Henry Cuellar

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the public service of Chief Rodolfo Karisch as he celebrates his retirement after 30 years with the U.S. Border Patrol. Chief Karisch retires after having served with distinction as the Chief Patrol Agent of the Rio Grande Valley Sector and Commander of the South Texas Corridor. Prior to his selection as Chief Patrol Agent of the Rio Grande Valley Sector, Rodolfo Karisch served as Chief of the Tucson and Del Rio Sectors. He also served as Acting Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Professional Responsibility. Throughout his extensive career, Chief Karisch has consistently embodied the Border Patrol's motto of ``Honor First''. Chief Karisch was a friend of mine and a steady, guiding light to his institution throughout his service. His career was dedicated to the best interests of the community and the country, and he worked tirelessly to protect our border, the town of El Paso, and his community. I thank Chief Karisch for three decades of dedicated service and wish him many happy memories with his family and loved ones during his retirement. It is often said that a retirement is an ending, but retirement is also a well-deserved beginning to new adventures and opportunities. I wish him and his family all the best in the future. Madam Speaker, I am happy to recognize the legacy of Chief Rodolfo Karisch.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding to me and for bringing this measure to the floor. I thank Chairman Engel; and I also thank my good friend from Texas, Ranking Member Michael McCaul, for his leadership on this particular issue, and for making this bill a bipartisan bill, which is a very, very important thing to do nowadays. This bipartisan legislation will enhance the leadership of the United States at the international standards-setting bodies for 5G mobile telecom systems and infrastructure. As we all know, and as has been mentioned, China is the most active espionage power when it comes to industrial espionage, theft of intellectual property, and actions against nations and regimes; and we certainly see this as a threat. Once China's 5G technology has been installed in a country, China owns that nation's data, including the personal information of its people. This theft results in unacceptable national security risks and endangers allied information-sharing. Market analysis shows that 5G technologies will create--if we do this ourselves here--up to 3 million new American jobs and add over $500 billion to our country's gross domestic product. This bill aims to increase cooperation between the United States and its allies, and partners, in identifying and countering this risk from China. Furthermore, this bill will increase America's global leadership on 5G technology and provide an alternative to China's dangerous state-run companies, which currently dominate the 5G market. I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, and Chairman Engel for doing this bipartisan legislation. Again, we have got to make sure that our priorities are clear and achievable when it comes to facing this danger. I ask all Members to support this legislation.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I support the USMCA, NAFTA 2.1, because we are doing this in a bipartisan way. I thank Speaker Pelosi and the working group and Chairman Neal and his staff for working so hard; my Texas colleague Kevin Brady and his staff for working so hard; Ambassador Lighthizer and our friends to the south, the Mexicans, for working together. My district is the epicenter of trade between the U.S. and Mexico. My city of Laredo handles 14,000 to 16,000 trailers every single day. The Laredo customs district handles 60 percent of all the trade between the U.S. and Mexico. That means more than $1.7 billion of goods flow between the U.S. and Mexico every day. That is over $1 million every single minute. Trade is good. It means jobs, jobs, jobs. I thank the committee for adding the signature environmental safeguard, the North American Development Bank. That is total, with the EPA, over $500 million for drinking water and for waste treatment plants. Members, pass USMCA. It means one thing: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my chairwoman, Mrs. Nita Lowey, for all the work that she has been doing, along with the staff-- fantastic work--and, of course, my colleague from Texas, also, Ms. Granger, for her and her staff working together as a team. Madam Speaker, I am speaking on this bill. As you know, anytime you develop a consensus, there are things that we might disagree on, but I just have to say that there are so many good things that I agree with: the work that they did for trade, commerce, education, healthcare, transportation, infrastructure, border security, the military, and our veterans. Just to highlight a couple of things: $673 million to hire more immigration judges and support staff; $7.5 billion increase for the Census Bureau; $8 million for the fever ticks, which is so important for south Texas; $50 million-plus for the Department of Defense Impact Aid and $20 million for the Department of Defense Impact Aid for Children with Disabilities for our military bases in Texas and across the Nation; $32 million for carbon emissions capture research, technologies, and storage. We are number one in Texas in energy, but we want to make sure that we do it in a safe environmental way; $135 million for Small Business Development Centers to make sure that we emphasize our small businesses; and Title I Grants to our local schools, which got $16.3 billion. The Pell grant, we increased that to make sure that students have the money to go to college, and I want to say thank you for that increase. On trade, there is money to hire 1,200 CBP officers and ag specialists; and, I guess, once we pass NAFTA 2.0 later on this week, we need to have those inspectors at the bridges, so I want to thank the committee for adding that money. We also added $13 million to hire what we