Judy Chu

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, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Ms. CHU

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

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great loss to our community, Ms. Shirley Roberts, who passed away on December 7, 2010, at the age of 79. My heart goes out to her son, Chuck Henry; the many dear and loving friends that she embraced as her family; and all the people whose lives she touched and helped make better. Born in Los Angeles, Shirley was an extraordinary citizen, a champion of progressive causes, and a vibrant mainstay in Democratic politics. She attended Fairfax High School and graduated from UCLA with a degree in business administration. Shirley's love of politics and human rights ran deep in her family. Her parents, Bernard and Esther, were dedicated to causes to improve conditions for the working poor. By 1944, Shirley would follow their example by co-chairing the American Youth for [Franklin D.] Roosevelt organization for Los Angeles County. Shirley later went on to support Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles. An early advocate for better health care services for all Los Angeles residents, she served on the Mayor's staff and initiated outreach support programs for better nutrition, transportation, long-term care, and escort programs for seniors. In addition, Shirley was a community activist in her home of West Hollywood. When rent prices increased sharply in the early 1980s, Shirley joined other West Hollywood residents to support the city's incorporation to better serve its diverse residents. The effort succeeded, and the city has since been a leader in providing social services to the people who call it home. In subsequent years, she would serve on the West Hollywood Human Services Commission and the West Hollywood Election Reform Task Force. Shirley was also a tireless and tenacious force aiding numerous local, state, and national campaigns of Southern California's progressive political stars, including former Congresswoman and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Congressman Henry Waxman, Senator Sheila Kuehl, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and City Controller Wendy Greuel. Shirley was generous with her friendship, guidance, and wisdom in the lives she touched. Her activism, leadership, and commitment to those who were most vulnerable will be deeply missed. I urge all my House colleagues to join me in honoring our community hero, Shirley Roberts, for her remarkable service and contributions to the City of Angels and to our country.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great loss to our community, Mrs. Katherine Tellez Andrade, who passed away on November 25, 2010, at the age of 85. My heart goes out to her daughters, the Hon. Adele Andrade-Stadler and Vibiana Andrade; her sons Adrian Andrade and Robert Andrade; her grandchildren Sean Andrade, Esq., Pilar Andrade, Emilio Andrade, Julian Andrade, Joaquin Andrade, Ramona Andrade Stadler and Katherine Andrade Ortiz; and the rest of her dear friends and family members. Katherine was an extraordinary citizen, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and a role model for community activism. Her selfless and just nature was cultivated in childhood, being one of 13 children raised by Ramona Ochoa and Florencio Tellez in the hardscrabble mining town of Clifton, Arizona. Growing up during the Great Depression in a small town divided by race and privilege fueled her lifelong commitment to fighting injustice. After high school, Katherine moved to Los Angeles to help in the war effort, assembling auxiliary gas tanks at a plant during World War II. While living in Boyle Heights she would always pass by General Hospital, vowing to one day work there as a nurse. After the war she returned to Arizona to pursue her dream, entering a federal nursing program at St. Mary's Hospital and eventually returning to L.A., where she worked as a nurse for many years at General Hospital and many other hospitals. After her marriage to Arthur Andrade, she raised her four children as a single parent, instilling in them her own work ethic and sense of social justice. She led by example, fighting against an English-only movement and other anti-immigrant measures in her longtime hometown of Monterey Park. She was a founding member of the Committee for Harmony in Monterey Park, which was formed to counter the anti-immigrant forces in the community, and she went on to a long involvement in grassroots activism, volunteering as a poll inspector and fighting for many Democratic causes. She cared deeply for her community, working to involve the Spanish- speaking Latino community in her local church and even offering her home to a homeless woman whom she found sleeping at the local post office. I urge all my House colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable woman for her remarkable service to our community.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, toiling on America's farms is no easy job. Few people are willing to endure the heat, cold and misery of stooping in the fields--or the low wages. Today, an estimated 75 percent of the farming workforce is undocumented. This is bad for everybody. Undocumented workers are easy prey for exploitation and are unable to assert their rights. Farm workers talk of unbearable heat, poor living conditions, even abuse; and they have no one to turn to for help. Growers complain about the labor shortages that can spoil their crops. I have heard how farms struggle to maintain reliable, legal workforces to prune, pick and pack food for America's tables. Farm workers and growers need immediate relief to ensure that agriculture, especially in California, continues to thrive. That solution is ag jobs. Now that the House has passed the DREAM Act, I urge the Senate to pass both bills soon so farms can continue to operate, and students can achieve their dreams as we work on a permanent fix for this broken system.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. When I first got elected to Congress, I brought on a bright young man as an intern in my office. He was the student body president of Rio Hondo Community College. Ernesto was so sharp, so hardworking, so positive, with a deep desire to make America better and to use his education to make that happen. When he told me he was accepted to UCLA, I was so excited. But then he gave me the bad news. He learned he was undocumented. This after growing up most of his life right here in Los Angeles. He wasn't eligible for student loans. And despite all his efforts, he couldn't afford UCLA. Without the DREAM Act, Ernesto can't afford the tuition, and might lose his status as a student if he can't find help. Ernesto is one reason out of hundreds of thousands across the country as to why we can't wait another day. Let's make the DREAM Act a reality.