Joaquin Castro

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this piece of legislation is both risky and callous. It asks Americans to give into their worst instincts. If you or someone you know is out of a job, blame an immigrant; if an undocumented person commits a crime, they are all like that. We are at a moment when there are growing security threats to our Nation, and Republicans in this House of Representatives are willing to play Russian roulette with the security of the American people. The American people know better. Wide majorities support comprehensive immigration reform, including those in my home State of Texas. Majorities disagree with taking away DACA for young kids who came here through no fault of their own. I will leave with you with this question to ponder, Mr. Speaker: What do you tell somebody who was 3 years old when they were brought here to the United States of America, knows no other country and no other language but the English language, what do you tell that person when you tell them that they have got to leave here? This is the only life that they have ever known. How are they not as American as you and I?

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. ``The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several State legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.''

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Those predictions have turned out to be completely misguided and false. This country is going through an incredible economic expansion, almost 5 percent. The unemployment rate is below 6 percent. And so, as we go through this debate, I hope that we will keep those considerations in mind.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Thank you, Congressman Polis. Mr. Speaker, Democrats have said all along that we understand that when you have a bill that is this wide in scope, whether it is hundreds of pages or thousands of pages, regardless of the subject matter, whether it is health care or education or banking or anything else, that it is likely not going to be perfect, that we are always willing to come back and look at making reasonable changes and tweaking it to make it better, and that we would be willing to work with Republicans to do it. We demonstrated that a few days ago when Congressman Davis received overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats to make sure that employers don't have to count folks who are receiving coverage through the VA or through some other VA-related health care coverage. This, however, is unreasonable. This action, this bill, would mean that a million Americans would lose health care coverage--a million Americans. We are expecting, because the ACA has been so successful, that 9 million Americans will enroll by the end of this enrollment period. Now, at the beginning, Republicans were saying that this would be the biggest job killer there was, that the economy would suffer, that businesses would be cutting employees.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank an important leader in the San Antonio community, MG (Ret) Joe Robles. Joe will retire at the end of this year after an admirable career as a military officer, war hero, philanthropist, and the CEO and President of USAA. He will be profoundly missed by the employees at USAA, but his retirement will no doubt be felt by the greater San Antonio community and beyond. Joe was the eldest of nine children born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. His father, a waiter at the time, was recruited to work in a steel mill in Ohio--just as World War II ended and America was reindustrializing. When Joe was three years old, he came to the U.S. to reunite with his father who had saved enough money to bring his family to Ohio. For the next 35 years, his father worked at the steel mill and part time as a carpenter and plumber to make ends meet. Joe learned the value of hard work early in life. At age 11, he began working as a stock boy and cashier at the local grocery store. As a teenager, he did yard work in the summers and helped his father on plumbing and construction jobs. It was this hard work that motivated Joe to pursue higher education. While in high school, Joe was awarded a medical school scholarship sponsored by the local medical society. The scholarship would pay for his education under the condition of returning to his hometown to practice medicine. He had to first earn an undergraduate degree and be accepted to medical school on his own. Joe graduated from high school in 1964 and worked that summer painting a house. The job paid enough to cover his first year of tuition at Lorain County Community College. Soon thereafter, Joe got married and took a full time job at a NASA nuclear plant. In 1966, Joe was drafted into the United States Army. By any measure, Joe's military service was stellar. Joe served as the Chief of the Program and Budget office at the U.S. Army Headquarters, the Division Artillery commander of the 1st Infantry Division (Mech) at Fort Riley, Kansas; and the Army Planner and Director for Operations and Support at Department of the Army Headquarters. As assistant division commander of the 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas, he prepared and deployed the division for Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He also served as the director of the Army budget and as commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division (Mech) at Fort Riley, Kansas--the legendary ``Big Red One.'' Joe has earned the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. Joe joined USAA in 1994 after retiring from the U.S. Army. He assumed the position of President and CEO in 2007 after