Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I would yield myself such time as I may consume and again thank our dynamic duo on the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee for bringing us another bill which will protect the rights of our veterans and especially in job opportunities. I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin).

Mr. FILNER. I ask my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1089, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FILNER. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1089, as amended.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. I continue to reserve.

Mr. FILNER. Does the gentleman have further speakers?

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 360) urging all Americans and people of all nationalities to visit the national cemeteries, memorials, and markers on Memorial Day.

Mr. FILNER. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume I think it is only appropriate, Mr. Speaker, that we bring this resolution to the floor as we approach Memorial Day. The resolution encourages people to visit the cemeteries, memorials, and markers overseen by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Now, that is a commission that I am sure many people have not heard of. What is the American Battle Monuments Commission, and what do they do? Back in 1923, Congress created this commission to control the construction of military cemeteries, monuments, and markers erected to honor American servicemembers killed on foreign soil. Host countries provide the necessary lands for the sites to the United States in perpetuity and free of charge. The commission cares for 24 military cemeteries, 25 memorials, monuments and markers in 15 countries around the world. These sites serve as the final resting place for almost 125,000 Americans who fought in the Mexican-American War, World War I and World War II. The commission takes special care that all cemeteries under its supervision are maintained to the highest standard attainable. The commission extends an open invitation for all to visit these magnificent shrines and to go beyond the most well known, like Normandy, and venture into others. Each site has its own sense of history, sacrifice and beauty, and each offers a unique experience. For example, no two have the same guard nor architecture. Perhaps only the spiritual qualities are similar. In less than a month from now, on June 6, the commission will commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the D-day landing by opening a new Normandy-American cemetery visitors center. This center, which has been under construction since 2002, will tell the story of the American soldiers memorialized at Normandy. I encourage all to visit this new D-day center and any of the sites under the jurisdiction of the commission. Overseas cemeteries are the lasting reminders of America's willingness to come to the defense of others. These tangible symbols of American values endure long after the fighting is over. Mr. Speaker, I would reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1170, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in about a week, on Monday, May 25, our country will mark the 38th year in which Congress has formally recognized the last Monday of May as Memorial Day in honor of our brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation, so I stand before you today with a series of bills to honor our fallen men and women and our current veterans and those on current active duty with deeds and not just with words that we speak on Memorial Day. So we want to honor the legacy of our fallen servicemembers. We look forward to ensuring that our veterans are cared for at the same level of dedication and service that they have provided while in service to our country. The bills before you today have all come through our Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, chaired by Ms. Herseth Sandlin from South Dakota and with her ranking member, Mr. Boozman from Arkansas. They have proven to be a formidable team, a team which works well together, which brings our committee together and which brings us bills that are very important to our veterans today. So I thank both the Chair and her ranking member for all of the good work that they do with our committee. I think I will yield to Ms. Herseth Sandlin to explain the bills because she has played such an important role in them. I will yield to her such time as she may consume.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1170) to amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to establish a grant program to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for specially adapted housing, as amended.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1088) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a one-year period for the training of new disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and local veterans' employment representatives by National Veterans' Employment and Training Services Institute.

Mr. FILNER. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1088.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to one of our new Members who has been very active on our committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye).

