Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Why is that?

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, would it be in order to ask unanimous consent to request to allow the gentlewoman to sign the discharge petition?

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing this up because this is an insult to her constituents, it is an insult to her. I will say if the Democrats get control of the House, the right to vote and sign discharge petitions, we hope, will get back to the delegates.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for taking the leadership on this, as she has done on so many issues in this Congress. I want to add my voice to urge all of our colleagues to listen to the voice of our veterans. Find it in your hearts once and for all, this unjust disabled veterans tax. A resident of my congressional district, the 51st in California, in San Diego, named Miguel Gonzalez, was wounded in service and declared eligible for VA disability compensation. After retiring from the military, he was also entitled to his retired pay, as every American is entitled to their retired pay. But unlike every other Federal employee, Mr. Speaker, for every dollar that he receives in his disability compensation, he gives back to the government a dollar from his retirement. What an unfair and demoralizing tax on the brief bravest and best in our Nation. Today this tax is especially galling as we ask and expect our young men and women to fight the threats of terrorism. There has recently been an uproar, justifiably, about the charge that wounded servicemembers were billed for their hospital bills as they lay recovering from their wounds. They got a bill for the food while they were in the hospital. I cannot see any difference between that case and the case we are talking about this evening, except that the disabled veterans tax costs our servicemembers much more than the hospital bill that we were so upset by. Why were we expecting the young men and women who spent the better part of their lives in service to their country to pay for their own retirement? It does not make sense, and it is an insult to these veterans. Last year we passed this concurrent receipt in the House and in the Senate, and in a secret conference committee backed by the President of the United States it was removed. The will of the Congress, the will of the American people was frustrated by a secret meeting of a few people in concert with the White House. Now we are trying a new process: 200 of our colleagues have signed the discharge petition, a process to get this to the floor in spite of the leadership's unwillingness to do so. We can get, with 218 signatures, we can move this bill from the committee where it is stalled, to the full House of Representatives for a vote. We know it will pass, 370 members of this body have already signed on to it. A lot of them do not seem to have the courage to sign the discharge petition and that should not even be necessary. It is shameful that we must resort to such a means to get a vote on this bill which would end this disabled veterans tax. We are told that this bill will cost money. What does not? But it is a matter of priorities. We are willing to give our troops everything for their fighting in Iraq, now it is $87 billion for the next few months, but why are we not willing to give them all they need when they return home? What is our highest priority if not caring for our Nation's veterans? It seems to be tax cuts for the wealthiest of us all. We must send a message to the men and women who right this moment are fighting in Iraq. They did not hesitate when called to duty. Many are serving much longer than anticipated. Some are returning home with disabilities that they will have to live with for the rest of their life. What kind of nation are we? We must tell them that we value their service and that we value them. We must let them know that their Nation will honor them, not just in word, but in deed. Service-connected military retirees, I think we all know, have earned their retirement pay. They deserve their disability compensation. Let us not make them wait any longer for justice to prevail. We must end the disabled veterans tax.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding me the time, and I rise today in support obviously of the rule, but also of the underlying bill, and especially the manager's amendment which the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) will bring up later which authorizes a water-related infrastructure project of great interest and need in my district and to my constituents in Imperial County, California. The New River, and that is the name of the river we are dealing with, the New River has been described as the world's worst polluted river. The river flows from Mexico north across the U.S. border and through my district in southern California. Due to grossly inadequate sewage treatment and solid waste facilities in Mexico, raw sewage, industrial waste and garbage are constantly released into the New River, hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage in the New River every year. It is extremely polluted. It is foamy, foul-smelling. A person would not want their children to play anywhere near this river. It violates water quality standards, and plants and animals cannot survive in much of the river. It continues to threaten the health of the residents of my district and even of undocumented immigrants who use the waterway to try to cross the international border. A coalition of citizen groups and government agencies in my district, including the Calexico New River Committee, has developed a feasible plan that will significantly improve the quality of water that flows through this community. They need to be supported, and this bill, which authorizes the Nation's water-related projects, would authorize $10 million to make sanitation improvements to this river. It is an extremely important first step in the process in enhancing the water quality of the New River, enriching life in our community and making a healthier home not only for the human beings, but for fish and wildlife. So for the sake of my constituents at the U.S.-Mexico border, I urge my colleagues to support the manager's amendment and pass this bill.