Sam Farr

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the soldiers who served during World War II in the United States Army's 54th Coast Artillery Regiment. The 54th was an all-black regiment that shared the mission of guarding California's Central Coast from enemy attack. It was the U.S. Army's only all-black, heavy artillery unit during World War II. The 54th was part of the network of forces that protected the entrance to San Francisco Harbor and the Golden Gate Bridge and the millions of tons of cargo and munitions coming out of the port. This network included coastal fortifications, underwater minefields, antiaircraft guns, radars, searchlights, patrol aircraft, and observation posts up and down the coast of California. Several such posts were located in my District, including one near the lighthouse in the city of Santa Cruz. No enemy was ever seen, and in 1944 the Army began to phase out its California coast watch. Batteries of the 54th were deployed to other battlefronts, including Peru. After the fall of Germany in 1945, the 54th was restructured and sent to the Philippines to prepare to invade Japan, but Japan surrendered before that happened. Armed initially with old guns and wearing uniforms left over from World War I, the men of the 54th served with pride and dedication. Two members of the Santa Cruz unit still live on the Central Coast. Russell R. Dawson returned to Santa Cruz after his discharge in 1946 and became the first black postal worker in that city, a job he held for 33 years. William Edward Jackson Sr., who lives in nearby Menlo Park, is a past president of that city's chapter of the NAACP. On this Veteran's Day these two men will represent the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment at the dedication of a memorial plaque erected on the site of their former post at Lighthouse Field. This project was spearheaded by the Santa Cruz Women's Club who, after Dawson spoke to their group about his experiences, decided to memorialize this special piece of Santa Cruz and American history. Madam Speaker, I know the whole House joins me in thanking the 54th Coast Army Artillery Regiment for their honorable and dedicated service to our nation.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today, with my colleague Anna Eshoo to honor the memory of a great woman and model citizen, Mardi Wormhoudt. Mardi passed away October 21, 2009 in her Santa Cruz home at the age of 72. Mardi was an influential politician, a loving mother and wife, and a dedicated friend. Mardi was born October 1, 1937 in Wisconsin. She graduated with honors from California State University at Los Angeles in 1967. During the late 1960's and early 1970's, Mardi worked as a caseworker for the Los Angeles Department of Social Services, as well as a project director for the Martin Luther King Center in Pasadena. During this time, Mardi and her husband Ken, the love of her life, started a family with the birth of their children: Zachary, Jonathon, Jacob and Lisa. In the mid 1970's, Mardi moved her family to Santa Cruz and by 1981 she was an elected official. She was soon Santa Cruz County's leading female official. She is best known for her time as Mayor when she helped lead Santa Cruz through the tragic Loma Prieta earthquake. We all remember the iconic image of her briefing President Bush, Representative Panetta, State Senator Mello, Assemblyman Farr against the backdrop of destruction along Pacific Avenue. Mardi helped keep the spirits of citizens high, and encouraged the city to unite in rebuilding efforts. In total, Mardi dedicated twenty-one years to public office. Mardi will also be forever remembered for her dedication to women's rights, environmental protection, and a firm belief in local economic growth. Mardi was also an advocate for those who were marginalized and overlooked. Mardi was constantly active in the community as a member of a plethora of groups, including: The Santa Cruz City School District and the Santa Cruz AIDS project. She also received a vast stable of awards, including: The People's Democratic Club Woman of the Year 1988 and the 1991 nomination by then Assemblyman Sam Farr for The California State Assembly Woman of the Year. Those who were close friends of Mardi will especially remember her for her veracity, playful humor, hard-working personality, loyalty, and devotion to family. Madam Speaker, we know as co-representatives of Santa Cruz County that we speak for the entire House when we extend our deepest sympathies to her family, and our deepest appreciation for the work she did to make her community and the world a better place.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank my Chair, Chet Edwards, for yielding. I rise today on the eve of Veterans Day recess in support of the condolence resolution. I fought all of my political career trying to get State, local, and Federal governments, including the Department of Defense, to seriously take the invisible wounds of war into consideration. This tragic loss of innocent lives to mental breakdowns is not new, so why should it be so hard to treat this illness? As we have to pay condolences in this resolution, let's not forget that the other House has on hold S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Care Services Act of 2009. Until Congress is willing to support the funding of mental health, we will not be able to fully assure safety for all in all our communities, be they civilian or military. I urge we support one with our hearts and the other with our minds in our vote.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, this resolution before us today, House Resolution 867, does nothing to advance the cause of peace and understanding between the Israelis and Palestinians. In a recent meeting with Jewish constituents, I heard a comment that I thought was moving for its simplicity and power. My constituent told me, ``Israel will not have peace and security until Palestinians have hope.'' This resolution does nothing to give hope to the people of Palestine that a better, peaceful future is possible and therefore does nothing to give greater security to the people of Israel. It is a hasty and unconstructive measure that fails to establish a foundation upon which a future peace and prosperity will be constructed. House Resolution 867 has too many flaws and questionable conclusions for me to support it. I think the Committee should have given the Goldstone report a hearing and taken the opportunity to ask Justice Goldstone questions about his mandate, his findings and his conclusions. I would ask that Justice Goldstone's letter to Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen be included in the Record. In this letter, Justice Goldstone clarifies that he demanded and received an expanded mandate to include the attacks on Israel. The report includes more than 150 instances where it explores the rocket attacks against Israel. And as a matter of fact, the Goldstone report found that rocket attacks constituted ``indiscriminate attacks upon the civilian population of southern Israel''. I recognize a history of bias against Israel at the United Nations and I believe that one-sided resolutions against Israel have no place in an honest debate. However, it should be noted--and it is not in the resolution before us today--that Justice Goldstone dedicated scores of pages to expose war crimes and human rights violations perpetrated by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for the first time ever. This resolution suffers too many instances of inaccuracy. It too often gives an account of the Goldstone report that is incomplete and therefore ends up being misleading. I don't believe this moves us closer to peace and for these reasons I cannot support the resolution.