Henry Cuellar

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, the most dangerous thing that I do is leave the border to come to Washington, D.C. I am not talking about the politics. I am talking about, it is more violent here. So what should we do? Let's open up the government. Let's sit down, advocate for 21st century solutions, technology, increase personnel. We are losing more Border Patrol. What do we do? What does the administration do? They put a $297 million contract out to show them how to hire Border Patrol. They just put out a $14.8 million payment to hire two--two--two Border Patrol agents for almost $15 million. Increase personnel, increase the infrastructure at our ports of entry, and increase immigration judges. We have been increasing immigration judges for the last 3 years. This is nothing new. We have been doing that. Again, one of the most important things, do we play defense on the 1- yard line, where we spend $18 billion at the U.S. border? Or do we play defense on the 20-yard line, which is working with the southern part of Mexico, where we put $80 million a couple of years ago? And what happened? They started stopping 220,000 individuals a year, a lot of people who are coming in, and putting money in Central America, which we have done before, to do that. So, again, given the facts, I just call upon our friends: open up the government; let's negotiate. We are appropriators. I feel very confident if we open up the government and we sit down, we will find a solution.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Dallas ``Dally'' Leon Willis--a husband, father, and friend. Dallas Leon Willis was born in Dallas, Texas to Eunice Williams Willis and John Albert Willis. Mr. Willis joined the United States Marine Corps on October 6, 1941, after graduating from Cleburne High School. His duties during his military service included an assignment as a tail-gunner on a B-24 Liberator. Additionally, he served as a photography specialist, a role in which he helped map the South Pacific. Over time, he rose through the ranks to become Master Technical Sergeant before concluding his time with the Marine Corps on November 13, 1945. He then worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, now known as AT&T. His leadership skills led him to join the Communication Workers of America (CWA) as the organizer ofthe annual Labor Day celebration in Odessa, Texas. He later assumed a legislative lobbyist position for CWA, during which he was instrumental in the passage of landmark telecommunications legislation. For his efforts, Mr. Willis was selected for the Texas AFL-CIO Labor Hall of Fame in 2015. Mr. Willis was one of the most admired people to ever walk the halls of the Texas State Capitol. He was an individual who was always helpful. I recall when I joined the Texas Legislature, I could go to him for advice. In a resolution, the Texas Senate recognized him as the Dean of Texas Lobbyists.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present H.R. 1210, which will re-name the post office facility located at 122 W. Goodwin Street, Pleasanton, Texas, as the ``Pleasanton Veterans Post Office.'' This bill will show our appreciation for the veterans of Pleasanton, Texas, and ensure their service and sacrifices to our country is not forgotten. Across my district, fine men and women of all walks of life have honorably served our country. It is critical that we honor their service and dedication to our nation. Pleasanton alone is home to over 600 veterans. Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as an enduring reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and family made while serving their country. These individuals put country ahead of self, and I am proud to recognize them with the dedication of this post office facility. Today, I acknowledge the service of Judge Robert ``Bob'' L. Hurley of Pleasanton, TX. Judge Hurley served in the United States Air Force as a medic and eventually rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was NCOIC of the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Medical Clinic--Medical Records and Appointments Department. After the completion of his service, he moved back to Pleasanton. He later became president of two companies and served his hometown as both a councilmember and mayor. He now serves as a Judge for Atascosa County, a position he's held since 2014. We owe our freedom to veterans like Judge Hurley, which is why I am recognizing him with the dedication of this post office. He is just one example of the many veterans who prioritize service to their country. The bravery and commitment of these men and women to our nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American. I would also like to take a moment to thank the veterans' organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing the care our veterans need. And in the words of President John F. Kennedy, ``A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.''

