Sam Farr

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Because as the gentleman knows, this is an almost $10 million per cost item. And you know what? The one we had crashed, and the other one we have is about to be delivered. And there is $50 million in the account. If they want to come back and use that $50 million to buy more of them, that's what we are asking. You tell us what is the most cost-effective use. Frankly, and I wish you were there, the new equipment that is coming out, this technology on radar, for 100 miles can detect when even rabbits are crossing the border. It's very cost effective. The Border Patrol is very excited about it. They would like to have more, but they can't because they're spending money like this. So, with all due respect, these are professionals that are on the job every single day, you want to let them tell you what they think is the most effective tool to do their job. That is all this language does. I don't know why you would oppose that.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, this is an issue that came up when our committee traveled to the border and had discussions with the Border Patrol. And what you are talking about here is striking language that gives some ability for comparing the expenditure of costs on one piece of intelligence equipment versus the other. And what the gentleman didn't tell you is that of all the assets on the border, this is the most expensive, $10 million, $8 to $10 million per unmanned vehicle. The other assets that are on the border, which everybody agreed was much more effective, is the new radar system, which costs about $700,000, that are portable. We have others. We have balloons. We have helicopters. We have as many assets looking at the border as there are in Iraq. And what the language in the bill says is that before you go out and just buy more Predators at 8 million bucks, there is already $50 million in the account and we want to know before you spend that whether it is cost- effective compared to other issues that you have to do. You have on the border not only the Customs and Border Patrol, and I would submit that the arrests were not made by that unmanned vehicle, and I don't think that was the only system they used to discover that. It was just one. It happened to be a very, very expensive one. The radar systems are the most effective. The most effective. And you have responding to that Customs and Border Patrol that are in aircraft, in different kinds of helicopters, including Black Hawk helicopters, you have all-terrain vehicles, you have Border Patrol on horseback, you have Border Patrol with SUVs, with four-wheel-drive vehicles. You have all kinds of response mechanisms and all kinds of detection mechanisms. But to suggest that we shouldn't even ask the question of whether an $8 million expense is more cost-effective than another kind of assets, I think, is just ridiculous. And, frankly, that is one thing the committee found out, that there isn't all the money you always want to spend on everything here. There have got to be some priorities. And if you have made the priority that of the Customs and Border Patrol, this is not what they would spend it on. So I think the amendment and the language in the bill is particularly appropriate. It doesn't prohibit the expenditures. It just says before you come back and spend up to another $8 billion, compare this to what other assets you can buy, and you make the suggestion to us as to what is the best expenditure of limited public funds.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I have been in elected office, local, State and Federal, for 34 years, and I cannot imagine how any of your community got built without earmarks at the local level, the State level and the Federal level. There are also earmarks in the bill the President sends down. I think you have misstated the whole symbol of earmarks. The reform in here is more severe than any local, State or Federal office has ever had in the history of the United States.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, the problem with this bill is there is never a last word. There is a big debate going on about earmarks, when there are none in the bill. There were none in last year's bill or the year before's bill. This is the first bill to come before the floor, and they attack this bill saying where are the earmarks. Well, there are none. Speakers on the other side of the aisle can't stand the fact that there is a new congressional leadership here. It's rolling up its sleeves and doing the oversight work, the oversight work for an agency called Homeland Security that was created just a few years ago, the biggest bureaucracy in modern American history, 200,000 employees, $36 billion in expenditure, made up of all kinds of things from airports, seaports, Border Patrol, immigration, the list goes on and on. The leadership of this committee decided to really put some fact- finding into it. It had more hearings than any committee in history in this subject matter, visited more sites, visited the borders, the hot spots, visited Katrina sites, talked with Customs and Border Patrol, with harbor district patrol, with Coast Guard, with truck inspectors at the Ota Mesa truck center, the biggest truck inspection center in the word; with the San Ysidro crossing, the largest traffic crossing in the world. You know what every one of those patrolmen and inspectors told me? We can't do