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of U.S. Army SFC Jose ``Roy'' Parra, a Salinas, CA native who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service of our nation in 1950. Born in 1927, Army Sergeant First Class Parra spent his days as a young child delivering the newspaper, The Salinas Californian. Roy learned early on the importance of family and hard work by contributing his wages to his family. At the age of 17, he joined the Merchant Marines and later joined the Navy before enlisting in the Army. After receiving a post in Germany for 3 years, Mr. Parra returned to Salinas in 1949, only to be called to active duty the following year to serve on the Korean peninsula. As a forward observer for artillery, Mr. Parra found himself on the front lines fighting north across the 38th Parallel and up to Pyongyang. His unit was ordered farther north and halted about 50 miles away from the Chinese border to await supplies. Just three months after being deployed, Mr. Parra was killed in action after he bravely took over a machine gun whose operator had been killed to repel waves of advancing enemy infantry. Sergeant First Class Parra was buried alongside 150 fellow American soldiers in a North Korean field where local Koreans placed unmarked crosses above the fallen. It took three years before his family learned of his courageous efforts in the moments before he was killed and decades longer until they learned the fate of his remains. In 1954, after three years in a prisoner-of-war camp Lt. Walter Mayo, Parra's commanding officer, wrote to Parra's family detailing how the young man from Salinas sacrificed his life protecting his unit. The prolonged wait to return Sergeant First Class Parra to the U.S. ultimately ended when a recent excavation of a burial field in North Korea turned up remains. As soon as the identity of the remains was confirmed, an Army sergeant was assigned to escort the body of Sergeant First Class Parra home. After an agonizing wait of over 60 years, in August 2009, his family was finally able to bury their fallen hero in Arlington Cemetery. For his dedication and service, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Parra was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the UN Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. U.S. Army SFC Jose ``Roy'' Parra was laid to rest with full military honors. Mr. Parra's sister, Lucille Withers, led the fight to identify and bury his remains. Madam Speaker, I am deeply honored to have the privilege to share his story with you today and on behalf of my colleagues, want to thank U.S. Army SFC Jose ``Roy'' Parra and his family for their service to our Nation.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to my friend Edward F. Newman, who recently died at age 85, for an inspiring life that promoted peace and social justice. He was a well-known and much loved Santa Cruzan. Following high school he attended the School of Engineering at the University of California Berkeley before joining the Navy to serve in World War II. As a young enlisted man, he organized a brave challenge to the status quo, resulting in dismissal of a corrupt procurement officer. This experience taught him, at an early age, that even one person can make a difference in this world. He earned a law degree from U.C. Berkeley in 1951, and used his skills as an accomplished writer, speaker, and advocate, to stand up for justice and common people. Ed actively promoted the causes of peace and social justice throughout his life. He vigorously opposed the Vietnam war and the invasion of Iraq. He served as president of the Castro Valley Democratic Club, and later founded and served as president of the People's Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County. He campaigned to protect the environment, abolish the death penalty, protect civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, and all human rights. As a veteran, he became active in the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, leading the chapter to advocate for peace, and to oppose expansion of the military-industrial complex. With intelligence and humor, he exposed political hypocrisy, writing countless letters to the editor, and contributing columns to newspapers. As an attorney, Ed Newman championed causes of the underdog, handling numerous pro bono matters to protect fundamental rights. He defended ordinary citizens in proceedings by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and took cases for the American Civil Liberties Union. In the 1980s, he took a pro bono case to challenge gender discrimination, resulting in the court decision which transformed the Santa Cruz Boys Club into the Santa Cruz Boys and Girls Club. He was president of the Santa Cruz County Bar Association in 1985. He was also a leader in the Starr King Unitarian Church, and he served as committee chair and president of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County. As a civic leader and activist, Ed Newman inspired his community with his eloquence, intelligence, and tireless advocacy for justice. To his family and friends, Ed was known for his kindness, his wisdom, his outstanding cooking, and his wonderful sense of humor. With his wife Carol, he raised five children, all of whom graduated from U.C. Santa Cruz before obtaining advanced degrees in Library Science, Particle Physics, Medicine, Literature, and Law. He is survived by his wife Carol, with whom he recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, as well as his sister, five children, and ten grandchildren. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to express the gratitude of the whole House to Edward Newman for his legacy of courage, honesty, and love, inspiring us all to work for a better world. He will be sorely missed.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the University of California at Santa Cruz's historic lime-producing district and the unveiling of the permanent National Register of Historic Places plaque. The installation of this plaque, which has been the result of many years of hard work by local historians and the campus, marks its permanent inhabitation on a base of Cowell Ranch limestone on the college campus. On behalf of the House of Representatives, I am honored to extend to the UCSC campus the gratitude of Congress and the American people for this historic event. UC Santa Cruz is now the only higher education institution in California that has a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school has taken an important step in preserving the history and significance of the largest center of lime- production in Northern California during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These historic buildings and features have a special historic value because they represent the diverse set of facilities stemming from lime-processing, operations, and worker-support. Furthermore, the district was instrumental in the economic and physical development of the Monterey Bay region during the late 19th century and the development of California cities after the Gold Rush during the early 20th century. These lands were once part of Henry Cowell's Ranch, where industrialists produced mortar, plaster, whitewash and other much needed materials for a number of other industries in the region. In addition to owning the lime-production sites that can be found scattered around the UC Santa Cruz campus, Cowell also owned dairies and cattle ranches that extended throughout Northern California. He was involved in banking, real estate, shipping, and warehousing. Madam Speaker, in closing, I want to uphold this historic district as a model of maintaining our state's historical integrity. Historical spaces like these are an example of what makes our community a national leader in the preservation of lands which continue to shape our society. I know I speak for the House of Representatives in saluting the UCSC community on this momentous occasion.