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present H.R. 1211, which will re-name the post office facility located at 400 N. Main Street, Encinal, Texas, as the ``Encinal Veterans Post Office''. This bill, shows our appreciation to our veterans and ensures their service and sacrifices to our country is not forgotten. Across my district, fine men and women of all walks of life have honorably served our country. It is critical that we honor their service and dedication to our nation. Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as an enduring reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and family made while serving their country. These individuals put country ahead of self, and I am proud to recognize them with the dedication of this post-office facility. Today, I want to acknowledge the service of Judge Frank Weikel of Encinal. Judge Weikel enlisted in the United States Navy after high school and served for eight years. After his discharge from the Navy he worked at several companies before serving on the Encinal City Council and as Mayor Pro tempore. Eventually, he was elected Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2 in La Salle County. The courage and dedication of Judge Weikel represents what it really means to be an American. He is amongst the many veterans in the State of Texas, and across the nation, who have served their country faithfully. I would also like to take a moment to thank the veterans' organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing the care our veterans need. And in the words of President John F. Kennedy, ``as we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them''.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Mr. Engel, for yielding to me and also for his leadership in helping to bring this bill to the floor. I thank him and his staff for the wonderful work that they have done. I also thank Chairman Royce and his staff for their leadership. I, with both Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, spoke a lot about this bill and why it is important that we pass this particular bill. I thank my colleagues, Representative Castro and Representative Poe, who helped on this bill. I thank them for their work on the committee, and also Representative McCaul for signing on as a bipartisan measure. In fact, in the next few days, on Friday, Representative McCaul, myself, and a delegation will be going over to Mexico for the swearing in. I think this is a very appropriate time, as Mr. Engel mentioned, to have this bill to send this positive message. This bill is important in many ways. It is bipartisan legislation that promotes mutual national security interests and economic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico, with a focus on the energy, health, entrepreneurship, and education sectors. Mexico is one of the United States' top trading partners, with an estimated $615 billion in two-way trade between those two countries, which means that every day there is more than $1.3 billion of trade between the U.S. and Mexico. That means that every single minute you are talking about more than $1 million of trade between the U.S. and Mexico, and this is why it is very important to have this type of relationship. As the chairman mentioned a few minutes ago, in the 2015-2016 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education, more than 56,000 United States students studied in other countries in the Western Hemisphere, while more than 84,000 non-U.S. students from that region studied in the U.S. However, there are only 5,000 of those United States students who studied in Mexico, and only 16,000 of those non-U.S. students were from Mexico. This is why we need to do more to increase our educational exchange with our very important trading partner. Specifically, this bill establishes that it should be the policy of the United States to continue deepening the economic cooperation between the United States and Mexico and to expand the educational and professional exchange programs with our neighbors to the south. In order to do this, it would require the Secretary of State to develop a strategy that: One, encourages more economic exchanges between the two countries at the secondary, postsecondary, and postgraduate levels, especially with communities in the southern border region; Two, encourages the United States and Mexican academic institutions and businesses to collaborate to train aspiring entrepreneurs; Three, promotes energy infrastructure coordination and cooperation through the support of vocational education, internships, and exchanges between both countries; and Four, assesses the feasibility of fostering binational partnerships between universities and medical school and nursing programs, and that is a natural fit that we can do with that particular neighbor to the south. So, again, if we increase economic exchanges at universities that we have in Texas and across California and New Mexico and Arizona and other parts, that basically means that we will better prepare our students for success in the workplace and increase job opportunities for those areas and the small businesses along the border. Again, to conclude, I thank the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman Ed Royce. He is very passionate about Mexico, and I thank him for that passion. I thank Ranking Member Eliot Engel again. He is very passionate. I think this is something that we feel is very important about Mexico, and I thank him for advancing this bill through the committee. And, again, to the staff, both on the Republican side and on the Democratic side, I thank them. So, to conclude, I encourage my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation, and I look forward to seeing this bill pass into law.