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, without a doubt these men, now octogenarians, average age almost 85, fought the good fight and gave our country their all. And H.R. 23 will provide them with the compensation they earned or was promised them and has been denied for decades, not just in words but in deeds. Madam Speaker, I ask that letters of support from the American Maritime Officers, the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, and the Seafarers International Union expressing their strong support for H.R. 23, as amended, be included in the Record. May 5, 2009. Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: We are writing on behalf of the undersigned American maritime labor organizations to express our strong support for H.R. 23, the ``Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009'' and to urge your Committee to favorably report this legislation. The organizations we represent have the privilege of including among our retired members individuals who served our country with honor and distinction during World War II. These World War II merchant mariners are truly representative of the ``Greatest Generation'', and we are extremely proud of them and the example they have set for all merchant mariners who continue to respond to our Nation's call whenever and wherever they are needed. General Colin Powell, following the Persian Gulf War, said that: ``Since I became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I have come to appreciate first-hand why our Merchant Marine has long been called our Nation's fourth arm of defense. The American seafarer provides an essential service to the well- being of our Nation as was demonstrated so clearly during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm . . . '' We agree wholeheartedly with you that the enactment of H.R. 23 is necessary ``to correct an injustice that has been inflicted upon a group of World War II veterans, the World War II United States merchant mariners.'' We sincerely thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your initiative in working to address this injustice by sponsoring legislation to provide long- overdue recognition and benefits to World War II merchant mariners. We are also grateful to your colleagues who have cosponsored H.R. 23 and for their decision to add their names to the bipartisan supporters who are committed to working with you and with us for the enactment of H.R. 23 this year. There is not, nor should there be, any debate as to the invaluable service given by American merchant mariners during World War II. In fact, World War II merchant mariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of the Armed Forces other than the United States Marine Corps, as they delivered troops, tanks, food, fuel and other needed equipment and material to every theater of World War II. Enemy forces sank more than 800 merchant vessels between 1941 and 1944 alone. As General of the Army, Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe, Dwight David Eisenhower stated, ``When final victory is ours there is no organization that will share its credit, more deservedly that the Merchant Marine.'' Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Theater, said that ``The Merchant Marine . . . has repeatedly proved its right to be considered as an integral part of our fighting team.'' General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, speaking of the merchant seamen who supported the liberation of the Philippines, stated that ``With us, they have shared the heaviest enemy fire. On these islands I have ordered them off their ships and into foxholes when their ships became untenable targets of attack. At our side they have suffered in bloodshed and death . . . They have contributed tremendously to our success. I hold no branch in higher esteem than the Merchant Marine Service.'' Finally, President Franklin Roosevelt eloquently and accurately summed up the contributions of World War II merchant mariners, telling the country and the world that they ``have written one of the most brilliant chapters. They have delivered the goods when and where needed in every theater of operations and across every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult and most dangerous job ever taken.'' Yet, despite this record of exemplary, indispensable service to America's war efforts, merchant mariners were not given the formal recognition and benefits granted other services by the Congress through the GI Bill of Rights in 1945. In fact, no legislation to recognize the contributions made by World War II merchant mariners was enacted until Congress extended limited veterans' status to these gallant American citizens in 1988. We believe, as you have stated Mr. Chairman, that it is time to correct this injustice. We believe our country has an obligation to the remaining World War II merchant mariners, to fully acknowledge their service and to give them the measure of benefit called for in H.R. 23. We ask you and your Committee to take the first step in righting this wrong by favorably reporting H.R. 23 to the House of Representatives for its consideration. We note that during the consideration of H.R. 23 in the last Congress, changes were made to the legislation that would, among other things, reduce its overall cost. For example, it no longer provides any payment of benefits to survivors' spouses and revised the legislation so that it is no longer self-funded. Rather, it sets up a Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund and leaves it to Congress to later determine funding within its spending caps. Finally, those who have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (the GI Bill--PL 78-346) are not eligible for benefits under H.R. 23. The bill, with these changes, is the legislation that was adopted by the House of Representatives on July 7, 2007 and we continue to support H.R. 23 with these changes. We again thank you and your colleagues for the support you have shown for the World War II merchant mariners and we stand ready to work with you for its enactment this year. Sincerely, Thomas Bethel, President, American Maritime Officers; Timothy Brown, President, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots; Don Keefe, President, Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association; Anthony Poplawski, President, Marine Firemen's Union; Gunnar Lundeberg, President, Sailors' Union of the Pacific; Michael Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 23) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States Merchant Marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 23, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 23, the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009, a