our job unless you pass a comprehensive immigration bill. It's not just about more fences and more assets on the border. It's about the whole enchilada, the whole immigration bill. I think there is an underlying current here. They don't want an immigration bill, and they know that this is the agency that deals with it. So it's a delay tactic. Now, a delay tactic, we have been here for 24 hours. We have taken up two amendments. The first amendment cuts $79,000 out of the administrative office of Homeland Security, $79,000 out of a $36 billion bill. But, wait, they adopted a second amendment. It was for a cut for $300,000. We have successfully cut $379,000 out of a $36 billion bill. It's taken us 24 hours, numerous procedural votes to adjourn, to rise, to do anything but deal with the issue. We ought to be very proud of ourselves. We have been able to cut one one-thousandth of 1 percent. That's what the great might of the United States Congress has been doing on this bill. Now, I know that the other side of the aisle likes to cut, squeeze, and trim. They are cutting the agency that they like the most. They are cutting an agency created by President Bush, they are cutting the money that President Bush asked for in this bill, and they have introduced another 110 amendments to deal with more cuts, more frivolity. Where's your leadership? This is an important bill. It's probably the best-combed bill, best-managed bill in the history of this agency. You ought to be proud of it. You were proud of it in committee, because nobody voiced a negative vote. So it was unanimous in the Appropriations Committee, everybody liked the bill. Where is your leadership? Where is your responsibility? Announcement by the Acting Chairman

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, this bill is about finding the answers to interoperability. You have seen that we have interoperability right here. This bill is about responding to first responders, to be a first responder. The other side of the aisle is neither operable nor responsible for being first responders. Don't call on them next time there is help needed.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strike the last word. I rise on this issue with just some concern here that we don't lose perspective of what we're really trying to accomplish. This was an issue brought up in the committee, probably the most popular issue of all, which was that we wanted ICE, which is the second largest law enforcement agency in the country next to the FBI, at the rate it's growing, it's going to be bigger than the FBI, we wanted them to do their job of being able to determine whether people who had been arrested at the local level and were in jail, maybe not yet sentenced, but were pending trial or were being held, that somebody would review their legal status. The question is that this program that we are debating and wanting to put more money into, and frankly, the committee doubled the amount of money that's going into it, which is a grant program to local governments, not all local governments are keen on wanting to do this. Why? Because they have emphasized what they call ``community policing.'' They want the local law enforcement officer to be a friend of the community in order to be involved with the community, to have communities trust them. And if they think that the local law enforcement is also the Border Patrol, they are going to shut up and stop talking to cops. And you get all kinds of issues with this, particularly when it comes to children who are afraid of law enforcement, and so on, if they are the ones that are going to arrest their moms and dads. So, let's put this into some perspective. What we really need to do is make sure that the ICE, the Federal law enforcement, does their job. Why? Because they are trained. I have a note here from my sheriff saying that the ICE comes to our jails in Monterey County, a small rural county in California, three times a week. He said the number of confirmed, undocumented prison inmates varies. Last quarter, there were 52 identified undocumented inmates in Monterey County. The previous quarter there were also 52; prior to that, 72. Some of the inmates claim citizenship status or legal permanent residency and don't have their documentation order. It takes some time to label them and do all that legal background work. That is not what the legal background work is. We have that information. That is Federal information. As we pointed out before, we have no national ID. None of you in here can prove you are an American citizens by any card you carry in your wallet, unless you want to show your voting card, but they won't accept that in the airport so I don't know what valid status that has. The point here is, let's not stop making ICE do their job. They should be doing these local jail checks. If you want to do additional training for local jailers, that is fine. That is what this program is about. But don't substitute it so the local government has to do it, because I think you ought to believe that criminal management up to your local elected officials, your sheriffs and your police chiefs, to make that decision. This is the second largest police force in the United States. It ought to be doing jail checks. They are the ones that have the qualifications to look into the Federal Information Bank to see whether these people are properly documented, and I think we ought to make sure that they do their job.