call Border Patrol coordinating officers, and those are entry-level positions so we don't take Border Patrol or CBP officers away from their work; and we can have these new officers do the humanitarian care. Now, unfortunately, there is a little bit of money for the wall, which I don't agree with. But I do want to say thank you for the language that I have asked for, that is, to make sure that we don't construct any fencing in certain areas of my district: the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge; the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park; La Lomita Historical Park; the National Butterfly Center; the Vista Del Mar Ranch, which is SpaceX in Brownsville; and now we added the historical cemeteries. No fence will be built in those areas. I also want to thank them for adding my language on making sure that they sit down with the local jurisdictions, if they have to work on the design or the alignment, so as to mitigate community and environmental impact. I want to thank the committee for adding that language itself. So, again, this is a good bill where both sides got together. I want to thank Ms. Granger and Mrs. Nita Lowey and the committee.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to Austin Bennett Tice's prolonged captivity in Syria, where he has been held since August 14, 2012; over seven years. Austin is an American journalist who headed to Syria to work as a free-lance reporter for the McClatchy News Service between his second and third years at Georgetown Law School. A native of Houston, Texas, and a Georgetown alumnus, Austin is an exceptional young man who demonstrated his determination and potential early in life as both an Eagle Scout and a National Merit Finalist. After graduation from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. As an infantryman, his service included tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the time of his capture, Austin sought to ensure that the world understood the tragic situation in Syria. Because of his dedication to our country, we owe this young man every possible effort to affect his release. Presidential Policy Directive 30, U.S. Nationals Taken Abroad and Personnel Recovery Efforts, clearly commits the Government to working in a coordinated manner and utilizing all instruments of national power to safely recover hostages. We appreciate that commitment and were grateful when the FBI announced last April a $1 million reward for Austin's safe return. We are aware that the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell has been engaged with efforts to secure his release for several years. Madam Speaker, it has now been over four years since that Presidential Policy Directive was finalized, and we strongly urge the President and State Department officials to personally ensure that the U.S. government galvanizes its efforts and employs all appropriate means to secure this young man's safe and expeditious return to the United States.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service and retirement of David P. Higgerson, Director of Field Operations at the Laredo Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He is a great friend, and I sincerely appreciate his service. Mr. Higgerson was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. He attended St. John's Military Academy, Canal Zone College in Panama, and Valparaiso University where he was awarded an associate degree in Accounting. He then chose to serve in the U.S. Army, and was honorably discharged in 1971. Thereafter, he worked as a Customs Inspector in the Panama Canal Zone for seven years, until the treaty of Panama. Mr. Higgerson was then transferred to Laredo, Texas as a Supervisory Inspector. He continued to hold various leadership roles, including Port Director in Hidalgo, Texas and Director in the El Paso and Tucson Field Offices, totaling forty-nine years of experience in the federal government. As Director, Field Operations for Laredo Field Office, Mr. Higgerson was responsible for 8 international ports of entry and the Machinery, Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) processing nearly 59.4 million people, more than 21 million vehicles, over 3 .5 million commercial trucks, and over $194 billion in international trade in 2018. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2018 DHS Secretary's Leadership Award and the South Texas Railroad Strategic Problem-Solving Initiative--Commissioner's Strategic Problem Solving Award. Mr. Higgerson is married to Maria Teresa Higgerson and is the father of five wonderful children. In his free time, he is an avid reader of military and historical tomes. After retirement, Mr. Higgerson plans to spend time with his family and play some golf. Madam Speaker, I have known Mr. Higgerson for many years now and I have always appreciated his friendship and dedication to his work. I am honored to recognize his service and I wish him many more years of happiness.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for her leadership and her expertise on the Appropriations Committee. I also thank my fellow Texan, Ms. Granger, for her work and her leadership on this. And I thank both of them for working in a bipartisan way because, again, in support of this continuing resolution, we are here to build consensus, find common ground, and keep government working for our people. We need to set aside partisanship and bias, and think about and vote for what is best for our country. This measure allows us to continue the conversation while we keep government open and functioning. This bill will extend several programs that are expected to expire at the end of the month. For example, it permits USDA to access the full $30 billion under the Commodity Credit Corporation to assist our hardworking agricultural producers across the U.S. It supports our farmers and ranchers through the Market Facilitation Program. It extends funding for local community mental and substance use disorder treatment, which is so important to our communities. It allows the Census Bureau to continue with the 2020 Census preparation, which is so important for all parts of the country. It supports small businesses by ensuring the continuing operation and funding of SBA loan programs. It maintains critical disaster and emergency funding. It supports rural communities by maintaining funding for water and waste loan programs. It also supports public health initiatives by extending funding for community health centers and graduate medical education. We need to continue working together as Democrats and Republicans, and working with our Senate folks, to make sure that we get this done. Mr. Speaker, I ask Members to support the continuing resolution and continue bipartisanship, and for that, I thank them.