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of a bill that obviously some people in this room haven't read. And some people in this room don't realize that in order to get results, you have got to do the positive. You have to work hard and you have to vote ``yes.'' Voting ``no'' doesn't provide any leadership; it just keeps the status quo. But remember, part of this bill is going to have everybody in America have the same kind of insurance that we in Congress have. They don't want to admit that. They don't want to give up that insurance. They won't say ``no'' to that insurance. They won't say ``no'' to the TRICARE insurance that spouses and children of military folks get. That's what we are going to open it up to. That is the Medicare rates. They won't say ``no'' to Medicare for senior citizens. They just say ``no'' to the bill that is going to try to solve it for everybody else who doesn't have access to health care and can't afford health care and has preexisting conditions and can't get health care. Also, insurance companies are raising premiums right now, all over this country, including the rates that we here in Congress will have to pay. And the party of ``no'' has said nothing about that. Read the bill. Yes, read the bill.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the 75th anniversary of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, or CHOMP, as the locals fondly call it. It started in 1929 as the Carmel Clinic specializing in metabolic disorders, endowed by a gift from Grace Deere Velie Harris, heiress of the Deere tractor family. Over the years it grew into a 30-bed general hospital and in 1934 was renamed Peninsula Community Hospital. Post World War II saw an increase in the population on the Monterey Peninsula. Twenty-two acres of the nearby forest was donated by the Del Monte Properties Company as a building site for a larger, modern hospital. In 1962 the new $3.5 million 210,000-square foot Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula opened with 100 beds, the first community hospital in the country to have all private rooms. The design by architect Edward Durell Stone won state and national awards for excellence in architecture. Two-thirds of the funding came from community donations. CHOMP continued to expand; over the next 10 years 72 more rooms were added, including a mental health center, and a dome was constructed over the signature Fountain Court. The cost of the construction was $4 million, and again, half of it was paid for by contributions from the community. The hospital developed a growing range of services that added 42,000 square feet to house outpatient, educational, and business offices. A new outpatient Surgery Center began performing more than half of all the hospital's surgeries. A Family Birth Center opened with single-room maternity care. Home health agencies were acquired, as well as a hospice facility and services. The Comprehensive Cancer Center opened in 1999, providing the best available diagnosis, treatment, and support for cancer patients and their families. CHOMP also added off-campus sites to meet the expanding demands of health care on the Peninsula. The old Eskaton Monterey Hospital, built in 1930 and acquired by CHOMP in 1982, was remodeled. Renamed the Hartnell Professional Center, it now houses outpatient mental health services, a recovery center, a cardiopulmonary wellness and blood center, laboratories, and the Clint Eastwood Youth Program. A Breast Care Center opened near downtown Monterey, offering comprehensive breast care services, and an Outpatient Campus that treats sleep disorders, and offers diabetes and nutrition therapy, imaging, and laboratories. In recent years the emergency and ICU departments were updated and moved to a new wing. CHOMP continues to expand and improve with the times to meet the needs of the community. Throughout the years, CHOMP has served the entire spectrum of hospital health care needs of my family. My parents received their end- of-life care there. Both my wife and I have received care there, and both my daughter and granddaughter were born there. It truly is our community hospital. Madam Speaker, I know the whole House joins me in congratulating Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula on its anniversary, and wish them many more years of quality service to the public.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. No. You have time. When you have that potable water, you ought not to be using it for agriculture. You ought to be using that for drinking purposes. All the golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula are irrigated by recycled water, Pebble Beach, Cypress, all these big famous golf courses. So I think that those people that are criticizing this bill and criticizing the fact that we didn't get enough rain in the San Joaquin Valley ought to be asking for us to help them get recycling projects in their communities like we have in the Salinas Valley. We can solve this problem, but we've got to solve it in a multiplicity of ways, and one of the ways to do that is recycling. This bill makes a giant step forward for a lot of communities in northern California. I would urge an ``aye'' vote. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. FARR. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for yielding. I have no projects in this bill. I have no benefit in this bill. I represent some of the greatest agriculture in the United States of America. And guess what? We don't get a drop of that water from anywhere but the sky that it falls out of and all of the wastewater that we recycle, the largest recycling project in the United States and the world irrigating agriculture. You know what? You people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. You took a desert in the San Joaquin Valley, and using taxpayers' money, you built all these public systems, damming up those rivers--and I'm glad Mr. Nunes is going to support us in tearing down the Hetch Hetchy dam--and dammed up those rivers to get all the water into the canals to take them into a desert. And what happened? It didn't rain. All of a sudden you're caught in a drought. So who do you blame? You blame everything. You blame the Democrats. You blame the water. You blame the sky. It didn't fall out of the sky. But you blame every law that's out there. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones because what are you doing about recycling all the wastewater that you're creating? You've always had that. Our communities have bellied up to the bar. They put their money up. This bill says you've got to put up three- quarters of the money before you even come and ask for help from Washington. Frankly, it ought to be the other way around. Recycling is so important we ought to be doing it in every community in the United States, and the government ought to be at two-thirds help and the community at one-third help. This bill is a good bill. And don't think that because one part of one State didn't get enough rain last year that we ought to bury the whole thing trying to get recycled water. Guess what you do when you get that recycled water? You free up potable water that can go to other things.