Susan Davis

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to a pressing national need. The resolution I present here is a recognition of our responsibility to protect the American people from the horrors of radiation exposure as best we can. In this era of terrorism, the ultimate fear has always been the detonation of either a nuclear or radiological device in an American city by terrorists. Even a low-yield nuclear device is capable of causing large-scale damage. After a blast occurs the radiation that follows is also an enormous concern. We cannot counter the effects of a thermonuclear explosion. However, science is developing countermeasures to the medical effects of radiation exposure. These whole-body drugs, known as radioprotectants, represent a great step forward in protecting American citizens from the horrors of terrorism in the nuclear age. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that these drugs, if proven safe and effective, should be purchased and stockpiled by the federal government at the earliest possible opportunity under Project Bioshield. This resolution recognizes the potential these drugs stand for, and is the first step toward appropriating the first effective medical countermeasures to radiation sickness. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution as part of our responsibility to safeguard American lives.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate Gracia Molina de Pick. Gracia celebrates her 75th birthday on March 28, 2005. I am honored to have this opportunity to pay tribute to an exceptional community leader. Gracia is a mother, a daughter, a leader, and most of all, a beloved friend. San Diegans will honor Gracia at the Centro Cultural de la Raza's International Women's Day. Her friends, family, and supporters will join together to salute her for her selfless and steady dedication to advancing women's causes and improving our community. Her life story is a great adventure where she fought historic socio- political battles. She battled for obtaining women's suffrage in Mexico. In the United States, she fought for women's equality and acceptance in the workplace. She worked to promote the participation of women and people of color in the democratic process. Gracia is the people's activist. She has dedicated countless hours to improving the quality of life for women and people of color. Many leaders in San Diego will tell you that she leads by example and is quick to take people under her wing. Gracia is a proud founder of the first Chicano and Chicana studies program at Mesa Community College. In 2002, she was inducted into the San Diego Women's Hall of Fame. She is a mentor, advocate, grassroots activist, and teacher. I have always appreciated the kind advice she has provided me over the years. I wish to congratulate Gracia Molina de Pick for her untiring work on behalf of women, minorities, and our community at-large.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 122. For years, we have known that, to be competitive in the world, Americans must acquire the language capacity to speak with our counterparts. Personally, for myself, when my husband was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War, we lived in a Japanese community, and with my toddler and baby there, I learned some minimal Japanese so that I could speak with and spend time with my neighbors in a way that was really meaningful to both of us. We became friends, and the importance of language study became so real to me in those days. In San Diego, we are keenly aware that so many of our residents are bilingual. Indeed, in our schools, students come from homes where English is not spoken. Over a hundred languages are represented in our schools. As a school board member, I have worked hard to develop better training of foreign language instructors and to bring in more initiatives that recognize the diverse languages in our schools, but I must say that that issue really did not progress nearly as much as I would like, and in fact, today, we still have issues around certifying teachers in many different languages. Critically, we are also so aware that our service members must be equipped with even the basic ability to speak with the citizens of Iraq and with the citizens of Afghanistan. So I am proud that our service personnel in Camp Pendleton are now being given that very introductory language instruction from our higher education institutions. It is clearly appropriate that we establish a year of languages to focus on the importance of developing proficiency in a language other than English, and it must be a strong initiative that we bring forward. It will only be meaningful, however, if we only move forward and we develop a kind of strategic plan so that we find the resources, and more than anything, we find the will to make foreign language development an integral part of our daily lives. I salute my colleague for bringing this forward. I thank him very much because I think it has to be the kind of initiative that goes beyond many of our dreams for this area. It must have the kind of applicability that says this is important to us; this is important to our country.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a national tradition that has helped thousands of America's veterans escape homelessness and recover from drug and alcohol dependence. In 1988, two Vietnam veterans shared a vision. Dr. Robert Nachison and Mr. John Van Kuren wanted to take action to help their fellow veterans struggling with homelessness or addictions. Dr. Nachison and Mr. Van Kuren developed a plan to hold a three-day event in San Diego to bring together the resources veterans would need to turn their lives around for the better. Their vision brought food, shelter, counseling, drug and alcohol treatment all in one place 17 years ago in San Diego. They called this event ``Stand Down.'' Dr. Nachison himself said he thought it would be a one-time event. He had no idea that within a few years, almost every major city in the United States would stage its own Stand Down or similar event. Since then, thousands of homeless veterans across the nation have received the assistance they need and have escaped the streets because of the assistance at Stand Down. Mr. Speaker, I attend Stand Down in San Diego each