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Xema Jacobson on receiving the 2003 Johns ``Labor Leader of the Year'' Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the working men and women of our community. Xema is a native San Diegan, a graduate of Patrick Henry High School and San Diego State University, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. After graduating from college, she went to work for Congressman Jim Bates, where she served as a Casework Supervisor and Field Representative in his Chula Vista District office. In 1990, Xema became actively involved in the Labor Movement when the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council hired her as its Director of the Public Works Task Force. In this role, she worked with the affiliated building and construction trade unions monitoring public works projects in San Diego County for compliance with relevant labor laws. In addition, she was responsible for filing complaints for violations, contracting Awarding Agencies regarding the public contracting process and representing the Council on issues involving public works within the County. In 1993, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569, Laborers Local 89 and Sheet Metal Workers Local 206 hired Xema to monitor public works projects on their behalf. She has spent seven years monitoring public works projects throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties and working with the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council in creating the Labor to Neighbor political education program. From 2000-2003, Xema served as Business Manager of the San Diego County Building Trades Council, serving as the only female Business Manager in the nation. Representing 24 affiliated building and construction trade unions throughout the county, she administered the building trade agreements at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, the Padres Ballpark, the Olivenhein Dam and the Otay Mesa Generating Facility. She was also the Chairman of the Board of the National City Parks Apartments; a 150-unit non-profit apartment community for low-income residents built owned and operated by the Building Trades. In addition, Xema was elected 2nd Vice President of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council and served on its Executive Board from 2000 to January 2003. In December 2002, Xema was appointed by Governor Gray Davis to serve a four-year term as a member of the Executive Committee for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. The newly created Airport Authority oversees the operations of the San Diego International Airport. The Executive Committee is charged with hiring key Airport Authority personnel and, along with the full Board, recommending an airport site to County voters. Xema has been active in Democratic politics, serving as Assemblyman and Senator Steve Peace's appointee to the State Democratic Party from 1990 to 2000. She also served one term on the State Democratic Party Executive Board, working on the party platform committee. In her community, she serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of San Diego, the Holiday Bowl Committee, and is a member of the Stan Foster Construction Tech Academy at Kearny High School Advisory Committee. She has previously served as President of the Board of the San Diego Food Bank and as the first woman President of the Kiwanis Club of Chula Vista. Xema makes her home in Casa de Oro in eastern San Diego County with her husband, Johnny Simpson and their children, Alexandra and Cody. Xema Jacobson exemplifies the high values, standards, and principles of the late John S. Lyons. I offer my congratulations to her on her recognition as the 2003 ``Labor Leader of the Year Award.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Charles R. Fouquette on receiving the 2003 Johns ``Fellowship Award'' in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the working men and women of our community. Charley is a 10th generation Californian who was born and raised in the San Diego area. After high school, Charley went to work for the Santee Water District, beginning as an installer then serving as an equipment operator, running bulldozers, loaders and graders, and building Santee Lakes 2 through 6. In 1965, Charley took a job as a labor foreman for a union company, building tilt-up and lift-slab buildings for the Navy at Camp Pendleton. When the job was completed, he worked with a number of ironworkers on a job in Port Hueneme, California. Charley admired these ironworkers strong work ethic and dedication to delivering the best possible product for the contractor and themselves. He went to work for Rawlins Steel, a Local 416 company. While at Rawlins, he worked on projects in Tehachapi, along the coast from Santa Barbara down to Malibu, and on the offshore islands. He returned to San Diego in 1967, and for the next dozen years worked as an ironworker for Brawley Steel, Wilson Steel, Bechtel Power Corp., and finally Saafco Inc. In addition, he taught the Local 229 Ironworkers Apprenticeship Classes for 18 years, and served as Local 229 Trustee, Executive Board Member, JATC Committee Chairman, Vice President, President and Business Representative. He was the Building and Construction Trades Delegate for 16 years and the San Diego and Imperial Labor Council Delegate for 12 years. For 18 years, he was one of three delegates from Local 229 to the District Council of Iron Workers of the State of California and Vicinity, and Contract Negotiator until he retired in May 2002. Charley has been a member of Johns for 18 years, working to help the Leukemia Society and raising money for medical research. He makes his home in Fletcher Hills with his wife, Sue, and shares in the activities of their 10 grandchildren. Sue and Charley are active members of the San Diego County Orchid Society and the San Diego Horticultural Society, and he has written the monthly orchid column in the California Garden Magazine for 30 years. Charles R. Fouquette exemplifies the high values, standards, and principles of the late John S. Lyons. I offer my congratulations to him on his recognition as the 2003 Johns ``Fellowship Award winner.