Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate what I said about nitpicking and arcane rules. This whole bill is a violation of the rules of the House except for the fact that it says in the bill it does not violate the rules. So telling us that we should have respect for the rules, my colleagues ought to show some respect for the good sense of the American people, for common sense. This whole bill is a violation of the rules without a waiver. Is that not true, Mr. Chairman? Would this bill be a violation of the rules if there was not a waiver involved in the rules? As I said, the rules are being used to damage common sense and to damage our Nation's security and damage our health care to our veterans. I think it is a disgrace to use those rules for these purposes.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) for bringing us these two amendments. Again, these are for national security emergency issues, border patrol agents at our border. I represent all the California-Mexico border. I know that we need these agents. The President asked for them, and yet he did not put the money in to pay for them. In addition, every veterans group and the VA itself say to complete the year, giving the services they need, they need another $1.3 billion. This is truly an emergency. The rules that will be used once again to say that our national defense at the border, our veterans to get their adequate health care, somehow we violate the rules, but let us not violate common sense. Common sense says we need these funds. We need this protection. We need these services for our veterans. Let us dispense with the technical objections and fund what we need for our veterans and for our border defense. Point Of Order

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

Mr. FILNER. Madam Chairman, I move to appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Chairman, I understand what the chairman is saying. I have been around here long enough. I do not have confidence in that regular order. I know what is going to happen then. Then we will be accused of legislating on appropriations or some other rule will be brought up. So I do not accept the ruling. I intend to challenge the ruling, and I think we owe this to our veterans.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Amendment offered by Mr. Filner: At the end of title V (page 69, after line 17), insert the following new section: Sec. __. In addition to amounts otherwise appropriated in this Act, there is hereby appropriated for fiscal year 2005, for ``Department of Veterans Affairs--Veterans Health Administration--Medical Services'', $3,100,000,000: Provided, That the amounts provided under this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of the conference report to accompany S. Con. Res. 95 (108th Congress).

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and the gentlemen from North Carolina for introducing this very important resolution honoring the Greensboro Four. As the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) said, those of us who were old enough were immediately inspired by the Greensboro Four. They showed the awesome power of nonviolent, collective direct action, and they also showed the vulnerability of the racist power structures in the South. I was a college freshman at the same time, at Cornell University. And almost immediately, we formed a group and had sit-ins in at the Woolworth's in Ithaca, New York, in solidarity with those that were going on through North Carolina and other States in the South. The sit-ins immediately educated us. That is, even though we were informed, even though we were progressive, we had no idea of the specific indignities of the segregated lunch counters, the signs that said ``whites only'' and ``colored'' for drinking fountains. We knew the schools were desegregated supposedly back in 1955. We saw the Montgomery bus boycott in 1956. We saw the power of direct action in the African states who first gained independence at the same time. But what occurred amongst the students in Greensboro spread throughout the Nation like wildfire, not just in the South but also in the North. We believed what Martin Luther King, Jr. stated so eloquently from the Birmingham jail: ``Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed.'' And we saw the sit-ins, a simple and quiet act perhaps, but one of great courage, considering the risks they were running, the Ku Klux Klan sitting at the same counters or nearby these first demonstrators. Those of us in the North who thought we were brothers and cousins of those in the South started talking about what we should do, how we should help. I remember, in fact, meeting the gentleman from Georgia (John Lewis), a colleague of ours from Atlanta, just a few months after that, and we ended up on the same bus to Jackson, Mississippi, and the Freedom Rides that took place to help desegregate the interstate facilities that were still segregated. We saw the interstate facilities as a focal point for Federal action. And those of us who went to jail managed to bring those cases before the Supreme Court, and just as the sit-inners had got the desegregation of the lunch counters so quickly, the interstate and other related facilities were desegregated because of the Freedom Rides. I see the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt) here today. I know he was personally inspired by what was happening with the Greensboro Four. Many of us in this Congress, as the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) pointed out, were so inspired. We put our bodies on the line, we put our beliefs in action, and the Greensboro Four helped to shape and inspire the movement all across the country. So we honor the Greensboro Four for demanding freedom for the oppressed, and we once again look to them today for inspiration in our struggle against the more subtle forms of racism that still exist today and the injustices that continue to plague our Nation. We will continue to look to the Greensboro Four for inspiration as we continue the still unfinished journey of America to become a Nation that is free from discrimination and racism.