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for yielding. I appreciate the opportunity to address the House on the DHS appropriations bill. I want to just first say at the outset, I am really surprised to hear, kind of shocked to hear, that they are taking an appropriations bill and trying to make it into something that it isn't. We stand here year after year passing these appropriation bills, pointing out that you cannot legislate on an appropriations bill, you cannot make legal policy; it is about spending the money and the ways to spend that money, not on inventing new law. This bill does not deal with how you treat prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. We ought to get over it and know that it doesn't do that. What this bill does do, though, is address a lot of other issues, one of which is very important to this country. They're talking about how to keep those prisoners out of our jails and out of our prisons. Frankly, there are some States that would love to have the revenue; they know that their court system can handle it. But that's not the emphasis of this bill because what we really are trying to address is the biggest industry of all in this country, which is tourism. Tourism relies on a lot of people from a lot of countries coming into this country. Just a few weeks ago, the entire House voted for a travel initiative bill to allow the United States to go out and advertise to get more tourists in here, and there wasn't one single vote against it. So we do want to attract these people to spend money and come to our country. And we need the facilities when they come in, the facilities to give them visas when they go down to apply for those visas and certainly when they enter. And one of the great things about this bill is it sets up the Western Travel Initiative, which essentially appropriates money into 46 of the busiest border ports--these could be airports, harbor ports, the kind of ways in which people come into this country from abroad--to facilitate getting them through all the security and getting them through the customs and so on. That is a very important investment in the biggest industry in this country with the biggest payoff to our local communities. So I want to point out some of the real positive things in here. This also allows for a tracking of all these visitors through the status indicator technology. There are a lot of good things in this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the appropriations bill and a vote against any motion to recommit.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend a distinguished career of public service. On February 1, LTG Robert Ord will be retiring as the Dean of the School of International Graduate Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School. After 34 illustrious years in the U.S. Army, culminating as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific, Bob Ord joined the faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School, bringing his wealth of military experience and relationships from the halls of the Pentagon to one of the most significant graduate military education programs in the Nation. The School of International Graduate Studies addresses current and emerging global security challenges by providing U.S. military and international students with a graduate education in foreign policy, international relations and security cooperation. Having been a former Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1964-66, I have a deep appreciation for the programs in the SIGS department that focus on the need for capacity building. Two programs of special interest to me are the Leader Development and Education for Sustained Peace and the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies. Both of these programs address a gap I identified while serving in the Peace Corps--the need to have greater cross-cultural awareness in our security building programs; and, the importance of bringing stabilization and reconstruction stakeholders together in the classroom before they work together in an operational environment. Along with the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, the only Department of Homeland Security-sponsored master's degree program, SIGS is at the cutting edge of 21st century security and homeland defense challenges. Since February 1, 2008, General Ord has served as the first Director of the Global Center for Security Cooperation, located at the Naval Postgraduate School. The Center ensures the Secretary of Defense is knowledgeable about all the Department of Defense international education providers. Supporting the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and the Defense Security Cooperation Guidance, the Global Center coordinates, integrates and deconflicts international education providers' activities and programs. In his capacity as the first Director, Bob Ord's dynamic leadership and breadth of experience has enabled him to stand up a highly resilient organization that can quickly respond to OSD priorities for global international education. The success of the Global Center for Security Cooperation is a lasting tribute to LTG Robert Ord. Madam Speaker, I am proud to call Bob Ord a friend and I wish him well in the next chapter of his storied life.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I want to commend the Santa Cruz County Participants of ``Follow the Women--Pedal for Peace''. This year's participants are Jane DeJarnette, Janet Fogel, Lilly Ann Popken, JoAnn Smith, Marilyn Marzell, and Elizabeth Schwartz. The objective of the ride is to raise awareness of violence in the Middle East and its affects on women and children, who suffer the most as a result of the conflict. The women from Santa Cruz County will be joining women from 40 other countries. Created in 2004, the ``Follow The Women'' annual bicycle ride is the brainchild of 2001 European Woman of the Year and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Detta Regan. In April 2004, she gathered together 270 women from all over the world, including the United States, Palestine, Britain and Iraq, to bike across Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to campaign for peace and an end to violence in the region. Traditionally throughout the Middle East, women do not ride bicycles making the ``Follow the Women--Pedal for Peace'' ride extraordinary. It brings much attention to the worthy cause of promoting good relations between different cultures and ethnicities. ``Follow the Women'' has held several different events in addition to the annual bike ride. In 2007, they distributed medical kits in Gaza throughout the conflict. That year, they also held a youth exchange to explore and share the experiences between different cultures. The participants gained a better understanding of themselves and others. ``Follow the Women'' has also helped fund a counseling project in Ramallah. The aim of this project was to offer support to children and their families who were suffering following the conflict in the Middle East. This year, ``Follow the Women--Pedal for Peace'' hopes to raise enough funds to build a playground or possibly two for the children of Gaza. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Follow the Women and especially wish to recognize the riders from Santa Cruz. I wish them much luck in their annual bike ride.