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, you would think that we would have learned from the experience in Vietnam and Agent Orange, which the gentleman from Illinois (Marine Corporal Evans) taught us as he led the charge to uncover what happened with Agent Orange and to give our servicemen and women some protection later on. If we learned anything, it is that our veterans must be informed of the risks of exposure that they experience on the battlefield. We did not learn that in Persian Gulf War I, and we are left with the Persian Gulf War illness. I do not think we have learned it with Persian Gulf War II, and who knows what we are going to have after this war. Veterans must know about the agents to which they were exposed and whether these agents are likely to produce any health consequences, and they must be taken care of if they become ill due to the exposures during their service. That is what this bill does, based on this project that took place in the 1960s. We have thanked a lot of people in the Congress for bringing this bill up, but I have to thank our veterans for their own diligence in bringing this matter to our attention. Once again, it was veterans who became ill who had to advocate on their own behalf to get their government, to get our government, to release information about harmful exposures so they could understand their own health issues and assert the legitimacy of their claims. One of these veterans is Jack B. Anderson, a retired Navy man and a constituent of the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), and that is what brought the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) into this, and we thank him for his leadership, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) also for bringing this bill to us. This project, Project 112, was a $4 billion testing effort. It would translate into a $40 billion effort today. That is a massive undertaking. And there were tests at sea called Project SHAD to identify vulnerabilities to various types of attacks. Now, that is a legitimate function of our Defense Department, but they did not inform those who were tested that they were even participating in the test or that they have the right equipment to protect themselves or that their exposure might lead to later problems, this exposure to nerve gas and sarin. Once again, it took veterans and it took Members of Congress to force the Department of Defense to admit that they were at fault and to make sure that the veterans received health care and proper compensation. So I thank all those who took part in this to finally bring some justice to this case. This Project 112 and Project SHAD, the Vietnam situation with agent orange, the Persian Gulf War illness, all of these are part of a pattern. One would think that we would learn that by now. I do not think that we have learned yet, however, our lesson, and we are going to see it again after this war in Iraq. So, ladies and gentlemen, I urge support for H.R. 2433.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I am also in opposition and am in the opposite party. Who has control?

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, since no one took time in opposition, can I ask unanimous consent to take that time in opposition?

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my colleagues for allowing me this time. Because of the unanimous consent request, there was little time for those of us who wanted to speak on behalf of the veterans of the United States to make that argument. We simply have before us a bill that is inadequate to the needs of our Nation's veterans. There are a lot of reasons that have been advanced, and there are a lot of understandings of the parameters which we have to work with, but that is the reality. We simply have not put the money in. And we see some of these trade-offs that have to go on, like moving money from AmeriCorps to prosthetic research. We have to make those kinds of decisions because we do not have enough money for research in the budget. We do not have enough money for our veterans. We are $2 billion under the amount that left this House when we passed the budget resolution. And I love when my colleagues on the other side of the aisle get up and say we should have 2 billion more, but they voted for the rule that puts this bill on the floor and they have not voted for any of the amendments which would put that money back in. The Committee on Rules rejected the amendments that would give us this additional $2 billion. Do my colleagues know that we have 160,000 veterans who have been waiting for more than 6 months for their first appointment at the VA center? More than 6 months. Some of them will die before they have their first appointment. We have disabled veterans who have fought for our Nation who have been waiting 2, 3 or more years to get their adjudication settled. Some will die before they get that claim settled. Nurses are being laid off from the VA health care system. We do not seem to have enough money for those nurses. We have a system where we had one member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the gentleman from Indiana, say the Priority 7s and 8s are clogging up our system. He has said that our veterans, because they have a certain income or because they did not have a certain level of disability, they are categorized as 7s and 8s. They are veterans, they have protected our Nation; and we have a Member who says they clog the system. Let us open the system by giving us the resources that we need. Let us open up that system. We cannot leave off veterans because they are clogging it up. The Secretary of our VA, Secretary Principi, and his chief Health Under Secretary, had to send a memo out to his employees, Do not tell any veterans about their rights because we cannot handle them. Do not tell veterans about their rights because we cannot handle their business. That is wrong. We should give the Secretary the amount of money so we can handle all the veterans that are eligible for that and who need that care. So I thank my colleagues for allowing me this time, but this bill does not honor our Nation's veterans. When our folks in Iraq and Kuwait and Korea and Liberia and Germany and wherever else they are, when they hear that we do not give the VA health care sufficient funds, what happens to their morale? What happens to their sense of what this country is about? We have to respect the men and women in our Armed Forces by giving the respect to our veterans who have fought for our Nation. I yield back, but I yield back hoping that we put this money back into this budget at the end of the process. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, and colleagues, I rise today to urge support for H.R. 2357, legislation which includes a provision from my bill, H.R. 664, that would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide health care to Filipino World War II veterans who legally reside in the United States. As my colleagues know, I have been working to restore these benefits for many years. By passing this legislation for Filipino World War II veterans, we are providing a giant step forward in our quest to correct the injustice that was inflicted upon them by the 1946 Congress, shortly after World War II ended. Over 50 years ago, Filipino soldiers were drafted into service by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They fought side-by-side with soldiers from the United States mainland, exhibiting great courage at the epic battles of Bataan and Corrigidor. Their participation was critical to the successful outcome of the war in the Far East. It was quite a shock when Congress deprived many of the benefits that they were expecting. Because these veterans are in their 70s and 80s, their most urgent need is for health care. So I sincerely appreciate the actions of Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith and Ranking Member Lane Evans, and Chairman Bob Simmons and Ranking Member Ciro Rodriguez of the VA Health Subcommittee, as well as of VA Secretary Anthony Principi, to restore VA health care benefits to them. This bill is also about restoring dignity and honor to these proud veterans. Over fifty years of injustice burns in the hearts of the Filipino World War II veterans and in the hearts of their sons and daughters. This bill says that we will begin to remedy this historical injustice. We will make good on the promise of America.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker and colleagues, I rise today in support of guaranteed funding for veterans' health care as found in H.R. 2318. This bill replaces the current ``discretionary'' funding process with a reliable, predictable, and rational way to assure that the funding that is needed for our veterans will be there! Guaranteed funding takes into account inflation and increased enrollment for VA health care and provides the money to meet these needs. Currently, the Members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and many of our other colleagues must join together with organizations like the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, the American Legion and others to fight for a budget to provide health care for veterans--a budget that is worthy of our veterans. And we must do this every year! And unfortunately, every year we fall far short of our goal. Veterans' health care needs are pitted against many other priorities of Congress and the administration, and we end up with less money than we need. The result, as many of you know, is disastrous. Right now, an entire group of veterans is being denied access to the VA health care system. And over 200,000 other veterans are waiting for a first appointment or an initial follow-up for health care, many waiting for more than 6 months. This year, the House passed a budget resolution that cut $25 billion from veterans' benefits. Twenty-five billion dollars! Although the final budget resolution is better, it is unclear how veteran's health care will fare when pitted against all the other programs in the VA- HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations bill--programs like low-income housing, the space program, environmental protections, urban development, and inner-city projects. These are worthy, but we should not have to limit services to veterans in order to fund them. That is why this legislation is so vital. Other federal health care programs like Medicare, the Defense Department's Tricare for Life, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program are being provided with guaranteed funding. Why not our Nation's veterans? Not only is the current ``discretionary'' funding unfair to veterans of past wars, but the lack of guaranteed funding sends an alarming message to current and future members of the Armed Forces. Recruitment and retention of service members is vital to the security of our country. This bill responds to the recommendations of the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation's Veterans. This task force recently testified before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee to the ``growing mismatch between funding and demand in VA health care''. H.R. 2318 will address this mismatch, and will help the VA to keep pace with increasing medical costs and an increasing patient population.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. I want to thank the managers of the bill, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for including in the en bloc amendment the so-called Hunter-Cunningham- Davis-Filner amendment, which deals with a rather amazing situation on the Mexico-California border in my district. Three years ago, this House passed by unanimous vote a bill that was authored by then- Congressman Bilbray and myself which set up a process and a plan for solving the sewage problem at the border. Mr. Chairman, there are 50 million gallons of raw sewage that flow throughout my district every day. Because the Tijuana River flows north, Mexico simply does not have the technical ability to treat its sewage, we get it, and the health of our citizens is threatened. Mr. Bilbray and I, sanctioned by this House, came up with a public-private partnership to solve this issue. Three years ago, we voted unanimously to instruct the International Boundary and Water Commission to carry out this plan. Three years and nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing has occurred to carry out the wishes of this Congress and to protect the health of the citizens of the United States. That is absolutely incredible. It is absolutely threatening to, really, the authority of the United States Congress. What we have in the en bloc amendment is a sense of Congress saying to the IBWC, the International Boundary and Water Commission, to get to it, do something. I think they should be held in contempt of Congress myself because the Chair of that commission, in testimony to the United States Congress, to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said they were going to carry this out. He has not done so. That commission, Mr. Chairman, is in disarray. This Congress should carry out an investigation of that commission, but this is a first step in the sense of Congress resolution. I thank the managers for it.