District in California, including all of Merced County, half of the flat land of Madera County--a lot of agriculture in both Merced and Madera Counties--and Fresno County. Fresno is, of course, my home. The wonderful people that are part of the San Joaquin Valley that I have had the honor and privilege to represent over the years are what all Americans are like. They are some of the best and brightest. They are tenacious. They are hard working. They represent the story of America. What is that story? Immigrants past, immigrants present--people come in from all over the world, striving to have a better life, a better opportunity for themselves and for their families. That is why we are working to solve the water problems in the San Joaquin Valley--because, if we can solve the water problems in California and in the West, with the planet clicking 7 billion people last year and soon to have 9 billion people by the middle of this century, our solutions to water problems in California can be a template to solving water problems around the world because where water flows, food grows. Clearly, we know that that is a daunting challenge, just like our energy problems are--but guess what. We are making progress on our energy problems. When I first came to Congress 10 years ago, we imported over 60 percent of our energy needs. Today, we import a little over 40 percent. If we continue on the current path, in the next 10 years, we will be importing around 20 percent or less by using all the energy tools in our energy toolbox, just as we must use all the water tools in our water toolbox. There is a lot to do. I would like to thank my colleagues in the Blue Dog Coalition for their time today, and their continued efforts over the year. Clearly, we have a lot of work to do together, and we want to reach out to work with everybody in the House of Representatives, the people's House. The Blue Dog Coalition is ready and willing to work with everyone. We look forward to creating bridges, not cul de sacs, working with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance commonsense policies that are physically sound, that benefit our entire Nation. You could also call the Blue Dog Coalition the commonsense caucus because we reject the notion of gridlock in Washington. It is embarrassing; it is inexcusable. Every day, when we put politics ahead of policy, we put our Nation at risk, and we stand to lose. Therefore, Congress must come together to address the critical issues as I said before: tax reform, immigration reform, and ways to further our Nation's economic recovery. There is no problem in America, if we work together, that we cannot solve. We are here to represent and advocate for our constituents. Please, for those of you who enjoyed the comments made by my fellow Blue Dog Coalition members this afternoon, you can go to www.bluedog .schrader.house.gov for more information. The Blue Dog Coalition will continue to work to make a difference by advocating for sound legislation and working together with our colleagues on a bipartisan basis. That is what I have always done. Today, as with my Blue Dog Coalition partners, we have the honor and the privilege to represent our constituents from throughout the land; and I would ask that my colleagues continue to make that effort because I think, at the end of the day, that is what all Americans want us to do. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Frank Edward ``Ed'' Ray on what would have been his 94th birthday. In a 1976 incident, Ed helped save 26 students from a kidnapping attempt in the city of Chowchilla. Recognizing such heroic actions, it is fitting and appropriate that the City of Chowchilla has chosen to name its largest park ``Ed Ray Park.'' Frank Edward Ray was born in Le Grand, California on February 26, 1921. One of eight children of Frank and Marie Ray, he moved to Chowchilla with his family and graduated from Chowchilla High School in 1940. In 1942, he married his wife, Odessa, and bought a ranch where they raised dairy cows and grew corn. Ed then worked for the Dairyland Union School District as a bus driver for nearly 40 years. Ed was the driver of the school bus packed with summer school kids that was hijacked in Chowchilla in 1976. They were later escorted into a buried moving truck in a quarry, where Ed led them to safety after he and two older boys dug their way out. During the time inside the quarry, Ray gave comfort and hope to the school children. No one was hurt and astonishingly he was able to recall significant details of the escort van's license plates, assisting in the police investigation. Ed was a humble and quiet man; he rarely spoke of the ordeal. He did not flaunt himself as a hero. In his final days, Ed was visited by several of the schoolchildren he helped save from the kidnapping. They will always remember him as their hero. A few years after retiring in 1988, he bought the bus for $500 because he did not want it to become scrap metal at a junkyard. He donated it to a nearby museum in Le Grand, California. Ed's selfless nature made him a pillar of the Chowchilla community. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I recognize the memory of Frank Edward ``Ed'' Ray for his brave acts in 1976. May his brave deed and care for the children he drove to and from school every day never be forgotten.