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and all of those on the Republican side who are so concerned about my district. I represent the California border between Mexico and the United States. This so-called fence that you want to put in my district is really a giant public works project that does enormous harm. I wish you were equally concerned about the 50 million gallons of sewage that flows into my district that we should be treating. I wish you were concerned about the legal border crossings, that take four or five hours some days. I wish you would be concerned about my local health facilities who treat the undocumented and refund those dollars. But, no, you want to put a public works project in that waives all existing environmental laws necessary to ensure the construction of roads, barriers, cut and fills, taking down mountains. This would result in an enormous waste of millions of Federal and State dollars that have already been contributed to restore and protect this area in San Diego, its historical, its cultural, its environmental resources. Ironically, the United Nations Ramsar Convention recently bestowed the prestigious label of ``Wetlands of International Importance'' on this 2,500-acre national wildlife refuge and state park that you are going to destroy. Now, we know we have to have border security. We live right there. You think we want to be overrun with terrorists? We know what it takes. We know what a smart border is. And what you are suggesting is not a smart border. For a minimal security benefit and maximum dollars spent, you will do irreparable damage to areas along the western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. This multitiered fence, road building, cut and fill, shaving down of mountains will destroy, as I said, an environmentally sensitive area, violate several sections of the Coastal Act and destroy acres of sensitive habitat and wetlands and coastline. This sensitive habitat plays a vital role in the sustainability of the binational ecosystem. Vote down this bill.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs, I rise to urge my colleagues to support the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) and myself who have reintroduced H.R. 302, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. This bill addresses a 60-year-old injustice which has cut to the heart of each and every Filipino American in this Nation and which was acknowledged in the last congressional session by over 200 cosponsoring Members of Congress, many veterans service organizations, religious organizations and many State and local officials in addition. Sixty years ago, Filipino soldiers living in the Philippines, which was a territory of the United States, were drafted into service during World War II by an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, Filipino soldiers fought side by side with forces from the United States mainland, defending the American flag in the now-famous battles of Bataan and Corrigidor. Thousands of Filipino prisoners of war died, both on the Bataan Death March and in prisoner of war camps, at the rate of 50 to 200 a day. They endured 4 long years of occupation by the Japanese. The soldiers fortunate enough to escape capture, together with other Filipino citizens, fought guerilla war against the occupation forces. These guerilla attacks foiled the plans of the Japanese for a quick takeover of the region and allowed the United States the needed time to regroup to defeat the invading army. After the liberation of the Philippines, the United States used the strategically located Commonwealth of the Philippines as a base from which to launch the final efforts to win the war in the Pacific. With their vital participation so evident, one would assume that the United States would be grateful to their Filipino comrades, so it is hard to believe that soon after the war ended Congress voted in the 1946 Rescissions Act to take away the benefits and recognition that many Filipino World War II veterans were promised. These veterans are now in their eighties and in need of health care. Many are dying each year. Their last wish is to be recognized as honored veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Please support H.R. 302 to restore the rescinded benefits to Filipino World War II veterans, many of whom have now become citizens of the United States. Please cosponsor H.R. 302 to restore the dignity of Filipino World War II veterans for their defense of our common democratic ideals.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for the time, and I thank the committee and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for bringing this to the floor. Congressman Saund, whom we are recognizing today, represented parts of the gentleman from California's (Mr. Issa) district and parts of my district, the 51st district, Imperial County in California. So I am really thankful that he is doing this, and we are honoring a great man. We have heard how he triumphed in spite of the prejudice that was around him. He did this through hard work, constantly turning the other cheek; and he was a charismatic individual. Coming to the United States after his undergraduate education in India, as we heard, he got a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1924, but could not get a job because of his nationality. Rather than give up, go home perhaps, maybe where he could use his education a little bit more to better himself, he decided to stay in the United States and work to improve the situation. That is when, in 1925, he moved to the Imperial Valley to become a cotton picking crew foreman, as we have heard. That