Charlie Gonzalez

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of a very special woman, Mary Jessie Gonzalez Roque, known by her friends as ``Susie.'' She was an inspiring community leader, a trusted staff member, and a dear friend who is sadly no longer with us. As all Representatives know, good staff makes a Member, and they are essential to the operations and effectiveness of Congress. Susie was a valued employee of mine who retired after thirty-three years of dedicated service to the 20th District of Texas. Susie's parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico before she was born so that they might have a piece of the American dream. They raised Susie, their first born, and her four siblings in San Antonio. Susie exhibited her value of education throughout her elementary, high school, and college careers. She parlayed this love of education and her skill at helping others into a job as a teacher at Burbank High School in San Antonio during the 1970-1971 academic year. In 1971, Susie obtained a summer job in the District Office of my father, the late U.S. Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez. She was hired full-time to handle casework for the 20th District of Texas and her summer job turned into a thirty-three-year career. Susie expressed pride in working for my father, a notable figure in Texas and U.S. politics. He was celebrated in San Antonio as being a man who gave a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. Susie was vital to my father's efforts in this endeavor because she worked in close contact with people who could not navigate through the often convoluted systems of federal bureaucracies by themselves. I was blessed to be elected to represent the 20th District of Texas in 1998. Like my father before me, I recognize the value of providing good constituent services to those whom I represent. Therefore, I hired Susie to continue in her casework position so that she could continue to provide important services for constituents. Her many accomplishments led me to promote her to be my District Office Director. Additionally, Susie was a leader in our community and an incredible advocate for Mexican-American women. She was one of the founding members of the Mexican American Business and Professional Women's Club of San Antonio. Throughout her life she fought to help Mexican-American women achieve equity in the workplace and the community. In the five and one-half years that Susie worked for me, she proved herself invaluable to me, my staff, and the constituents of the 20th District of Texas. I am sincerely proud to count myself among those who have had the opportunity to know and work with Susie. She was part of the Gonzalez family. She was there not only for the ups and downs of political life, but she also shared in our family's joys and sorrows through the years. Her enduring dedication to serving the 20th Congressional District will continue to set the standard for service to our community. Susie enriched all of our lives and that is why we mourn her today and will greatly miss her tomorrow.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life of a soldier, an inspiring community leader and a dear friend of mine who is no longer with us, Mr. John de Leon. John was born in San Antonio, Texas on May 6, 1944. He began his career with the United States Army before going on to serve a long career with the Federal Government. Throughout his career, John was dedicated to community development, civil rights and human rights. As a result of his exceptional work, dedication and professionalism, he received several awards and special recognitions from community organizations and the Federal Government. Once he retired from the Federal Government, Mr. de Leon went on to serve with the City of Houston, became Chairman of the Harris County Tejano Democrats, and later as Chairman of the U.S. Democrats Abroad in Mexico. Mr. de Leon not only spent his life as a dedicated public servant, but as a loving husband to his dear wife Irene, father, grandfather and dear friend to many. Please join me in recognizing his career of distinguished service and contribution to our great country.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 80th birthday of Adolfo Jesus Valadez. Adolfo Jesus Valadez, the son of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States fleeing the Mexican Revolution, was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Adolfo attended local public elementary schools and in 1949, graduated from Central Catholic High School. He enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin to study business administration and pharmacy studies. However, his studies were interrupted when he was called to serve his country as part of the post WWII occupation forces. Adolfo served as an Army Corp medic in Germany, where he provided health care services to American troops and learned to speak German fluently. When Adolfo returned to the U.S., he completed his studies at the University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, one of the few Mexican-Americans at that time to receive an undergraduate degree. Adolfo moved back to San Antonio and worked as a registered pharmacist serving the city's poor in various settings, including the Stella Mares Clinic on the west side of the city. Eventually, he opened his own small business--Lydia's Prescription Pharmacy--an independent pharmacy on San Antonio's south side. Adolfo provided high quality pharmacy services to the area residents while also mentoring many Mexican-American youth to pursue higher education in the health professions. For over 30 years, Lydia's Pharmacy served the residents of the south side of San Antonio until Adolfo's retirement During those years, Adolfo together with his wife Lydia, raised their family and served their community. In 1986, the family suffered the tragic loss of the youngest child, Rebecca Christina, ``Becky''. Despite this incredible loss, Adolfo and his family, with the love and support of family and friends, worked through their grief and continued to thrive. Adolfo and Lydia will celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary on January 26, 2013 and their remaining four children have led successful careers in law, health care, and public health. In addition to running a business and raising a family, Adolfo earned a second degree in business administration; found time to serve as a board member of the St. Peter's/St. Joseph's Children's Home; became a member of the Our Lady of Grace Knights of Columbus; and traveled with friends and family within the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. He is a longtime Spurs fan and enjoyed their first of four championships like most San Antonians did, by riding through downtown in an impromptu celebration! He is also a devoted grandfather to his seven grandchildren. Again, please join me in recognizing a true community leader in San Antonio on his 80th birthday, Adolfo Jesus Valadez.