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Converse, Texas for their work in fostering better police and civilian relationships through the National Night Out program. Currently celebrating its 36th Anniversary, the National Night Out (NNO) is a unique crime and drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). Founded in 1984, it has grown from a small idea to a national event celebrated by civilians and law enforcement agencies throughout the country. With over 38 million ``neighbors'' and 16 thousand communities participating, it provides a unique opportunity for civilians to learn more about the law enforcement in their community. Throughout its history, it has worked to foster positive community relationships between civilians and law enforcement. It actively engages participants in fun, informational activities that heighten awareness of law enforcement efforts in crime and drug prevention, while also increasing participation in community-based crime deterrent programs. It strengthens neighborhood spirit and encourages law enforcement and community partnerships, sending the message that neighborhoods are organized and ready to fight back against crime. Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the City of Converse for their leadership in supporting the National Night Out program. I encourage all Converse residents to join forces with the thousands of other communities across the county in promoting cooperative crime prevention; your support is vital in the fight against crime.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of raising the minimum wage for millions in our country. This important legislation raises the wage for 45 percent of workers in my district, and provides a wage increase of nearly $640,000. The Raise the Wage Act will indeed lift thousands of my constituents out of poverty and provide opportunity for economic mobility. However, I would like to highlight the work I have done on this legislation to make it more amenable to small, family owned businesses. While I certainly acknowledge that every day Americans deserve a raise, we in Congress must be above rhetoric and talking points. With such a significant change proposed to the minimum wage, this must be carried out in a precise, tactful manner. As of June of this year, the unemployment rate in the United States is a mere 3.7 percent. It is critical that policies we pass through this House do not interrupt or deter this economic prosperity. Furthermore, while I support this important legislation, we must consider how it will affect small businesses and their economic futures. Therefore, I have negotiated with the Committee a provision to lengthen the phase in period to $15 minimum wage until the year 2026. Additionally, I am a co-sponsor of the O'Halleran Amendment. This amendment will require a comprehensive GAO report on national and regional economic impacts of the minimum wage increases in this bill. The report will have a special focus on small business and agricultural sectors. It will facilitate Congress' ability to make policy changes based on the actual economic effects of this legislation. Lastly, I submitted two amendments that exempt local and small farms, as well as small businesses from the $15 minimum wage. These amendments delayed the minimum wage from reaching $15 until the year 2029, as well as kept the current ``tipped-wage'' provision for restaurant workers. I also sought to create a small business tax credit, along with providing two additional years to comply with a doubling of the federal minimum wage. By providing tax credits, compliance exemptions, and a longer runway to $15, my amendments intended to give small businesses the tools they need to thrive in the economy this bill will create. I was disappointed that my amendments were not included in this measure, but will work for their inclusion elsewhere given the vast economic benefits that small businesses provide in my community, and around the country. There are over 30 million small businesses in the United States today. Additionally, there are 24.3 million individually operated businesses with no employees. Small businesses employ over 60 million Americans--nearly half of the private workforce--and there are now over 287,000 small business exporters. The United States small business community contributes approximately $8.5 trillion to the economy, roughly half of the United States total $17 trillion GDP. Small businesses are the back bone of our country, and the engine that drives our economy. While I will vote in favor of this legislation, I hope to have my amendments incorporated as this bill moves through the legislative process. I include them for the Record. Passage of this act is simply the first step. As this legislation heads over to the Senate, I look forward to working with my friends to improve this bill and ensure further small businesses provisions are included, as well as with my colleagues in the House on future legislation that would help address these concerns. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time to recognize the importance of small businesses to our great nation, and the need to pay Americans a living wage. Amendment to H.R. 582, as reported Offered by Mr. Cuellar of Texas Strike section 3 and insert the following new section:

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Smith and his staff for working with our office, and also the ranking member and his staff for working on making this a bipartisan amendment. I would like to speak about an amendment that will do a Western Hemisphere resource assessment. This amendment will require the Office of the Secretary of Defense to contract for an independent study on the sufficiency of U.S. resources in the Western Hemisphere by the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United States Agency for International Development. The purpose is for Congress to receive an unbiased view of all U.S. investments in the region. With ever-increasing investment by China, Iran, and Russia in the Latin American region, we must refocus our efforts with our southern neighbors. Russia is flying nuclear-capable bombers out of Venezuela, near our U.S. border. China intends on investing $250 billion in Latin America by 2025. A new study also has shown that China has become more popular than the United States in many of the Latin American countries. The United States must remain vigilant in Latin America and help the region from succumbing to Chinese, Russian, and Iranian influences. Again, this Western Hemisphere resource assessment is the first step in helping refocus U.S. efforts in the region, and I ask my colleagues to support this amendment and the en bloc amendment. Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Smith and his staff, and the ranking member and his staff, for allowing this amendment to be part of the en bloc, and I urge my colleagues to support this.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and service of Cpl. Jose Luis ``Speedy'' Espericueta. Cpl. Espericueta was an 18-year law enforcement veteran, most of which was spent with the City of Mission Police Department. He began his career with the San Benito Police Department where he received several accolades including, Police Officer of the Year. He then joined the Mission Police Department as a patrol officer before he was promoted to patrol corporal. During his career, he was noted for saving two young children who were trapped in a car and for apprehending multiple armed suspects during a home invasion. He also received a Meritorious Service Award after he saved an elderly individual from a burning house. In addition, he was featured on A&E's Live PD and National Geographic's Border Wars. Cpl. Espericueta is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 21 years, Roberta ``Bobbie'' De Leon Espericueta, and their two children, Brianna and Joaquin. It is important to remember that law enforcement officials risk their lives every day for our safety. Cpl. Espericueta's heroic life and career embodies the integrity and servitude of a truly influential community leader and law enforcement official. I am grateful for the opportunity to honor the life of this remarkable and exemplary officer. His legacy will live on through the lives of the many people he helped to protect. Madam Speaker, I again, recognize Cpl. Espericueta and his heroic service to his community.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and the rest of the appropriators and the staff who are working very hard to get this emergency bill on the floor. This bill is important. I live on the border. I don't just go visit the border. I have been to the CBP processing facilities. I have been to the nonprofit shelters for the immigrant children. I speak with the brave and compassionate men and women who are responsible for managing this humanitarian crisis. These men and women are my neighbors, and we have their back. They have expressed to me the urgency of getting this funding to enable them to protect the life and the safety of the migrants in their custody. But we must also keep in mind the communities that are also providing the food, the housing, and the assistance that they need, communities like Laredo, like McAllen, Texas, like San Antonio, and so many other communities across the southwest border. So we must pass this bill to provide that funding. But there are two particular provisions that I d want to mention, also. One is the humanitarian reimbursement for communities, and the other is the one-stop processing centers that I had requested and have been added on this particular bill itself. Let me talk about the humanitarian care. Madam Speaker, you have cities, you have counties, you have churches, and you have nonprofits that have really stepped up for many years. In fact, they started this work in 2014 when the first wave of children started coming up here. This bill includes $60 million for the direct reimbursement for local communities and nonprofits in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. This funding will now use a different model. One, we set up a new pot of money to make sure that we get that funding. The second thing is this model provides direct funding where the local communities can now ask for these requested moneys. We had a different model back in 2014, and, unfortunately, you had Governors, like my own State of Texas, that got over $100 million and only provided $400,000 in the last 4 years, 5 years. So this new funding will get the money directly to them. In fact, this funding will now be distributed through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board, and they are required to distribute that money within 30 days after this board gets this money. So we have to provide that assistance to them because, again, they have to be reimbursed for food, water, medicine, medical supplies, temporary housing, and transportation. So that assistance has to be provided to the local entities. The second provision is this one-stop center, $200 million to make sure that this multiagency, integrated, migration process gets this.

