Jeff Denham

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2903, as amended.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the life of a beloved veteran, Alvar ``Al'' Edwin Sperring on his 90th birthday. Alvar was born in San Francisco, California on September 18, 1922. He is the youngest of five brothers, born to John Edward Sperring and Anna Emily Sperring. Mr. Sperring's parents moved to Sonoma, California during his early childhood, where he attended local schools and graduated from Sonoma Valley Union High School in 1940. Upon graduation, he went to work for the Pacific Telephone Company in San Francisco as a lineman working throughout Northern California and Nevada. Alvar was drafted into the United States Army on January 30, 1943, in San Francisco, California. He applied and was accepted for the Aviation Cadet School. He graduated from Pilot School on May 22, 1944, with the rank of Second Lieutenant at Stockton Field, Stockton, California, Class 44-E. On May 28, 1944, he married his high school sweetheart, Alyda Bernadette Picchi, at St. Edward's Church in San Francisco, California. Together, they raised four sons: Roger, Robert, Ronald, and Randall. He is proud of his six grandsons and six great-grandchildren. Mr. Sperring's first Air Force assignment was at Muroc Army Air Base in Lancaster, California for B-24 Liberator Bomber Pilot training. In 1945, he served overseas with the 38th Bombardment Squadron stationed in Guam in the Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged on April 3, 1946, with the rank of First Lieutenant and remained in the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves until November 1963. Alvar returned to his former employment with Pacific Telephone Company in San Francisco and was promoted to Line Foreman. In 1950, he was transferred to Lodi, California. Lodi had transitioned to a dial system, and he was instrumental in achieving that endeavor. He retired in 1983 with 42 years of loyal and dedicated service in various supervisory capacities. Alvar is a sixty-year member of The American Legion, active member of International Order of Odd Fellows, Telephone Pioneers, Past Big Sir of Branch 18 Sons in Retirement and one of the early founders of the Lodi Boys and Girls Club. He is a long-time member of the Woodbridge Golf and Country Club, where he plays golf three times a week. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honouring Alvar E. Sperring and expressing our congratulations on his 90th birthday. Best wishes to him and his family for continued success, happiness, and good health in years to come.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Jim and Bobbie Mello on the occasion of their 70th Wedding Anniversary which they celebrated on September 6, 2012. James Mello, born in Turlock on April 18, 1922, was destined to meet Barbara (Bobbie) McDonald, born in Turlock on April 12, 1926. Fate finally intervened on a summer day when they met when she was picnicking at Crane Park. Jim came by riding his horse and spotted her. Being a 20 year-old romantic, he devised a plan to meet Bobbie. The plan was to come back a while later and throw watermelons at her. Well, it worked perfectly, and Jim and Bobbie were married about two months later. The plan was to borrow the best man's car and drive to Minden, Nevada on September 5, 1942, to marry. However, on that day, the best man had his tires repossessed. Undaunted, they borrowed the car of Jim's employer, drove to Minden, and were married the next day. Two months later, in November, Jim left to join the U.S. Army. Bobbie moved back to live with her Grandmother, who had raised her and her younger sister, Gloria, since they were very young children. Three years later, Jim returned from World War II, where he served as a tanker under General George Patton and was in the famous ``Battle of the Bulge.'' After his return from service, he worked for Turlock Trenching Company. Jim and his brother-in-law, Clinton Hayes, bought the company in 1951 and ran it out of Jim and Bobbie's 10 acre ranch for many years. In 1987, Jim went to work for Swanson Farms until his retirement in 2003. After Jim retired, he and Bobbie moved into their present home in the city of Turlock. They have two daughters--their eldest daughter is Sandra, married to Steve Vieira. Sandy and Steve just celebrated their 49th anniversary. Their youngest daughter, Janice, married Bob Borba. Jan and Bob will soon celebrate their 47th anniversary. Jim and Bobbie have four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. In addition to running their own business, Jim and Bobbie were very involved in their community. Jim served 30 years as a volunteer fireman and retired as Assistant Chief of Turlock Rural Fire Department. They both are lifetime members of the Turlock Horsemen's Club and belong to several organizations including American Legion, VFW, Native Daughters of the Golden West, and have volunteered for many organizations and causes over the years. They serve as great role models for their family. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the partnership, love, and trust that aided Jim and Bobbie in reaching this milestone of an anniversary. Congratulations on the past 70 years, and I wish you the best success in the years to come.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. I rise today to honor Modesto native, two-time Olympian, and five-time U.S. National Team member Erin Cafaro, who this morning successfully defended, along with her teammates of the United States women's eight rowing team, the gold medal they won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Erin's victory today is the culmination of years of training, and it is an example of how personal dedication to a goal is the cornerstone of success. The London games are Erin's second Olympics, having first represented the team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2008, Erin and the women's eight rowing team were the first to bring home a gold medal to the United States in this event. In this morning's race, faced with strong competition from Canada and the Netherlands, Team USA won in a time of 6 minutes, 10.59 seconds. Erin Cafaro, you and your teammates have made Modesto, the State of California, and the Nation proud. Please accept my sincere congratulations on a gold medal today.