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Lowey for yielding, and I want to thank her for her leadership that she provides in the Appropriations Committee. I also want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen. As Ms. Wasserman Schultz said, we are going to miss you. We appreciate your leadership, and we thank you. You are a decent human being, and we really appreciate your friendship. I also want to thank the staff and the Members on both sides of the aisle who have worked in a very bipartisan way to address these issues that are important. Every year, we have to pass the appropriations bill. It is the train that has to pass every year. And I certainly want to thank Mrs. Lowey, the chairman, and the folks responsible for making this happen. First of all, let me talk about defense. I certainly agree with the Members that this provides billions of dollars to make sure that we restore critical military readiness programs. We have to make sure we have a strong military, and with this funding, we will. I certainly appreciate the sacrifice that the men and women make to protect our country, and this is what this appropriation bill does. We also fully fund the 2.6 percent pay raise for our military families because, again, we have to make sure that we support them because they are under very difficult times. There are a lot of other things in the Defense Appropriations bill, whether it is the assistance that provides $50 million for specialized counseling programs to meet the unique needs of military children or whether it is the National Guard's counterdrug program to help reduce the illegal drugs from coming into the United States. Those are areas that are strong for our military. Let me move over to the Labor-HHS bill. There are so many things that both Chairman Cole and Ms. DeLauro also provided that they worked so hard on; let me just highlight a couple of them. The Pell grant is so important because we increased the amount by an extra $100. Now the maximum amount is $6,195. You have to have Pell grants so that we can have our young students go off to college. $10 billion for Head Start. There was a $200 million increase. I want to thank our folks for adding that money. The Federal TRIO program and the GEAR UP program are moneys that we added. I certainly want to say thank you also for the $907 million for senior nutrition programs to help our seniors. The title I grants for school districts, $15.9 billion that we added. And the last thing I want to talk about is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, we have increased the funding to provide that type of assistance. So, again, I want to say thank you to the chairman, to our ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, and all of the staff on both sides, I thank them for a job well done.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for yielding and for the wonderful work she has done as our leader in the Appropriations Committee. I certainly want to thank, also, the chairman for his leadership and the bipartisan work that both individuals, Mrs. Lowey and Mr. Frelinghuysen, have done in working together to make sure we pass this legislation and bring these three bills to the floor. I would like to highlight a couple of things that some Members have included. First of all, on the MILCON-VA, we are talking about a $5 billion increase. My friend from Texas (Mr. Carter) and Ms. Debbie Wasserman Schultz have worked together in a bipartisan way. There is $86.5 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which includes funding for mental health services, modernizing the VA's health record system, and addressing the claims backlog that every Member knows has been so difficult. So that extra $5 billion is going to do a lot to help the veterans. There is also $10.3 billion for military construction projects that will support our troops and our freedom at home. I know that in my part of San Antonio, San Antonio's Military USA, this is an important type of assistance. Certainly, we have $1.3 billion for telehealth. This amount is $30 million above what we just provided earlier this year. This will further expand the telehealth capacity to rural areas. There is also $206 million for suicide prevention outreach for veterans. Again, whether it is this or the Energy and Water bill--and I see the two leaders over here, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Appropriations--these are monies that will be helpful to the San Antonio area for flood mitigation or even for Corpus Christi to improve the channel project that will make sure that they will be able to handle the capacity to export petroleum products, which is a $13 million increase. Again, I want to say thank you to everybody working together in a bipartisan way.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Chair, I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Pallone, for yielding and his leadership in the committee, for all the work that he and his staff have done. I also want to thank my fellow Texan, Mr. Olson, for bringing this legislation to the floor. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Johnson, for introducing this bipartisan bill, along with my friend Gene Green, also from Texas. In particular, the dean, Mr. Barton, I want to thank Mr. Barton because, back in December 2015, Mr. Barton and I worked along with a team here to lift the ban on oil exports, and that has been the boom for not only Texas, but for the rest of the country. Today's legislation, Madam Chair, deals with H.R. 4606, the Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act. This bipartisan legislation codifies the Department of Energy's recent efforts to encourage the exports of small volumes of natural gas as countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America look to the United States to meet their natural gas needs. Let me give you an example, a different type of country, Mexico. Mexico is getting a lot of natural gas from us and refined products. In fact, the U.S. has an $8 billion surplus when it comes to natural gas that we are sending off, so we can also help our friends in the Caribbean and Central America and South America if we do the same thing. The bottom line is this means jobs. I have the Eagle Ford area, and I know about the jobs. Whether they are at $60,000, $70,000, or more, those are good jobs, and if we are able to export, we will be able to create jobs also. This is why it is