year and have met veterans who have the courage to seek help. I have heard dozens and dozens of moving stories. Johnny Bonds, for instance, is a Navy veteran from San Diego. He began to drink heavily and became an alcoholic by the time he left the service. Mr. Bonds was separated from his wife and young daughter as the drinking began to take its toll. He lived for six years on the streets in Southern California and continued to drink heavily. In 1996, he attended the annual Stand Down in San Diego seeking food and shelter for the night. He had no idea Stand Down would completely change his life. Over the three days, he learned of a drug and alcohol treatment program administered by the Vietnam Veterans of San Diego. He enrolled and completed the program within a few months. Mr. Bonds, now 52 years old, has been sober for years and never again spent one night on the streets. He has maintained a full-time job. He was also reunited with his daughter after 20 years apart. Today, he visits her on a regular basis. Mr. Bonds' story is not uncommon. Stand Down provides our homeless veterans with a tremendous opportunity. Since 1988, thousands of veterans have taken advantage of this opportunity and are living better lives today. I am introducing a resolution honoring Dr. Robert Nachison and Mr. John Van Kuren for acting on their vision and for providing thousands of veterans with another chance at life. This resolution also recognizes the veterans who attend Stand Down and who have the courage to do what it takes to live productive lives.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Maria Plasencia, a beloved San Diego activist. Maria passed away on February 1, 2005. She is survived by her parents, Alma and Jesse Plasencia of Crown Point, Indiana, and brother, Jesse Jr. of Schererville, Indiana. If an issue involved equality and social justice, Maria was among the first to rally her fellow feminists. Last April, as an official and activist in the San Diego Democratic Club, she organized a 500-member San Diego delegation that joined the March for Women's Lives in Washington, DC. After organizing San Diego's effort in the March of Women's Lives--which drew about a million people to Washington--Maria was elected to NOW's national board. To those who knew her, bringing hundreds of San Diegians for the march in Washington, D.C. exemplified her uncompromising beliefs and her ability to galvanize grass-roots support. Her colleagues describe Maria as energetic and passionate about her beliefs. A diabetic, Maria did not let her condition stand in the way of pursuing her interests or from leading an active life. In her role as an activist and in her job as an auditor for General Electric Commercial Finance, Maria traveled extensively. She enjoyed meeting new people and seeing the country. Cities and small towns alike fascinated Maria, delighting in each one's population and character. Maria grew up in Crown Point, Indiana. Her father, a steel mill worker, had come to the United States from Mexico as a young man. Maria became the first member of her family to attend college and graduated with a degree in accounting from the University of Dayton. Her career brought her to San Diego more than a decade ago. A longtime feminist and supporter of NOW, she jumped wholeheartedly into local politics. Through her volunteering, Maria developed contacts that brought her into the San Diego Democratic Club. Called ``a staple of the work crew,'' Maria quickly distinguished herself through her participation. She was elected Chairwoman of the Women's Caucus in 1999 and Executive Vice President in 2001. Maria has left behind a legacy. The President of the San Diego Democratic Club had the following to say, ``As we do things within our club--increasing its diversity, making it more woman-friendly--it will be in no small part due to the memory of Maria. `` Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Maria Plasencia's family by celebrating her life and contributions to the San Diego community. Maria was admired by so many for her dedication to women's issues and the friendly and effective manner she brought to activities. She will be greatly missed.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, although I support the amendment, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do want to close, if there are no further speakers, and acknowledge that we have important work to be done here. We have highly professional personnel at the border, and they are doing their job, but we need to provide more of them. We need to fund the border security proposals that we have been putting forward for some time. We need to be sure that we fund those. But the other piece of that, and I am delighted that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) has brought that forward, is to be certain that the most sophisticated applications of that technology are used on the border. I speak to many companies in San Diego. I know that they have a great interest in this. They have been a part of some of these solutions in the past. Let us employ them; let us be sure that we are doing this in a comprehensive fashion. So I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe). We must move forward in this area. We can do a far better job on the border than we have done before. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from Monterey for so clearly laying out the reasons that waiving all laws is a travesty of American governing principles. I will focus on the issue driving this extreme language--completing the 3\1/2\ miles of border fencing, including the ocean section in my district. A member stated that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants enter there and are chased all over the sensitive wetlands destroying them anyway. His facts were true 10 years ago. They are not today. In 1993, the Border Patrol apprehended 165,000 people in this section. In 2003, the number had dropped 94 percent--to 10,000. How many illegal entrants get past the Border Patrol today? They tell us 1,000 a year--three people per day. And that is with a fence you or I could easily walk around or through. What should we do? Finish building a secondary fence with the proposed level of environmental destruction. Compromise has occurred, and plans exist for alternative road alignment. Appoint a task force to meet and reach consensus by a deadline. One issue remains--a one-half mile wide river bed called Smuggler's Gulch--leading to internationally recognized wetlands restored at the cost of tens of millions of dollars. The proposal lops off two adjacent mesas to dump 2 million tons of dirt into the gap to a height of 165 feet!