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Lawrence E. Westerlund and to congratulate him on his upcoming retirement from the U.S. Navy, following 20 years of active and reserve service. Lieutenant Commander Westerlund, a native of Fresno, California, entered the U.S. Navy through Officer Candidate School, Class 8809, in Newport, Rhode Island shortly after graduating from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. He was commissioned an Ensign on November 18, 1988, with his father, Richard Westerlund, and brother, Midshipman Lance Westerlund, in attendance. After graduation from Surface Warfare Officer School in Coronado, California, he reported aboard the USS Mahon S. Tisdale (FFG-27), where he was assigned the position of First Lieutenant and also served as Helicopter Control Officer. He served two years aboard the USS Tisdale, earning his Surface Warfare Pin and deploying to Japan and Korea in support of PACEX89. In 1990, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. He entered the U.S. Naval Reserves and became the Administrative Officer for the USS Worden (CG-18) naval reserve detachment based in Fresno, California. From 1991 through 1994, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund served as a Convoy Officer for the Convoy Command Detachment in Seattle, Washington. In September of 1994, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund reported for duty with Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare Units 103 and 104, where he served as a Division Officer and Department Head. He served multiple training periods in Korea and Bahrain with these two units. In June 1997, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund was awarded the Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal while serving as the Physical Security Officer during Overseas Operations in Manama, Bahrain, where he was tasked with establishing waterside security watch to counter terrorist threats. Lieutenant Commander Westerlund was recalled to active duty in April of 1998 for one year in support of stabilization operations in Bosnia. During this assignment, he was instrumental in writing a major force structure study for the US-European Command (EUCOM). While serving for the EUCOM, he was awarded his first Defense Commendation Medal and NATO Operations Medal. Shortly after returning from Bosnia, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund transferred to the Inactive Ready Reserve. As a result of the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund returned to active drilling status. He was assigned to Commander Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) Det-520 in Sacramento, California--a capacity in which he served as the head of various divisions and departments. In 2004, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund ran a successful election campaign for a seat on the Fresno City Council. Before taking office, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund returned to active duty for six months standing the Battle Watch for COMPACFLT. In January 2005, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund was sworn in as the District Four Representative for the Fresno City Council. During this time, he continued to drill in Sacramento for COMPACFLT Det-520. Lieutenant Commander Westerlund was recalled to active duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2007. He served from April 2008 to May 2009 as the Counterterrorism Train and Equip Manager for the Joint Special Operations Task Force for the Tran-Sahara for the U.S. European Special Operations Command (SOCEUR) and Africa Special Operations Command (SOCAFRICA). For his service, he was awarded his second Defense Commendation Medal. In December of 2009, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund became the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the 38 sailors of the Military Sealift Command Cargo Afloat Rigging Team III, Detachment C based out of Lemoore, California. While serving as OIC, he was deployed twice onboard the USNS Guadalupe (T-AO-200). Lieutenant Commander Westerlund is married to Dora Rivera of Mazatlan, Mexico. While deployed overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund was reelected to the Fresno City Council, and his first child, Zoe, was born. Lieutenant Commander Westerlund and his wife recently welcomed their second child--a son named William. On August 11, 2012, Lieutenant Commander Westerlund will retire from the United States Navy after 20 years of honorable military service. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Lieutenant Commander Lawrence E. Westerlund for his outstanding career. He is a true public servant. I congratulate him on his retirement, and wish him the best of success in his future endeavors.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the life and service of the late Second Lieutenant Yer Vang. Second Lieutenant Vang served the United States of America honorably during the Vietnam War. Yer Vang was born on February 2, 1960, at Ban Long Xai, Muan Long Xai, in the Xieng Khouang province in the Kingdom of Laos. He attended Ban Na Elementary School. In March of 1972, when he reached the age of twelve, he was recruited to train at Muang Cha Military Training Center, located in the Xieng Khouang province. Upon completion of his military training, Yer Vang was assigned to work as a water supplier and a mail carrier at the 228th Battalion Headquarters. On January 1, 1973, he was transferred to the 2281st Company Infantry Division of the 228th Battalion Special Guerrilla Units (SGU), 1st Strike Division Infantry of the United States Secret Army. Yer Vang fought in the Vietnam War with this unit through May of 1975. During this tenure of his service, he took part in many important missions advanced by the United States Secret Army and was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. After the communist takeover of Laos in May of 1975, Yer Vang's unit was stationed south of the Plains des Jarres. Unable to be airlifted to a U.S. Airbase in Thailand, Yer Vang had to flee his