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, we have to provide this because, again, the Border Patrol agency cannot handle this, and, therefore, we need this particular processing center. Again, it is a good bill. Why should we wait for the Senate? We are the House of Representatives, and we have a right to pass our own bills and not wait for the Senate. For those reasons, I say let's support this bill.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Engel for yielding to me and for his leadership that he has provided in making sure that we develop a good working relationship with the Republic of Mexico. In fact, a few months ago, we also passed a U.S.-Mexico economic development bill that is over in the Senate, and now today we are passing a tourism bill that will be used to promote this important relationship. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership. I also want to thank the ranking member, a friend of mine who is also with me on the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group, and I want to thank him because, as a Texan, he also understands this very important relationship that we have with Mexico. Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the majority staff and, certainly, the minority staff for the Committee on Foreign Affairs because they get it. They understand the type of legislation that we need to have to improve this relationship that we have between the U.S. and Mexico. So I want to thank both staffs. The relationship with Mexico is very important. Let me first talk about trade. Every day, there is more than $1.7 billion of trade between the U.S. and Mexico. That is over $1 million every single minute, the trade that we have between these two countries. If we look at the more than 5 million jobs that have been created because of the trade that we have with Mexico, it is important that we nourish this relationship. So it is not only the trade that we have, the commerce that we have, but it is certainly also the tourism. In 2016, we had over 19 million Mexicans that came over and spent over $20.5 billion at our restaurants, at our hotels, at our malls, at our stores--a lot of money that has been spent here in the United States. But the last couple years, we have seen a different trend. While international tourist arrivals in the U.S. have totaled 79.6 million visitors, which has been almost a 5 percent increase, a 4.2 percent increase, the tourism from Mexico has actually decreased, and, again, for different reasons. Again, if we call them murderers, rapists, and other words, they are not going to come and spend the money. So we have to make sure that we get our friends to the south to come back and spend money because, again, in 2016, Mexican tourism to the United States peaked at almost 19 million, which means that one out of every four international visitors, that is almost 25 percent of the tourists coming from across the world, was coming here to the United States from Mexico. Madam Speaker, this is why, with Chairman Engel and my good friend, the ranking member, Michael McCaul, we are trying to make sure that we get this tourism back because, again, it is good for our economy. What does this bill do? Basically, it is asking that we focus on doing a couple things: Having the State Department develop a strategy to expand this bilateral tourism with Mexico; Encouraging collaboration between governmental and nongovernmental entities; Making sure that this strategy is at the highest level, which is, again, at the High Level Economic Dialogue platform with Mexico; and Making sure that the Mexican Government is involved. I have spoken to some of the Mexican congressmen that we met last time we were there, like, for example, Congressman Luis Alegre from the Cancun area. They know that this tourism business is very important. Madam Speaker, again, I want to thank the chairman; I want to thank the ranking member; and, again, I want to thank the staff for putting this bill up. Madam Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this measure which will return the economic benefits of bilateral tourism with Mexico again to our U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letter in support of H.R. 6, The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019. Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities (AJCU), May 31, 2019. Hon. Henry Cuellar, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Cuellar: I write to you, an alum of one of our nation's Jesuit colleges and universities, in support of H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act of 2019, as it was amended by the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month. This is important legislation that clearly reflects the values of Jesuit institutions across the country. The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) stated in 2016: ``Grounded in our Catholic and Jesuit mission, we are guided by our commitment to uphold the dignity of every person, to work for the common good of our nation, and to promote a living faith that works for justice. We see our work of teaching, scholarship and the formation of minds and spirits as a sacred trust. That calls us to labor for solidarity among all people, and especially with and for the poor and marginalized in our society. That trust calls us to embrace the entire human family, regardless of their immigration status or religious allegiance. And experience has shown us that our communities are immeasurably enriched by the presence, intelligence and contributions of undocumented students, as well as of faculty and staff of every color and from every faith tradition.'' That statement went on to reaffirm our commitment to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Likewise, its principles lead us to strongly support passage of H.R. 6, which would finally provide lawful permanent resident status, and a pathway toward citizenship for the Dreamers who are very much a part of Jesuit campus communities across the nation. The presence of those young people on our campuses has enabled us to come to know and admire them. They have long considered the United States their home and, in fact, many of them