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and celebrate the retirement of Fresno County Sheriff Deputy, Christian L. Curtice. Deputy Curtice served an honorable thirty-three years with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and his service is to be commended. Christian Curtice was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1959, and subsequently moved with his family to California. He graduated from the Pacific Grove High School in 1978. A few years after high school, Christian had moved to the Central Valley and was sworn in as a deputy sheriff with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office in 1982. The first few years Deputy Curtice served with the Fresno County Sheriff's office, he also pursued a college education. In 1986 he graduated from California State University, Fresno with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Criminology. Three years later he became a detective with the Sheriff's Crimes Against Persons Unit and became a member of the California Homicide Investigators Association. In 1992 he was promoted to Deputy IV, and was assigned as Field Training Officer in the Patrol Division in 2001. During his years of service, Deputy Curtice has received many awards and commendations, including being the first deputy at the Fresno County Sheriff's Office to receive the California Highway Patrol's ``10851 Award'' for vehicle theft recovery in 1989. In 1992, he was the recipient of the American Legion's ``Outstanding Law Officer of the Year'' award for the Central Valley area, and in 1993 he was the recipient of the American Legion's ``Outstanding Law Officer of the Year'' for the State of California. Apart from his awards, Deputy Curtice has been recognized in many instances in which he was integral to solving cases and saving lives through his use of ingenuity and bravery, often putting his own life at risk. Deputy Curtice was one of the principal investigators on the Ewell triple murder in the Sunnyside area of Fresno County. The case received major national news coverage and eventually led to the arrest and conviction of Dana Ewell and Joel Radovcich. Following their conviction, Deputy Curtice and his partner, Detective Souza, wrote the book ``Catch Me If You Can,'' which chronicled the investigation. Outside of his position as Deputy and Detective, Deputy Curtice has been a firm believer in giving back to his community. In 2008, he worked with the Central California Blood Center to launch the Holiday Heroes Blood Drive, which is now held every year during the week before Christmas, and continues to become increasingly more successful. He also made it a personal priority to revamp the Fresno County Sheriff's ailing website by hiring a dedicated IT specialist. Working with the IT specialist, Deputy Curtice helped launch a redesigned, user friendly website. Additionally, by creating new Facebook and Twitter pages for the agency, Deputy Curtice played an integral role in ensuring the Sheriff's Office is able stay in contact with the community they serve. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career of Fresno County Sheriff Deputy Christian L. Curtice, and to wish him the best of luck in his retirement.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the twenty-seventh anniversary of the pogroms against people of Armenian descent in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. My district is home to thousands of Armenian- Americans, many who are the sons and daughters of survivors. As they know well, Azerbaijani rioters started a murderous rampage in response to peaceful protests on February 27, 1988, that forever changed Armenia. During those three days, scores of Armenians were killed, hundreds were wounded, and thousands were forced to leave their homes and livelihoods behind. As we recognize this tragedy, we should also take this time to commend the people of Nagorno Karabakh on being the first to demand their right to freedom and self-governance from the Soviet Union. Although a small nation, Nagorno Karabakh sparked the democracy movement that ended decades of dictatorial rule in the USSR and eventually led to the fall of the Soviet Union. Sadly, the Azerbaijani government continues to act as an aggressor today. In November 2014, Azerbaijani armed forces shot down a Nagorno- Karabakh helicopter participating in a training exercise near the cease-fire line, killing the three crew members on board. This aggression is completely unacceptable and further hurts efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution. Today, I ask my colleagues to stand with the proud people of Nagorno Karabakh in recognizing the anniversary of these tragic events. Let today serve as a reminder for each and every one of us to continue advocating for human rights and democratic freedoms around the world.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, we have less than 2 days--2 days--to fund the Department of Homeland Security before they run out of money. It is a dangerous world we live in. We know that. The tragic events recently in Paris and Copenhagen and, most recently, the arrests of three alleged terrorists yesterday in New York demonstrate that Americans are at risk from a terrorist attack every day. The Senate finally realized that funding Homeland Security is more important than jeopardizing the safety of our country. Mr. Speaker, if you need Democratic support to pass a clean--clean-- Department of Homeland Security funding bill, you have my vote, and you have the overwhelming votes of the majority of Democrats. Congress should be focusing on protecting our families. Our constitutional oath that we take when we are sworn into office every 2 years requires us to first ``support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.'' Let us not put Americans at risk because of partisan politics. It is not only irresponsible, it is immoral. Let us do the job that we were sent here to do.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance of funding the Department of Homeland Security. Playing partisan politics with DHS for ransom because you are unhappy with the President's executive order on immigration is inappropriate. There are only 16 days--more importantly, there are only 6 legislative days--remaining before the Department of Homeland Security runs out of money. This is America's security at stake. The events in Paris recently showed us that terrorism remains a threat around the world. It is also a domestic threat. Why in the world would we want to put American citizens at risk, in harm's way? Yet the majority seems to be content to risk our national security by defunding Homeland Security. It is either my way or the highway. The opposition insists that Congress dismantle the administration's immigration priorities, but they have yet to offer or bring a solution to the floor to fix our broken immigration system. If you have a better approach, then bring it to the floor for debate and we will vote on it. In the valley that I represent, the San Joaquin Valley, this bill would have a devastating effect on farmworkers, farmers, and farming communities. I ask us to come together. Let's fund Homeland Security and put the American people first.