Judy Chu

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 1774 is an immigration relief bill for Hotaru Nakama Ferschke. By now the story of Mrs. Ferschke and her late husband, Marine Sergeant Michael H. Ferschke, Jr., should be well known to Members of the House. The couple met in March 2007 when Sergeant Ferschke was stationed at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan. They dated for more than 1 year before Sergeant Ferschke was deployed to Iraq. Shortly before his departure, they learned that they were going to have a baby. They spoke about getting married, moving back to the United States, and raising a family together. Two months after arriving in Iraq, they were married through a ceremony conducted over the telephone. But just 1 month later, Sergeant Ferschke tragically lost his life in combat. The United States military recognizes the couple's marriage for purposes of providing Mrs. Ferschke with a death gratuity. But our immigration laws recognize only proxy marriages that have been consummated, something this couple was never able to do following the marriage. As a result, Mrs. Ferschke has been unable to move to the United States on an immigrant visa, and her hopes of raising their son with the love and support of Sergeant Ferschke's family have been thwarted. Last month, the House passed H.R. 6397, the Marine Sergeant Michael H. Ferschke, Jr. Memorial Act. The purpose of that bill was to fix Mrs. Ferschke's situation and to ensure that no other family is left in a similar situation. Because that bill remains stuck in the Senate, a relief bill for Mrs. Ferschke is the only way to right this wrong. I commend Senators Webb, Alexander, Corker, and Udall for introducing this bill in the Senate, and Representative John Duncan for his work on a companion bill in the House. I would also recognize Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Immigration Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith for helping to move this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC., March 5, 2010. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chair, Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Madam Chair: In response to your request for a report relative to H.R. 3182, private legislation for the relief of Hotaru Nakama Ferschke, enclosed is a memorandum of information concerning the beneficiary. This report is an update of one previously provided your committee on February 26, 2010, revised to reflect additional information provided by your staff. The bill provides that the beneficiary shall be eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence upon filing an application for issuance of an immigrant visa under section 204 of the Immigration and Nationality Act or for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident. We hope the information provided is useful. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have additional questions. Sincerely, Elliot Williams, Director. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Memorandum of Information for H.R. 3182, 111th Congress On July 10, 2009, Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) introduced H.R. 3182, private legislation to provide immigration relief for Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke. This is the first private bill filed on her behalf. The beneficiary is the widow of Michael Harvey Ferschke, Jr., a United States Marine who was killed-in-action August 10, 2008, as a result of a gunshot wound received as a member of a dismounted patrol that was conducting combat operations in Tikrit, Iraq. Mr. Ferschke passed away before an I-130 immediate relative petition could be filed on Ms. Ferschke's behalf. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke was born on October 20, 1983, and is a native and citizen of Japan. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke has entered the United States 3 times as a temporary visitor. She entered the United States on December 12, 2007, August 15, 2008, and February 27, 2009. Each time she came to the U.S. she complied with the terms of her visa and departed before her visa expired. Ms. Ferschke has never been placed in removal proceedings or ordered removed. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke met her husband while he was stationed at the U.S. Marine base in Okinawa, Japan. They traveled to the United States from December 22, 2007, through December 30, 2007, for the Christmas holiday, where she met Michael's parents, Mr. Michael H. Ferschke, and Mrs. Robin Ferschke. When Michael Ferschke, Jr. received orders to deploy to Iraq, Hotaru, who was pregnant, remained in Okinawa. Michael Ferschke Jr. and Hotaru Nakama were married via teleconference on July 10, 2008, while he was in Iraq and she was in Japan. One month later, Michael was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom in support of the Global War on Terrorism. On August 15, 2008, Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke returned to the United States to attend the funeral for her late husband in Maryville, Tennessee. She returned to Okinawa on August 31, 2008. On January 9, 2009, Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke gave birth to a son, Michael Harvey Ferschke III at the Chatan Hospital, Okinawa, Japan, and on February 27, 2009, she brought her newborn son to the United States. When in the United States, they reside with her late husband's parents in Tennessee. Neighbors have welcomed Hotaru and her new son into the community. Mrs. Ferschke is the daughter of Mr. Masaaki and Mrs. Takako Nakama, both of whom are natives and citizens of Japan. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke resides with her mother and grandmother, Mitsu Shinzato. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke is one of four children, between sisters, Madoka Kudaka and Reika Nakama and her half-sister NaNami Nakama. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke attended Okinawa Christian Junior College where she majored in English. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke is currently employed as an Administrative Specialist with the United States Army's 83rd Ordnance Battalion CASB, Kadena Air Base Okinawa, Japan where she has been employed since August 2007. Prior to her employment with the 83rd Ordnance Battalion she was employed at the Camp Courtney Commissary, Unit 5156, as a sales clerk. Her annual salary is estimated to be $24,000.00 per year. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke has seen substantial support from the community here in the United States. Mrs. Hotaru Ferschke is not employed in the United States. She is a new member of the American Widows Project, a support group for the wives and husbands of fallen U.S. soldiers. Record checks concerning criminal activity with U.S. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies revealed no derogatory information. Commercial databases revealed no known debts or encumbrances, foreign or domestic. Inquiries with neighbors of Mr. Michael H. Ferschke and Mrs. Robin Ferschke regarding Hotaru Ferschke revealed no derogatory information. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1774) for the relief of Hotaru Nakama Ferschke.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of America's great pioneers. Secretary Norman Mineta is a role model for Americans of every color, background, and creed. His story is one of sacrifice, hardship, dedication, and triumph. His success in the face of adversity is not only important to Asian Americans but to all Americans. Secretary Mineta was born to Japanese immigrant parents who came to America for a better life, even though they faced harsh conditions, particularly in the halls of Congress. After passage of the Asian Exclusion Act, Japanese immigrants were prohibited from becoming citizens, forced to carry papers with them at all times, and often harassed and detained. If they couldn't produce the proper documents, authorities threw them into prison or even out of the country. But it didn't end there. When Mineta was a young boy, he and his parents were rounded up, forced out of their home, and shipped off to live in the Santa Anita racetrack on the infamous order of President Roosevelt during World War II. Three months later, they ended up at Heart Mountain internment camp near Cody, Wyoming, where they lived surrounded by barbed wire as the war dragged on. For some, such treatment would make them abandon their country, but not Secretary Mineta. After graduating from business school at Cal Berkeley, he signed up for the Army and served the very Nation that imprisoned his family, and he served as an intelligence officer in Japan and Korea. This dedication to service never left him, and when asked to join the San Jose City Council he jumped at the chance. With this City Council seat, he became the first minority and first Asian American City Council member in San Jose. It wasn't long before he was elected the first Asian American mayor of a major U.S. city, and thus began a long line of major accomplishments for a leader who was ahead of his time. It is because of Secretary Mineta, who introduced legislation when he was in Congress, that we designate May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. Because of that, today all Americans are reminded of the many contributions Asian Americans have made to this country. It was Secretary Mineta who spearheaded the long push and final passage of the Japanese American reparations bill. Because of him, finally there was an apology and relief to the 120,000 Japanese Americans who lost everything while being interned during World War II just because of their ancestry. And it was Secretary Mineta who cofounded and cochaired the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Today, our caucus is 11 members strong, providing a unified voice for issues unique to the Asian American community. And that was all before he became Secretary. A decade ago, he was appointed by President Clinton as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, making him the first Asian American to be a Cabinet member, and then he was appointed--the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary under President George Bush--to head the Department of Transportation. And, after 5 years in the post, he became the longest-serving Transportation Secretary in the Department's history. I can think of no one more deserving for this body to honor than Secretary Mineta. He is an inspiration to many, including me, and we owe a debt of gratitude for all that he has done to put Asian Americans on the map and to put America on the map. It is because of his leadership that America is a better and stronger Nation today.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 4010 is an immigration relief bill for Shigeru Yamada. The House passed a substantially identical version of this bill by voice vote in the 110th Congress, but the Senate was unable to take up the measure. I am pleased to see that the House will have an opportunity to vote on final passage today. Shigeru was brought to the United States from Japan when he was 10 years old. Together with his mother and his two sisters, Shigeru entered the country on a non-immigrant visa and remained in the United States for over 3 years on his mother's student visa. During this period, Shigeru's mother became engaged to a U.S. citizen. Had she married her fiance, she and her children would have been able to obtain lawful permanent residence in the country. However, in September 1995, when Shigeru was only 13 years old, his mother was killed in a car accident. After his mother's death, Shigeru and his sisters were raised by their maternal aunt and uncle in Chula Vista, California. Shigeru's natural father was an alcoholic who was physically abusive to Shigeru, his sisters, and their mother. There was no other viable caretaker in Japan. Shigeru's aunt attempted to formally adopt him, but was unable to complete the adoption before his 16th birthday. Under current immigration law, virtually all adoptions of foreign children by U.S. citizens must be completed before the child's 16th birthday in order for the child to qualify for legal status in the United States. Although Shigeru's sisters obtained legal status through adoption and marriage, Shigeru continued to reside here without such status. In the meantime, Shigeru became a model student, graduating from Eastlake High School with honors in 2010. At Eastlake, he served on student government, participated in numerous community service activities, and excelled at football and wrestling. He was an All- American Scholar and was named Outstanding English Student his freshman year. He was also voted the Most Inspirational Player of the Year in various sports, both at the junior varsity and varsity level. He served as vice president of the associated student body his senior year. Shigeru also volunteered to coach the Eastlake High School softball team and obtained an associate's degree from Southwestern Community College. It is through no fault of his own that Shigeru was raised in the United States without legal immigration status. Shigeru's mother died before she could regularize his status, and adoption proceedings by his aunt were completed too late to affect his immigration status. S. 4010 presents the only option for Shigeru to remain in the United States. I commend Representative Bob Filner and Senator Dianne Feinstein, who each introduced their first private immigration bill on Shigeru's behalf back in the 108th Congress. I would also like to recognize Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Immigration Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith for their help in moving this bill to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington, DC, Aug. 27, 2009. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, & International Law, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington,

Ms. CHU. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4010) for the relief of Shigeru Yamada.