--as high as two of the new giant airbuses stacked on top of one another! It would cost $40 million just to move the dirt--money better spent purchasing high grade technology and funding the President's proposed increase of Border Patrol agents. I urge you to support the Farr amendment.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Kolbe amendment. I am very glad to see my friend and colleague finding a good and realistic way to get 21st-century technology to complement the way we police and protect our borders. Like many other Democrats, I have long supported monitoring our borders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I feel strongly that any plan for border security should include a comprehensive technology assessment, an analysis of high-altitude monitoring technologies for use with land-based systems and, importantly, full funding of the plan. Even with the border fence, like we have in San Diego, technology is still needed to assist with monitoring and the effective placement of human resources. There are many companies in the private sector which offer all kinds of ways to enhance our ability to secure the border. Congress has passed laws increasing personnel and technology. So what we need most now is an evaluation of what it will take to secure our borders. An assessment of technology equipment and personnel would be extremely helpful to all of us in making future decisions about additional increases. As we know, sensors and cameras are being used in many locations, including San Diego. But the Kolbe amendment represents a thoughtful approach: let us not just deploy equipment; let us ensure that the equipment works to address the gaps at our land borders. Simply deploying equipment is not the answer. The solution must match the need. A ground surveillance program, in partnership with the remote aerial surveillance program, would go a long way towards achieving real border security. Unfortunately, technologies have been employed on an ad hoc basis in the past and are not part of an overall technology deployment plan. The Kolbe amendment gives us realistic hope for an overall plan for smarter border security. Technology and information-sharing is critical if our frontline personnel are to effectively secure our Nation's borders. Importantly, I remind my colleagues that these surveillance systems still require Border Patrol agents to apprehend illegal border crossers and contraband. Border Patrol agents repeatedly tell me that they are inadequately staffed to do their job. Funding the 9/11 bill to authorize levels is a critical component of securing America's borders. If the President will not do it, Mr. Chairman, let us make sure that Congress does. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz). (Mr. ORTIZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), and others once again to cosponsor this resolution supporting National Mentoring Month. We share the experience and appreciate the value of spending time as an adult to mentor young people. It was my pleasure as the executive director of the Aaron Price Fellows Program in San Diego to organize civic experiences for a diverse group of young people and students with the potential to become strong leaders. The students that I had an opportunity to mentor learned about their local government. I took them to Sacramento to meet State government leaders, and brought them at that time to see D.C. and to see Congress in action. So you can imagine that it was one of my great pleasures now as a Member of Congress to welcome this group of students here every year as they encounter our national issues. I will never forget one of these very special young people. Her name is Arzo Mansury. She is an Afghan-American girl who, after graduation from UCSD, chose to work settling refugees from her birth country. She was really uniquely prepared to work with the Afghanistan embassy in the post-war reconstruction of her country. I have spoken to her on many occasions, and she believes that there is no way she could have done this without the kind of preparation, without the kind of mentoring that she received in this program. A delegation from the San Diego YMCA's Youth and Family Services Program came to my office today, and they described their new program called Y Friends. It is a mentoring program for children whose parents are in prison, children who are seven to eight times more likely to be incarcerated themselves. One young woman who has been through the Y's Transitional Living Skills Program is now a resident in Turning Point. This is a housing and counseling program for youth who have spent years in foster homes, but have passed the age of 18. Victoria, who had been in foster homes since she was 10, said, ``The key to a successful life for me is mentorship.'' Finally, I want to mention that I have been privileged to meet with military spouses who have formed a mentoring program for other spouses who are dealing with the now frequent and lengthy deployment of their loved ones, and that program is making a great deal of difference for them. Mr. Speaker, I would ask Members to please join us in honoring the goals of these mentoring programs.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Military Families Financial Security Act of 2005. This bill will ensure the brave men and women who serve our country will not have to worry about losing critical services their dependent children need. The men and women who serve in our Armed Forces are everyday heroes. I know about the valor of military families from my own experience as a military wife when my husband was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War. As a wife and mother in a foreign country with two young children, I observed that many servicemembers were also mothers and fathers and were making the same sacrifices I was. Just as these brave men and women are working to protect our nation, we must likewise protect them and their loved ones through the laws and policies we enact. In San Diego and around the country, some military families rely on the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) for means-tested financial assistance. This safety net program is designed to protect qualifying families from poverty and provides access to valuable social services such as Medicaid. Without SSI, some special-needs families would not be able to cover their medical expenses. Current regulations threaten some military families' eligibility. They face a unique risk of losing benefits due to the way military pay is treated under SSI rules. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers anything outside basic pay as ``unearned income.'' This method hurts servicemembers and their families since there are more than 30 types of military pay in addition to basic pay. These different pays, considered unearned income, result in higher countable income and affect eligibility. Just a few dollars can make all the difference in the world to these military families. My legislation would change how the SSA calculates income for SSI eligibility by treating most military compensation as earned income. This simple change will keep families eligible for SSI benefits and simplify the administration of this program. Last year, in testimony before the Human Resources Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, Social Security Commissioner JoAnne Barnhart stated her support for such a proposal, which was part of the President's FY05 budget. As Commissioner Barnhart stated, ``The provision would treat cash military compensation and civilian wages alike, and thus eliminate the present unfair and disadvantageous treatment of cash military compensation other than basic pay under SSI. The proposal would increase SSI benefits for most military families with disabled children, which are currently about 3,000 families. It would be a significant program simplification in these cases and would have a relatively small program cost of only $2 million over 10 years.'' She also mentioned how ``determining the difference in the types of military pay is time consuming and error prone, and the guidelines for making such determinations covers 14 pages in SSA's operating instructions.'' As a proud member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am committed to improving the quality of life of the men and women who serve our country. This legislation is fair, overdue and demonstrates our nation's appreciation. This legislation will give servicemembers peace of mind from knowing that their duties will not jeopardize their families' eligibility for SSI benefits and related services. I urge you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues to pass this critical legislation into law.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great man who stood up for justice and fair treatment for all Americans. During his life, Cesar E. Chavez was committed to providing fair wages, better working conditions, decent housing, and quality education for all. He organized in Southern California and accomplished a great deal to improve the living and working conditions for the people of San Diego. Mr. Chavez also made tremendous sacrifices for all Americans, serving the United States proudly in the Navy during WorId War II. His spirit and his vision are still alive today and I am determined to celebrate what he stood for and his great accomplishments. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce legislation to rename the post office located at 2777 Logan Avenue in the Barrio Logan section of San Diego as the ``Cesar E. Chavez Post Office.'' This is the least we can do to honor such a great but humble man dedicated to justice. Please join me in giving Mr. Chavez his rightful place in American history.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate Ralph B. Thomas of the San Diego Border Patrol Sector. Mr. Thomas celebrates his retirement after 28 years of service in immigration policy and operations. I am honored to have this opportunity to pay tribute to an exceptional public servant. In 1960, after a long day of campaigning for the presidency, John F. Kennedy arrived at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to find thousands of students waiting to hear him speak. He challenged the assembled students with the following immortal statement: ``Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.'' These fateful words launched the Peace Corps. A twenty-something Ralph Thomas learned of this challenge and answered it. In 1961, he joined the newly established international volunteer organization and traveled to the Philippines. He taught English as a Second Language in an elementary school and gave support to 35 volunteers in education and community development assignments as a volunteer leader. Ralph Thomas completed his doctoral studies in Asian history and culture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971, and taught Asian and American history at the University of Pennsylvania and Adrian College in Michigan. His deep interest in urban and ethnic issues led to positions as Director of Black/White Curricula for the Education Development Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and as a process observer for the Detroit Education Task Force. His involvement in immigration matters resulted from his friend and fellow Peace Corps/Philippines volunteer Leonel Castillo being named Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1977. After working as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner for two years, Ralph became Deputy Director of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. The Select Commission recommended a number of the policy changes enacted as part of 1986 and 1990 immigration reform legislation. Ralph returned to the INS as a special assistant and consultant for the first two years of the Reagan Administration. In September 1983, Ralph was selected as an appellate examiner for the new Administrative Appeals Unit. In 1984, he was transferred to an inspector position in the Office of Refugees, Asylum and Parole. From 1986 to 1991, he served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner. Ralph spent six more years in the INS Office of Congressional and Public Affairs before coming