Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced the Homebuyer Tax Credit Renewal Act of 2011 (H.R. 330), which will reinstate both the $8000 first-time homebuyer credit and the $6500 long-time homebuyer credit for a period of 1 year. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 479,622 homebuyers claimed the credit in 2009. While the numbers for 2010 are not yet available, there is no doubt that the tax credit was instrumental in helping many first-time buyers achieve the American dream of homeownership by increasing down-payments and lowering monthly mortgage payments. Homeownership is one of the best ways for working Americans to accumulate assets for retirement and to ensure neighborhoods are stable and well-maintained. Homeowners are also able to benefit from tax deductions like the mortgage interest and property tax deductions. Homeownership also benefits children in numerous ways. Children of homeowners score better on academic tests, graduate at a higher rate, have fewer behavioral problems, and enjoy a better social environment. Living in an owned home is also a predictor of future success, as homeowners' children earn more than renters' children, are less likely to be on welfare, and are more likely to become homeowners themselves. I hope that my colleagues will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced a private bill (H.R. 356) on behalf of an exceptional woman, Flavia Maboloc Cahoon. Over 18 years ago, Flavia legally immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. She was accompanied by her four-year-old daughter, Jane Drury, now serving in the U.S. Navy on the USS Bunker Hill. In 2005, after several failed appeals were made to correct a mistake she made on her original naturalization application, Flavia was taken from her home in January and was subjected to inhumane conditions at an over-crowded detention facility near the U.S.-Mexico border for two weeks. Flavia is a hardworking, law-abiding woman who has lived her life being of service as a nurse and volunteer. If deported, Flavia will most certainly face economic and emotional hardship without family or financial support.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced a private bill (H.R. 355) on behalf of two extraordinary individuals, Pablo Perrone and Cristina Lemos. In 1987, Pablo and Cristina, labor union leaders in Uruguay, were persecuted by the radical socialist group, the Tupamaros. After receiving multiple death threats for refusing to join forces with the group, they fled to the United States and immediately claimed asylum after entry. Due to an incompetent lawyer, the judge denied their asylum cases. An appeal was made but was mishandled by the lawyer and eventually lost by the Department of Justice for 10 years. As a result of this injustice, Pablo and Cristina were never given an opportunity to state their case, a case that if heard, would have granted them lawful presence in the United States. Now, over 20 years later, the same party that persecuted Pablo and Cristina is now in power. Pablo and Cristina have two U.S. citizen daughters, Loredana and Victoria, who speak limited Spanish and have lived in San Diego, California all their lives as excellent students. As contributing members of their community, Pablo and Cristina pay taxes every year and devote countless hours to community service. Pablo and Cristina have no living family members in Uruguay. If deported, they will be forced to take their two U.S. citizen daughters with them, to a country where they risk persecution, and face exceptional economic, educational, and emotional hardship.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced a private bill (H.R. 354) on behalf of a remarkable young man, Lauli'i Matu'u. Lauli'i was born deaf and was abandoned by his birth-family in Western Samoa. Lauli'i lived on the streets until age 10 when Greg Lewis, a U.S. citizen, took him in, taught him sign language, and cared for his medical needs. In 1992, Mr. Lewis was appointed as legal guardian to Lauli'i, but it took 14 years before Greg was finally able to bring Lauli'i to the U.S. Lauli'i is in danger of being deported because his humanitarian visa has expired. Lauli'i has no family or ties to Western Samoa, deporting Lauli'i would be a travesty of justice! My bill will grant Lauli'i permanent U.S. residence.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced the Mobile Home Protection Act, H.R. 326. The purpose of this bill is to provide Section 8 assistance to low-income owners of mobile homes. Owning one's home is a central part of the American Dream. For many low-income Americans, mobile homes provide the opportunity to achieve this goal of homeownership. However, in many cases, while the family owns their home, they do not own the land on which the home sits. In some cases, the landlord will not accept Section 8 vouchers for the land on which the mobile home sits. I have introduced the Mobile Home Protection Act to correct this problem. This bill would provide this Section 8 assistance directly to the homeowners to apply toward their rent costs for the land on which their homes sit. Many mobile home owners have invested their life savings into buying their mobile homes. As mobile home park rents increase, these low- income homeowners are not able to keep up with this cost. This legislation will help keep these homeowners in their homes and maintain these established communities.