is right, a man with a Ph.D. in mathematics from Berkeley became a foreman of a cotton picking crew to make ends meet; and through sheer hard work and determination, he was able to save money to start his own farm growing lettuce. He always had an interest in politics. He carried this enthusiasm over to the Imperial Valley; and even though he was not a citizen or able to vote, he became a constant presence at official meetings, I hate to tell the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) this, of the county Democratic Party central committee where he promoted the policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1937, Congressman Saund organized the Current Events Club in Imperial Valley to discuss the major topics of the day with other politically active members of the community and became a member of the Brawley California Toastmasters. So we see, even though he was not a citizen, he was becoming an integral part of the community in which he lived. In fact, if he was doing irrigation of his fields on the Toastmasters nights, he would take his dress suit with him to the field, at six o'clock change, set the irrigation to go for 3 hours, go to the Toastmasters meeting, come back to work, change clothes and go on with irrigation. Now, that is a Horatio Alger, the American Dream, for someone who was not an American citizen. He was actively involved in trying to get naturalization rights for natives of Asia and India particularly, and President Truman actually signed the law to end the ban on Asian naturalization in 1946; and one of the earliest applicants under this new law was, in fact, Dalip Singh Saund, who became a citizen in December of 1949. As we heard, his first task as a citizen was to run for office. He ran for justice of the peace in Westmorland, California, in Imperial County. He won the ballot, but a lawsuit said he had not been a citizen the year before, and so he was declared ineligible. Typical of Congressman Saund, or Judge Saund as he was known, he became chairman of the county Democratic central committee even after he lost the judgeship. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for naming after this great Democrat a post office in his district. Maybe we will bring true Democracy, with a capital D, to the 49th Congressional District. In 1955, he decided to run for Congress in what was then the 29th Congressional District, which included Riverside County and Imperial County. He easily won the primary and beat his Republican opponent, who brought in Vice President Nixon, brought in Bob Hope and even Rin Tin Tin, but that did not impress the constituents; and he was able to win and became the first Indian American Congressman of the United States of America. He did this through politicking in grassroots style, a truly effective politician. By the way, he was the only Indian American until this very year in this Congress when the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal) was elected. So we have, at last, the continuing of a tradition here. He might have been called a liberal, but he was very active in trying to deal with foreign aid to the wrong kind of governments, and he believed that tyrants would use the money in a corrupt way, and he was right. He was incapacitated, unfortunately, by a stroke in his third term and could not run for a fourth term. His most lasting memory, I believe, will be that of opening the door of politics to those who otherwise would not have considered running for office because of their race or national origin. Interestingly enough, my connection with Judge Saund was not only because I became a Congressman from Imperial County, but also because his daughter Julie Fisher became a member of the San Diego school board in the 1970s. She became my mentor. She was the one who was really advocating for students in the wake of a very repressive administration and superintendent. I was able to run for the San Diego school board because of Julie Fisher's teaching. So my relationship goes back through his daughter, who is a wonderful lady and who really brought Judge Saund's politics to San Diego with a real interest in the young people of our county. Saund always accented the positive. He never complained or even mentioned discriminatory treatment against himself, and he never made it an issue. So I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) very much for bringing us this bill, and I am truly honored to have some part in the tradition that Judge Saund started.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember a great American leader and hero, Cesar Chavez. He was a husband, father, grandfather, labor organizer, community leader and symbol of the ongoing struggle for equal rights and equal opportunity. Cesar was the son of migrant farm workers who dedicated his life to fighting for the human rights and dignity of farm laborers. He was born on March 31, 1927, on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona, and died nearly 12 years ago in April of 1993. Over the course of his 66-year life, Cesar Chavez' work inspired millions and made him a major force in American history. In 1962, Cesar Chavez and his family founded the National Farm Workers Association which organized thousands of farm workers to confront one of the most powerful industries in our nation. He inspired them to join together and non-violently demand safe and fair working conditions. Through the use of a grape boycott, he was able to secure the first union contracts for farm workers in this country. These contracts provided farm workers with the basic services that most workers take for granted, services such as clean drinking water and sanitary facilities. Because of his fight to enforce child labor laws, farm workers could also be certain that their children would not be working side by side with them and would instead attend the migrant schools he helped to