Mr. FARR. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, this amendment has been accepted. I am just concerned that we still need to put pressure on ICE to do the real jail checks.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, we had to fill out forms that were never, never ever in the history of the U.S. Congress asked for more disclosure and everything. The committee rightfully has stated that this is not the bill to attack earmarks, because there haven't been earmarks in this bill. So if you want to continue to delay this, rather than getting to the point of adopting an appropriations bill to allow the Department of Homeland Security to do its job, then let's get on with it. I think this has been a night of ridiculous waste of time on something that is very, very important on a bill that is very important, the first appropriations bill we have had here, one that must pass if, indeed, we are going to have homeland, hometown security.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I rise as a member of the Appropriations Committee subcommittee. I want to give you a little bit of background of how this whole thing started. Homeland Security was an agency created after 9/11, and as admitted by many Members on the other side of the aisle, the agency itself was the biggest bureaucracy created. As you remember, it just took employees from all different agencies, including Department of Agriculture, and put it into one agency called Homeland Security. And we created an appropriations committee and essentially just funded it with what it asked, without all the first instance. And I remember Mr. Rogers, who was the first chairman of that committee, bringing to the Appropriations Committee the bill last year and indicating this is a huge bureaucracy. It has almost 200,000 people in it, very hard to wrap your hands around it, just sort of hold your nose and vote for it. There were no earmarks in the bill, as there aren't any earmarks here tonight, and we adopted it. What happened with the new chairmanship with Mr. Price is that first thing he did was ask, we better look at what this is all about. Homeland security for what? Security, what are we fighting? So we invited in all these experts to sort of give us an overview of what is risk, what is fear, what should we be looking at, and it was very sensible. What they suggested is that you're talking about people that are going to respond to incidents, and in an incident like Katrina, an incident like a disaster, like a terrorist act, you're going to need to prepare responders, people in the Intelligence Community, people on the ground in local communities. And in essence what they said is that homeland security is really hometown security, and you need to have your towns prepared for this, and you need to do it on a risk management basis; just don't throw money at everything. And Chairman Price went on CODELs seeing what disasters were like, going to Katrina, going to New Orleans and later along the border, where we put a lot of money, and what we learned in the committee, ironically, was that the only terrorist that was ever apprehended or found evidence of was not on the border that we've all been looking at, which is the Mexican-U.S. border, but, in fact, on the Canadian border where we were doing very little, if anything, on homeland security. The committee found that very interesting and put a lot of money and assets and said let's start securing the northern border as well as the southern border. The chairman took a bipartisan CODEL along the whole border from Tucson to San Diego, every inch of it, flew it, saw all the assets we have. My God, you'd think that we had the entire war in Iraq being fought on the Mexican border. We have everything from aircraft of all kinds, helicopters, we have ATVs, we have dogs, we have horses, people on horseback. We are covering that border like you can't believe. In San Diego, we even found a Border Patrol out on the boats in San Diego Harbor. It was everything. We saw fences, all kinds of fences, vehicle fences, human fences, and areas that it's just unbelievable, as far as the eye can see. This border is longer than the distance between Washington and San Francisco. What we found is that we had better do this thing wisely. Let's listen and let's use some smart risk management. It all comes down to this bill tonight. What this bill is all about is, this is the best Homeland Security bill this country has ever had. We are spending all this time just on procedural delays. It's ironic that you are going to be hoisted on your own petard, because this process that Mr. Obey and the leadership has put in the process requires each one of you, when you ask for something that's called an earmark, some people call it pork, it's essentially that thing that you think is important. You have to disclose why you are asking for it. Announcement by the Chairman