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced the Military Environmental Responsibility Act (H.R. 332). The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Defense to fully comply with Federal and State environmental laws. Military exemptions from requirements and enforcement provisions under environment, public safety, and worker protection laws harm the environment and human health. Our constituents who border military bases should have the same protections as other municipalities. This bill will not compromise military readiness. Environmental laws currently include exemptions for the military in the event of ``paramount interest of the United States''. These exemptions have only been used a handful of times, and the President would retain that authority over this legislation. Americans believe that their government should be accountable to them and play by the same rules that they have to follow. Much of the cynicism and apathy of recent years can be traced directly to public perception that government officials and agencies are not accountable to anyone. We can only begin to restore faith in government and participation in democracy by ensuring that the federal government works under the same laws and regulations as private businesses and individuals.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced the Foreign Air Impact Regulation (FAIR) Air Act (H.R. 325). The purpose of this bill is to combat air pollution along our borders and to ensure that our communities are not unfairly penalized. Our border communities are being besieged by toxic pollutants from neighboring countries. This is making the air quality along our border worse than ever--and leaves our communities with little recourse to improve the situation. The FAIR AIR Act says that if pollution from another country causes non-attainment of air pollution regulations, then the EPA and the Secretary of State should work together to lower it. Furthermore, the effective date of reclassification should be delayed until the Secretary of State and local leaders develop a plan with the neighboring country to improve the air quality. We cannot put this international problem on the backs of those who simply happen to live along the border. There truly needs to be a bi- national cooperative solution to address this important issue. We all breathe the same air and it is only with bi-national cooperation and working together to achieve better air quality standards for all.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced the Department of Defense and Civilian Law Enforcement Coordination Act of 2011 (H.R. 324). My bill would amend federal law to permit Department of Defense law enforcement officers to better coordinate and cooperate with civilian law enforcement agencies. I drafted this legislation in cooperation with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) because many DOD law enforcement officers in my district have informed me that they are prohibited from basic coordination and cooperation with civilian agencies near DOD facilities. We need to ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement are able to work together to apprehend criminals and to prevent and solve crimes. I hope that my colleagues will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 12, I was unable to vote because of airline delays. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to correct an injustice that has been inflicted upon a group of World War II veterans, the World War II United States Merchant Mariners. World War II Merchant Mariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of service while they delivered troops, tanks, food, airplanes, fuel, and other needed supplies to every theater of the war. Compared to the large number of men and women serving in World War II, the numbers of the Merchant Mariners were small, but their chance of dying during service was extremely high. Enemy forces sank over 800 ships between 1941 and 1944 alone. Unfortunately, this group of brave men was denied their rights under the G.I. Bill of Rights that Congress enacted in 1945. All those who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard were recipients of benefits under the G.I. Bill. The United States Merchant Marine was not included. The Merchant Marine became the forgotten service. For four decades, no effort was made to recognize the contribution made by this branch of the Armed Services. The fact that Merchant Seamen had borne arms during wartime in the defense of their country seemed not to matter. No legislation to benefit Merchant Seamen was passed by Congress until 1988 when the Seaman Acts of 1988 finally granted them a ``watered down'' G.I. Bill of Rights. Some portions of the G.I. Bill have never been made available to veterans of the Merchant Marine. In addition, they still have not received proper recognition as veterans for Social Security purposes. If they had the ``veteran'' designation, their Social Security would be calculated as