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I represent a district that borders Mexico. In fact, I have the entire California-Mexico border in my district of South San Diego. I want today to address a problem that affects all border districts, that is, emergency healthcare for undocumented immigrants. In my district, hospitals, ambulance services and other health care providers are suffering huge losses every year due to the uncompensated care given to undocumented immigrants. When Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, it required hospitals and other health care providers to give emergency care to anyone who comes through the emergency room doors, regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status. I think this is a proper policy, and it is the only humane thing to do. We cannot leave people who need emergency care just out in the cold. However, since it is the Federal Government that instituted this law, then the Federal Government should cover the expenses of the medical care. What we have now is what is called an unfunded mandate. We mandate it, but we do not fund it. Here is what happens in a border district such as mine, and constituents who are in emergency rooms and paramedics come to me all the time with this kind of situation. A border patrolman in the normal course of his or her duties will come across a person who is trying to enter the country illegally, but who got injured in that process. Often, due to the emergency nature of the injury or illness, the Border Patrol does not have time to officially take the person into custody, and, more, than likely, they do not want to take that person into custody because they know there will be money involved that will be charged against the Border Patrol account. So we have built in an institutional mechanism not to take that undocumented person into custody. Then they will drive the injured person to the hospital, or call for an ambulance, and the hospital and the ambulance service will provide the necessary care and the person may be released and sent on his way. Now, what is wrong with this picture? One, the hospitals and the ambulance services are out every single penny that it costs to give that person medical care; and, two, the undocumented person is not released into anyone's custody and has successfully entered the country illegally, courtesy of the Border Patrol and the emergency room. What a great country. Apparently the best way to come in illegally is to injure yourself in the process. You will get top quality medical care for free, and then you will be released out into the community. Now, I know the Border Patrol is stretched to its limits. What is more, in emergency situations they do not have time to check someone's documentation and officially take them into custody. However, it seems like a very big security breach that would put such a huge burden on our health care system and then, on top of it, let that person into our country without documentation. I intend to introduce a bill to try to take care of this problem. It is called the Pay Up Act, ``pay up'' meaning ``pay for all your undocumented procedures.'' This will ensure that the Federal Government reimburses the hospitals and other health care providers for the care that they provided for people who are brought in by the Border Patrol or other Federal agencies, and that they are then released into the custody of that Border Patrol person after the care has been given. This will allow both for the emergency care to be given in a timely manner and ensure that the health care providers are paid, and gives the Border Patrol time to do the procedures necessary to take that person into custody. Of course, we must authorize and provide the necessary funds to make sure that the Border Patrol and other Federal agencies involved are reimbursed properly. So I provide in this bill double security; security for our hospitals financially, and security for our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to support our health care providers.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Southwest High School Championship Color Guard. Under the direction of Daniel J.U. Garcia, a Vietnam Marine Corps Veteran, and Mike Singh, a Korean War Navy Veteran and Chief Deputy in California's Imperial County Sheriffs Office, the Color Guard has made history by earning five Championship Titles! After being named the Imperial County High School Color Guard Parade Champions and the California Pageantry Productions Association Parade Champions, the team entered the Sharp Judging Association of California and the State Exhibition Color Guard Championship at Knotts Berry Farm, California and was named State Champions on March 22nd. They went on to become National Champions at the Sharp Judged Association Championship Competition on May 17th in San Dimas, California and were subsequently named International Champions at the Southwestern Regional International Championships on May 31st in Las Vegas. From the beginning, the Color Guard made a pact to present our National Colors and our five Military Service Flags with pride, dignity, and honor. The Color Guard members provide their own funding through fundraising activities for individual uniforms and for food, lodging and transportation to the sanctioned parades and competitions. They also set a goal to represent their families, friends, teachers, and school with honor during competitions. The team members set high standards for themselves and adhere to a rigid, written contract that was signed by parents, team members and coaches. The focus became ``team effort, team spirit, and team accomplishment.'' During their quest for the five Championship titles, the Color Guard entered and participated in numerous parades, winning first place trophies in all parade entry competitions throughout California. In addition, they have performed at countywide elementary and high schools on special holidays and at college and university ceremonies, including many graduation exercises. They have appeared at the Korean War Veterans Association, the American Legion Post Ceremonies, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and at ground breaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies throughout Imperial County. The members of the Color Guard include: Sindy De La Torre, Lieutenant, First Rifle; Maria Cabrera, Sergeant, Second Rifle; Cristobal Oviedo, Sergeant, Third Rifle; Maria Padilla, Sergeant, Fourth Rifle; Jessica Oviedo, Sergeant, American National Flag, First Flag; Marcia Luna, Sergeant, California Flag, Second Flag; Ivette Beltran, Sergeant, U.S. Army Flag, Third Flag; Eva Cabrera, Sergeant, U.S. Navy Flag, Fourth Flag; Brenda Hinojosa, Lieutenant, Marine Corp Flag, Fifth Flag; Adriana Villarreal, Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, Sixth Flag. I offer my congratulations to the Southwest High School Championship Color Guard on their fine achievements and their service to our community. They represent the best of our young men and women, and we can be proud of each individual, as well as of their team accomplishments.