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise as a member of this committee and want to commend the style of this committee. I don't think any committee has had more hearings with more substantive issues than this Committee on Appropriations for security. In fact, this bill appropriates a record amount of spending, $36.3 billion. What we tried to do in the committee, and I want to commend Mr. Rogers and Mr. Price, was starting out asking what are the risk issues that we really need to face in the Nation. This whole emphasis has been essentially an antiterrorism effort, when, in reality, in creating this huge, huge bureaucracy and moving the Department of Agriculture and everybody else into it, what we have found from a lot of experts is that you really have to deal with issues such as the first responders would be the same for a terrorist activity as they would be for a natural disaster, and that we really have to base our decisions on risk-based management. It was no more clear than in a place that we are just sort of throwing money at, which is the border between Mexico and the United States. In testimony, we found that there are more terrorist incidents--in fact, there have been none on the Mexican-U.S. border, but there have been several on the U.S.-Canadian border where we have very little security whatsoever. So if you were acting just on risk management, you would put more assets on the Canadian border than on the Mexican border. But the emphasis here isn't about homeland security; it is more about immigration. I think hearing all the things put together, this is a really good bill. One of the things Mr. Rogers mentioned that I would like to just disagree with, all of our local law enforcement say that the biggest problem they are having is they arrest people who don't have papers and then they release them because nobody from INS will come around and check it out. Everybody on the committee was concerned about the fact that there wasn't enough effort put into what they call ``jail checks,'' and this committee bill addresses that. Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend the Members, and point out that this is not just a spending bill, because they cut a lot of things and they put conditions on spending.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Theodore David Englehorn, Sr., M.D., a true hero who passed away on May 27, 2007. Throughout his long and passionate career, Dr. Englehorn served our country in the military and later became the first orthopedic surgeon in Monterey County. I offer his sister Helen Winsted, daughter Frances Mill, son Theodore Englehorn, Jr., and the rest of Dr. Englehorn's family my deepest condolences. Growing up on a farm in rural South Dakota, Dr. Englehorn became interested in medicine at a young age while taking care of injured farm animals. After graduating from undergraduate school, he attended medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago. During his internship at Iowa Methodist Hospital, he received his M.D. and also met Arleta Lane, whom he later married in 1930. During the depression, Dr. Englehorn joined the Army Reserves as a 1st Lieutenant Medical Corps and worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program in South Dakota until 1937. After this time, Dr. Englehorn and his family took the long journey to California. In King City, he set up his own private practice where he worked until 1942, when he was called into the military service as a Captain. He served honorably in the military for 4 more years and was discharged in December 1945 with the rank of Major, M.C. Upon his return to Monterey County in 1946, Dr. Englehorn began working for the Salinas Community Hospital Association. His gift for compassion and talent for surgery helped him to gain the title of Chief of Surgery at the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital in 1959 and later Chief of Staff in 1960. Dr. Englehorn's dedication to the field of medicine was obvious and as a result he held numerous positions on several Medical Associations. He was the Medical Director of the National Foundation for Monterey County and the President of the Monterey County Medical Society, to name a few. Dr. Englehorn was well known within his community as he was deeply involved in it. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Salinas Lodge of Masons and Eastern Star, the Commonwealth Club of California and the Salinas Elks Lodge. Madam Speaker, I wish to remember Dr. Englehorn for his honor, humanity, and love for helping others. He was consistently caring and loyal as a friend, husband, father and doctor. While Dr. Englehorn may no longer be with us, his memory and life's work will carry on in all those whose lives he touched.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a man committed to serving his country and community. Gerald ``Jerry'' Fry, former mayor of the city of Monterey, passed away on May 24, 2007. With a profound love for his city, Jerry devoted his career to improving the community around him. Jerry was a great example of the impact one man can have on so many people's lives, and without him the world is a bit dimmer. I offer his wife Mary, children Lisa, Luke, Terri, and Leslie, and the rest of Jerry's family my deepest condolences. Jerry grew up in Pacific Grove and attended Pacific Grove High School. After graduating from Santa Clara University, Jerry joined the Marines and served during the Korean war. After his time in the military, Jerry returned to his home on the Monterey Bay where he met his future wife, Mary. Upon his return to the peninsula, Jerry began managing a taxi company and also a stationary store. His long and dedicated career of service to the city, however, did not begin until 1963 when a position on the city council opened and Jerry was elected to fill the remaining 2 years in the position. Jerry was first elected as mayor of the city of Monterey in 1977 and went on to win two more reelections. He began to shine as an outstanding mayor and great leader the instant he was in office. Friends described Jerry as ``one of the best mayors I think we've ever had.'' His ability to listen and to acknowledge everyone's desire to be heard was a gift and was what defined him in his 20 years on the Monterey City Council. After serving on the city council, Jerry still remained very interested in city politics and would enjoy discussing controversial issues with his friends. The city always remained close to Jerry's heart even long after he was out of office. Madam Speaker, Gerald ``Jerry'' Fry was a remarkable figure in our community, and he will live on in the memory of many people whose lives he has touched. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for his commitment to the city of Monterey.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mr. Stephen B. Kahn, philanthropist, political progressive, and innovator, who passed away on Friday, April 27, 2007, at the age of 96. Stephen was born in St. Louis, MO, on June 8, 1910. In his youth he called both San Francisco and New York home, and finally settled in Manhattan with his mother. She was an early feminist and supporter of Margaret Sanger; her political activities surely encouraged the development of his own progressive ideas. He returned to California to reunite with his father and later earned a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon at Eugene. He completed a law degree at the University of Tennessee and worked in the legal division of the Tennessee Valley Authority. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army and served with the 7th Armored Division in Europe. Stephen and his wife, Ruth, then moved to Carmel and he began a successful career in the timber business as a conservationist and champion of healthy timber practices. He also supported the ACLU, progressive journals, and noncommercial listener-supported radio in its early years, notably Radio Station KPFA and the Pacifica Foundation. After Ruth's death in 1994, Steven created the Arkay Foundation as a tribute to her memory. The foundation supports innovative civil, environmental, and health care programs. He was a strong advocate for alternative medicine and helped naturopaths become licensed in California. He also promoted the use of vitamin C and megavitamin therapy for physical and mental illnesses. Remaining remarkably energetic himself, he led this foundation up to the end of his life. However, he was best known for his progressive style of politics and commitment to the Democratic Party. He believed passionately that individuals could make a difference both at the local and national level by supporting political change. He also believed that songs could change the world. Steve was most proud of his early discovery of Woody Guthrie while filming a documentary in Oregon. Woody's part in producing was what he liked to call ``art with a social message.'' Madam Speaker, the life of Stephen Kahn was full of joy and purpose. He directly impacted the lives of thousands of people who came to respect, admire, and love him. I offer condolences to his two children Karen Kahn and Robert Kahn, his stepson David Goldschmidt; and the rest of his family. Stephen's passion, energy and wonderful spirit will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the 25th anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County, founded in 1982. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States, and its Santa Cruz County chapter has served over 3,000 children in the last 25 years. For more than a quarter century this organization has created and nurtured one-on-one mentoring relationships between children and carefully screened adult mentors. The shared experiences between a Big Brother or Big Sister and his or her Little Brother or Sister have a documented Positive outcome in the child's life. Research and anecdotal evidence show that Little Brothers and Sisters are less likely to do drugs, drink alcohol, skip school, or engage in acts of violence. They have greater self-esteem, more success at school, and better relationships with their friends and family. In their testimonials, Big Brothers and Big Sisters also report a positive impact on their life. They say that they find a sense of purpose and satisfaction by helping and mentoring a young child through the difficulties of growing up. They value their experiences as highly as we value their service to the community. Thus, these relationships benefit everyone involved, including the mentor, the child, the family, and the community. Through its One-on-One Mentoring Program and After-School Enrichment and Mentoring Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters nurtures children as they grow up both socially and academically. The After-School Enrichment program assists children in their academic life by providing after-school tutoring in an array of topics including math, science, and writing. Additionally, the program brings in guest speakers to discuss issues involving academic, social, and leadership development. I would like to thank the many volunteers and staff who give their time and commitment to this wonderful program. Without their support, this program would not have been able to achieve the level of success it has over the past 25 years. Madam Speaker, on this joyous and historic occasion, it gives me great pleasure to present the congratulations of my colleagues in the House to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Frederic ``Buzz'' Edward