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Thank you very much, Mr. Blunt, for yielding and for the nice comments. I co-chair, as Mr. Blunt said, the Travel and Tourism Caucus. This is a caucus that is essentially looking at how we can increase the usage of travel and tourism in the United States. The travel and tourism industry is the biggest industry in the United States--in fact, the world. If you really look at this bill, it's called the Travel Promotion Act, but this is really about jobs--jobs and jobs. It's about understanding the United States of America and its territories. It's about peace, because it's about people. I think it's especially about jobs everywhere, because every part of the United States has something special to offer. Yet, we never take the advantage of telling anybody overseas about that. We have never done that. You watch television today and there's countries all over the world advertising for you to come there. We're not doing that. This allows us to do that, but with private money, not taxpayer money. So it's a paid- for bill. If anybody has been watching the Ken Burns series on the national parks, the comments I've heard and I felt were, Wow, I'm really proud to be an American. That is a beautiful series about the United States. That's not shown overseas. People don't know about all these assets that we have. This act is going to allow that process to attract people. So, in a way, it is the biggest job promoter that we do, because it's the biggest industry, and it's everywhere. The average international visitor spends $4,500 per visit. That's more than we spend when we're traveling around the United States. So I think this is good for America, it's good for the world, it's good for peace and understanding. But, most of all, it's good for putting people back to work in the United States of America. Please support this act.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the chairwoman for yielding time to me. I rise in strong support of the Agriculture appropriations conference report. I'm really proud that I think I'm the only member of the committee who sits in the Western United States, where an awful lot of our agriculture in this country comes from. And one of the things I've learned about being on this committee, in the regular authorization committee, is that there is probably no other subject matter that touches every part of the United States as much as the Department of Agriculture. One of the oldest departments in government, essentially touching all the cultures and all of the qualities of rural America. And in a very urbanized country right now, it's important that we think about rural America because that's the part of America that feeds us and in many cases feeds much of the world. The food and fiber produced in this country is the lifeblood of our Nation. This bill continues the focus on the needs of all Americans, both rural and urban. Just a few of the things I am very keen on is that I don't think we can stay ahead of the rest of the world in any field unless we commit our best brains and talent to it. The best resources of America are intellectual resources. So you apply those intellectual resources to research, staying ahead of the curve. I am fortunate to represent ``the salad bowl of the United States,'' the Salinas Valley in Monterey County. The production of agriculture there in just one county is about $4 billion, and it's about 85 different crops. And those crops are what we call fresh crops. That means they go from the field to your fork. And we need to make sure we have all the research that's necessary to make those things fresh and safe for you. I am also keen on this committee because this is the committee that's in charge of putting the funds in for school nutrition programs and all the other kinds of nutrition programs, food stamps and the WIC program, Women, Infants, and Children. And these are the nutrition programs that are so essential to getting the right start and a healthy start not only in the beginning of life but for every day in our schools. And we have a lot of work to do in that area. I'd also like to thank the chairwoman because she has been very involved in plusing-up the Buildings and Facilities Account in order to advance some of these important construction projects that would allow research to continue. I have a very active agriculture research station in Salinas, and it's leading the way on crop improvement protection. So I appreciate what both Mr. Kingston and Ms. DeLauro have done in bringing this bill and the conference report to us today, and I would strongly urge that all our Members support this. This is going to appropriate money to keep the Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug and safety going for another year with conditions that I think are very meaningful for this year in the United States. It's a good bill and it deserves support. A lot of hard work went into it, and I thank them for their leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report for fiscal year 2010. Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Kingston are to be commended for the product they helped craft. As a member of the Subcommittee I know that there are differences in ideas and I appreciate the Chairwoman's efforts to have open debate. Mr. Speaker--the food and fiber produced in this country is the lifeblood of our nation. This bill continues to focus on the needs of all Americans, both rural and urban. It is imperative that we continue to fund priority areas such and research, food safety, nutrition programs and pest detection--just to name a few--that are important to the nation as well as my constituents on California's Central Coast. I am fortunate to represent the Salad Bowl of the World, the Salinas Valley in Monterey County, that has a production value for agriculture of almost $4 billion last year, according to Eric Lauritzen, our County Agriculture Commissioner. We grow primarily for a fresh market, and the investments made in this bill for research, pest detection and food safety are paramount to the growers because without them they couldn't do business. Agricultural research is an everyday job for many in the Salinas Valley, and the Agriculture Research Service's Research Station in Salinas is leading the way in crop improvement and protection. Every day, the station's researchers are making agriculture better for all of us. From organics, verticillium wilt and vine mealy bug research to methyl bromide alternatives and treatments for postharvest pest control on perishable commodities, Salinas is leading the charge to keep our food supplies healthy and safe. The Chairwoman and I have discussed at length many times the need to plus-up the Buildings and Facilities Account in order to advance some of these important construction projects. I appreciate the gentlewoman's efforts to increase the B&F this year and look forward to working with you in the future to find a solution so we can get shovels in the ground for many of these vital research facilities. Having the largest fresh production capacity in the world, my growers know how important food safety is. They have already invested millions of dollars in their own resources to provide safe and wholesome food to the nation and the world. I also appreciate the gentlewoman's efforts to help FDA improve the safety of domestic and imported food by adding $306 million above the investment we made 2009. It is time that