establish. In addition, Cesar Chavez made the world aware of the exposure to dangerous chemicals that farm workers and consumers face every day. As a labor leader, he earned great support from unions and elected officials across the country. The movement he began continues today as the United Farm Workers of America. Cesar Chavez' influence extends far beyond agriculture. He was instrumental in forming the Community Service Organization, one of the first civic action groups in the Mexican-American communities of California and Arizona. He worked in urban areas, organized voter registration drives and brought complaints against mistreatment by government agencies. He taught community members how to deal with governmental, school and financial institutions and empowered many thousands to seek further advancement in education and politics. There are countless stories of judges, engineers, lawyers, teachers, church leaders, organizers and other hardworking professionals who credit Cesar Chavez as the inspiring force in their lives. During a time of great social upheaval, he was sought out by groups from all walks of life and all religions to help bring calm with his non-violent practices. In his fight for peace, justice, respect and self-determination, he gained the admiration and respect of millions of Americans and most Members of this House of Representatives. Cesar Chavez will be remembered for his tireless commitment to improve the plight of farm workers, children and the poor throughout the United States and for the inspiration his heroic efforts gave to so many Americans. We in Congress must make certain that the movement Cesar Chavez began and the timeless lessons of justice and fairness he taught are preserved and honored in our national conscience. To make sure that these fundamental principles are never forgotten, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. In the words of Cesar and the United Farm Workers, si se puede--yes, we can!

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 were 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 the 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 2004'', 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 age of Merchant Marine veterans is now 81. 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 GI Bill would be of comfort and would provide some measure of security for veterans of the Merchant Marine. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ian Allison of Santa Rosa, California and Henry Van Gemert of Palmetto, Florida who are Co-Chairs of the Just Compensation Committee of the U.S. Merchant Marine Combat Veterans, and to Ted Metula of Lemon Grove, California for bringing this issue to my attention. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting and cosponsoring 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. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the VA Subcommittee on Health, I also rise in support of H.R. 3936 which includes, as we have heard, a lot of provisions to enhance services to our Nation's veterans. We have thanked the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons). I would particularly like to just thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), the ranking member, for his service. I always say, when I get to the committee meetings, ``Ciro, you're my hero.'' The gentleman from Texas, for the 8 years he has been here, has fought steadfastly for his veterans not only in San Antonio but in the United States as a whole. He has done a tremendous amount for health care for our veterans in this Nation, and we thank him for his service. We are going to miss him. One of the important provisions of this bill is to set up a pilot program to study new and innovative ways to improve the recruitment and retention of nurses at the VA. We all know about the shortage of nurses in our Nation, and we cannot rely on the old methods of recruitment. The use of online technology, for example, can be a valuable tool in finding nurses who are interested in serving the country through their work at a VA medical facility. Likewise, we have to find ways to keep the nurses that we recruit. A second bill that is before us after this has a provision in fact for alternative work schedules for nurses. Allowing nurses to work these flexible hours to accommodate personal and family needs is a sure way to improve their lives and to encourage them to continue working at the VA center. In addition, this bill provides payments to States to assist State veterans homes in their hiring and retention of nurses. I think we all know that funding for grants is vital for homeless veterans. That program will be authorized in this bill at a level of $99 million, an increase of $24 million. Although we all know that even more funding is needed to assist the homeless veterans of our Nation, this authorization is a welcome increase. Homelessness among veterans is a national disgrace. I know we are all firmly behind the gentleman from New Jersey's goal of eliminating chronic homelessness within the veterans population in 10 years. This bill will help us reach that goal. The bill also gives permanent authority to the VA Secretary to continue the military sexual trauma counseling program that was established in 1992. As we have heard, this program provides counseling and treatment for the men and women who have experienced sexual trauma or harassment while in the military service. Again, the gentleman from Texas was a major supporter of this program, and we thank him for his leadership once again. Funding to open several new outpatient clinics is included in this bill, including two in San Diego County, a portion of which I represent. The VA's move to open clinics near veterans' homes has been overwhelmingly successful. I will also continue work for a full outpatient health clinic in Imperial County, which is also in my congressional district. I should add that, as we look at the ways we fund outpatient clinics, the formulas used involve only population. We ought to also, I think, include ``isolation'' of a county or an area because that is also important, not just the numbers. These are a few of the provisions in H.R. 3936. Health care of our veterans has to be a priority all the time but especially at this time when we have so many active duty soldiers fighting for this Nation. Whether they are from World War II or from the present conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, they are looking to us to meet their needs. Morale in active duty depends on how we are going to treat our soldiers when they come home, so I hope everyone supports H.R. 3936.