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, last year, Bobby Salcedo, a beloved elected official in my district, was brutally murdered by the Mexican drug cartels while visiting family in Durango, Mexico. While I am saddened by Bobby's loss, his death has led me to fight the dangerous drug cartels that thrive along our border. That is why I introduced the Preserving Foreign Criminal Assets Forfeiture Act, a bill that will make it easier for Federal police to seize the illicit assets of international criminal organizations. Foreign criminals are able to protect hundreds of millions of dollars in dirty money by moving their proceeds abroad before U.S. police can seize them, enabling them to continue their illegal activities. With this bill, we will have another tool to fight the drug cartels by cutting off their lifeblood and allowing Federal law enforcement officials to seize these illicit assets.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 72, a concurrent resolution recognizing the 45th anniversary of the White House Fellows Program. Senate Concurrent Resolution 72 was introduced by the Senator from Kansas, Sam Brownback, on September 22, 2010. The Senate passed the resolution by unanimous consent on September 29, 2010. Notably, an identical measure, House Concurrent Resolution 320, was introduced by the gentleman from Texas, Representative Joe Barton, on September 28, 2010, and was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Suggested by the then president of the Carnegie Corporation, President Lyndon Johnson established the President's Commission on White House Fellowships on October 3, 1964. President Johnson stated that the program's mission was to give highly promising young citizens ``firsthand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal Government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs.'' The nonpartisan program selects between 11 and 19 outstanding applicants per year to take a full-time, paid fellowship position working with senior White House staff, Cabinet Secretaries and other top government officials. This type of participation at the highest levels of our government's leadership develops experience vital to a continued career serving the public. The hundreds of former White House Fellows have gone on to serve the public in many critical roles. They have been appointed judges, U.S. Attorneys, ambassadors, and Cabinet officers. They have been elected to local, State, and national office, including here in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, let us now recognize the legacy of leadership that the White House Fellows Program has provided to our country for the last 45 years through the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 72, recognizing the program on its 45th anniversary. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 72) recognizing the 45th anniversary of the White House Fellows Program.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5446) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 Florida Avenue in Cocoa, Florida, as the ``Harry T. and Harriette Moore Post Office''.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the sponsor of this resolution, Representative Harry Mitchell from Arizona.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1743) congratulating Gerda Weissmann Klein on being selected to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as amended.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3794) to amend chapter 5 of title 40, United States Code, to include organizations whose membership comprises substantially veterans as recipient organizations for the donation of Federal surplus personal property through State agencies.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. I now yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6205, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1449 West Avenue in Bronx, New York, as the Private Isaac T. Cortes Post Office. H.R. 6205 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from New York, Representative Joseph Crowley, on September 23, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of New York's entire delegation to the House. A native of the Bronx, Private Isaac T. Cortes held several jobs before enlisting in the Army. He was very proud to work as a security guard at Yankee Stadium and at one point hoped to become an officer with the New York City Police Department. He enlisted with the Army in November 2006 to gain experience that would help him achieve that goal, but later decided to become a career military man. Private Cortes served as an infantryman with the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Light Infantry, based out of Fort Drum, New York. He was a Humvee driver and performed operator-level maintenance on the vehicle. While overseas in Iraq, he participated in mountain Humvee and dismounted walking patrols. Private Cortes engaged in weapons cache searches and humanitarian aid missions to the local Iraqi people. Sadly, on November 27, 2007, Private Cortes was one of two soldiers killed when an improvised explosive device was detonated as his vehicle rode past Amerli, Iraq, about 100 miles north of Baghdad. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Army Service Medal. He is survived by his parents, Emily and Isaias, his younger brother Christopher, a young daughter Amaria, and a large extended family. They remember Private Cortes as the kid who would help elders carry groceries, the young man who would play with his younger cousins, and the father who wanted to be the best he could be for his young child. Today we also remember him as the soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Mr. Speaker, let us now pay tribute to the life and service of Private Isaac T. Cortes by designating the postal facility on West Avenue in the Bronx in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6205. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6205) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1449 West Avenue in Bronx, New York, as the ``Private Isaac T. Cortes Post Office''.