FDA receives necessary resources to perform time- critical inspections when dealing with the fresh market. No less important than food safety is pest detection. I am especially glad this conference agreement bolstered the APHIS account in this area. We have in recent outbreaks that strong pest detection program that prevent outbreaks of invasive species in the first place is the most cost-effective way to deal with pests and diseases that are not native to our country. Finally I would be remiss not to mention the investment made in this conference report for nutrition. In a country as bountiful as ours, it is unacceptable that so many still go to bed hungry. This conference report includes a one-year extension for the child nutrition program authorities and has reinvested $150 million in savings back into the child nutrition programs to fund select administration and committee priorities for reducing childhood hunger and improving child nutrition, building program capacity and improving program access and program performance. Thank you Chairwoman DeLauro for crafting another outstanding bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this conference report.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1717. This bill authorizes funds to lease 15 major medical facilities across the country. These are facilities that the VA desperately needs to meet the growing demand for outpatient health care, for veteran health care. In my district alone, hundreds of veterans are forced to drive up to 2 hours to a VA hospital in Palo Alto for outpatient care. I know that many of these districts share the same situation. The bottom line is the VA is unable to meet our current needs through its traditional construction system. We must take action to ensure our veterans are receiving the health care they deserve. The leasing program in this bill allows funds known as the Health Care Center Facilities program to use private-sector money. This innovative approach to funding construction and maintenance of VA hospitals is just the type of idea we need to plug these holes in service. In some ways the lease program builds off a similar program that the armed services use for residential community housing, essentially housing for men and women in uniform. The lesson from these programs is clear: we need to leverage private-sector investment for government benefits. The health care needs of our returning and aging veterans will only continue to increase, and it is essential for the VA to meet this demand with modern, efficient, and accessible veterans' health facilities. In my district I have been working with the VA and with DOD, Department of Defense, officials to build a joint outpatient clinic for veterans and active and retired military servicemembers. This bill contains the lease authority for that joint VA/DOD clinic at the former Fort Ord. This clinic will serve more than 80,000 veterans and active and retired military servicemembers on the Monterey Peninsula. There is a glaring need to provide care for our veterans. This bill will accomplish that. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, to thank those that have been involved at the committee level to bring it to the floor, and to expand health care options for all our veterans.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the 7th Annual Sea Otter Awareness Week, September 28-October 3, 2009, sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife. This week-long event provides the opportunity to educate the broader public about sea otters, their natural history, the integral role that sea otters play in the near- shore marine ecosystem, and the conservation issues they are facing. In the early 1700's, before wide-scale hunting began, sea otters ranged across the North Pacific rim from Japan to Baja California. The worldwide population estimates for that time range from the hundreds of thousands to possibly a million or more. Before the hunting began, there were approximately 16,000-20,000 along California's coast. Killing these animals for their fur brought down their numbers until they were thought to be extinct off California by the early 1900s. But they were not driven completely to extinction. In the 1930's a small population, of less than 100 animals that had escaped the hunt, was discovered in a remote cove on a coastal ranch in Big Sur, on the Central Coast of California. Since that time, groups such as Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, and Ocean Conservancy have raised public awareness and helped protect this important species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The presence of the California sea otter has become an icon of the state's coastal environment and culture, and these charismatic animals bring significant tourism revenue to Californian coastal communities. The three year population average, counted by the U.S. Geological Survey this year, totals only 2,813 animals, a decrease of half a percent and the first such decline in over a decade. These numbers are significantly less than what is necessary to consider the population decline in recent years is highly concerning. Researchers are beginning to identify indirect hazards for sea otters such as non-point source pollution, pathogens, and entrapment in fisheries gear that are causing their population growth to reverse. Such realizations support the need for continued research and preventive measures to respond to these issues, while continuing to ward against the direct killings/takings that still occur. The decline of Southern Sea Otters off of the California Coast not only impacts the species itself, but it affects other marine populations and the surrounding ecosystem because Sea Otters are what scientists refer to as a keystone species. This means that they are integrally important to the ecosystem in which they live. The demise of sea otters allows their prey, sea urchins, to proliferate unchecked leading to the alarming overgrazing of kelp beds--one of the oceans nursery grounds for many marine animals. Research shows that the absence of sea otters has a direct link to the sharp decline of kelp along portions of California's coast. Further, the Sea Otter is also what scientists refer to as a sentinel or an indicator species. In this way, the Sea Otters are the canaries in the coal mine for our coastal health. The Sea Otters are all too effective at monitoring toxins and diseases in the marine environment, which can affect the health of humans and other wildlife. California took the first step toward addressing these emerging concerns by signing into law California Assembly Bill 2485, establishing a state fund for sea otter conservation: again this year Californians had the option of donating a portion of their tax returns to sea otter conservation. I want to emphasize that this means that Californians voluntarily pay a little more on their tax return to help protect these animals. Even during these trouble economic times, more than $220,000 has already been raised this year. However, this is a federally protected species and California cannot go it alone. In addition to continuing to work with my colleagues to secure Federal funds to support a continued and complete recovery of the population, I am proud that H.R. 556, The Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act was passed by the House of Representatives this past July. This tremendous success was buoyed by the support and devotion of many people. We are one step closer to making the act into law and bringing needed resources to this threatened species. Madam Speaker, I applaud the many accomplishments of Defenders of Wildlife, who carry out the important mission to preserve our nation's wildlife and habitat. I also applaud the other nonprofit environmental organizations, working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, researchers, fishermen, state and federal agencies, schools, and many other institutions and individuals, who devote tremendous effort to protect and recover the southern/California sea otter. Sea Otter Awareness Week is just one of their many activities geared towards honoring and saving this species, and I am proud to be associated with this vital work.