measure, frankly, whose passage is six decades overdue. I think today we are on the verge of doing a great deed, providing a way to finally give the heroic Merchant Mariners of World War II the belated compensation they so richly deserve. Congress has a responsibility to correct the wrongs of the past, and this is one of the grave injustices that deserve rectifying. I thank all the cosponsors of the resolution, including some 40 Republicans. I know that many of you were trying to be added as cosponsors after the report was filed. I just would like to name for the record Mr. Tierney, Mr. Meek, Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Kildee. For the remaining Members of the House who are not cosponsors of the amended version which passed unanimously out of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, let me tell you the sad history of these forgotten heroes. The merchant mariners of World War II traversed the dangerous U-boat- laden waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific, faced down fierce attacks from enemy aircraft, and were instrumental in every theater of war by carrying 95 percent of all the tanks, supplies, and troops during World War II. As a result, they suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the military branches. It is indisputable that the Allied Forces would not have been able to begin, sustain, or end World War II without their valiant and selfless service. It is also indisputable that these men now are entitled to be compensated for that service. After the war, they did not receive recognition as veterans that they deserved or the benefits of the unprecedented GI Bill of 1944, which they had earned and were promised. Eight million military families were able to take advantage of that GI Bill, entering the middle class, but the merchant mariners were not. When the GI Bill was signed in 1944, as I said, which gave unprecedented education, housing, small business loans, and health benefits to World War II servicemembers, President Roosevelt declared, after losing the fight to have the merchant mariners included in the original bill, ``I trust Congress will soon provide similar opportunities to members of the Merchant Marine who have risked their lives time and time again for the welfare of their country.'' Congress never did. My friends, promises made should be promises kept. Their fight for equity continued for over 40 years when they finally attained veteran status after a lengthy court battle, Schumacher, Willner, et al. v. Secretary of the Air Force Edward C. Aldridge, Jr. By then, over 125,000 mariners had died. As the judge ruled in that case, the mariners had ``every reasonable expectation that they would be treated as veterans'' entitled to the benefits of the GI Bill of Rights of 1944, based on the service they performed, not happened to perform. History supports this conclusion. I had the distinct privilege of receiving the heart-wrenching testimony, during a full committee hearing, of one of the named parties to this lawsuit, a merchant mariner named Stanley Willner. Stanley was captured, interned, beaten, starved, and tortured as a POW for 3 years. He was actually one of the unfortunate groups of Allied Forces forced to build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. Upon release, he weighed 74 pounds, and when he returned home, even his wife did not recognize him. And neither did his country. He received just 2 weeks of medical care and little else for his service. What a miscarriage of justice. Madam Speaker, it was only due to a sad confluence of powerful events after the war that this country did not bestow the brave men of the World War II Merchant Marine with veteran status until 1988. I think that if the mariners would be on the floor today, they would say they should not have been subject to a ``process'' to determine whether they were veterans. The mariners and many others thought that they would get these benefits since many thought they were enlisting for duty. They were denied this status unjustly and in violation of the assurances that they would partake in the GI Bill of 1944. Their valiant service was recognized by all the leaders of the Allied Forces from Generals MacArthur to Eisenhower. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a list of quotes by President Roosevelt regarding their courageous service. Relevant Historical Quotes on the Role of United States Merchant Marine During World War II Quotes from President Franklin D. Roosevelt May, 1942: ``The war is now five months old and we have had our answer. Two million men have been called to the colors. In far places and near, our soldiers, our sailors, our air pilots, the beleaguered men of the Merchant Marine, have shown the stuff of heroes. Everything we have asked of them they have delivered. Everything--and more.'' December 12, 1942: ``It is with a feeling of great pride that I send my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to the officers and men of the new U.S. Maritime Service Training Station at Sheepshead Bay. New York. Ten thousand apprentice seamen in training at one station is a magnificent achievement, and the entire country joins me in wishing you every success and in paying tribute to you men of the Merchant Marine who are so gallantly working and fighting side by side with our Army and Navy to defend the way of life which is so dear to us all.'' 1943: ``The men of our American Merchant Marine have pushed through despite the perils of the submarine, the dive bomber and the surface raider. They have returned voluntarily to their jobs at sea again and again, because they realized that the life-lines to our battle fronts would be broken if they did not carry out their vital part in this global war . . . In their hands, our vital supply lines are expanding. Their skill and determination will keep open the highway to victory and unconditional surrender.'' September 19, 1944: ``It seems to me particularly appropriate that Victory Fleet Day this year should honor the men and management of the American Merchant Marine. The operators in this war have written one of its most brilliant chapters. They have delivered the goods when and where needed in every theater of operations and across every ocean in the biggest, the most difficult and dangerous transportation job ever undertaken. As time goes on, there will be greater public understanding of our merchant fleet's record during this war.'' June 22, 1944 (during signing of GI Bill): ``I trust Congress will soon provide similar opportunities to members of the merchant marine who have risked their lives time and time again during war for the welfare of their country.'' Quotes from Dwight D. Eisenhower, General of the Army Date Unknown: ``Every man in this Allied command is quick to express his admiration for the loyalty, courage, and fortitude of the officers and men of the Merchant Marine. We count upon their efficiency and their utter devotion to duty as we do our own; they have never failed us yet and in all the struggles yet to come we know that they will never be deterred by any danger, hardship, or privation. When final victory is ours there is no organization that will share its credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.'' May 8, 1945 (From his Tribute on V-E Day): ``The truly heroic man of this war is GI Joe and his counterpart of the Air, Navy, and Merchant Marine.'' 