position and go into hiding in fear of being persecuted by the ruling government. He remained in hiding until June of 1979, when he passed through the jungles of Laos by moonlight and crossed the Mekong River to safety in Thailand. Yer Vang was a political refugee at Ban Vinai Camp in Thailand for twenty years. On January 31, 1990, he came to the United States and began his life in Fresno, California. Once resettled in Fresno, Yer Vang attended Fresno Adult School, where he graduated in 1993. He worked at a local Pizza Hut for two years, before he was hired as a teacher's aide for Fresno Unified School District in August of 1995. In 1997, Yer Vang was selected to be a board member of the Lao Veterans of America, where he served as Treasurer from 1997 through 2000 and Secretary from 2005 through 2012. Second Lieutenant Yer Vang passed away on June 24, 2012. He is survived by his wife, whom he married while in the refugee camp in Thailand. The couple has thirteen children: three sons and ten daughters. For his military service, Yer Yang was awarded the Bronze Medal from the King of Laos, the United States Special Forces in Laos Medal, and multiple commendations and citations from the United States Congress. He was also honored by the United States Congress with the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Vietnam Veterans Medal. Mr. Speaker, please join me in posthumously honoring Second Lieutenant Yer Yang for his heroic service to the United States of America and extending our deepest condolences to his family. His legacy serves as an example of excellence, and his contributions to our country will not be forgotten.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Modesto Police Chief Mike Harden, who will be retiring on August 3, 2012, after serving in law enforcement for nearly three decades. As a teenager, Chief Harden began volunteering as an Explorer; and as soon as he was able, he applied to the police academy. Chief Mike Harden began his career as a patrol officer at Modesto Police Department and, for the last 28 years, has worked his way through the ranks. He served as Assistant Police Chief from November of 2003 to June of 2009, when he was named Acting Chief of Police. His permanent appointment to Chief of Police occurred in February of 2010. Chief Harden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Class, the WestPoint Leadership Program at the Los Angeles Police Department, and California Command College. He has lived in Modesto since 1970 and is a graduate of Modesto's Davis High School. Harden has committed himself to a focus of sustained crime reduction efforts, especially in the area of gang violence. He set a goal for lower crime rates, which the Department met after he was appointed. Chief Harden instituted several internal changes to the organization to better address the crime and gang violence and attributed critical partnerships with businesses, non-profits, and citizens as a significant key to his successful approach to curbing criminal activity. Chief Harden has done a great job reorganizing the Police Department, delivering positive results for our community while implementing 25-percent reduction in staffing levels. Modesto's Fallen Officers Memorial wall was erected and dedicated under Chief Harden's leadership. This wall was a community driven effort and honors Modesto officers who died in the line of duty. Chief Harden has also developed a new mission and vision statement focusing on serving the Modesto community with professionalism, pride, and integrity for the Modesto Police Department. Chief Harden has committed his life to serving the Modesto community every day and has worked diligently to keep its residents and their property safe. Chief Harden has been an outstanding and highly effective Police Chief whose quiet and steady leadership is an excellent example of how to serve others. While his service has been greatly appreciated and will be missed, I am confident that his leadership and example will continue to serve and protect Modesto long into the future. Chief Harden is married to Lori and they have two children: Brad, a Naval Academy graduate, and their daughter, Lindsey, who is currently attending college at UC Davis. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending the outstanding contributions made to law enforcement and the Modesto community by Chief of Police Mike Harden and wishing him continued success in his retirement.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the President to sign the Veterans Jobs Act. This body has a duty to make sure that every veteran, our brave men and women who are returning home--at 200,000 leaving Active Duty every year--actually have jobs available to them and that they're actually certified to be able to accept those jobs. We invest billions of dollars every year to give the best training in the world to our young men and women who are serving our country. Yet when they leave Active Duty, most times they're not certified for the very jobs that they're trying to get. Our brave men and women deserve the opportunity to jump right into these fields. Why should they have to get 2 or 3 extra years of training to duplicate the training they already have that is oftentimes much better training that they had on Active Duty. We have a duty to pass this bill, to have it signed into law, and to not let a day go by that these veterans return home and make sure that they've got the certifications to immediately enter our workforce. I urge the President once again to sign this important legislation that both bodies have passed now on a bipartisan level.