important that we continue working with our former Governor, Rick Perry, in the Energy Department, to approve any application to import or export small amounts of LNG if there is no environmental review required and that application waiting time will be reduced by several months. Those several months mean jobs. Right now, the U.S. is currently the world's largest producer of natural gas, with trillions of cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. And again, if we work together, especially with Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, we will be the new Middle East of the world by sticking together and working together. Again, this bipartisan piece of legislation will benefit our economy, strengthen our ties with allies abroad, reduce our allies' reliance on Russian natural gas. Again, this is good for the country, and we need to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, so let's move this bill forward to that particular goal. Again, I want to thank all of you all for working on this bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 990. The issue is not the law enforcement agencies or the personnel, but, rather, it is the administration's policies regarding enforcement. ICE has become a lightning rod for the anger, quite honestly, about President Trump's hardline immigration policies. Our number one goal is to defend our homeland. ICE officers and special agents perform a vital role each day to keep our country safe. I want to make sure that we clear up some confusion about what ICE does, what their functions are. ICE is split into two primary functions: one is the enforcement and removal operations, which is the one that enforces the Nation's immigration laws; the other, which is very, very important, is it investigates all types of cross-border criminal activities, which include financial crimes; money laundering; bulk cash smuggling; commercial fraud; intellectual property theft; cyber crimes; child pornography; human rights violations; human smuggling and trafficking; information, document, and benefit fraud; narcotics and weapons smuggling and trafficking; transnational gang activities; export enforcements; and international art and antiquity theft. Again, as has been mentioned, the good work that ICE has done in FY 2017: 4,818 transnational gang members were arrested, over 11,000 narcotics criminal arrests were made, and 904 sexually exploited children were identified and rescued. I know that for a fact because my brother has worked with ICE, the sheriff down there, Martin Cuellar, and they have saved some of the kids there. Again, the issue is not law enforcement agencies or personnel. It is not the men and women who are working there very hard every day, but it is, rather, the policies of the administration regarding this. Again, I would ask Members to please look at this legislation and support it.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Sherman for yielding and for the leadership that he has provided on this issue. Certainly, I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from California, Mr. Ed Royce, who has been working on this issue for so many years. I want to thank him and the ranking member of the committee, Mr. Engel, for all of the work that they have done. In particular, I want to thank my co-chair, Mr. Fortenberry, for his leadership. I remember talking about this particular bill at the very beginning, and here we are about to pass very important legislation. Certainly, I want to join Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Ed Royce, Mr. Engel, myself, Ms. McCollum, and the rest of the cosponsors on this bipartisan bill that promotes sustainable economic development, combats wildlife trafficking in Africa's critical Okavango River Basin, which supports more than a million people in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and which is home to several threatened wildlife species, including the largest remaining elephant population in the world. Today, that region is at a near breaking point due to the not very well thought of development activities, and we have got to make sure that we act together. Specifically, this bill will protect the vital Okavango River Basin by strengthening coordination between the United States, Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, and leveraging partnerships with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and regional bodies; prioritizing wildlife trafficking to make sure that we stop these poaching programs that have really affected this particular area; promoting sustainable economic growth for local communities through responsible natural resource management; and, more importantly, helping to stop the extinction of these majestic animals, these elephants and other endangered species. So it is important that we all work together as lawmakers in a bipartisan way and also partner with nations to build international political support for sustainable development while protecting the world's most sensitive ecosystems. In today's global community, it is crucial that we assist our international partners and make sure that we find a better way to protect our world. In conclusion, I would say that we only have one world to live in. It is up to us to ensure that we promote sustainable development so our children and grandchildren have a better world to live in. I want to thank the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, my colleagues, our co-chairs, and all of the Members on both sides that have worked so hard for this bipartisan support of this particular bill. So I thank my Members and colleagues for bringing this important matter to the U.S. Congress' attention, and I urge the support of this bill.