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague Mr. LaMalfa to pay tribute to the life of Thomas ``Tom'' Birmingham, who passed away on January 8, 2015 at the age of 93. Tom was an extraordinary person, and he will always be remembered as a man who lived his life with purpose and great dedication to his students, family, friends and community. Tom was born on March 21, 1922 to Thomas and Nell Birmingham in Red Bluff, California. He spent much of his childhood living in various northern California towns, as his father's career as a Highway Patrolman required. It was while living with his family in Westwood, California that Tom developed many life-long friendships and his happiest childhood memories. He graduated from Clarksburg High School in Clarksburg, California, now called Delta High School, in 1940. World War II interrupted Tom's first attempt at attending college. He left school to join the United States Navy. In the Navy, Tom was assigned to Bombing Squadron Nineteen which flew off of the USS Lexington. Mr. Birmingham proudly served our country as an aviator, and was awarded an Air Medal and a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on October 25, 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Tom was extremely proud of his service and of the men with whom he served on board the Lexington. Mr. Birmingham continued his education after the War. He enrolled at San Jose State College and graduated in 1950. While at university, Tom competed in numerous track events including the high hurdle and the triple jump, known at the time as the ``hop, skip, jump.'' A talented, athletic individual, Mr. Birmingham garnered the reputation of a world class athlete. In addition to his skills on the track field, Tom was an avid skier, becoming one of the first instructors at the Mt. Shasta Herald Ski School. It was while Tom studied at San Jose State College that he met the love of his life, Lulu Archer. Tom and Lulu were married in 1951 and stayed in the bay area for another year while Tom completed his teaching credential. Lulu truly was Tom's one and only. Later the same year, Tom and Lulu moved to Yreka, California where they grew their family with the addition of three children, Kate, Thomas, and John. In Yreka, Mr. Birmingham accepted a teaching and coaching position at Yreka High School. As a teacher of art and history, Mr. Birmingham was able to motivate students and develop an excitement in them for learning and personal development. Additionally, coaching track and basketball allowed Tom to form lasting bonds with his students, many of whom he kept in contact throughout his life. Following a distinguished 31 years at Yreka High School, Mr. Birmingham retired in 1983. Upon his retirement, Tom and Lulu made it a priority to travel together. He also accepted the responsibility of taking care of his wife in the latter stages of her illness. Several years after her passing in 1987, Tom chose to relocate to Redding, California to be closer to family, specifically his beloved grandchildren. Throughout his life, his hobbies included hunting, fishing, and, in retirement, restoring old cars. Tom's friendliness and honest nature built many lasting friendships during his lifetime. His long and remarkable life is fondly remembered by colleagues, students, friends and family. Tom leaves behind his three children; Kate, Thomas, John, their spouses, and his grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join Mr. LaMalfa and me in saying farewell to a man from the greatest generation, Mr. Thomas W. Birmingham. His genuine character and his loving commitment to his family and community will be greatly missed.

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. ``The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.''

Mr. COSTA

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Hebert Leslie McCabe, Jr., who honorably served our nation in the United States Navy during World War II and was employed by Merced College for more than 30 years. Les was born in Upper Lake, California, on April 9, 1927. Twenty years later he married the love of his life, Elizabeth, with whom he raised five children. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Les returned to California to attend college. He earned a bachelor's degree from UC Davis in 1950, his master's degree from UC Davis in 1956, and his doctorate from Nova-Southeastern University in 1977. Les was employed by Merced College for more than 30 years, working as an Agriculture Business instructor, Career Programs coordinator, and Work Experience coordinator. Les also assumed the roles of Director of Financial Aid and Career Placement and Dean of Vocational Education. Les has the honor of being a charter member of the California Agriculture Teachers Association Hall of Fame as well as a member of the Academic Senate and President of the Faculty Association. Les served honorably on the Merced College Board of Trustees for 16 years and the Merced County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for 15 years. He was also appointed by Governor George Deukmejian to serve on the State Council on Vocational Education. Les and his family have lived in Merced since 1967. He has been active in the community as a member of many organizations, including the American Legion Le Grand Post, Disabled American Veterans Atwater Post, the Masonic Order, and the Scottish Rite. Not one to shy away from leadership, he also served as President of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Merced and President of the Merced County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the service of Les McCabe. He has earned the respect of his peers and the admiration of all who know him.