to the San Diego Sector. Ralph's career spans the arenas of international development, education, immigration policy and border management. His sincerity, modest demeanor and community involvement make him a true public servant. For example, when impassable road conditions at Border Field State Park threaten to cancel a mass organized in memory of those who lost their lives crossing the border, Ralph stepped in. The mass took place as scheduled. As Special Assistant to the Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Border Patrol Sector, Ralph has impressed me with his dedication to conveying the magnitude of the Border Patrol's work. I have experienced first-hand the rugged and steep terrain along the Imperial Beach- Tijuana border and flown over the expanse of the San Diego-Tijuana border with Ralph and Border Patrol Chief William Veal. Border Patrol agents are working hard to secure our borders. On behalf of the people of San Diego, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for Ralph's commitment and my best wishes for his retirement. I wish him, his wife Janet, and their son, Michael, the very best in their new endeavors. My office will miss his hard work, hearty laugh and quick wit.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for all their fine work on this reauthorization, and I rise in support of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 because I believe it will clarify and improve the support for students who have special needs. Many of us, as my colleagues heard, are disappointed that this reauthorization does not respond to the congressional promises of 1975 by making funding for IDEA an entitlement. While the authorization language suggests that full funding will be met by 2011, the Labor-HHS bill, the appropriations bill for 2005, does not match this commitment. So we have to ask ourselves, will starting with a baby step get us to the finish line on time? There were a number of aspects of the Senate bill that were incorporated in this, and I certainly support those, but I do want to point out that it does not include so many improvements which we had offered in the House bill that professionals who worked with special education students offered would clarify and streamline services, and I remain committed to providing the flexibility and common sense while assuring that a student's reasonable needs are met in a timely fashion with full participation and information for parents. I was particularly concerned that responsibility for States to provide related services such as mental health for special needs children be clear. IDEA part B funds should be used for educational purposes, not to supplant State responsibilities. This is enormously important to my district and to California, and I appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner) to work with me on this issue and of the Senate Members to provide the language. I believe that this is, on balance, a bill with significant improvements, and I am certainly committed to monitoring its implementation so that we can continue to look for ways to see that our neediest students are served with dignity and meet with success.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, with another Veterans Day recently passed, we heard much about the incredible sacrifices made by America's veterans and their tremendous bravery. I strongly echo those sentiments. Because our courageous military personnel are willing to go into battle and sacrifice on our behalf, America's independence and liberties have remained intact for over 200 years, and we are truly indebted to those who fought in the Armed Forces. However, Mr. Speaker, I strongly feel that we must honor these brave men and women with more than our words. After risking everything on our behalf, our veterans ask only that we work to improve the services they earned through their dedication and their bravery. This is why the Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2004 before us today greatly enhances the services we provide to our military heroes. It increases the compensation we provide to surviving spouses and their children; gives veterans new opportunities to receive vocational training when leaving the military; and protects the civilian jobs of Reservists deployed overseas. I was very honored, Mr. Speaker, by the opportunity to contribute directly to this comprehensive benefits legislation. During my first term in Congress, I became interested in improving the home loan program offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and introduced H.R. 1735 and cosponsored H.R. 4345, which increases the home loan limit available to veterans. I also introduced H.R. 4616 to offer adjustable-rate mortgages through the VA program. Our veterans certainly deserve the same opportunity for home ownership as the public at large and the freedom to choose which loan will best meet their needs. This legislation links the VA home loan amount to the Freddie Mac index to guarantee annual increases, and at the same time, it extends a program offering veterans the freedom to choose a fixed-rate or an adjustable-rate mortgage. It is particularly helpful and a real victory for those veterans in San Diego because we are a high-cost area. Additionally, S. 2486 provides new protections from fraud and abuse to a vulnerable class of veterans who require a guardian or fiduciary to oversee their finances and VA payments. My staff in San Diego tried to assist a veteran who lost out on his VA disability compensation over a long period of time because his fiduciary had withheld payment for herself. Unfortunately, we could not recover the veteran's losses because current law did not provide revenues to recoup stolen payments. After learning about this abuse, we introduced H.R. 4032 to give the VA the authority to conduct more thorough background checks of fiduciaries and to give veterans who fall victim to this abuse new revenues to recover their losses, and I am pleased these provisions were included in the legislation before us today. I want to thank the House leadership for bringing this comprehensive veterans benefits package before the Congress and for acting in the interest of our former service members, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize and honor the service and