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, Members of the House, I rise to commend an era that many Members of this body fondly remember. It was the 1950s. This year, the last class of that era, students of the class of '59, celebrate their 50th high school reunions. I am one of those students, and I would like to submit for the record the thoughts of a classmate--Lucinda Lloyd--on those formative years. It was a historic and poignant time for all of us. Carmel High School Class of '59. That was our identity. After leaving Sunset School, we entered the hallowed halls of Carmel High School as timid Freshmen. Progressing through the awkward Sophomore stage, we survived being Juniors until we ruled the school as mighty Seniors. Ours was an age of innocence and happy days, unbeaten athletic teams, and scholastic success. We rocked around the clock, danced cheek-to-cheek to Unchained Melody, hung out at Konrad's, wore Bass Weejuns or Spaulding oxfords, congregated at the Youth Center, cheered our teams to victory, occupied the Senior Steps and looked forward to years of accomplishment. After all, we were told that the world was ours, all we had to do was go for it. Leaving Carmel behind to forge our paths in the Big World, we attended colleges and universities, went to MPC, joined the military or began another career. Or we got married and had children. Some of us got divorced, while other marriages survived. Some of us distinguished ourselves in careers and chosen fields of work. And some of us died. Our common bonds of shared childhood experiences glued us together, more as cousins than classmates. Today we anticipate our 50th reunion with mature interest, warmed by the knowledge that we've softened the sharp edges that may have separated us, that we are more alike than different, that we can laugh at ourselves and with each other. We've made it! We're adults with grown children who have children. We no longer care if our hair styles droop or frizz in the fog, that our loose clothing covers softened curves, or if we have a date for Saturday night. Accepting ourselves as we are has allowed us to accept everyone else, no matter what. With warmth in our hearts, smiles on our faces and arms ready to hug, the Class of '59 reunites to remember old times, renew bonds of friendship and forge closer relationships for the coming years. The longer we live, the more we need one another. Ours was a magic time in a magic place. It is with the perspective of age that we finally realize how lucky we were, how lucky we are. Let us give thanks and enjoy our time together. God bless America. Go Padres! Forever friends, Class of '59.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Salinas Public Libraries in Salinas, California. In 1907, the Salinas Civic Club received $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie to create a public library. Over the next 2 years they raised another $4,000, purchased a site and collected books from the Odd Fellows, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and Daughters of the American West libraries. On September 5, 1909, the doors opened for the first time to the Carnegie Public Library. A city-wide financial crisis in 2005 threatened closure of the library. This very real danger was nationally publicized and was featured in the movie The Hollywood Librarian. The residents of Salinas passed a measure to fund all library operations for 10 years. Today the Library Commission and Friends of the Salinas Public Library raise thousands of dollars for children's programs, and partner with other community organizations and foundations to ensure that the libraries remain open, giving needed services to the community. All through this year the library celebrated the rich history of the people of Salinas, gathering and displaying over 5,000 historic photographs, paintings of old Salinas adobes, oral histories of prominent residents, historical papers, and other documents. The anniversary was the catalyst for public programs and exhibits of the memories of the people and places of Salinas. The Centennial voices of children, youth and adults became part of the new collection of voices in the Library. Madam Speaker, the three branches of the Salinas Library--John Steinbeck, Cesar Chavez and El Gabilan--encourage reading, and provide materials and services to help members of the community meet their personal, informational, educational, and cultural needs. This is the mission statement of the library, and the 42 dedicated employees more than live up to this goal. I know I speak for the whole House in saluting the community of Salinas on this joyous occasion.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the community-based Life Lab Science Program for their 30 years of work in the field of science and environmental education. The Life Lab Science Program is committed to environmental stewardship by promoting science and garden- based education for all learners. Since its inception in 1979, the Life Lab has supported science and garden-based education through publications, professional development, and innovative programs. Through the efforts of the Life Lab Science Program, thousands of educators and youth have developed gardens, while simultaneously learning about food, health, the interrelationships of the natural world and environmental sustainability. Today, the Life Lab Garden Classroom is a two-acre interactive and educational garden which receives over 15,000 visitors each year. Using the Life Lab garden and farm, in cooperation with the UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food systems, the Life Lab Garden Classroom teaches environmental science, garden-based nutrition and effective outdoor education pedagogy to children and adults alike. It offers guided garden- based field trips for elementary school classes, a variety of workshops for teachers, and an opportunity for the public to learn about ecological concepts in a hands-on, living laboratory. The Life Lab Science Program also works with schools in Santa Cruz County to make a positive impact on the environment through an intensive waste reduction program, called Waste Free Schools. Along with gaining a deeper understanding of educational issues related to waste reduction, each participating school organizes a Community Outreach event. These events educate the greater community about resource conservation and the school's waste reduction efforts. Currently, Waste Free Schools conducts assemblies and in-class presentations that reach over 8,000 students each year. Another significant contribution of the Life Lab Science Program is the Monterey Bay Science Program, which provides professional development services to teachers in order to bring all learners into the mainstream of academic literacy. This award-winning program hosts teacher workshops on how to use scientific concepts from the