Rainer, an exceptional teacher and coach who passed away May 11, 2007. Buzz lived his life to its fullest and fought with passion. I offer his wife Barbara, sons Ted and Scott, and daughter Grace, my sincerest condolences. Buzz grew up in Claremont, CA, and graduated from Claremont High School. He met his wife of 54 years, Barbara, in the 6th grade and they were later married in 1952. Buzz attended the University of Southern California where he earned a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Education. He was active in sports, especially track, where he set school records. After gaining his Master's, Buzz and Barbara moved to Carmel, CA, where Buzz began a long and passionate career as a teacher and coach. Buzz taught at Carmel High School for 33 devoted years and 8 years at The York School in Monterey. He coached a range of sports at Carmel High including football, track, basketball, and golf. Buzz's teaching career was extensive and was not confined to the Monterey Bay. In 1963 he took a one year sabbatical to Cambridge University in England and later in 1978 he spent a year at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Taking a 2-year leave of absence from Carmel High School in 1967, Buzz taught English at the American Community School of Athens in Greece. His love for teaching was truly a gift and he was often caught saying ``I never really worked a day in my life.'' He had a passion for using his gift of poetry to motivate school spirit and its athletic teams. I remember, during my school years, Coach Rainer getting all the ``jocks'' in his class and turning them into English majors. He knew how to put passions to words, and meaning to learning, that no one ever forgot. He was a teacher who challenged students to think and to commit their thoughts to action. Not only was Buzz an extraordinary teacher and coach, but he was also an involved figure in the community. He was an active member of the Diogenes Club, the Knights of the Vine, and the local International Club of Carmel. Serving as a volunteer for the Carmel Highlands Fire Dept. was just another hobby of Buzz's and he was later appointed to their Board of Directors. However, Buzz's greatest gift and passion in life was his love for literature. He composed hundreds of poems and recited them to his many friends. A great accomplishment of Buzz's was having one of his beautiful poems published in a book illustrated by Eldon Dedini. He had been writing two books as well. One of the books was about the joy he received from being a teacher; inspired from hundreds of letters he's received from past students describing the impact he's made on them. Madam Speaker, Frederic ``Buzz'' Edward Rainer lived a life that we can all be envious of. Through his admirable life, our community grew greater and stronger with every person that Buzz came in contact with. His love of life, and of people, will be remembered by all. Buzz may no longer be with us but his memory will carry on in all those whose lives that Buzz touched. I am honored to have been able to have had him as my coach at Carmel High School and to have known such an extraordinary person.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Capitol Hill Oceans Week. The President has declared June as Oceans Month, and this Friday will be an international celebration of Oceans Day. Why do we need to pay attention to the oceans? Well, the oceans are dying, and the earth is dependent upon them. We are dumping everything we don't want into the ocean and extracting every living thing we can to eat. We've created commissions by Congress and by private trust of the best talent in America to advise Congress on what we should do, and they recommended national ocean governance policies, new policies that can be adopted by this Congress. I've introduced that bill, H.R. 21, and as National Oceans Week, Day and Month, I'd like to ask all my colleagues to seriously consider cosponsoring H.R. 21. It provides solutions to the problems of the earth.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, while I applaud the fact that H. Con. Res. 152 recognizes and reinforces a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, I urge Congress and the Administration to move away from rhetoric and actively engage in steps that will foster lasting peace in the Middle East. The Israeli- Palestinian conflict not only grossly disrupts the lives of Israelis and Palestinians, it destabilizes the entire Middle East and enflames extremism, threatening U.S. national security. U.S. involvement in Iraq has consumed the Administration's attention, but resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict is an integral component for long-term peace in the region. Efforts to bring resolution to this conflict should not be put on the back burner because of the Administration's political fumbling in Iraq. I urge the Administration to reinvigorate its role as a fair and balanced broker and call on the U.S. Congress to recognize that securing peace in the volatile Middle East will require a sustained financial commitment. And, I urge our friends and allies in the region to recognize that peace in the Middle East is in their own countries' best national security interests and to become more actively engaged in the peace process.