career of Captain Robert C. Wilkens as he retires after 32 years of distinguished service in support of our Nation. Throughout his career, Captain Wilkens has epitomized the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and has displayed exceptional leadership and dedication to his country and commands. Captain Wilkens earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1974. He then embarked on a remarkable journey in the Navy's Medical Service Corps, beginning as a staff pharmacist at the Naval Hospital, Charleston, South Carolina. Captain Wilkens' next tour of duty was right here in the U. S. Capitol, where he served as the Director of Pharmacy in the Office of the Attending Physician to Congress from 1981 to 1985. He then entered advanced training as a Pharmacy resident at the Navy's Flagship hospital, the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, in 1986. Captain Wilkens continued with his stellar career as the Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator and Director of Inpatient Services at the Naval Hospital, Portmouth, Virginia. Upon completion of that assignment in 1990, he became a Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Captain Wilkens then served as the Chairman of the Pharmacy Department at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California from 1992- 1999. By special request, he next served as the Specialty Leader and Consultant to the Navy Surgeon General for Pharmacy Policy at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, DC. Upon completion of that exceptional tour in 2001, Captain Wilkens returned to San Diego, and served once again as Chairman of the Pharmacy Department at the Naval Medical Center. He was home. Captain Wilkens completes his distinguished and honorable career leaving a lasting impression of inspired leadership, mastery of science in pharmacy and policy, and allencompassing support for the Navy's medical readiness programs and quality of life. I am pleased to recognize and thank Bob Wilkens for his long and dedicated service to this country and join with his friends and colleagues in wishing him ``Fair Winds and Following Seas'' as he and his wife, Linda, leave the Navy after 32 years of remarkable contributions and service.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my colleagues for acting to protect the benefits of a vulnerable class of America's brave veterans. Over 100,000 of America's military veterans or their dependents are not able to manage their own finances because of physical or mental disabilities. In these cases, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) appoints a family member, a guardian, or another person to act as a ``fiduciary'' to protect and manage their monetary payments and VA benefits. Caring for a dependent veteran involves using the payments the VA sends each month to pay utility bills, buy food, and to meet the other needs on behalf of the veteran. It is a tremendous responsibility. Last year, during an oversight hearing into the VA's fiduciary program, I learned that some of these veterans are not always cared for by the appointed fiduciary. In fact, the Inspector General has found cases in which a fiduciary has withheld payments completely for several years--defrauding the veteran out of several thousand dollars. In my District Office in San Diego, my staff has tried to assist veterans who lost out on their payments only to learn that under current law, the VA does not have the authority to replace the benefits when misuse has occurred. Because it was our veterans suffering from the lack of oversight, I introduced the Veterans Fiduciary Act of 2004 or H.R. 4023 to provide veterans with protections similar to those recently enacted to protect Social Security beneficiaries. Surely our Nation's veterans also deserve the same protections as Social Security beneficiaries. H.R. 4032 gives veterans new avenues to recoup their losses if they fall victim to fraud. In addition, the VA will conduct more thorough background checks and will have new authority to take action against fiduciaries who are not fulfilling their obligations. I am pleased provisions of H.R. 4032 have been included in the servicemembers Legal Protection Act of 2004 or H.R. 4568. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation today.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I must regretfully rise in opposition to the Ose amendment, which has been sprung on us this afternoon without any notice or prior opportunity to discuss the issues. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I have spent hundreds of hours devoted to the issues surrounding Homeland Security. Situated as my district is in San Diego, I am concerned to secure not only our border but also our busy port and ship-building facilities located on San Diego Bay, which is crossed by a dramatic bridge, our international airport, and our numerous military installations which are the home bases for nuclear carriers and nuclear submarine. We have much to be proud of--and much to protect. It is challenging to us all to prioritize actions that we can take with our Homeland Security dollars to provide increased security against past and likely focal points for terrorists. It is important that we assure that scarce resources are devoted to the kinds of actions that will in fact keep our borders safe from known entry points for terrorists. The measure before us to expedite the long-proposed triple border fence overturns years of effort on the part of the local communities along the border, civic groups, and elected representatives to come to consensus with the Border Patrol about appropriate means to enhance and strengthen the existing fence. Fortunately, during the past ten years since the inauguration of Operation Gatekeeper, the numbers of illegal border crossers in the area under consideration has dropped 80 percent. Nonetheless, I agree that the present quality of the single fence needs updating at least to the highest quality of fence construction proposed and already implemented along adjacent border areas. Moreover, I have been assured by local high tech companies which provide sophisticated technology for other homeland security needs that much more could be done with electronic surveillance and detection. Similar views have been