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise to remind my colleagues that the proposed budget for our veterans is still woefully inadequate! Flat-line budgeting for several years prevented the Veterans Health Administration from keeping up with inflation and increased demand. Enrollees in the VA health care system (VHA) have increased by almost 120 percent since 1996, going from 2.4 million to more than a projected 7 million in the coming fiscal year. During that same period, VHA per capita expenditures have decreased by 30 percent. Had the level of funding kept up with the demand in inflation, the current VHA budget would be around $36 billion rather than the $25.3 billion requested by the Administration. Had adequate funding been in place, VA Secretary Anthony Principi would not have had to temporarily suspend enrollment for VA health care for many of our nation's veterans. Veterans did not hesitate when called to service. I urge my colleagues to keep our promise to our nation's veterans when voting on the budget.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to recognize and honor Virginia Franco on her retirement after 23 years as an elementary school teacher with the San Diego Unified School District. She may be retiring from teaching, but she is definitely not retiring as a community leader. Virginia was raised in Camarillo, CA. She was widowed while still a young woman, and came to San Diego in 1971. She began her liberal arts studies at San Diego State University, and it was there that I met her. Virginia has managed to combine her career as a dedicated teacher of second and third grade students and mother of three children with a second career as a San Diego Educators' Association (SDEA) union activist and community leader. Over the years, she has been involved in more causes and struggles than can be mentioned here. Among them are opposition to the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, support for victims of the death squads in El Salvador, support for affirmative action, and participation in voter registration campaigns for new citizens. Virginia's activism continues to the present. As part of the Older Women's Project, she demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq. She is working with the San Diego labor movement to bring about a living wage ordinance for the city of San Diego. She is a leader in her labor union, the SDEA, having held the position of Human Rights Chair, an elected delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly in 2001, and is currently a member of the Political Involvement Committee. On the occasion of her retirement, Virginia wrote a farewell letter to the parents of her students. This letter expresses as well as anyone can the reasons she tries so hard to help create a better world. The letter reads: Dear Parents: Our last day is upon us at Clay Elementary School. We, in Room 4, have been working hard to become prepared for the challenges ahead. These few years, particularly, have been trying times in news and heavily concentrated in the area of education. For many of us, working more hours to fulfill our responsibilities for our children have become necessary. The world has entered our homes in the news, and much of it is difficult for us to understand. In our schools, we are wondering how our children will fare with the problems that concern public education due to difficult economic times in the state of California. Yet, in spite of these extraordinary times, Room 4 students have been working cooperatively to prepare for the difficult times by doing their part as better readers and citizens in order to meet those challenges. We have learned in reading that nonfiction literature-- biography, science, and social studies--help us learn about the past in order to understand the present in the hopes of preparing for a better future. We learned that reading for understanding of past and present history helps us prepare to make those decisions. We are aware that this preparation will help us work toward a time, seemingly far away, but necessary, in order to preserve better conditions of life for our families, our communities, and possibly for those whom we don't know in other parts of the world. Our world needs fixing. By reading about the environment, we learned that many studies are possible to help us prepare for knowledge and understanding about pollution and saving our natural resources. Careers in science and math will be necessary for making changes in these areas of studies. We are beginning to understand that it is of great importance to understand the present, in the hopes of affecting the future in positive ways. Social and environmental studies will help us to fix and create that better world. We learned about early America and the struggles to build it. It took many kinds of citizens to change it for the better. We also learned that connection with other countries remains necessary to strengthen what we share now. Citizens here in America from all over the world are helping to enrich our way of life in their sharing of their cultures. Our students know that it is their job to continue their efforts to become those good, creative, and knowledgeable students to prepare for the challenges ahead. Thank you for your part in seeing that your child continues to prepare to become that responsible citizen that you and I hope will contribute to our community. I have been privileged, hopefully, to help chart that course. It is especially meaningful for me this year of my retirement. I look optimistically forward to your child's educational success in the future. Most Sincerely, Virginia Franco, 3rd Grade Teacher. This letter speaks to her commitment to the children she is teaching and to the larger community. Our world would be a better place if we all were as dedicated as Virginia. As she retires, I want to acknowledge a woman of conviction, dedicated both to her love of teaching and to her belief in the importance of individuals working to make a difference in this world. My best wishes go to my good friend, Virginia Franco.