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I first of all want to thank the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) for the great leadership that she has provided in the committee and in the House also. I also want to thank my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) for his leadership and for the great service that he has provided the country here in the U.S. Congress. This particular bill means a lot to my district. I also want to thank, before I forget, the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for unanimous support of this particular bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2734, a bill which would designate the Federal courthouse located in my district at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, Texas, as the George P. Kazen Building and United States Courthouse. Judge Kazen was born in Laredo, Texas, on February 29--a leap year-- in 1940. He received his law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1961. Shortly after graduation, he served a term as a brief attorney for the Texas Supreme Court and entered the United States Air Force as a JAG officer, where he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal also. Judge Kazen would return back to the city of Laredo in 1965, where he practiced law until he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to become a United States district judge in 1979 for the Southern District of Texas. During his many years of service in the courtroom, he was known as an honest, humble, and dedicated individual. He was also among the most respected judges in the State and in the country, and consistently ruled with class and fairness, all while still making time to serve numerous civic organizations throughout south Texas. Judge Kazen recently retired after almost 40 years of service on the bench. I am pleased to have this opportunity to honor him and say that this is an outstanding individual and a very noble individual. Dedicating this Federal building and courthouse would serve as a reminder to all of us of this great man of character who served his community and his country for so many years. Also, I want to convey my legislative intent for this bill that the central jury assembly room on the first floor of this courthouse be known as the Marcel C. Notzon II Jury Room. Judge Notzon was born on August 24, 1935, in Laredo. His love for the law and justice spanned a legal career over 39 years, with almost a quarter century on the bench as the United States magistrate judge for the Southern District of Texas. Judge Kazen, the man whom this building will be named after, would call Judge Notzon the ``heart of the courthouse.'' Judge Notzon, who just recently passed away, will be most remembered as a portrait of a beloved and compassionate public servant and for a full life he served in accordance with the rule of law. In particular, I want to thank Senator John Cornyn and Senator Cruz for helping to bring this bill to the floor in the Senate and successfully passing the Senate, and all my Texas colleagues, all 36 Members from Texas in the House, for also supporting this piece of legislation that would honor George P. Kazen throughout this earned gesture. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to show their support for this bill to name the Federal courthouse located at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, Texas, as the George P. Kazen Federal Building and United States Courthouse. I want to thank Ms. Titus and Mr. Barletta for their work and their support, and their staff also, and the committee.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me, and I thank our ranking member, again, for trying to work together. Again, I respectfully support H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2017. This is an issue that I have been working on since the 1990s in the State legislature. In fact, I was the author of house bill 66 when the Democrats controlled the Governorship, the House, the Senate, and the State legislature. I was able to pass the first unfunded mandates bill in the State of Texas. This particular issue in Congress started in 1995 under the Clinton administration. Again, with a Republican Congress working together, the Congress passed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act in 1995. This legislation was designed to prevent the Federal Government from imposing unfunded mandates on States and local governments, or private businesses, without policymakers or the public knowing the cost of such policies. This legislation ensured public awareness of the financial burden of Federal mandates on small-business owners and on State and local governments. However, this unfunded mandates bill has not been amended since 1995, and some of those changes are necessary to preserve and improve the act's initial purpose. This bill closes some of the loopholes by removing independent agency reporting exemptions, setting forth detailed assessment criteria, and allowing judicial review of agency assessments. My district has a number of rural and underserved communities that need many resources. Imposing unfunded mandates on these kinds of communities makes life even more difficult for hardworking Americans to access basic needs, such as water infrastructure, sanitary water, and adequate living conditions. Additionally, this bill requires that Federal agencies consult with the private sector when issuing regulations. What is wrong with consultation? Again, it allows recourse for companies, if agencies do not comply. As a former small-business owner, I know the challenges of opening a business; the challenges of keeping a business open, including finding the resources and funds to get started; and how to keep a business running, especially on a tight budget. Higher costs for these entrepreneurs make it more difficult for them to start and maintain a business, which means blunted economic growth for communities that need it the most, like the ones I represent in south Texas. This bill restores and provides a framework to provide clarity to small business and local governments, and allows workers and entrepreneurs to freely pursue their dreams. The bottom line is this: This bill will create more certainty for our Nation's businesses, including the small-business owners and the entrepreneurs who invest in the future, and allow more Americans to achieve the dream of business ownership. I encourage my colleagues from both parties to support it.