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, yesterday, I was unable to participate in rollcall vote No. 609. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on H. Res. 1642, Recognizing the centennial of the City of Lilburn, Georgia, and supporting the goals and ideals of a City Lilburn Day. This year the City of Lilburn celebrated its centennial anniversary and I am proud to honor its history.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Opponents of the DREAM Act claim the bill is amnesty. The DREAM Act is not amnesty. The DREAM Act is justice. ``Amnesty'' is defined as a government pardon. But how can you be pardoned if you have done nothing wrong? These children followed their parents to a land of greater opportunity, having no choice and no say in how they arrived. They grew up here, went to school here, and now want to serve the United States. But make no mistake, these students will not have it easy. They will have to work hard, wait an entire decade, and continue to prove they meet all of the criteria for a green card, much less citizenship. They must pay back taxes, be able to read, write, and speak English, and show knowledge of the United States. And when they have done all of that, they will finally be allowed to pursue their dreams. That is justice--the American way.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great loss to our community, United States Marine Corps Sgt. Eric B. Sandoval, who passed away on Nov. 12, 2010, at the young age of 30. My heart goes out to his wife, Sandy; his stepson, Isaiah Salcedo; his parents, Roberto and Gloria; his brothers and sisters, Robert, Danny, Gabby, Alejandra, Jonathan and Steven; and the rest of his family and friends. Born in Los Angeles, Eric spent nearly all of his life in South El Monte and later Covina, attending Dean L. Shively Middle School and later South El Monte and Pomona high schools. A patriot who loved his country, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps right out of high school at just 17 years of age, and spent the next 8 years as a scout sniper, serving in our nation's conflict in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Within days of his arrival in Iraq, Eric's platoon came under attack The attack was so brutal that Eric was the only one of his group to survive, and had to undergo extensive surgery to repair his damaged eye and ear. Sergeant Sandoval received numerous awards and commendations for his bravery in the face of terrible odds, including the Navy & Marine Achievement Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Award; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation; and Good Conduct Medal, among others. After recovering from his injuries, Sergeant Sandoval's undying patriotism led him to return to Iraq, this time as a contractor for the government, helping to support his former comrades at arms until the time of his passing. And despite the hardships and difficulties presented by his war injuries, Eric still managed to attend college and graduate with a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master of arts degree in business administration, with honors. Eric B. Sandoval's generosity and kindness are an inspiration to his family and our entire community, and he lived his life with integrity and bravery. Our nation owes him a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid. So I urge all my House colleagues to join me in honoring our community hero, Sgt. Eric B. Sandoval, for his remarkable service and contributions to our country.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I am very proud that the legislation before us includes Important new options for high-poverty schools to provide free meals to all students. These new options, known as community eligibility, will reduce hassles for schools and stigma for students. They will allow schools serving our poorest communities to throw open the cafeteria doors and focus on serving the healthiest possible meals to all their students. Right now, low-income children who qualify for free school lunches have to apply for this program and prove that they are eligible. Schools then have to process the paperwork and certify that the children qualify. But the community eligibility provisions in this bill minimize all that paperwork both for children and for schools. In schools where there are large numbers of children who qualify for free school lunches, schools would have the option to provide free school lunches to all the children in the school. This option is much more efficient--children don't have to worry about whether they qualify for the program, their parents don't have to complete the paperwork, and school personnel can focus on providing the children with the best education instead of processing paperwork. This is a better way and it's the children that benefit the most. Low-income children contend with so many stressors in their lives, whether it's violence and addiction in their neighborhoods, parents who are working long hours for the basic necessities of living, or the stress children experience when they don't have enough to eat. The community eligibility provision in this bill makes our most disadvantaged children's lives a little easier by transforming their lunchtime experience from one of stress and stigma, to one of easy access to the food they need to develop to their fullest potential. These options are designed to be simple and easy to adopt. USDA must make it as seamless as possible for high-poverty schools to avail themselves of these new options. The bill that we passed out of the House Committee on Education and Labor directed USDA to provide outreach and informational materials on these new options to local educational agencies and schools in which a significant portion of students are eligible for free or reduced price meals, including those receiving funds for school improvement under section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965. But USDA does not need new authority to reach out to these schools and facilitate their use of community eligibility. Therefore I urge USDA to set policies that welcome high-poverty schools into these options and provide the support and materials to facilitate their implementation. S. 3307 also includes a demonstration project to explore the use of Medicaid data for automatic enrollment for free school meals. Due to limited funds, the demonstration project in S. 3307 focuses on the use of Medicaid data by selected school districts around the country. However, I urge USDA to use alternative authority to allow California to conduct a statewide demonstration directly certifying children for free school meals based on Medicaid data. California's sophisticated data matching system is fully capable of conducting statewide matches to directly certify these children. A rigorous evaluation of such a demonstration project would help other states implement statewide direct certification using Medicaid data. I must also express my deep regret that this bill is partly funded by reducing SNAP benefits. Although I support passage of this legislation, I oppose the SNAP cuts it contains, will work to reverse them, and will strongly oppose any further cuts to SNAP benefits.