if they had earned $160 more a month than they did earn during their time in service in the Merchant Marines. Of course, what this means is a smaller Social Security check, now that they are retired. While it is impossible to make up for over 40 years of unpaid benefits, I propose a bill that will acknowledge the service of the veterans of the Merchant Marine and offer compensation for years and years of lost benefits. H.R. 23, the ``Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2011,'' will pay each eligible veteran a monthly benefit of $1000, and that payment would also go to their surviving spouses. It will also give them the Social Security that they are due by providing them with the status of ``veteran'' under the Social Security Act. The average WWII-era Merchant Marine is now well into his 80s. Many have outlived their savings. An increase in their Social Security and a monthly benefit to compensate for the loss of nearly a lifetime of ineligibility for the G.I. Bill would be of comfort and would provide some measure of security for veterans of the Merchant Marine. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting and co-sponsoring this legislation. We can fix the injustices endured by our Nation's Merchant Marines by passing H.R. 23 as quickly as possible.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 664, I was away from the Capitol. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Senator Akaka, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, for introducing this bill, also known as the Post-9/ 11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. And I want to thank my colleague, Representative Walt Minnick of Idaho, for his advocacy on behalf of our Nation's veterans and for introducing a similar bill in the House of Representatives. My colleagues may recall that we successfully passed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to help pay the full cost of tuition at 4-year colleges for veterans who served after September 11, 2001. This new entitlement has provided thousands of veterans with funds to pay for tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a $1,000 book stipend. While this has proven to be a significant step to improve existing educational benefits for our veterans, much work remains to be done. This bill is fully paid for, bipartisan, and seeks to rectify many of the ongoing technical concerns that were highlighted after the passage of the Post-9/11 GI bill while expanding benefits to veterans that were originally excluded from participating in this new benefit. Current law prohibits certain individuals in the Reserve and National Guard from obtaining veterans education benefits under the Post-9/11 bill. This legislation seeks to address this inequity by allowing qualified individuals in our Reserve and National Guard to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill. The legislation would also provide veterans with a housing stipend while taking courses strictly through long distance learning, a key issue which many of us have spoken on. In addition to expanding the housing stipend, student veterans will also have the ability to use their educational benefits to pay for national tests, licensure, and certification tests. Furthermore, this bill would address a major shortfall expressed by the veterans' community by those who would prefer to attend a non- college degree program that would meet their professional goals. This bill seeks to expand on the eligible programs of education to include apprenticeship and on-the-job training, in addition to flight training and non-college degree programs of education. Finally, this bill seeks to recognize the family's role of caring for an injured veteran by extending the period that a family member can use his or her education benefits. Providing more time for a caregiver to pursue their educational goals is the least we can do for those who have taken on the responsibility to care for an injured loved one. I would like to thank our Speaker, Ms. Pelosi, for her leadership and dedication to America's veterans. It is only fitting to note that enhancing veterans education benefits was a major focus when Democrats took control of the House 4 years ago, and remains a final priority here in the final hours of the 111th Congress. Certainly, we look forward to continuing this advocacy in the next Congress.

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

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3447) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve educational assistance for veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, and for other purposes.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. This is an important bill that extends benefits to even more of our veterans and tries to enhance the benefits for those who already are receiving them. I ask for unanimous support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack), who has been a great leader on veterans issues.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend and include extraneous material on S. 3447.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3860) to require reports on the management of Arlington National Cemetery.