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an extraordinary milestone of Huntington Beach resident Victoria Cernok, as she celebrates her 65th birthday on July 10, 2012. A fifth generation Californian, Victoria has continued to be an active member in the Huntington Beach community for more than four decades. Victoria and her husband, John, raised their four children-- Jon, Brian, Jill, and Greg--in Huntington Beach, while simultaneously running a private culinary and catering business and staying engaged in her children's education through volunteer parental activities. She also had a great career as a flight attendant--traveling the country serving others, while watching her family grow. Victoria now enjoys spending time with her two grandsons, Grant and Blake, going for walks on the beach, honing her painting skills, traveling the world, teaching generations of Huntington Beach residents how to create culinary masterpieces at the local Community College, and being an active member in the acclaimed Saint Simon and Jude Church Choir. Victoria has contributed her life to being a dedicated and wonderful mother and a shining example in her community by giving her time and energy to the betterment of others. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Victoria on this special day, July 10th, 2012, and in wishing her a Happy 65th Birthday! May she have many, many more.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, during consideration of H.R. 5972, I inadvertently switched my votes for consecutive amendments. I would like the record to state the following: Rollcall vote 434: I would like the record to reflect my vote of ``aye'' was intended to be ``no'' on Rep. McClintock's amendment to zero out funding for the Community Development Fund including the CDBG program and apply the savings to the deficit reduction account. Rollcall vote 435: I would like the record to reflect my vote of ``no'' was intended to be ``aye'' on Rep. McClintock's amendment to zero out the funding for the Community Development Loan Guarantees Program Account and apply the savings to the spending reduction account.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support legislation I authored, H.R. 4155, the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act. America is blessed with the strongest, most capable and professional military in the world. Unfortunately for many of our veterans, transitioning from service means a battle with joblessness. And as my friend from Utah explained, the unemployment rate is 12.7 percent; but for our young veterans, it's 29.1 percent for those that are under the age of 25. The Federal Government has invested in our servicemen with some of the most unique, expensive, and valued training in the world. These brave young men and women have put their lives on the line and deserve to be able to use this training when they come back home. With 200,000 servicemen and -women transitioning to the civilian workforce each year, we must ensure that they're able to find jobs when they come home. I have personally dealt with this issue when I left Active Duty as a crew chief. Though I had training on the most sophisticated aircraft in the world, to work on less-sophisticated aircraft on the civilian side it would have taken me 3 years of training after I left Active Duty. In my conversations with Mr. Walz from Minnesota, some of the challenges that his veterans have seen in Minnesota involve having to go through the same State licensing procedure. It's time to say enough is enough. If you've had the best training in the world, you ought to be able to get the best jobs in the world; and this body ought to make sure that certification, that licensure is a seamless process. If you leave Active Duty today, you ought to have work tomorrow in the private sector utilizing that very same training. This legislation not only mirrors similar efforts on the State level but follows the recommendation of the Defense Business Board and the Department of Defense that issued a report calling for exactly this same type of reform. The Veteran Skills to Jobs Act would help fix this problem, and I'm glad to see that both Chambers of Congress are working together in a bipartisan fashion to accomplish this very same goal. Helping our returning veterans find jobs is not the concern of one party or one body of Congress. The Senate adopted this matter unanimously last week before we left for break, and it's time that this body do the same. Again, I want to thank Mr. Walz of Minnesota for his hard work on this effort, for the bipartisan effort. He and I have been in close communication this entire 112th Congress in making sure that this comes to reality, as well as Senator Nelson from Florida offering the companion bill in the Senate. It's time to make sure that we have a bipartisan and quick solution to this issue. I also want to thank the American Legion, of which I'm a member. They have worked tirelessly in both bodies, as well as from a grass-roots perspective across the Nation working with many other service organizations, to actually make this a reality. Now it's time that this body does its job and pass this important measure.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Correct.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, this is a very simple amendment. It just basically says, at the end of this bill none of the funds may be used for high-speed rail in California. California has a project that was supposed to cost $33 billion. The voters in California voted for bonds of $9.9 billion. The Federal Government was supposed to come up with $10 billion, and a private company was supposed to come up with $10 billion. The problem is there is no private investor for the $10 billion; the Federal Government is broke with $16 trillion worth of debt and can't come up with $10 billion; and the State of California can no longer float the bond because their credit rating is so bad. To compound the matter, it's no longer a $33 million project. It ballooned to $68 billion, then on up to $98 billion. And when talking to Secretary LaHood, he said there's no end in sight, that this is a project that could continue to change as we move forward. In fact, that's what we're actually seeing in California, an initiative that bounces back and forth, $10 billion here or $10 billion there. So again, this amendment is very simple. It just says none of these funds can be used for high-speed rail. In California we've got highways that are falling apart, bridges that are falling apart. We need to make sure that our gas tax dollars get used for their intended purpose of actually improving our roads and highways. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Sir, you are correct. And now the voters are two-thirds against the bill by several different polls.