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairwoman Foxx for introducing this legislation and encourage both sides of the aisle to support it. I understand this is a process. Hopefully, as we go along, after this bill passes, we will work this out in the Senate.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, June 25, 2018, my flight from Texas to Washington, D.C., was delayed. As a result, I was unable to return in time to take Monday evening's first vote. However, I did arrive to vote on the second vote--H.R. 5783. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 289--H.R. 299.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky for their bipartisan work in support of our Nation's military. I also thank the staff on both sides of the aisle because they have worked very hard to put this very important bill together. Mr. Chair, first I would like to highlight that this bill provides over $606 billion to rebuild our Armed Forces, including $338 billion to restore critical military readiness programs. This is a significant investment in the men and women who sacrifice so much to keep us safe. This bill also includes a 2.6 percent pay raise for our military families, the largest in 9 years, which is the least we can do to show our gratitude for their service to our country. There are other investments, and let me just highlight a couple of them. There is $40 million for military impact aid, which enables schools to provide specialized counseling programs to meet the unique needs of our military children. There is also an additional $10 million to fund programs aimed at supporting military families that have children with severe disabilities. There is also $203 million for the National Guard Counterdrug Program, which allows units to conduct more counterdrug operations and training exercises, which, again, will help us reduce the illegal drugs coming into our country. It also calls for research for rare cancers within the Department of Defense to help us better understand the unique exposure to cancer- causing elements impacting our servicemembers. One more thing that I would like to highlight is that it calls on the Department of Defense to partner with Hispanic-Serving Institutions in many specialties, especially foreign language programs and aircraft pilot programs. These types of partnerships will provide diversity. Again, there are a lot of other benefits. I want to say to both sides: A job well done. Keep working together. Let's make this bipartisan.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate KXTN 107.5 radio station of San Antonio, Texas. Tejano music leader, KXTN 107.5, is celebrating a significant milestone this year as 2018 marks its 30th broadcasting anniversary. In an effort to commemorate this achievement, the station has teamed up with over 30 artists and bands for a two-day music festival. Founded on the principle of giving back, KXTN 107.5 has been a leader in many community service initiatives over the years. This includes raising over $1.4 million dollars for the San Antonio Children's Miracle Network, over $1 million dollars for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and blood donation drives for the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center. KXTN 107.5 has worked to provide listeners with a taste of Hispanic culture and values through its broadcast. The station represents the standard of broadcasting with their unyielding commitment to their listeners. For these reasons and more, the staff and support team of KXTN 107.5 is recognized for their hard work and leadership over the years. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize KXTN 107.5.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Mr. Smith, and I rise in support of this legislation, and in particular, in support of amendment No. 202 offered by myself and Mr. Castro and Mr. Doggett. This amendment requires the Air Force to conduct a core sampling study at Lackland Air Force Base to determine potential hazardous substances along the route of a wastewater pipeline replacement project. Project negotiations are being held up because the proposed route transects two very old landfills whose contents are unknown. Soil sampling to identify potential contaminants along the construction site will allow this project to move forward. Replacing this crumbling pipeline is critical to avoid continual wastewater spills, which impact the environmental health and well-being of both the military base and the residents of San Antonio. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, the legislation, this en bloc amendment to bring wastewater services to over 500,000 residents in San Antonio, a rapidly growing southwest community.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the career and service of Roberta S. Jacobson, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Ambassador Jacobson represented the best interests of the United States and showed exceptional poise while dealing with a variety of complex issues as a diplomat. I personally want to thank her for her years of strong leadership, dedication to service, and unyielding commitment to improving relations with Mexico. I would also like to recognize her for being outspoken on countless issues including violence against women, human rights, and journalist safety. Ambassador Jacobson served in a variety of important roles throughout her career, including Director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, Director of the Office of Mexican Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Canada, Mexico, and NAFTA issues in the Bureau. She would soon serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs where she is noted for leading the U.S. delegation in historic talks with the government of Cuba to normalize relations. Eventually she would be confirmed and sworn in as the first female U.S. ambassador to Mexico. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and received her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She would then go on to a long and successful career in the service of our country. In addition to her diplomatic work, she is the author of several articles including ``The Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women'' in the United Nations and Human Rights and ``Liberation Theology as a Revolutionary Ideology.'' For these reasons and more, Ambassador Jacobson will be remembered for her work and leadership, for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize the career of Ambassador Jacobson.