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, Members of the House, I rise today to honor Chrissie Jahn, executive director and head of school for the International School of Monterey. Ms. Jahn has been recognized as the California International Education Advocate of the Year, a most deserving tribute to the important work she has done on behalf of Monterey County students. Ms. Jahn is dedicated to providing a demanding curriculum to area families, offering her students an international education designed to prepare them for success in today's global economy. Ms. Jahn strives to supply her students with the skills necessary to succeed in life, and she approaches that role with an infectious energy. Ms. Jahn excels at challenging her students, instilling in them a love of learning and a strong sense of self-motivation and respect. Her school is a tuition-free public charter school with a strong focus on language education, with instruction beginning in kindergarten. Her work fostering skills integral to student success on a global stage is a valuable lesson to educators around the country. The award was presented to Ms. Jahn by the Visiting International Faculty Program, the largest international-exchange program connecting U.S. schools and teachers around the world. Madam Speaker, please allow me to convey to Ms. Jahn this body's gratitude for her hard work and dedication.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of the Saint Francis Soup Kitchen, which recently celebrated its 25th year of service in the Santa Cruz community. St. Francis is an organization founded and run by volunteers who love to help others. In the 25 years that it has been around, St. Francis has fed and clothed countless people who are in need. The city of Santa Cruz has approximately 400 people who are homeless, yet St. Francis is one way in which the community is trying to help the problem. Father Peter Carota deserves special recognition as the founder of the St. Francis Soup Kitchen. In 1981, when still a layman, Peter sold his home and used the money to start St. Francis. Feeding the poor out of the back of a van, Peter Carota began his dream of running a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. A few years later, in 1983, Peter and some volunteers purchased the property of the current soup kitchen and St. Francis was born. Peter has since become a priest, but his work at St. Francis is carried on by devoted volunteers. The soup kitchen was founded to help people in need and that is exactly what it does. The kitchen never turns a hungry person away and feeds up to 180 people at lunch every weekday. St. Francis not only provides free lunch every day to the homeless, it also operates a clothing room that provides donated clothes free of charge to guests. However, St. Francis could not function without the support of the dedicated volunteers and the help drawn from churches, high schools, UC Santa Cruz, and the broader community. Madam Speaker, the St. Francis Soup Kitchen has contributed so much to the city of Santa Cruz and the surrounding community; I have only scratched the surface of its beneficial and compassionate dedication. I commend the St. Francis Soup Kitchen for all that it has done in its 25 years, and I hope that it will continue for another 25 with the same service, attitude, and contribution to the community.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, today we are going to debate and vote on the Defense bill. And I stand today to talk about a different issue. About an offense. An offense that celebrates the greatness of America. I join today with Representative Jon Porter, my cochair for the Congressional Tourism and Travel Caucus. What we want to point out is that the greatest strengths of America lie in its land and its people and the best way to know that is to get out and about, or be a tourist. One doesn't have to go far. They can be in their own community. We will also see many people from other parts of the world coming to the United States this summer. And our issue is to make awareness of this. Reach out. Thank people who are in the tourism industry, whether it is a bus driver or an airplane pilot or a waitress in a restaurant. Celebrate the greatness of America. Look at this building, this town, this great city, the great people that have built the history of this town. Tourism is everywhere, and tourism is the greatest asset America has to expose.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, Members of the House, I rise today to honor Mr. Joseph Pezzini, a quiet and unassuming man who has become one of the seminal leaders in our Nation's fresh produce industry. The occasion for this recognition is Joe's departure from the chairmanship of the Salinas, California, based Grower Shipper Association. His work as chairman over the course of the past year, particularly around the issues of food safety, has contributed tremendously to the continued health and vitality of the American fresh produce industry. Joe is a senior officer with Ocean Mist Farms, the leading U.S. producer and shipper of fresh artichokes. Along with a team of highly skilled and dedicated colleagues, Joe helps produce and ship high quality artichokes, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, and a variety of other specialty vegetable crops. All things that the federal government says we should eat more of. If you have ever eaten an artichoke, Joe likely had a hand in putting it on your plate. If you have never eaten an artichoke, then Joe would like to speak with you. But Joe's business acumen only begins his catalogue of achievements. In 2006, Joe became president of the