have hardly any recollections of the countries where they were born. These individuals are pursuing or have successfully completed at least two years of higher education, served in our military or been steadily employed. Simply put, we cannot imagine not wanting these individuals to remain a part of our country. Under provisions of H.R. 6, those who qualify for the program cannot have committed a felony or other serious crimes and can pose no threat to national security or public safety. These individuals are contributing to our society and our economy. They work and pay taxes. Indeed, they have lived their lives as Americans, but with the exception of having the legal status that they well deserve. For too long, they have had to live with uncertainty. With your help, by voting for H.R. 6, Congress will have taken a major step to remedy that situation. Sincerely, Michael J. Sheeran, S.J., President, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Gus Garcia, Austin, TX's first Hispanic mayor and the first Hispanic to serve on the Austin school board. Mr. Garcia was born in Zapata, TX and moved to Laredo when he was ten years old. After serving in the Army, he utilized the GI bill to afford college and graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in accounting. Later, he would become a Certified Public Accountant and eventually start his own firm. While searching for housing in Austin, he and his wife, Marina, were subject to discrimination in neighborhoods around the university. He also faced professional challenges from those still reluctant to hire a Hispanic accountant. These experiences led Mr. Garcia into the realm of politics and shaped his commitment to representing Hispanics in Austin, TX. Mr. Garcia served as a member of the Austin School Board, city council, and, eventually, as the Mayor of Austin. His colleagues remember him as a dedicated and industrious civil servant who always inspired those around him through his tireless efforts. The Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy, a middle school in East Austin, was named in honor of his groundbreaking career. Mr. Garcia is survived by his three sons, five grandchildren, and wife, Marina. However, he will be remembered by countless others for his commitment to civil rights and a career that changed the face of politics in Austin.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, Melisa D. Montemayor was born in Duval County, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in biology. Mrs. Montemayor served the state of Texas for 29 years, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Mrs. Montemayor also worked as the Laredo District Advance Transportation Planning Director and managed long- range and short-range transportation planning for the district. She also arranged transportation improvement plans with the Laredo Metropolitan Planning Organization. Through her extensive work with local and federal legislators, consulting firms, and fellow TxDOT staff, she developed essential projects for Laredo and the state of Texas. For her efforts she received the U.S. Department of Transportation's ``Design for Transportation 2000 National Award'' and the Texas Department of Transportation Environmental Achievement Award. Mrs. Montemayor's involvement has been essential to the Laredo community. I have confidence that she will continue to aid her community in any way she can and I wish her well on her retirement. Today, Mrs. Montemayor lives in Laredo, Texas with her husband, Adrian, and their daughter, Ari. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Mrs. Montemayor and her outstanding career.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez Cigarroa. Dr. Cigarroa was born in San Antonio but soon moved with his family to Laredo, Texas. From an early age, he knew that medicine was going to be his calling and devoted himself to academics. He graduated as valedictorian from his class at Martin High School, then went off to attend the University of Texas and then Harvard Medical School, where he received his medical degree. He was the first Harvard University medical student from the Texas-Mexico border. After graduating, Dr. Cigarroa served his country as a first lieutenant with the U.S. Army Medical Corps before returning to Laredo and practicing medicine. Dr. Cigarroa made a dramatic impact on education, not only in Laredo but across the State of Texas, and also in healthcare. He will be fondly remembered for his commitment to education, healthcare, and a career that changed the way of life for so many people. Dr. Cigarroa is survived by his wife, Barbara Judith Raymond Flores; their children: Patricia, Barbara, Francisco, Ricardo, Jorge, Carlos, Gabriella, Joaquin, Maria-Elena, and Marisa--10 children; and, again, by so many grandchildren and so many great-grandchildren. Madam Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to honor the life of Dr. Joaquin Cigarroa.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Efrain Jesus ``E.J.'' Laurel. Mr. Laurel was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. He began his career as a U.S. Customs agent and later became a DEA agent. He eventually served Webb County Precinct 4 as a constable and briefly served as Chief of the Laredo Police Department before leaving in 1991. Mr. Laurel's colleagues considered him an intelligent, accomplished, and passionate worker. He was revered by many in his community for his hard work and dedication to the citizens of Laredo. He truly loved working in law enforcement and was well-respected in the field. Mr. Laurel had also earned a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and was said to have a great knowledge of historical facts. He had many interests and passions including the Houston Astros. Mr. Laurel is survived by his children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren, siblings, and mother-in-law. He was a beloved father, friend, and public servant. He was a well-respected hero in his community and leaves a legacy of serving his country and protecting those at home throughout his career of more than four decades.