1945: ``The officers and men of the merchant marine, by their devotion to duty in the face of enemy action, as well as the natural dangers of the sea, have brought us the tools to finish the job. Their contribution to final victory will be long remembered.'' Quotes from Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army Date Unknown: ``I wish to commend to you the valor of the merchant seamen participating with us in the liberation of the Philippines. With us they have shared the heaviest enemy fire. On this island I have ordered them off their ships and into fox holes when their ships became untenable targets of attack. At our side they have suffered in bloodshed and in death. The caliber of efficiency and the courage they displayed in their part of the invasion of the Philippines marked their conduct throughout the entire campaign in the southwest Pacific area. They have contributed tremendously to our success. I hold no branch in higher esteem than the Merchant Marine.'' October 14, 1945: ``They have brought us our lifeblood and they had paid for it with some of their own. I saw them bombed off the Philippines and in New Guinea ports. When it was humanly possible, when their ships were not blown out from under them by bombs or torpedoes, they have delivered their cargoes to us who needed them so badly. In war it is performance that counts.'' Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Operations War Shipping Administration Press Release PR 1839, April 23, 1944: ``The Merchant Marine Service has repeatedly proved its right to be considered as an integral part of our fighting team. Its efforts have contributed in great part to our success. Well done. There is one quote that is particularly telling of the broken promise, made by then General Dwight D. Eisenhower, delivered on May 8, 1945, during his tribute on V-E Day: ``The truly heroic man of this war is GI Joe and his counterpart of the Air, Navy, and Merchant Marine.'' Madam Speaker, how do you measure the loss of the GI Bill benefits that helped build the middle class of the United States, the missed opportunities and the dreams unrealized? That is what H.R. 23 will do, create a semblance of equity for the mariners of World War II. Undo this broken promise and unmitigated travesty of justice by providing this monthly benefit to the remaining 10,000 qualifying mariners. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Safety, Efficiency and Accountability in Transportation Projects through Public Inspection Act of 2009 (H.R. 2104). This bill would require public employees to perform the inspection and related essential public functions on all state and local transportation projects. My bill is intended to ensure that public safety is protected, transportation funds are not wasted and projects are delivered in a timely manner. On transportation projects, the construction inspector is the eyes, ears and voice of the public. Inspectors ensure that construction and seismic standards are met, that projects meet safety requirements and that the materials used will stand the test of time. In short, inspectors are there to ensure that the motoring public gets what they pay for and public safety and the public interest are protected. When the construction inspection function is outsourced to a private company, there is no longer a representative of the public on the job site. In this circumstance, one private company is charged with the task of inspecting the work of another private company. This creates multiple conflicts for the private inspector. First, the private inspectors' primary obligation and responsibility is not to the public, but to the success and profitability of his company. Because the private construction company whose work they are inspecting on one project may be a business partner on a future project, private inspectors may also feel pressure from the private contractor to take steps that ensure larger profits for both firms. I am concerned that these conflicts have led private inspectors to cut corners and overlook problems that threaten public safety, increase costs and delay projects. There are many examples in which public safety has been threatened by the use of private inspectors, including Boston's ``Big Dig'' (where a concrete slab from a tunnel ceiling fell and killed a woman), the L.A. Redline subway (Hollywood Blvd. collapsed), the 8-805 Interchange in San Diego (10,000 defective welds on a seismic retrofit), the Connecticut I-84 project (hundreds of drains that lead nowhere). Contracting out public inspection work also does not save money! Defective work requires extensive repairs, and inevitably, the taxpayer gets stuck with the bill. Comparative studies have also found that contracting-out engineering, design, and inspection costs more than to do this work in-house, and none of these studies found that consultant engineers were less expensive. Factors that contribute to consultants' excessive costs include the lack of competitive bidding, cost-plus provisions in contracts, salary differentials between the private and public sectors, profit margins of from 10 percent to 15 percent, and additional costs connected with selecting and supervising consultants. Failure to have public construction inspectors has also delayed projects in the past and will undoubtedly do so in the future. One such example is the privately inspected $12 million carpool bridge connecting the San Diego (405) and the Costa Mesa (55) Freeways. The project was to have been completed in April 2003. However, work was halted in August 2002 when chunks of concrete were falling from the structure and many cracks were noticed. Contractor and private inspector errors were later discovered and the carpool ramp did not open until January 2005. The Public and the federal government understand what's at stake. In a 2006 California public opinion poll, 71% of those surveyed said they want state engineers to inspect the construction of state highways; and 20% found private firms acceptable for the task. David M. Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States, said in a recent interview: ``There's something civil servants have that the private sector doesn't, and that is the duty of loyalty to the greater good--the duty of loyalty to the collective best interest of all rather than the interest of a few. Companies have duties of loyalty to their shareholders, not to the country.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, Doug Moore, executive director of the 64,000-member UDW Homecare Providers Union and a newly elected international vice president of AFSCME, has an outstanding record of success spanning nearly 30 years in building and energizing member- drive unions. He began his labor career in 1980 as a rank-and-file member of the CWA, becoming a shop steward and, eventually, president of CWA Local 9586 in Sante Fe Springs, CA. He subsequently worked for SEIU as an international representative before becoming Ohio state director for the national AFL-CIO, where he was responsible for AFL-CIO programs for more than one million members. After being recruited by AFSCME and serving as a regional field administrator and assistant regional director, Doug assisted in negotiating an agreement and helped build a 20,000-strong, member- driven union. He also created the first statewide Executive Board structure for the new ADSCME Local 3299 and developed a strong member activist program for the local. In 2005, Doug was appointed deputy administrator of UDW. His dynamic leadership has helped rebuild UDW from the ground up. Among his accomplishments: UDW is now financially secure. Thanks to a volunteer member organizing effort, nearly 25,000 new members have joined UDW since 2005. For the first time in history, all of the top elected leaders in UDW are working homecare providers. Doug has helped win the highest wages in the history of the UDW statewide and has led the effort to win affordable health insurance in San Diego. Due to his efforts, the newly installed UDW Executive Board appointed Doug Moore in February 2008 as executive director with full responsibility for managing UDW activities and staff on a day-to-day basis. In his acceptance speech to the UDW Executive Board, Doug said: From county board to county board. we will send a clear message that homecare providers matter. We demand to be treated with dignity and respect! We are not second-class citizens and we will fight to end the classism. sexism and racism that we see everyday from those elected boards in our counties. . . . We will do this the old-fashioned way: Organize, organize, organize! Because when we fight. we win!

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a time-honored and long-revered labor union that has created many well-paying jobs on our Pacific west coast--the International Longshoremen Worker's Union (the ILWU)! The ILWU Local 29 was granted its charter with jurisdiction embracing all workers in or about the City and County of San Diego. California on September 21, 1937. Local 29 embraces workers of all races and beliefs, who come together with one single purpose: to achieve a better life for themselves and their families. It is a union that is democratic, committed and dedicated to the idea that solidarity with other workers and other unions is the key to achieving economic security and a peaceful world. Through the years the Local 29 membership has grown and work opportunities have improved. ILWU Local 29 dispatch longshoremen to a variety of jobs every day. Today longshoremen work the cruise ships, vessels transporting fruit, automobiles, cement, and a wide variety of break bulk cargo. In July 2002, the ILWU negotiated a six year contract covering all locals in California, Washington, and Oregon that secured decent living wages and medical benefits covering the children and families of these outstanding workers! I urge my colleagues to join with me today to honor ILWU Local 29!

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 1386, the Pay for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2009. This bill will provide payments for emergency services provided to undocumented aliens. The costs of uncompensated emergency care for undocumented immigrants are sky high and border area hospitals, physicians, and ambulance providers are choking on the costs that they have to eat. My bill, the Pay for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2009, is the first step to solving this problem which is well known in border communities. Undocumented aliens receive emergency services in a hospital and yet that hospital is not reimbursed for these services. My bill will ensure that the healthcare providers are reimbursed for the emergency services they provide. My bill makes permanent a provision of the Medicare Modernization Act that provided payments to eligible providers for procedures for undocumented aliens. The bill authorizes $250 million a year to reimburse eligible providers for this care. Two-thirds of the funds are divided among the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on their relative percentages of undocumented aliens, the last third is divided among the 6 states with the largest number of undocumented aliens.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about a resolution that I have re-introduced along with Congressmen Bilbray, Honda, Issa, and Bobby Scott, my colleagues in the U.S.-Philippines Friendship Caucus (H. Res. 155). This resolution recognizes Filipino American Heritage Month and celebrates the heritage and culture of Filipino Americans and their immense contributions to our nation. The Filipino American National Historical Society established Filipino American History Month in 1988 but I was surprised to learn that the House of Representatives has never recognized this month, which is long overdue! We are pleased to honor the Filipino American community and pay tribute to the extraordinary contributions that Filipinos make to this nation. Filipino Americans have been part of the American experience, confronting many difficult challenges while being resolute and steadfast in their cultural heritage. We honor Filipino Americans, from farm workers to nurses and doctors to the brave and courageous soldiers who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with American servicemen. This country is indebted to the Filipino veterans of World War II for their extraordinary sacrifices. We promise that we will not give up. Equity and recognition for World War II Veterans is a moral imperative. I invite my colleagues to join with me in honoring the history, culture, and contribution of Filipino Americans in the United States by supporting this important resolution.