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Louie Wong for his distinguished service to Calexico. Louie was born in China and has made his home in Calexico since 1971. Mr. Wong and his wife own and operate YUM YUM Restaurant in Calexico where they serve, ``the Best Chinese Food in Town.'' The YUM YUM restaurant has become a hub of activity for the Calexico community, hosting local politicos who meet to share ideas and concerns over plates of good food. As a successful local businessman and a community activist, Louie has a long record of supporting numerous community organizations. He has just completed a term as President of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce where he has served with great distinction. He is a past recipient of the coveted Lava Lamp Award, presented annually by the Calexico Chamber of Commerce for service to the community. He was an early champion of Calexico's new cultural arts center, located in the renovated De Anza Hotel. The plan involves creating four rooms, or chambers, each dedicated to a different artistic discipline. Louie has supported this vision since its inception, by building community support for the plan and raising money, including personally paying for the architectural renderings. Louie is a member of numerous community organizations and committees, including serving as a Trustee of the Imperial Valley College Board of Trustees, and on the Imperial Valley College Foundation Board of Directors. He has been much honored for his community service, receiving the first community service citation ever presented by the Calexico Unified School District and the Man of the Year Award from the Calexico Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He has served as Grand Marshall of the Calexico Christmas Parade. Mr. Speaker, Louie Wong is a community leader, equally at home creating regional cultural arts centers as he is serving up Chinese food at high school football games to raise money for charity. He gives wholeheartedly to the organizations he supports that benefit the people of Calexico. While his service as President of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce is coming to an end, I have no doubt that he will find even more ways to improve the quality of life in his community.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the prescription drug benefit proposal that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have rammed through the legislative process. I rise to decry this bill because it does not give seniors what they deserve. It seems pretty simple to me: a prescription drug benefit under Medicare ought to work the same way that Medicare has always worked. That is, it is a guaranteed benefit for all seniors, no matter where they live, how ill they are, or what kind of illness they have. This bill proposes to turn the prescription drug benefit over to HMOs and the private insurance industry. That means, for one thing, that premium prices are not guaranteed--the insurance industry would be able to charge what ever they wanted for the premium. In addition, it would be the insurance companies that get to decide which drugs would be covered. What this means for seniors is that there will not be a consistent, reliable program for all seniors is that there will not be a consistent, reliable program for all seniors across the country. Seniors in my district might pay higher premiums and get less coverage than their counterparts in other areas of the country. Or, they may get better coverage for lower premiums. We just don't know because it will be left up to the private insurance companies and the HMOs. This bill also raises out-of-pocket costs for those who need the protection that Medicare had traditionally provided: the sickest and the poorest beneficiaries. In addition to the ``mystery'' premium, seniors will have to pay for the first $250 worth of drugs without any help from the Federal Government. After they have paid $250, they must pay 20 percent of all their drug costs. Once they reach $2,000 worth of medications, they must pay all of their drug costs until they reach $4,900 worth of drug costs. So, once they get to $2,000, in addition to the premium, the $250, the 20 percent copay, they must cover all of their prescription costs until they get to $4,900. That is quite a lot of money. Allowing HMOs and private insurance companies to take over the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit also presents a problem for rural areas. A very large portion of my district is rural. Everyone knows that for private companies, the bottom line rules. Rural areas aren't as profitable for insurance companies, so there is less incentive for them to offer benefits in those area. This means that there will be fewer choices--if any choices at all--for seniors in rural areas. In one fell swoop, this bill takes the great success story that is Medicare: Universal healthcare for all beneficiaries, and crushes it. Under this Republican bill, your benefits and your costs depend on your income, where you live and the whim of the insurance company or HMO that is running the program in your area. Mr. Speaker, I have received many letters and calls from my constituents who are worried about this proposal. They know that this proposal will cost them more money, may not even be available to them if they live in rural areas, and will not cover all their medication needs--especially for those with diabetes or even cancer. I will read one example from my constituent, Edna Monk: Dear Sir, I am writing my Senators and Representatives to plead our case regarding Medicare proposals that could endanger patent access to chemotherapy. I am a lung cancer survivor, age 71, and my husband, age 78, is now undergoing chemo, for liver cancer. Chemo drugs are required for my husband's quality of life now and MRI's have shown the tumors have diminished in size, so ``it's working!'' She goes on to say, ``We in the cancer community want one thing: for all critical cancer services, including chemotherapy and patient care services to be covered fully and fairly by Medicare.'' Mrs. Monk makes a good point. Services must be covered fully and fairly by Medicare. It does seniors no good to have unequal coverage of medications! That is why I cannot support the Republican bill and I urge my colleagues to vote against this poison pill for Medicare!