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Gabriel ``G.E.'' Martinez. Mr. Martinez proudly served his country during the Vietnam War, spending four years stationed in Thailand and Vietnam. He received various awards for his many acts of service including the National Defense Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon, and the Vietnam Service Medal. After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Martinez continued serving the American people as a police officer and was eventually promoted to Sergeant for the Laredo Police Department (LPD). He eventually retired after many years of service with the LPD and worked as a court security officer in Webb County and later in the Webb County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office. Madam Speaker, it is important that we recognize our military and police officers and all those that bravely serve our country. Mr. Martinez is one example of the many men and women who have proudly served and protected others throughout their careers. He was admired and respected by many and his legacy lives on through his professional accomplishments and family. Mr. Martinez was a loving father and husband. He is survived by his wife Beva Rivera, their five children, twelve grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. His commitment to public service lives on through his two sons, Pat and Benito Martinez, who are officers for the Laredo Police Department.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mr. Carlos Jose Carranco, Sr. Mr. Carranco was born and raised in Laredo, TX. He attended Martin High School and eventually served as a combat infantryman during World War II. He proudly served his country and was honorably discharged in May of 1946. After the war, Mr. Carranco graduated from Laredo Junior College before attending Texas A&I, known today as Texas A&M University- Kingsville, where he received his bachelor's degree in education and master's degree in education administration. Mr. Carranco later made an impact educating his local community for 42 years as a secondary school teacher and at Laredo Community College. He also served as a Principal at both Thomas Sanchez Elementary School and Santa Maria Elementary School in Laredo; together comprising 26 years of his educational career. Mr. Carranco was a well-respected individual who led a life of service. He was a steward of the Laredo community through teaching and helping others reach their full potential. His dedication to others demonstrates what it really means to be an American. Mr. Carranco is survived by his wife of 15 years, Bessie Lee Carranco, his brother Antonio Carranco, as well as several children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Herbert Kelleher. Mr. Kelleher was born in Camden, New Jersey to Ruth and Harry Kelleher. He attended Wesleyan University and received his bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Philosophy. At Wesleyan, he was an Olin Scholar and president of the student body. He later attended law school at New York University where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar. He and his wife eventually moved to Texas, where he co-founded Southwest Airlines and helped build one of the world's largest and most successful airlines. As CEO and Executive Chairman of Southwest Airlines, Mr. Kelleher, was known as a witty, inspiring, and compassionate leader and friend. He also valued his employees above all else and never laid off a single worker. He received many honors and awards including CEO of the year and even CEO of the century by Texas Monthly Magazine. He was well-known within the business and financial world and received awards such as the Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute. He is also remembered through scholarships named in his honor such as the Herbert D. Kelleher Servant Leader Scholarship. Mr. Kelleher also played a role on many boards such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Mr. Kelleher, often referred to by his first name Herb, was also dearly loved by his family. He is survived by his wife, Joan Negley Kelleher, whom he met while attending school at Wesleyan University. They were married for sixty-four years and had four children. He is survived by three of his children, Michael Kelleher, David Kelleher and Ruth Agather. He is also lovingly remembered by nine grandchildren, who called him ``Poppair''.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank Chairwoman Lowey for her leadership and the staff on both the Republican side and the Democratic side for working so hard. Mr. Speaker, I thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairwoman Roybal-Allard, Ranking Member Kay Granger, and, of course, all the members, the conferees, who worked so hard to come up with this bipartisan, bicameral spending package. The conferees worked together to make sure that we seek an acceptable funding solution for the different sides we have. Now, what do we have here? It is a matter of vision. There are some people who see the border as a crisis, and I respectfully disagree with them. There are some of us who live on the border who see the border as a place of community, opportunity, where we raise our families, where we send our kids to school, and where we have trade and tourism. In that place called the border, I will tell you that if you look at crime rates, the border crime rate is lower than the national crime rate. I am not going to pick any selective cities, but I can tell you that I can pick any city, and the crime rate in the cities of some of my colleagues are higher than the border crime rate that we have. We came up with a balance between what those two visions were. What we did is we found a way to provide technology at ports of entry, found a way to balance border security, but, at the same time, provide security. On the border, we don't believe in open borders. We want to see smart border security, and I think that is what this bill does. We were able to get together. It is a bill that provides funding not only for border security, but, keep in mind, there are six other bills that provide money for agriculture, transportation, education, and healthcare. For that reason, Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to vote ``yes'' on this conference report.