officially expressed by the California Coastal Commission, which has jurisdiction in this area, and by the California Coastal Conservancy which has a $6 million road and access improvement project in this area. In the past, the California Border Patrol has been unwilling to pursue any alternative proposals other than the one which has been so thoroughly rejected by state and local interest groups. Their view has been ``my way, and it's a highway.'' However, since its February vote to object to the proposal, the California Coastal Commission has been working with the Department of Homeland Security's office of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection in charge of construction to resolve this issue. I understand the parties met in April to discuss their views and that both parties expected and have planned to continue this effort at a meeting on October 26, 2004, to continue the ongoing negotiations. Perhaps the author was unaware of this plan. I believe we must support this effort. It is no surprise that the Ose amendment waives all powers of the Clean Air Act; the Clean Water Act; the Protection of Wetlands; the Floodplain Management; the Coastal Zone Management Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act as amended by Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act; the Farmland Protection Policy Act; the Endangered Species Act; the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; the National Historic Preservation Act; the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; and the Archeological Resources Protection Act. That is because this proposal is so overwhelmingly threatening to the sensitive lands that would be destroyed as to offend all of these acts. Above all, this wholesale destruction is unnecessary. I would welcome continued work with the affected parties, most particularly with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to find a solution to their staffing needs that does not destroy millions of dollars of prior investment by California in these sensitive areas. We must use our scarce Homeland Security dollars in projects that are focused on major areas where there are large numbers of border crossers who might become a threat from terrorists. San Diego deserves to be protected, but we have many areas in need of new programs and technology that will address likely targets. I urge your defeat of this proposal at this time and your willingness to work together toward a reasoned proposal.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4794, which will amend the Tijuana River Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Cleanup Act of 2000 to bring it up to date to include the International Boundary and Water Commission Treaty Minute No. 311 between the United States and Mexico. Reauthorization will pave the way for an ultimate solution to the long-standing problem of sewage outfall that pollutes the Tijuana River Valley Estuary and the precious beaches of Imperial Beach. Located on the southwest corner of the United States, Imperial Beach offers its residents and visitors an exceptional coastal experience situated as it is between the wonderful Tijuana Estuary natural wetlands and bird habitat and the mighty Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, the metropolitan area of Tijuana and San Diego has grown well beyond the existing capacity to provide for the current sewage volume and allow a healthy and safe environment for the population along the border. The 2000 Act provided the framework for improving the existing South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was constructed by the International Boundary and Water Commission following authorization in a 1987 Water Quality Act. However, the plant was only built to advanced primary standards and not to the required secondary treatment standard as required by the law. Since that time, the rapid growth in the metropolitan region has resulted in a frequent flow of untreated or partially treated sewage through the Tijuana River, which flows north from Tijuana across the border to the Pacific Ocean at Imperial Beach. This pollution is a public health threat as well as an environmental danger. This reauthorization addresses a multitude of details to implement a privately built and operated plant in Tijuana. Although the realization of the new Minute in February took a very long time, I hope that with new leadership now in place on the Commission and with this authorization in place there will be rapid progress toward the fulfillment of this desperately needed public safety facility. I want to thank my colleague from San Diego, Representative Hunter, for taking the leadership in the time-consuming process of bringing agreement on the details from numerous administration entities. I urge your support for this measure, which has been co-sponsored by the bipartisan San Diego delegation.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I want my constituents to know that Congress is not going to legislate a draft today, but I also want to ask my constituents and all Americans to read between the lines. What is going on here today? What they are seeing is an admission of this administration's failure to adequately plan for our troops in Iraq. What they are seeing is a bait and switch. On the one hand, Americans are being told today that they do not need to worry about a draft, and believe me, this was an issue that if my colleagues would have left it alone, it would have died on the Internet. But on the other hand, I am afraid that Americans will think that they are being told there is nothing to worry about in Iraq. What we are seeing is a very controversial matter being brought up before Congress by using a procedure that is meant for noncontroversial items. I want to acknowledge how much military servicemembers' contributions have meant to Americans through their voluntary and selfless service. And how do we honor them? Well, we honor the profound and valiant successes by keeping our forces strong. The solution to our overburdened military lies in expanding the all- volunteer force; and this solution, as it has been stated, has been voted on and passed by both Chambers of the Congress. It provides a much-needed increase in military end strength, and as a member of the Committee on Armed Services, I have worked hard to provide the solution. I feel strongly, and I know that most of the people here do, that everyone benefits from keeping an all-volunteer force. So I urge my colleagues to stand firm with this conviction, but I also say let us have a serious discussion. Let us not make this political.