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Chairman Shays) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), ranking member, for the courtesy rendered to me. This post office is going to open up in 3 days, and I had to try to get this naming on the bill in just the couple days we were here. The committee was very courteous to me. The 52 members of the California delegation, both Republican and Democrat, were all very prompt in their cosponsorship. The staff that scheduled these things was very accommodating, and I not only want to thank the Democratic staff, but the majority leader and his staff showed me a great deal of courtesy, and I appreciate that very much for getting this on the calendar today. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) highlighted some of the important parts of Judge Gilliam's life. I would just like to add a few things, if I may. He grew up in a very poor section of San Diego, southeast San Diego, where his parents owned a fish market on the very street where this post office will be named after him. He had to work his way all the way through school, whether it was high school or college where he went to San Diego State and then on to law school. He was appointed deputy district attorney shortly after being admitted to the California bar in 1957, and he became the first African American judge appointed to the San Diego bench just 6 years later in 1963 and was named presiding judge of the San Diego Municipal Court in 1971. Governor Jerry Brown named him a California Superior Court Judge in 1975, and President Jimmy Carter elevated him to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in 1980, where he served for more than 2 decades before passing in 2001. In his long, distinguished career, Judge Gilliam presided over numerous trials that had regional and even national importance. They dealt with drug trafficking, fraud, tax evasion, bribery, and civil matters; but Judge Gilliam always brought a fair and professional approach to the law and laid the foundation for his solid reputation, both within and outside the legal community. He made his mark in the classroom also. The Thomas Jefferson School of Law recruited Judge Gilliam as an adjunct professor. With his background in business, economics, and law, he proved to be an inspirational and devoted instructor for the students at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law where he taught for 24 years. The moot courtroom there at the school has been in fact dedicated also to his honor. Along with being a full-time judge, he gave his time and effort to his community in a whole number of ways. He served on the boards of organizations ranging from the San Diego Urban League to the University of California San Diego to the YMCA; and the community, in turn, honored him with a whole list of awards too numerous to mention here that attest to his unrelenting commitment to making a difference in San Diego. The San Diego African American Lawyers Organization in 1982 honored the judge by changing its name to the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, and they carry on his legacy by working within our community to defend the rights of African Americans, combating racism and poverty, and fostering integrity in the legal community. I knew Judge Gilliam for more than 30 years. He was a very big man, almost larger than life, full of energy, full of enthusiasm, love of life, great sense of humor, enjoyed life to its maximum. But he also saw the injustices around him in the community in which he was raised, and in the Nation in which he loved; and he fought to right those injustices, both on the bench and in his many community activities. So Judge Gilliam truly was a hero who worked for all of us in San Diego. I just am so honored to have the privilege of introducing this legislation to name the post office in his old neighborhood in his honor. I hope my colleagues will support this. I once again thank this House and its staff for giving me the courtesy of allowing this bill to be passed today.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 511, I was in my congressional district on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 510, I was in my congressional district on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 528, I was in my congressional district on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 527, I was in my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 529, I was in my congressional district on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 530, I was in my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 513, I was in my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Carter

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 514, I was in my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''. Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Goodlatte

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 519, I was in my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.'' Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 520, I was in my Congressional District on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''