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Mr. Peter Lizcano, a lifetime educator who dedicated his career to the advancement of education in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Lizcano passed away after serving his community for many years. Mr. Lizcano affected the lives of many young Laredoans during his years working for the Laredo Independent School District (LISD). He served in a variety of roles during his employment, including as a coach and principal. He eventually became assistant superintendent, serving in this office until his retirement. During his tenure, Mr. Lizcano was instrumental in enacting a program that encouraged students who had dropped out of school to return to their educational pursuits. In addition to Mr. Lizcano's countless contributions to LISD, he was actively involved with the League of United Latin American Citizens Council (LULAC) No. 12. As a LULAC member, Mr. Lizcano helped to initiate several projects, such as the Senor Internacional and Tejano Achievers, to increase scholarship opportunities for students. Our communities rely on public servants like Mr. Lizcano to inspire and encourage young people to be their very best. His commitment to education has helped build a strong foundation in Laredo, and his legacy will be felt for many generations to come. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to honor Mr. Peter Lizcano for his contributions to education in South Texas.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mr. Billy Leo, an outstanding public servant of La Joya, Texas. Mr. Leo was born on May 24, 1947 in Laredo, Texas, but lived most of his life as a resident of La Joya, Texas. Mr. Leo led a busy career in public service, first as a member of the La Joya ISD school board, where he would serve as President in 1975 and 1979. Thereafter, he followed the path of his late father by being elected Mayor of La Joya in 1981. He served in this office until 1986, when he became the Hidalgo Country Clerk until 1994. During this time, he also worked as a delegate to the Democratic National Committee. He took up the role of Mayor of La Joya again from 2003 to 2011. Through his unwavering service to the Democratic Party, citizens and politicians alike began to fondly refer to Leo as ``Mr. Democrat.'' Leo worked tirelessly to bring prosperity and progress to his home community. In 2012, Leo was honored by the Hidalgo County Commissioners court for his service. Mr. Leo was also a dear friend of former Texas Governor Ann Richards. He received the Ann Richards Award in 2014 for his work as part of the Democratic Party. Mr. Leo is noted as once saying, ``I worked hard and cared for my city. That's all I want to be remembered for. I was here and I think this is the best city there is.'' Mr. Leo is survived by his wife, Dr. Filomena Leo; his daughter and son-in-law, Noralisa Leo and Eduardo Herranz of Arlington, VA, his son Michael Leo of Palmview, TX, his daughter Lita Leo of La Joya, TX, his son and daughter-in-law Billy Leo Jr. & Anne Leo of Cedar Park, TX, and daughter Letty Leo of Cedar Park, TX; 5 grandchildren; He is also survived by brothers James Leo (Lydia) of Mission, TX; Henry Leo of La Joya, TX; Leo J. Leo Jr. (Martha) of Mission, TX; and sister Nellie Leo of La Joya, TX. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Mr. Billy Leo.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chairman, again, overall, I want to thank Chairman Shuster and the ranking member for bringing the FAA bill in. But I also support the Denham-Costa amendment because, again, it is a narrow fix on this, and it is only dealing with the interstate itself. Again, this is a bill that we want to provide some sort of uniformity on. And that is all we are asking for is uniformity. If it crosses State lines, we are asking for that type of uniformity. Again, in the industry, those drivers cross State lines multiple times per day. So I would ask that you support the Denham-Costa amendment.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for her leadership, along with Chairman Frelinghuysen, for many months of working together in a bipartisan way. I certainly want to thank both of them for the hard work that they have done. I want to thank the appropriators, Democrats and Republicans, working together. Certainly, I want to thank the committee staff on both sides who have worked so hard to make sure we get this bill together. I know this is not a perfect bill. But, again, we got together, we negotiated, and this is the bill that we have got under the system, working together. This bill, first of all, funds our military's and veterans' needs. This bill provides over $21.2 billion for infrastructure projects across the Nation. This bill addresses the opioid epidemic and also puts in increases for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other programs to make sure that we fight the drug issues that we have. It adds extra money for the COPS program, which is important for our men and women in blue. It also adds 100 new immigration judges to address the issue of the backlog for the immigration cases that we have. It adds 10 percent of new moneys for Community Development Block Grant programs, which is, again, very important to all communities, urban and rural areas. It starts to address the issue of school safety and gun violence by providing the funds for safety programs. It also includes the Fix NICS Act program, which is something that my friend, John Culberson, and Senator John Cornyn worked on for a long time. It provides $1.6 billion for community health centers to provide healthcare. It also provides money for Pell grants to make sure people are able to go to college. I want to thank my good friends, Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro, for putting those dollars in for the Pell grants. It also provides technology for border security and ports of entry. Again, we want to make sure we provide a balanced approach for border security. Again, I know this bill is not perfect. If we are waiting for perfection, we are never going to get there. But, again, we were able to sit down, we were able to negotiate, and we were able to get a good bill that provides a lot of the basic services that we have. As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility. That responsibility is to make sure that our government stays open. I have always said that terrorists are not able to close our government, but somehow Congress finds a way to close our government. We are not going to do that. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this appropriations bill.