serving as the CFO for several years. Under his leadership as CEO, USAA has thrived. Despite the economic slump Joe steered USAA to earn the highest possible ratings for financial strength from Moody's, A.M. Best, and Standard & Poor's. Committed to advocating for military families, Joe has guided USAA to a leadership role in hiring veterans and military spouses and offering them careers in the private sector. Joe was invited to the White House and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to be recognized for USAA's efforts in this area and demonstrating their commitment by ensuring that veterans and military spouses were 30 percent of USAA's new hires in 2013. All of these achievements are astounding by themselves, but Joe also became a dedicated and active member of his community. Joe is the Chairman of the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System and of the Pl6Plus Council of Greater Bexar County Foundation. He also serves on the American Red Cross Board of Governors and on the boards of directors of The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas--San Antonio Branch, DTE Energy, the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital Foundation, and San Antonio's Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation, as well as the Advisory Board of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Latin America Law at the University of Texas. In 2009, The Christian Science Monitor named Joe the ``No. 1 Veteran in Business.'' That same year, American Banker named him ``Innovator of the Year.'' In 2012, Robles was honored as ``Executive of the Year'' by Arizona State University and, in 2013, Bank Innovation named him one of the ``10 Most Innovative CEOs in Banking in the U.S.'' In 2010, Joe led the San Antonio and Bexar County United Way campaign to a record result, and in 2012, he was tapped by my brother, then-San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, to co-chair the city's Brainpower Initiative, which led to the Pre-K 4 SA program to fund preschool education for thousands of San Antonio's children. Joe has left an indelible mark on the military, USAA, and the San Antonio community. He will be sorely missed for his leadership, sound judgment, and commitment to the community. But what those closest to him will miss most are his immense compassion and genuine care for all those around him. Joe's character is, indeed, his hallmark. Congratulations, Joe Robles, on your successful career, incredible accomplishments--but most of all--your lasting impact on all those you have led and worked with along the way! As a native of San Antonio--I hope and expect I will see much more of you in the years to come.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the arrival of tens of thousands of children from Central America seeking refuge in our country has tugged at the conscience of the American people. It has demonstrated both our best and our worst instincts. The best are all of the people who are so generous in offering food and clothing and shelter to these kids who have come from so far. But we have also seen some bad instincts, like the armed militiamen in ski masks who have shown up at our southern border, whose leader has said that the way you keep people from coming to this country is that you point a gun at them and threaten to shoot them in the head. That is not America. The question that we must answer now is: What does it mean to be a refugee in the 21st century? Just as we offered that status to Cubans fleeing Castro, to those from the Soviet Union, to the Vietnamese, just as our adversaries have changed, they are not always state actors--they are al Qaeda; they are ISIS--I would argue that so, too, have our refugees changed, and we must recognize that. This bill is not good for our country, and it doesn't reflect who we are as a people.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions of the late James Rodarte, a lover of music and photography, and a passionate community leader in Southwest San Antonio. Mr. Rodarte served his community through his vocal advocacy for transportation solutions in Southwest San Antonio. Mr. Rodarte was born August 12, 1959, to James and Anita Rodarte. He inherited his witty sense of humor from his mother and the two were often caught laughing at their own private jokes. He was adored by his sisters Debra, Diane, Denise, and Dori. Mr. Rodarte attended Ivanhoe and David Crockett Elementary Schools, Edgewood Middle School, and graduated from Kennedy High School in 1978. Mr. Rodarte had a lifelong passion for music and photography. Every Christmas growing up he turned the family living room into a photo studio, sweetly providing a family portrait as his yearly gift. As an adult he volunteered his time taking pictures of Edgewood High School activities and received particular joy from taking photos of all athletic teams. A talented musician, Mr. Rodarte played the trombone, drums, and bass guitar. He particularly enjoyed playing his five-string bass with conjuntos. Mr. Rodarte played with the legendary San Antonio Marching Band, and though diabetes may have prevented him from marching, he didn't let his condition stop him from participating. He would drive the ``chase vehicle'' behind the band. Whenever a musician tired, they could pull out of the ranks and get into his vehicle to rest for a while. Mr. Rodarte combined his love of music and photography by taking pictures and videotaping Tejano performances, especially during San Antonio's yearly Fiesta celebration. He would upload performances to YouTube for the local community to enjoy. The legacy that Mr. Rodarte will most be remembered for was his dogged campaign to provide relief for the citizens living in the Zarzamora Street and Frio City Road area from traffic delays caused by train traffic. These daily delays force the community to wait longer than 30 minutes while the trains inexplicably stop in the middle of this residential neighborhood. Mr. Rodarte spearheaded the community's demands for a solution. He was a constant presence at City Council and Commissioners Court meetings, presenting a plan to build an overpass to provide relief to the community. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the life of James Rodarte, a lover of music and photography, and a dedicated community leader.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exceptional Navy scientist and civil servant. Dr. Bobby Junker, a native of San Antonio, TX, died June 14, 2014 after a long illness. Dr. Junker came to the Washington, DC area in 1977 after accepting a position with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), where he remained for his entire 37 year career. At the time of his retirement in May 2014, he served as Department Head for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance for ONR. Dr. Junker was a 1965 alum of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, as well as the University of Texas at Austin, where he received both his Master's degree (1967) and Doctorate in Chemistry (1969). Among the numerous awards Dr. Junker received over his distinguished career, he has been awarded the Navy's Superior Civilian Service Award twice (1985 and 2011), the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive three times (1989, 1999 and 2008) and the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive once (2003). He was also a life member of the American Physical Society, Sigma Xi and Senior Executives Association. He is most remembered as a visionary and brilliant leader in the field of science and technology. The Chief of Naval Research described Dr. Junker as a national treasure, both a trusted advisor and a dedicated star in the information sciences community. More important than this distinguished service and his career honors, he was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather to his family as well as a leader, advisor and true friend to many. Dr. Junker is survived by his wife Ginnie Junker; children Evan Junker, Melissa Depew and Bryce Combs; stepchildren Daniel and Andy Katt; grandchildren Megan and Bryan Depew, Isabella Combs, and Riley and Holden Katt; and brother Eugene Junker. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Junker's family, as well as our continuing gratitude to individuals such as Dr. Junker willing to dedicate their lives to honorable service and an exceptional career devoted to defending the nation. He is a critical reminder to us all of the importance of our civil service workforce. We should never forget that while the military defends us all, it is our civil servants who work, often unseen and unrecognized, to support and defend our military.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, for generations in America, we have seen that education is the surest path to success. That is why today I am introducing the Pre-K for USA Act. The Pre-K for USA Act allows local education agencies and governments to apply directly to the Federal Government for grants to develop and expand high-quality pre-K programs. Cities and school districts need to have the ability to step up to the plate and pick up the slack where their State governments are failing. Unfortunately, in my home State of Texas, as is the case in other States, legislatures have curtailed their investment in education. Instead, they have picked up the troubling practice of pretending to balance budgets by slashing early childhood education funds. I call on my colleagues to support the Pre-K for USA Act and get our country one step closer to ensuring that all American children have the opportunity to get ahead in life, achieve their dreams, and boost our Nation's prosperity.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Warren Eusan, an educator and community leader in San Antonio and a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. From Alabama's Tuskegee Institute, this was the famed pursuit squadron who emerged from the Army Air Corps program that trained African-American pilots, navigators, instructors and support staff and who helped secure victory for the allies in World War II. Mr. Eusan was born and raised in San Antonio in 1920. After graduating from Wiley College in Dallas in 1940 with B.A. Degrees in Sociology and Education, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After initial assignment to Tuskegee Army Air Field he was sent to Bryan, Texas where he integrated the Base Instrument Command Flying School. Upon graduation, he returned to Tuskegee where he taught instrument flying until his discharge in 1946. The heroic exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen are now well-known, having been portrayed in feature films, documentaries, books and newspaper and magazine articles. Because of racism and discriminatory laws the men and women who were part of the ``Tuskegee Experience'' were denied rights in the country of their birth yet rose above injustice. In preserving a freedom that had not yet been extended to them, they displayed courage and a largeness of spirit that helped liberate and save the lives of countless women and men. In 2007, Mr. Eusan was among the Tuskegee Airmen who received the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush. When he returned to San Antonio, Mr. Eusan began a 44-year career in education. He was first a school teacher and then the School Liaison to the Superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District. During that time he earned his Masters of Education degree from Atlanta University and completed additional post-grad studies at Our Lady of the Lake University, Trinity University and the University of Texas. Always concerned about his community and its youth, Mr. Eusan was an adjunct faculty member at St. Philip's College and worked for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, San Antonio Neighborhood Youth Organization and the Department of Economic Development of San Antonio. As a member of the San Antonio Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Mr. Eusan had a ubiquitous presence throughout his community, helping to preserve and share the rich legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Through the chapter's annual Educational Assistance Awards Banquet he helped provide scholarships to dozens of college-bound students. Mr. Eusan passed away June 14 at the age of 93. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize the life and achievements of a Warren Eusan, a great San Antonian and a great American.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Thank you, Congresswoman. Mr. Speaker, my time is short, and so I want to cut to the chase. The United States of America should honor its veterans and stand up for them in the same way that they stood up for us during their time of service. Mr. Speaker, I had a chance, as have many other Members of Congress, to visit with the Acting Secretary of the VA about a week ago in San Antonio and also to meet with some of the veterans who were being served there at Audie Murphy. These are folks who served during the Vietnam war, Korea, and other times of conflict. These are folks who are very proud people who don't ask a lot from their country but who are there for care. Too often in Congress, we have been Monday morning quarterbacks rather than leaders on this issue. It was mentioned a bit earlier that veterans are not a partisan issue, and I agree with that. The problem in Washington these days is too often only partisan issues are the ones that get talked about. We have to take action as soon as we can to support our veterans and to make sure that the VA has the funding that it needs to do its job properly. There was a story that the Acting Secretary told about his visit to Phoenix. If I recall it right, he said that there was a neurosurgeon in the meeting that he had with staff who mentioned that, as he was about to go into the room for surgery, there were two X-ray machines that were not working in Phoenix, and those were the conditions that these folks were trying to work under and to serve our veterans. We need to make sure that small government inefficiency is not an excuse for doing right by our veterans. And so I support this legislation. I want to commend not only Chairman Miller on that committee, but also the Senators, Senators McCain and Sanders, who have come together to put aside party politics, and also thank my Democratic colleagues, Beto O'Rourke in Texas, and many fine people here in Congress who are working on this issue.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. I am, and I just wanted to say, again, thank you to the Congresswoman, to the chairman of the committee, Chairman Royce, and Ranking Member Engel. Of course, I am here as many others are to support the bill. There was a counterargument that Mr. Meeks so eloquently stated. I am glad he had a chance to voice it, but I do hope that the Congress today will get behind this bill. With no other speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and rise in strong support of H.R. 4587, the Venezuelan Human Rights and Democracy Protection Act. I would first like to thank Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen for authoring this legislation and for her dedication to these important issues. The eyes of this Congress and the international community are on Venezuela and President Nicolas Maduro and his security forces as they crack down on peaceful protesters. It is an absolute tragedy that 42 people have been killed in protests throughout the country. I am also troubled that opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez remains in jail on charges while many others have been unjustly detained by the Maduro government. I am grateful for President Obama and Secretary Kerry's strong statements condemning the government's reprehensible actions. Let me say that all of us in Congress want nothing more than a peaceful resolution to this conflict. It was disappointing when negotiations between the Maduro government and the opposition broke down, and I hope that these talks can be revived. In March, the House of Representatives passed a resolution which encouraged ``a process of dialogue between the Government of Venezuela and the political opposition to end the violence.'' I continue to believe that dialogue is the best way out of this crisis. In the meantime, the legislation that we are considering today makes it clear that the United States will not turn a blind eye to human rights violations. This bill has been crafted to impose targeted sanctions on human rights violators in Venezuela, while not harming average Venezuelans who are already suffering as a result of terrible economic mismanagement by the country's leaders. While the Venezuelan Government might try to say otherwise, let us be clear: there is not a single provision in this bill that would negatively affect the average Venezuelan. This bill does not touch the Venezuelan oil sector or other parts of the country's economy. Instead, the Venezuelan Human Rights and Democracy Protection Act revokes visas and freezes assets of human