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. How could the wealthiest country in the world have a situation where 22 percent of its children are hungry? Children like Michael, a fourth-grader. His mom works two jobs, and it's hard for her to cook, so Michael stuffs three sandwiches in his backpack during lunch, making the school lunch program his only guaranteed meal. This bill will make it easier for more children like him to have at least one healthy meal a day. Kids who are fed aren't just healthier; they succeed. Children who eat breakfast at school do better on standardized tests than those who skip it or eat at home. But that's not all. We heard some school districts are balancing their budgets by using school lunch dollars for other purposes. So I introduced a bill to ensure Federal nutrition money actually goes toward feeding our needy children--it is included here--ensuring that our tax dollars go where they are supposed to. This bill was unanimously passed in the Senate and is fully paid for. Let's pass this bill, and let's ensure that our kids are fed.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. During the worst recession in decades, should we be giving hundreds of billions in borrowed money to the rich? No. Instead, we should reignite the economy and focus on protecting the middle class. That's why I support extending tax cuts for them, who are 98 percent of American families. But some in Congress are holding the middle class hostage in order to cut taxes for the wealthiest 2 percent. In tough times like these, millionaires should be giving to charity, not getting it. This will force our cash strapped government to lose $700 billion over the next decade. And where will this money go? Straight into the pockets of those making more than half a million a year. What's worse, the wealthy are less likely to spend this money, doing little to help our economy recover. To me, the answer is clear--let's put our money where it creates jobs and helps the people who need it. Let's extend middle class tax cuts.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Our country is one of opportunity, where everyone can follow their dreams, but we need to ensure that America's young people get the training they need to succeed. But we have fallen behind. Today, only 15 percent of American students learn a second language, and it hinders us in today's global economy. That is why I have introduced the Global Language Early Education Act. My bill funds early education dual language programs across the country, and it provides the skills demanded in board rooms throughout the world. We know that dual language learners better manage complex situations and problems. That is why the bill also grooms our next generation of executives for success. Let's be competitive in this world. Let's encourage a second language. Let's promote our workforce and make sure that everybody can achieve the American Dream.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1603, expressing support for National Craniofacial Acceptance Month. H. Res. 1603 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas, Representative Mike Ross, on July 30, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on September 23, 2010. The measure has the support of over 70 members of the House. Mr. Speaker, there are 100,000 children born each year in the United States with a craniofacial anomaly affecting the head, neck, extremities, or organs. These include cleft lip and cleft palate, the most common congenital craniofacial anomalies seen at birth, as well as other conditions that can cause hearing loss or other complications. The development of more advanced treatment options for individuals with these conditions can greatly improve their quality of life, but the number of physicians who specialize in treating these rare and complex conditions is very small. People born with craniofacial anomalies often require extensive surgery in childhood and a great deal of support and encouragement along the way, so I am glad that we can do our part to raise awareness of these conditions today through the passage of H. Res. 1603. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of Senate Bill 3196, the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010. This bipartisan legislation makes important improvements to the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to better equip qualified candidates to prepare, and prepare earlier, for the all-too-short process of transitioning from running a campaign to running the executive branch of the United States. As the non-partisan Partnership for Public Service has warned, ``Given the complexity and urgency of issues facing an incoming administration in a post-9/11 world, we need our president and his senior leadership to be ready to govern on day one. An effective transition relies on advance preparation and skillful execution, not hope and luck.'' S. 3196 takes important steps to help future Presidents with the transition process, and therefore helps them to navigate and prepare for governing in an increasingly complex world. The Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act will make the decision to undertake transition planning easier by providing resources to qualified candidates. The bill requires GSA to offer each candidate an array of services promptly upon nomination, including fully equipped office space, communication services, briefings, and training. Candidates will also be authorized to establish a separate 501(c)(4) fund to cover transition-related expenses or to supplement GSA's services. The bill also authorizes the appropriation of funds for use by the outgoing Administration to plan and coordinate activities to facilitate an efficient transfer of power. This follows the model put in place by the Bush Administration, which facilitated a highly efficient and effective transition. S. 3196 encourages presidential candidates to take steps that are necessary to effectively protect national and homeland security during the transition period, and I want to thank Senator Kaufman for his leadership on this important issue. I encourage all Members to support this important bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

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