physical, earth and life sciences. Programs such as the Life Lab Garden Classroom, Waste Free Schools, and the Monterey Bay Science Program serve to educate the youth of today about the importance of environmental sustainability and waste management. The Life Lab Science Program is a rare gem, teaching people of all ages about the unbreakable bond between humans and the beautiful environment in which we live. The efforts of the Life Lab, and others like it, better our chances at some day achieving a sustainable future, in which all citizens truly appreciate the plentiful gifts we reap from the land. Madam Speaker, I applaud the Life Lab Science Program's efforts to promote environmental sustainability and education in an interactive living laboratory. Its dedication towards environmental education is one that ought to be mimicked across the nation, as the effects of unsustainable practices and environmental degradation begin to be felt by our generation and those to come. I know I speak for the entire House when I congratulate the Life Lab Science Program for its 30 years of commendable community service and extend our wishes for many more to come.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Billy Post, a remarkable American who died last Sunday after nearly 89 years in Big Sur. He was a renaissance man, who both helped build Big Sur into one of the planet's premier visitor destinations, and preserve its wild landscapes, vibrant community, and unique history. But over and above all of his life's accomplishments, he stood out as a profoundly humble and gentle man with a keen sense of old fashioned sense of courtesy and manners. All of us who had the pleasure of meeting Billy came away awed by this man of history. Billy Post was born in Big Sur before the highway was built that connected Big Sur to Carmel. His great-grandfather, William Brainard Post, came from Connecticut as one of the first American settlers of Big Sur in the 1860s. His great-grandmother, Anselma Onesmio, was a native Costanoan from Carmel Valley. I once heard Billy tell the story that his great grandmother's great grandmother had seen the first Spanish ships to approach the Monterey Bay and thought they were giant white birds. Billy Post grew up on his family's original homestead ranch, rising every morning at 4:00 to tend livestock and milk cows before heading to school. He attended UC Davis for a time but WWII cut short his dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Billy joined the Marine Corps and spent time in the Pacific at Okinawa, Saipan, Tinian, and was one of the first Americans to see Nagasaki following the atomic bomb attack. Once Billy Post returned home he helped build the Rancho Sierra Mar cafe and campground that his family ran on the ranch. He also worked many years for Caltrans as a highway electrician, paying close attention to the natural world around him, the wild creatures and plants and especially horses. He combined these passions by offering pack trips on horseback into Big Sur's wilderness backcountry. He married in his mid thirties and had two daughters named Gayle and Rebecca. His marriage later ended and he raised his two daughters as a single father. In 1969, Billy married Luci Lee, the love of his life and mother of two daughters from a previous relationship. Together, they built a life with their four girls, and eventually moved into a new house on the Ranch nearby. Over the years, it grew difficult to hold onto the old style of ranching. In the early 1980s, Billy and Luci entertained the idea of converting the ranch into a full service inn that would preserve the integrity of his family's ranch and the region's history. A handshake and a glass of Jack Daniels sealed the deal. Since Billy Post had operated heavy machinery almost all his life and could fix just about anything, he did much of the initial grading work for the new Inn. Opened in 1992, the Post Ranch Inn has developed into one of the top spa resorts in the world known particularly for its innovative architecture that embraces the dramatic beauty of its coastal Big Sur setting. Much of this grew from Billy Post's own personal vision. To the end of his life, he remained a regular fixture around the Ranch grounds, making it a point to join guests at breakfast at the Inn's Sierra Mar restaurant several times a week to share lore about Big Sur's land and people. He was preceded in death by his daughter Nancy Downing. He is survived by his beloved wife Luci, three daughters, Linda J. Lee, Gayle Forster, and Rebecca Post; seven grandchildren, Pamela Patterson, Gregory Paley, Anna Vargas, Gabriel Forster, and Richard, Shane and Daniel Forster; and seven great grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I would like to extend our nation's deep gratitude for Billy Post's brave service to the United States Marine Corps, and to his own community. I know I speak for every Member of Congress in offering our condolences to Luci, his three surviving daughters, his seven grandchildren, and all Post family members and friends upon this great loss.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise with mixed emotions but in support of the rule. I represent the Salinas Valley, which is one of the most productive agricultural regions of the world. We are the ``Salad Bowl Capital'' of the world. And when you produce fresh produce, for example, lettuce, you don't have a kill step. You can't boil it before you eat it, so you have to be very careful about how you grow this material--lettuce, broccoli, brussels sprouts and all of those things--so you don't have contamination coming from the field. We have had recalls, the E. coli recall, a very serious recall, and the difficulty we have had over the years is that essentially the Federal responsibility for food safety is in the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA. The responsibility for poultry inspection and meat inspection is in the Department of Agriculture. So you have a split responsibility in this country, and it has been that way for a long, long time. What you hear in this bill is we need to have some national standards. The authority for those standards lies, for other than meat and poultry, with the Food and Drug Administration. So if you are going to get these standards and get some national credibility and an equal playing field, then you are going to have to work on the food safety for agriculture and organic and all of those others in this legislation. We have been trying to do that, and the author of the bill, John Dingell, has been a tremendous help in trying to understand the nuances of small farmers, of organic farmers and others that are selling to farmers' markets. But I hear from all my ag folks that they may not want the FDA, who don't know much about growing practices, to be out there. They do agree we need to have these national standards, that this is the only way we are going to ensure that all food we serve in this country, which has the safest food in the world, is going to be even safer. So I share the concerns raised by the minority, but I think that the best answer to the problem is to work in a constructive way so that we can develop constructive regulations that benefit everyone, and that is an equal playing field, not a split between the USDA and the FDA.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really appreciate that.

Mr. FARR. I yield to Mr. Blumenauer from Oregon, who has worked with Ms. Kaptur and myself to make sure that the organic and small growers and processors' concerns have a voice.