rights violators. Finally, it is important to note that this bill gives President Obama a great deal of flexibility to respond to events on the ground in Venezuela. Each and every sanction in this bill can be waived by the President at any time. I would also point out, Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned when this came up in committee and as the gentlewoman will remember, that it is important that the United States sends a strong signal in Latin America. Although we understand that each of the Latin American countries is distinct and different and all have different histories, we witnessed in the 1960s through the 1980s many thousands of students who disappeared, who were removed from their homes by their governments because of the protests that were going on in those countries at the time. We want to make sure that that never happens again, and this bill is important in ensuring that the Venezuelan Government understands that the United States is watching and that we will make sure that something like that doesn't happen again. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), my colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H. Res. 599, urging the Government of the People's Republic of China to respect the freedom of assembly, expression, religion, and all fundamental human rights of its citizens. I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Smith for his leadership on this issue. I would also would like to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and the entire Committee on Foreign Affairs for the bipartisan manner with which we continue to work to shed light upon the gross violation of human and political rights in China. Mr. Speaker, next week we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square demonstrations, where hundreds of student protestors demanding political and economic reforms were murdered. Today the image of an unknown man standing in peaceful protest to government tanks rolling into Tiananmen Square is among the most iconic of the 20th century and continues to serve as a source of inspiration to political and human rights advocates around the world. Unfortunately, many in China will never know of this sad chapter of Chinese history. The Communist Party of China is determined to erase all memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre from national memory. The Chinese Government continues to block all uncensored Internet Web sites and blogs related to the events of June 3 and June 4, 1989, and willfully distributes misinformation to its people. Even today, Beijing continues to harass, arrest, and discriminate against the relatives and friends of those killed in Tiananmen Square. Censorship of the Tiananmen Square massacre is just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, the Chinese Government continues to suppress political dissent by imprisoning pro-democracy activists, lawyers, journalists, labor union leaders, religious believers, members of ethnic minority rights organizations, and other individuals who seek to express their political or religious views or assert their ethnic identity. According to a prisoner database maintained by the United States Congressional Executive Commission on China, over 1,300 prisoners of conscience are being held at various ``black jails,'' where they are often tortured, forced into labor camps, or even killed. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 599 condemns the Chinese Government for its appalling human rights record and calls for an end to the harassment, detention, torture, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens practicing their legitimate freedom of religion, expression, and association. It also calls on the Broadcasting Board of Governors to provide the people of China with information about the Tiananmen Square massacre. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important and timely resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), our very distinguished Democratic leader.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. With no other speakers, I would simply say that the worth of a nation is not measured in dollars and cents alone, by size of the military or armaments. As China's economy continues to grow into among the nations' largest, so too should its commitment to human rights, democracy, and transparency. We are proud to support this resolution. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. So when Republicans put forward a budget that cuts off access to higher education, what they are doing is cutting off a path to the middle class for millions of Americans, and every American, young and old, should be concerned about that.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Thank you, Ranking Member Van Hollen, for all of your work on this. Mr. Chair, there are many damaging cuts in this budget, but I would like to speak just a minute about the cuts to education. In ancient civilizations, literacy and education were closed off to all but the very affluent; and the beauty of America, since its founding, has been the democratization of a way to become educated, make your way into the middle class and to do well. This budget would threaten that, and it does it in several ways. First, it cuts Pell grants, that is, grants to college students, by $145 billion. It also very significantly makes Pell grant aid unavailable to part-time students. I want to focus on that for just a second because this is something we see over and over in our districts again: single moms or working parents, men or women, who are trying to balance a job and go to school at the same time. They are trying to take two or three classes maybe, make their way, still be able to work to support their families, but also go to college and finish off and slowly get their degree. This budget would not allow them to access Pell grants. It would make achieving their goal of getting their education, maybe training for another kind of job, impossible for millions of Americans. The cuts to Pell grants are especially significant because in States like mine, in Texas, since 2003, tuition has gone up an average of 104 percent for thousands and thousands of Texans.