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a wonderful leader of 28 years in my community: Charles W. Johnson. Charles Johnson is a father, a son, a husband, and most of all a beloved friend. San Diegans will honor him at the Linda Vista Civic Association meeting on October 21, 2004. His friends, family, and supporters will join together to salute Charles for his selfless and steady dedication to improving our community. His life is a great American story. It is a classic story of one of the kids that made good. A retired Navy Master Chief, he graduated high school in Paris, Texas and joined the Navy immediately after. The Navy brought Charles to San Diego, where he attended San Diego City College and Mesa College He is a Linda Vista community activist. He has dedicated countless hours to improving the quality of life for Linda Vista residents. Charles is a proud founder of the Linda Vista Civic Association and is the immediate past chair. The Civic Association is a positive force for improving the quality of life for all Linda Vista residents and promoting the involvement of community members of all ages. They are committed to coordinating, advising, and ensuring that projects operating in the neighborhood do so with collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork, and in a manner consistent with the vision of the Collaborative. Charles continued his activism as a past chair of the Linda Vista Boys and Girls Club and of the Access Center. He was a member of the Linda Vista Planning Committee for over six years and the City of San Diego Citizens' Advisory Board on Police- Community Relations. Charles Johnson was an enthusiastic member of the City of San Diego Redistricting Commission, where he was a strong advocate for his community. He is an American patriot. He honorably served our country in the military. He continues today as a member of the American Legion and VFW. I wish to congratulate Charles Johnson for his untiring work on behalf of Linda Vista community.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that we are here today to debate this amendment. As a strong supporter of civil rights protections, I am extremely concerned about the devastating implications of this legislation. I am concerned because I believe that every individual deserves to be treated with respect, and our Nation's laws should be used to promote civil rights, not limit them. In addition, the United States Constitution should be modified only in the most rare and necessary of circumstances, and those circumstances simply do not exist here today. Amending this sacred document that has governed us for centuries has only been done 17 times in our Nation's history--and those changes have served to protect our rights as Americans. Now is not the time to depart from that tradition by threatening the basic principle of equal treatment under the law. And speaking of tradition, Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot today about the value we should place only upon ``traditional'' marriage. I would ask those who support this amendment so strongly to talk to the countless special needs children of this country, who have been adopted by caring and nurturing same-sex couples, what ``traditional'' means to them. Although special needs children are a special gift to this world and to any family, it is often same-sex couples who are most willing to welcome these children into their homes. If not for these couples, many of these children would never experience the value of a loving, stable home and the unconditional support of a family. I am willing to venture that if any one of us asked any one of these special needs children if they would prefer two mothers--or two fathers--or no family at all, that choice would be simple. And that is because there is no exact formula for creating a loving family. The only thing you need for certain is love. Are we really challenging whether or not that love can exist in a home with two mothers or two fathers? I certainly hope not. Mr. Speaker, we are still trying to bring peace and stability to Iraq and are losing more and more American lives in this process every day. Our economy is struggling under a $400 billion deficit. And we have a long way to go to get American workers back into meaningful work and to continue improving the education of our children. It is regrettable that we have decided to overlook these pressing national needs to take up an amendment that I believe threatens healthy American families in our country today. If it is truly our hope to protect the best interests of our children, we will join together to oppose this dangerous and unnecessary amendment.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to express my concern about House and Senate conferencing on the Defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2005. I am concerned that the House has not appointed any conferees to the bill. Mr. Speaker, the House passed the Defense Authorization Bill on May 20 of 2004, and the Senate passed their version on June 23. Fast forward 3 months to today. It is now September 23. Next week marks the end of the fiscal year, and the House will adjourn for the elections in less than a month. I would also like to remind all of us, Mr. Speaker, that the House and Senate finished the conference report agreement on the fiscal year Defense appropriations bill in July. The reason for my concern should be obvious to all of us. Our country is at war. Large numbers of brave men and women remain in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. I recognize there are contentious issues in both of the versions of the bill, but confronting these types of issues is our job, and we are quickly running out of time. The bill is a life-and-death matter. It impacts service members' safety, their readiness and personal and financial health. More than anyone else, they have earned the right to a government that is a responsible steward of their safety and their well-being.