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I live on the border, and we have to understand that, every day, there is about $1.3 billion of trade between the U.S. and Mexico. That is a lot of jobs that are being created on this side. When you look at the Mexicans who come over and shop, one out of every four international tourists will be people from across the river. That is over $20 billion that is spent on the U.S. side in hotels, restaurants, and many other places. Those are jobs over here. We want to see strong border security, but, again, we have to make sure that we find the balance between legitimate trade and tourism. The way to do that is to look at technology that has worked for the military that can work for us on the border and hire the right number of Border Patrol and CBP officers. If we do that, we can find a way to find the balance between legitimate trade and tourism, and I ask you to please consider that as we debate border security.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman Roybal-Allard for her leadership on the Homeland Security Subcommittee, and for her ideas on how we secure the border. I also want to thank the ranking member, my friend from Tennessee; the full committee ranking woman, Kay Granger, for the work that she has done; and our leader, Mrs. Lowey, the chairwoman of the full committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this joint resolution to reopen the government and the Department of Homeland Security. As we have said all along, we must first open up the government, and we can negotiate. We have always done that. We have always kept the government open and then we negotiate. We are doing this so the Federal employees do not suffer. It has been 34 days since the government shutdown, far surpassing any other previous record. That means that it has been 34 days that 800,000 Federal employees have not received pay. I live at the border. I don't just go and visit the border. I drink the water. I breathe the air. I talk to Border Patrol agents almost every day. I have talked to CBP officers every day. I talk to TSA officers. I talk to other folks, and they are doing absolutely critical work to keep us safe, but not receiving a salary. Open up the government. Imagine trying to patrol the border or keep airline passengers safe without receiving a single dime for the last 34 days. You might be concerned about not being able to pay your mortgage, your car payment, food, and medicine. Your kids are going to school. That is what is going through the heads of those Federal employees at the border. I have talked to them, and we need to make sure that we open up the government. The American public is ready for President Trump to put an end to this crippling shutdown. Let's keep the facts in mind. The President continues to reject any sort of compromise. We are ready. We are appropriators. We can sit down and work this out. I know we can. We have done it in the past. What I want to make sure is that we don't hold the Federal employees hostage for a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem that we are looking at. In Texas, we have natural barriers. Look at this, in west Texas, you have got probably over 100 feet of barriers up there. These are the natural barriers. Tell me how somebody is going to cross this natural barrier that we have. If you look at the southern part of Texas, you have a river. Private property rights are important. Tell me how you are going to cross over this river. Are you going to put a wall here and cut off people from their property that they have owned for so long? How are you going to do this? All I need is a $100 ladder to cross that particular area, or you can dig under with a tunnel. Listen to the latest drug case in New York. What are the bad guys saying there? They can either go under through a tunnel, or they can use a catapult. They can use a ladder. They can use other things. We want to make sure that we secure the border. I live on the border. I want to make sure we secure the border, but let's do it the right way. Now, if you want to stop people from coming in, remember, 67 percent of the people who are here illegally, how do they come here? Through a legal visa. So even if you put up a wall, they are going to fly over, they are going to drive to a bridge, or they are going to go ahead and come through on a ship. Keep in mind, most of those visa overstays, do you know where they are from? Canada. Now, I am not asking you to look at the northern border to put up a wall, but I am saying Canadians. Look at the facts. So if you want to stop drugs, just like the chairwoman said, DEA, CPB, the National Drug Threat Assessment, they will tell you that most drugs come through ports of entry, either in car compartments, in trunks, in trains, or other ways. So even if you put up a wall, they are going to go in. What we do is, we have got to make sure that we put canines at our bridges, make sure we have enough CBP officers, and make sure we have X-ray machines. Look at Laredo, my hometown. We get 15,000 trailers a day. We need to put technology there. We need to put canines there. We need to put in CBP officers to make sure that we work on securing our border. Everybody talks about a crisis. In 2001, we had about 1.6 million individuals that Border Patrol stopped. Now it is 398,000. Look at what happened. The numbers have gone down. And if you want to talk about safety, our security, I will tell you that my hometown of Laredo is about three or four times safer than we are here in Washington, D.C.; murder rates, assaults, rapes, name all of the violent crimes, it is safer there.