Grower Shipper Association, which serves as local and regional voice of the California Central Coast's large and dynamic produce industry. His focus was predominantly on local and regional issues. Then, last year on September 14, FDA advised consumers to avoid eating fresh spinach because it had been linked to an outbreak of E. coli. In a matter of minutes, Joe transformed himself from just a Salinas Valley business leader to the national face of the fresh produce industry. As a prominent spinach producer himself whose product remained unlinked to the outbreak and the Grower Shipper Association chairman, Joe became the natural spokesperson for the produce industry. Every major news outlet in the country wanted to speak with a Salinas Valley farmer. Amid all the commotion and frenzy, Joe remained the calm and credible voice, always speaking to realities of farming and his industry's concern for safety whether to a national news anchor or a local beat reporter. In the months since, Joe has taken a leading role in the produce industry's response to the crisis. He helped shape and now chairs the State of California's new leafy green food safety marketing agreement. Joe's work has not only benefited the producers in my Central California district, but fresh produce farmers across the country. In recognition of his work, The Packer, a leading Produce Industry trade publication, recently honored Joe as its Produce Man of the Year. This honor is clearly well deserved. Madam Speaker, please allow me to convey to Mr. Pezzini this body's gratitude for his vision, hard work and grace under fire on behalf of fresh produce consumers and producers everywhere.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Araby Colton, a great lady who passed away recently at the age of 95. Araby was a passionate activist of uncompromising principles throughout her life. Araby and her husband, Vie, founded the Canadian-American Wolf Defenders, which was instrumental in stopping a wolf hunt in Canada. She was a member of the Monterey County Peace Coalition, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and a valued member of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. She raised Arabian horses and a wolf-dog. Her children inherited her love of animals. During consideration of the 1972 Endangered Species Act, testimony was entered on the subject of aerial wolf hunting in Alaska. Araby's passionate ``Letter to Wolf Defenders'' from her HOWL newsletter detailing the horrors of such hunting practices was read before the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation in their hearings on predatory mammals and endangered species. Throughout the 90's, she wrote ``Your World and Mine,'' a newspaper column for the Carmel Valley Sun and other local newspapers. Her articles reported on the environment, animals, politics and book reviews. She kept up with current events, and was writing a letter to the editor on global warming when she passed away. In her later years, Araby and some friends formed a confab they called ``The Coffeehouse.'' They named their group in memory of the American rebels that met in coffeehouses in the 1770's to discuss separation from a tyrannical government. ``The Coffeehouse'' members discussed the great issues of the day. Madam Speaker, the life of Araby Colton was full of joy and purpose. She cared about the world around her and worked tirelessly to make it a better place, not just for humans, but for all creatures. She would be delighted to think that she was a thorn in the sides of politicians, but I have only respect and admiration for a lady with such deep convictions. I know I speak for the whole House in extending condolences to her family. Araby will be greatly missed.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1700, COPS Improvement Act of 2007. Since 1994 the COPS program has allowed local law enforcement agencies to hire an additional 117,000 officers. It is unconscionable that over the past several years, the Republican- led Congress has repeatedly cut the COPS program and eventually eliminated all funding in the 2006 budget. I'm proud that my district has benefited significantly from the COPS program. In fact, in 1996 President Clinton came to the City of Salinas, CA, to commend Mayor Caballero and Salinas law enforcement officials on a successful community policing program. In addition, Salinas was awarded one of a handful of COPS grants for tracking weapons. These tools enabled the City of Salinas to reduce gang violence. As funding for the COPS program dried up, gang violence in Salinas spiked and in 2005 there were 24 homicides. This time, on its own dime, the City of Salinas and the County of Monterey have busted their budgets to implement a community policing gang task force. Reauthorization of the COPS program, with full funding, will enable Salinas and other communities all across the country to again implement effective community policing programs to combat crime. Reauthorization of the COPS program should not be a partisan issue. After all, all crime is local. Community policing is effective because it addresses crime at the local level. H.R. 1700 will allow for the hiring of up to 50,000 new cops on the beat over the next 6 years. In addition, the bill authorizes $600 million a year for COPS hiring grants, $350 million a year for COPS technology grants, and $200 million a year for hiring community prosecutors. I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 1700.