Mr. FILNER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. We had thought that the distinguished gentleman from Missouri, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Ike Skelton, would be here this evening. He is not. But I would like to say that this House, of course, honors his extraordinary service to his district, his State, the men and women of our armed services, and most importantly, of course, our Nation for 34 years. It has been a great experience to work with Ike Skelton closely, as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and to work with him for those who serve in active duty and those who have served and are now veterans. President Truman, who is a hero to all of us and especially to Ike, stated that, ``It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.'' Ike Skelton has personified this wonderful saying, working tirelessly for the good of our country. He has done more than he will ever get credit for, and this House will be a poorer place without his presence. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I urge unanimous support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the systemic and long-standing problems at Arlington National Cemetery have become well-known and are a national tragedy. Arlington National Cemetery is our most hallowed ground, the final resting place of many of our heroes. Every year, nearly 4 million people visit this cemetery. Because of the importance of Arlington to our national memory, the American people expect Arlington to be run reverently and meticulously, but as we all know now, this has not been the case. Following a yearlong series of investigative reports published on Salon.com, the Army prompted an investigation regarding reports of unmarked, misidentified, or misplaced graves. The Army investigation identified a culture of inaction and inactivity, a failure to act and a failure to come to grips with the problems at Arlington. Unfortunately, these problems have been going on for years. Recently, the Army opened a criminal investigation after eight urns of cremated remains were found in a grave marked ``unknown.'' Army Secretary John McHugh has taken many steps to correct the many failures at Arlington, and we applaud his efforts. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs has worked closely with our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to get answers and find a way forward. I agree with our esteemed chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton, who stated in a June hearing that, ``We must be prepared that a 100 percent survey of the cemetery and all of its operations, which I believe must now be undertaken, will yield a larger number of problems that must be addressed.'' A comprehensive survey may find that the burial errors at Arlington may number in the thousands, but in order to provide a concrete solution to this problem, we must first fully understand the scope. The Senate has acted, passing S. 3860 on December 4 of this year. This measure requires reports to Congress on the management of Arlington National Cemetery, including grave site discrepancies, the management and oversight of contracts, and the implementation of recent Army directives. Passing S. 3860 is a first step but not the final answer. In the waning days of this Congress, we have the opportunity to send to the President this important measure. We will continue to work closely with our colleagues in Armed Services, with the administration, and with our Senate colleagues in the months ahead to fix what is wrong at Arlington and to ensure that the operation of this national shrine honors the men and women who lie at rest there. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this legislation.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank Senator Feinstein, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, Chairman Conyers, and Chairwoman Lofgren for their leadership in the passage of S. 4010, a bill for the relief of Shigeru Yamada, an extraordinary young man who is in danger of being deported back to Japan, despite living here for most of his life. Shigeru came to the U.S. legally in 1992 at the age of 10 with his mother and two younger sisters. In 1995, when Yamada was 13 years old, his mother was tragically killed in a car accident. Yamada and his sisters were suddenly orphaned, and due to a change in immigration laws, were stripped of their legal status. Notwithstanding personal adversities, Yamada excelled in high school where he was active in sports, student government, and the community, while maintaining almost a 4.00 GPA. Yamada has attended Southwestern College and is a model member of the Chula Vista, California community. His two younger sisters were able to become citizens. One married a U.S. citizen and the other one was adopted by family members. The family tried to adopt Shigeru, but they were not successful. Yamada does not have any family or home in Japan. His mother's side of the family is Korean which makes it extremely difficult for him to integrate into Japanese society. He would be virtually unemployable in Japan because he does not speak, read, or write Japanese. His situation shows that he would suffer extreme hardship if forced to return to Japan. The passage of this bill brings justice one step closer to Yamada. We want and need more people like Shigeru in our country and he deserves the opportunity to become a permanent U.S. citizen. Once again, I'd like to thank the leadership for passage of this critical bill.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on November 16th, 2010 I held a briefing on my bill H. Res. 1431, which urges the Obama administration to remove the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This bill has been co-sponsored by 109 Members of the House of Representatives. In a letter to the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on that same day, I was joined by my colleagues and brought the resolution to the attention of the Secretary and urged her to delist the PMOI. Below are the remarks that I made to the Members and Staff gathered at the briefing: We have introduced Resolution 1431, which calls upon the U.S. government, the President, the Secretary of State to remove the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran . . . from the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations . . . Like other parliaments around the world, we in the United States Congress believe that this organization does not qualify to be on the FTO list both on legal and political grounds. Removing the MEK from the FTO list is not only the right thing to do but sends the right message to Iran. I would like to thank the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Mrs. Rajavi, who has not only led this fight, but has also offered all kinds of assistance to the residents of Camp Ashraf.