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for his leadership and for his work on this committee; and, also, my friend from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) for the work he does on this committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1209, which will rename a post office facility in my district at 901 North Francisco Avenue in Mission, Texas, as the Mission Veterans Post Office. Across my district, fine men and women of all walks of life have honorably served our country, and it is critical that we honor their service and their dedication. Mission alone is home to over 2,000 veterans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as an enduring reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and families have made while serving their country. These individuals put country ahead of self, and I am proud to recognize them with the dedicating of this post office facility. Today in particular, I want to acknowledge the sacrifice of Captain Joaquin Castro from Mission, Texas. Captain Castro joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 and served as a B-17 pilot in the Pacific theater. He was stationed at Hickam Field in Hawaii during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where his airfield was extensively damaged and suffered heavy casualties. However, Captain Castro would go on to serve several missions against enemy forces before being declared missing in action during a bombing mission. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. Captain Castro would eventually be honored with an elementary school named after him in his hometown in Mission, Texas. He was known to be a humble and diligent individual who served in a variety of jobs before joining the military. He was a janitor; he was a school bus driver; and he was a stenographer also. We owe our freedom to veterans like Mr. Castro, which is why I am recognizing him with the dedication of this post office, not only for his service but also that of the other veterans. He is just one example of many veterans who have made countless sacrifices for their country in the face of danger. The bravery and the commitment of our veterans to our Nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American, the essence of an American. Mr. Speaker, I would also, at this time, take a moment to thank the veterans organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing the care that our veterans need. Let us remember and express our gratitude to these courageous people: the veterans, their families, as well as their caregivers. In the words of President John F. Kennedy: A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers. And, of course, we include women in that quote also. This bill allows us to show our appreciation for the veterans of Mission, Texas, and to make sure that their sacrifice to our country is not forgotten.

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kevin McAleenan, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): Mr. McAleenan has been chosen as the United States' honoree for the prestigious League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 12 (LULAC) Senor Internacional award. Following his graduation with a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College, Mr. McAleenan earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Thereafter, he worked at a private law firm in California. However, he was motivated to work in public service after the events of September 11, 2001. He joined the Office of Anti- Terrorism at U.S. Customs Service, a legacy organization of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he was eventually named as the Director. Mr. McAleenan became Acting Commissioner of CBP on January 20th, 2017. Prior to his role as Acting Commissioner, Mr. McAleenan held several leadership positions with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including Deputy Commissioner of CBP and Assistant Commissioner at the Office of Field Operations. Upon Mr. McAleenan's appointment to Deputy Commissioner, former CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske spoke of McAleenan highly, saying, ``His dedication, his vision to transform CBP and to ensure that we remain the nation's premier law enforcement agency, is truly astounding.'' Throughout his career, Mr. McAleenan worked to increase security at the border, improved terrorism detection and response tactics, and supervised the trade and travel at over 300 domestic ports of entry. In his current role, he has three core missions: counterterrorism, border security, and trade enforcement. Mr. McAleenan oversees 60,000 employees and directs the largest law-enforcement agency in the federal government. For his work, Mr. McAleenan received the Service to America Medal, Call to Service Award, and in 2015, he was honored with a Presidential Rank Award, the nation's highest civil service award. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Mr. Kevin McAleenan. I congratulate him on receiving the prestigious LULAC No. 12 Senor Internacional award

Mr. CUELLAR

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Secretary of the Economy of Mexico, Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. Mr. Guajardo has been chosen as Mexico's honoree for the prestigious League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 12 (LULAC) Senor Internacional award. Mr. Guajardo, a Mexican economist and public servant, was born April 19, 1957 in Monterey, Nuevo Leon. He received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon. Subsequently, Mr. Guajardo pursued graduate studies in Economics at Arizona State University and the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Guajardo began his long and successful career in the 1980s. He would hold several important positions, including Economist at the International Monetary Fund, Director of the North American Free Trade Agreement Affairs Office, and Chief Clerk at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He would later serve in Nuevo Leon as head of the Governor's Executive Office and soon after, Mr. Guajardo would be elected as a congressman. In 2012, Mr. Guajardo assumed the office of Secretary of the Economy of Mexico, appointed by President Enrique Pena Nieto. He is currently negotiating the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Mr. Guajardo's accomplishments and tireless service to Mexico. I congratulate him on receiving the prestigious LULAC No. 12 Senor Internacional award. His dedication to others has had a very significant impact on the lives of many citizens in Mexico and the United States.