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. So this is inconsistent even with how millions of American businesses define full-time employment, and I would also point out this: we know that, as our economy has started to rebound from the worst recession that we have had since the Great Depression, many American businesses are doing well. Wall Street is hitting all-time highs, and the stock market has soared. That is a good thing for America. We certainly don't begrudge any company or business that, but small businesses are already exempted from the ACA requirements, so this is about more sizable companies. In an economy where business is doing well, why should we say to all of these workers--people who are going to work every day, who have incredible work ethic, who are powering our economy--that they don't deserve health insurance? I was in San Antonio--and I know it happened in many cities--and we had long lines on Monday to enroll in the Affordable Care Act. People's faces lit up because, for the first time in many of their lives, they were going to be able to afford health care coverage. Many of them had their kids with them. There were teenagers and senior citizens there. This is a milestone in people's lives, and this bill would take that away from a million people.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Thank you, Ranking Member Levin, for yielding. We speak a lot in this body about the freedoms that we as Americans have been endowed with by our forefathers and that are enshrined in the Constitution, whether it is the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, or our Second Amendment freedoms. I think we all understand and know--unfortunately, too many Americans know firsthand--that when you are sick and lying in a hospital bed or at home and have a child that you can't afford to take to the doctor, those freedoms mean very little. For someone who couldn't get health insurance, whose life is spiraling downward, who can't afford to make their car or mortgage payment, how much are those freedoms worth when their life is spiraling downward because they can't afford health care anymore? The fact is one of the greatest things that the Affordable Care Act has done is allowed more Americans to be able to enjoy the freedoms that all of us here in Congress fight so hard to protect for the American people. A few of the troubling things about this bill is that up to a million people would lose their health care coverage if this piece of legislation was enacted. As Congressman Levin mentioned, it would cost $74 billion to the American people, adding to our debt and deficit. What is also interesting is that just about every bill that is now allowed to pass through the House of Representatives requires a pay- for. In other words, the Republican majority does not allow a piece of legislation to be passed unless it is paid for by cutting something else. What is different about this piece of legislation is that there is no question that it would cost $74 billion, and yet there is absolutely no pay-for in this bill. I would also note, as was mentioned, that this would cost American business some money. Well, a few things; first, many, many American businesses don't define the workweek as 40 hours. They define it as 32 hours or, sometimes, lower. Sometimes, it is 30.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. California also, I believe, expanded Medicaid, and that is something that Texas didn't do. In fact, I remember several months back, when the State legislative session in Texas was still going on, and usually it goes to about the end of May or early June. We went down there and we were doing a press conference, and at the same time, the Governor and the Senators, Lieutenant Governor, all Republicans were doing their press conference. Our junior Senator, Senator Cruz, compared folks who need Medicaid and accept Medicaid to drug addicts, compared them to drug addicts. And the State's leadership implied that--not implied, said--allowing Medicaid to low-income Texans was like getting people hooked on sugar or drugs.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Thank you, Congresswoman. Thank you for your passion over the many years on health care and many other issues, and you raised several wonderful points, but there are a few in particular that I wanted to mention. We debate our national debt and deficit here a lot. Since the Affordable Care Act was passed, as we know, health care has been the biggest driver of our debt. The Affordable Care Act has actually slowed the cost of health care, the slowest growth that we have seen in decades. So this is something that has actually been good and will be good for our fiscal health in this country. Thank you for alluding to that. Also, you mentioned that in many of the communities we represent--not only in California or in Texas, but many places--ailments like diabetes are things that affect so many people in our neighborhoods and our cities, but it is not just diabetes. In other places, it could be cancer or sickle cell anemia or multiple sclerosis. All of those patients will now find a lot more relief because the United States Congress passed this bill.