Joaquin Castro

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. I thank my friend, Mr. McGovern, for yielding. I rise to speak today on sexual assault in the military and the need for justice and reform. This issue carries great significance for me, as I represent the area around Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The community in San Antonio, like communities across the country, was appalled to learn of the events that took place at Lackland. The sexual misconduct by military training instructors at Lackland has been one of the largest sexual misconduct scandals and investigations within the military. Similar stories have also surfaced from the academies to forward operating bases and now in the Pentagon. When events like this occur, we must do two things: first, we must provide justice swiftly, and second, we must implement reforms to prevent future transgressions. I'll continue to work with the committee to make sure that the recommendations for reform are implemented and serve as a model for the other branches of service. This legislation does make progress in combating military sexual assault, but let us not forget that there is still much work to be done.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. I thank my friend, Mr. McGovern, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Continued operation of the facility at Guantanamo weakens U.S. national security, wastes resources, damages our relationships with key allies, and reinforces anti-American propaganda led by groups like al Qaeda to recruit new enemies against the United States. In a time of war, the Commander in Chief must have the flexibility to execute important foreign policy and national security determinations. This includes how to treat detainees captured on the battlefield. The Commander in Chief having this authority is not a new concept to this Congress. In fact, under President Bush, some 530 detainees were transferred from Gitmo with Congress' support. Restrictions placed by Congress to prevent this President from making these decisions are not prudent. In addition to foreign policy and national security consideration, the facility at Guantanamo is also a waste of scarce resources. DOD estimates that the cost to run Guantanamo Bay is around $150 million a year. In a time when we're making sequestration cuts to programs here at home, we're spending approximately $1 million per detainee each year. This makes Guantanamo Bay literally the most expensive detention facility in the world. I urge my colleagues to give the President the flexibility he needs to operate Guantanamo Bay.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, over the last 4 months, I have been proud to work towards building out what I have called the Infrastructure of Opportunity for our Nation. Recently, I had the opportunity to file legislation to reinforce one of the major cornerstones of that infrastructure: access to colleges and universities. A few weeks ago, I filed the Student Aid Expansion Act of 2013 that will provide higher education students increased access to affordable financial aid. As we've all witnessed across our districts, the cost of tuition continues to rise. In Texas, for example, tuition and fees at public institutions have increased over 90 percent since 2003. Meanwhile, students and families are left looking for ways to keep their higher education affordable. Over the last 10 years, we have seen students rely more heavily on loans to finance their education. Fifty- two percent of direct student aid now comes in the form of loans. The Student Aid Expansion Act of 2013 would remove barriers that are currently preventing our institutions of higher education from promoting affordable, State-based alternatives. These types of loans are zero interest and can be fully forgiven if a student does well in school. Importantly, this legislation will not cost Federal, State, or local governments a single dime.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Today I'd like to take a moment to honor the life of Demetrio P. Rodriguez, a great American we lost earlier this week in my hometown of San Antonio. Demetrio passed away at the age of 87 after a long and rewarding life, a life that literally transformed public education in Texas and across the Nation. Demetrio, like many of the folks who grew up on the west side of San Antonio, was a humble man. Born into a migrant farm-working family, he served in the Navy and later in the Air Force Reserve, and he worked for years at Kelly Air Force Base. In 1968, with 15 other parents, he led the charge to change the way we do school finance, not only in Texas, but in the United States of America. He objected to the fact that property-poor districts were so far outspent and given much more money than property-rich districts in Texas. He led that charge. In 1973, the Supreme Court said that education wasn't a fundamental right, but he didn't give up the fight. And in 1989, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the children of Texas should have an equal education, no matter their income. He was a great man. He'll be sorely missed. He was a fighter and a champion of people.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Today on April 9, we recognize Equal Pay Day, symbolizing the more than 3 months into this year that women have to work in order for their wages to finally catch up to what their male colleagues earned last year. Nearly 50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act to protect workers from gender-based discrimination. Despite the hard work of countless folks to make pay equality a reality, women today still earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men doing the same kind of work. For women of color, the wage gap is even larger. Clearly, as a Nation, we have more work to do. That's why I'm a proud cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would reenforce the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes and protecting employees from unfair retaliation. Twice now Democrats have passed this legislation in the House of Representatives only to have it blocked by Senate Republicans. Equal pay is not a partisan issue. And it's not only a women's issue. This is about America's founding principles of justice for all. Mr. Speaker, I urge you to bring this important legislation before the House for a full vote.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in opposition to the inaction on the sequester. These across-the-board budget cuts are the direct result of hostage politics, another self-inflicted wound that sabotages our efforts to build out the infrastructure of opportunity in America for so many hardworking and humble people. Inaction should not be an option. In Texas, this body's inaction will be felt almost immediately. Nearly 100,000 Texans could lose their jobs. Texas schools stand to lose almost $70 million, putting nearly 1,000 educators out of work and countless children at risk of a disrupted education. More than 50,000 of the folks supporting our military, many of them veterans themselves, could lose 20 percent of their pay in the next year. The President and Democrats have offered a balanced solution to stop the sequester and reduce our deficit below the historic average. Mr. Speaker, I urge you to allow these proposals to come before the full House. Our communities deserve good-faith action from Congress.