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. I just would like to point out in furtherance of both our arguments and before the gentleman from Texas speaks, that there may be a rather slow hiring at the Department and thus carryover funding may be more than anticipated. With this really small amount of money from that account, it should not influence in a negative fashion anything about the hiring for this Homeland Security Department. I would again reinforce what she was saying, that the money is there, it is just a question of saying that it is going to be available and thus everybody at the border knows what is going on and we will have a more efficient border.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Sabo) for bringing us this bill on such an urgent matter. I come with a small amendment that has rather big ramifications on our southern border with Mexico. I represent all of the California- Mexico border. As the President of the United States and his Secretary of Homeland Security agreed with the President of Mexico, we need a smart border, a smart border meaning security, yes, tight security, but efficiency also. We need a blending at our borders of security and efficiency. In my district, I have got about a quarter of a million, that is over 250,000, legal crossings every day through the six or seven border crossings in my district. That is a lot of traffic. That traffic is very legal. It is for important purposes, important for our economy, important for our families, jobs, housing, culture, education, all that is going on in this exchange across the U.S.-Mexico border. We have shown that we can have the security we want with efficiency. We started a new program several years ago called SENTRI, meaning Secure Electric Network for Travelers Rapid Inspections. What that means in English is that we give people who have legitimate business across the border to travel, and they do it frequently, we give them as extensive a background check as is necessary to guarantee they are secure. We also give their vehicle a background check, and that vehicle and that person is matched when they cross the border by a smart card and a transponder. That is the SENTRI system. The Customs and INS now and under Department of Homeland Security set aside certain lanes of the border crossings for that purpose, for the SENTRI crossings. Unfortunately, the demand for those smart cards way exceeds the ability right now of the Department of Homeland Security to meet. There is a backlog of 6, 7, 8 months. The Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for this, in their report said what a great program SENTRI is. They complimented the fact that it exists. What we at the border need, though, is some assurance from this Department that money will go to this incredibly important use. We are not sure given some of the problems in the organization of this new Department that people are looking at the border and will think about it. We need some accountability that the money will go into that program. We now have 42,000 motorists using SENTRI. As I said, there are three or four times that who are waiting to participate. The backlog is over 6 months. There is no assurance that that backlog will decrease unless there is some dedication of funds to this program. I know that there is on the part of the committee a rightful concern with, ``earmarks.'' I just ask that the chairman think about accountability not only in the Department but for the stakeholders at the border. We have people on both sides of the border, people who are doing legal business that are so important to our economies. Mexico is now our largest trading partner. A big part of that trade goes on trucks through California, the other part through Texas. We need to move that quickly with security guaranteed. That is what my amendment will do. The folks who are doing this at the border need to know that the money is going to be there. They need to know that their business can be carried on. They need to know that they can expand their business because they know that crossing the border will be enhanced in a positive fashion. I say to the gentleman from Kentucky and the gentleman from Minnesota, I know that there is some reluctance to specify programs in their bill. I would just hope that such an amendment with such ramifications for our whole economy, and not just in Texas and New Mexico and Arizona and California where the border crossings are, but in Kentucky where there are people waiting for just on-time delivery. They need to know that SENTRI is working. I would ask for approval of $5 million for the SENTRI program.