Mr. DENHAM. Thank you sir. Thank you for yielding. I would agree that the President can come up with more money if he feels that he wants to transfer more stimulus dollars, or we may have another vote, depending on another allocation or appropriation that may want to spend money on high-speed rail. This amendment says that our gas tax dollars will go back to California to be used for our highways and roads. That's all this amendment does. That's all I intend to do is to make sure that the Governor of California does not take money out of the block grant from the Federal Government that goes into the STF fund to use it for other things such as high-speed rail. The Governor has to use the money where this Federal Government intends it to be used, very simple.

Mr. DENHAM. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DENHAM. No dispute here on whether or not this bill has any mention of high-speed rail. I would agree. There is no mention of it. And I won't even dispute here tonight whether the President wants to spend more on high-speed rail or whether the Governor wants to spend more money on high-speed rail. That is a different debate.

Mr. DENHAM. As Congress, if in this bill we stipulate that none of the funds can be used for high-speed rail, then none of the funds can be used for high-speed rail. I mean, it's a very simple mandate for the Governor: Use the money where it was intended to be used but not for high-speed rail. The language is very simple. That's why we wrote it as one sentence: that none of the funds may be used for high-speed rail.

Mr. DENHAM. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Madam Speaker, I will just close by saying that I can appreciate the gentlewoman from California's passion on this issue. I, too, see the great ports of California and throughout the Nation and the need to have an overall freight policy, and I look forward to working with her in the future on this very important issue. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This motion instructs conferees to the surface transportation reauthorization conference to agree to several provisions in the Senate bill relating to freight policy. As I'm sure you're aware, the conferees and their staffs have been working around the clock, and it is our hope to file a bipartisan, bicameral agreement as soon as possible. This agreement is aimed to tackle serious issues facing the infrastructure of the United States, which is the utmost importance to the stability and future growth of the American economy. As soon as it's filed, I encourage the gentlewoman from California to review the conference report and take special note of the freight policy language that a majority of the House and majority of the Senate conferees chose to include. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. I am prepared to close if the gentlelady is prepared to yield back.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Fresno resident Hunter Wright upon being named a recipient of Pacific Gas & Electric Company's (PG&E) 2012 Bright Minds Scholarship, a prestigious academic scholarship awarded to a small number of California high school students each year. Miss Wright is one of 8,060 students from PG&E's Northern and Central California service area to apply for the $30,000 Bright Minds Scholarship this year. The scholarship is renewable for up to four additional years. As one of eight winners, Miss Wright joins a highly select group of students participating in the utility company's largest scholarship program. Miss Wright was informed of her scholarship award while sitting in her Advanced Placement English class, when Edison High School administrators and representatives from PG&E bearing a banner, balloons, cupcakes, and an oversize check surprised her. Her parents, Doreen and Dave Wright, were also present for the announcement. Miss Wright graduated from Edison High School on June 12, 2012. In addition to excelling in academics, she actively participated in cross- country, lacrosse, tennis, and regularly volunteered for various community causes. Miss Wright will attend the University of Miami this fall, where she plans to study English. She aspires to be an English professor. In addition to her academic and career goals, Miss Wright hopes to continue traveling the world to do volunteer work. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Miss Hunter Wright of Fresno, California, for her impressive academic accomplishments. I congratulate her upon being named a recipient of PG&E's 2012 Bright Minds Scholarship and wish her the best of success in her future endeavors.