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Petra ``Pat'' Pena who is retiring after a 34 year career with the United States Marshals Service. Throughout her tenure with the Marshals Service, Mrs. Pena worked as a member of the finance department. As a result of her exceptional work, she received the distinguished honor of serving as Administrative Officer Mentor for Guam. Throughout her tenure with the Marshals Service, she displayed leadership, professionalism and dedication. She ends her career as a public servant, while continuing the chapter of her personal life as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She has been married to her husband Daniel for 31 years, and they have three children and two grandchildren. Please join me in recognizing her career of distinguished service and contribution to our great country.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Helen Jacobson, an inspiring woman of service, and a dear friend. Mrs. Jacobson lived to be 104 years old and spent her lifetime helping others. In addition to living a full life as a beloved family member and friend, she was also an advocate for civil rights and women's equality. Helen Jacobson was involved with UNICEF, the United Negro College Fund, the South Texas Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, and the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, as well as many other organizations. She used her resources to touch many different lives, and during the fight for civil liberties in the 1950s and 60s, she used her power as a San Antonio Library Board Member to ensure that public libraries remained unsegregated. The commitment and service of Helen Jacobson will affect generations of citizens, and her memory will not be forgotten. She impacted this world, and sought to better the lives of the less fortunate and the downtrodden. Once again, I ask my colleagues to join with me in remembering and recognizing a wonderful woman and the contributions she made to our great nation.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the West End Church of God in Christ in my district of San Antonio, Texas as they celebrate 95 years of service to the community. Throughout the past 95 years, they have worked diligently to provide the local community with spiritual enrichment, guidance and support. For nearly a century, they have endured and succeeded in accomplishing their mission to generations of families. The service of The West End Church of God in Christ is as important today as it was 95 years ago, and their impact on our community cannot be understated. I would again ask you to help me congratulate The West End Church of God in Christ on their 95th jubilee.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the vote on July 17, 2012, I would have voted ``yes'' on the suspension bill to authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal year 2013 (H.R. 6018). Also, had I been present for the vote on July 17, 2012, I would have voted ``yes'' on the Insular Areas Act of 2011 (S. 2009), and had I been present for the vote on July 18, 2012, I would have voted ``yes'' on the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 (H.R. 5872).

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Rice University for celebrating 100 years of achievement in private higher education. Since its foundation, Rice University has left its mark on the advancement of arts and sciences as one of America's premier schools. They have consistently been at the forefront in many areas of medical research, and played a key role in the academic and physical foundation of the Johnson Space Center, turning the dream of manned space flight into a reality. Be it through elite research or first-rate student education, the contributions of Rice University have undoubtedly reverberated through the many areas of scientific advancement throughout the past 100 years. It is an honor to represent this university in our great State of Texas, and it is an honor to have them represent our state to the country and the world.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, today, the Republican majority is actually telling the American people that they're better off--better off--not getting rebates from insurance companies for covering their health care expenses; better off not getting preventive services under Medicare; that the American people getting coverage from comprehensive women's prevention services that they never had before, you're going to be better off not getting them. This is what people have today in America because of the Affordable Care Act. The majority is telling the American people they're better off not getting protection from getting cut off when certain medical costs are incurred. They're telling the American people you're better off by not getting restrictions removed so that children get coverage despite a preexisting condition; that you're better off not getting health coverage for children up to age 26 on a parent's health insurance policy; and that you're better off for not getting health help for Medicare recipients that fall into the doughnut hole. The truth is they had over 10 years to come up with an idea, with a proposal, and nothing was ever done to help the American people gain access to affordable quality health care through the private market, because this is what this bill is all about--11 years, actually. And you keep saying that you have an alternative. You're going to repeal and replace, but you haven't come up with one proposal. You only know how to oppose and not propose.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the selfless service of the Memorial Services Detachment at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery who celebrated their 20th anniversary on December 17, 2011 of bringing honor and dignity to the burial services of our veterans. The Memorial Services Detachment is an all volunteer group composed of retired and former military service members who have committed themselves to ensuring that all military veterans interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery receive proper burial honors. The Memorial Services Detachment provides a final gesture of honor to our nation's veterans at no expense to the veterans' families. The group was founded on December 17, 1991 to address the budget cutbacks that occurred in the late 1980s that caused the Department of Defense to restrict full military burial honors to individuals dying while on active duty and those who were fully retired. Since its inception, the Memorial Services Detachment has ensured that all deceased veterans' families receive the solace and comfort that these burial honors provide. The Memorial Services Detachment at Fort Sam Houston's continued service to our country has received national recognition from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania which bestowed the group with the George Washington Honor Medal for their adult community volunteer service. The Memorial Services Detachment was also honored as the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County's Volunteer of the Year in the military-community category in 2009. I would again ask you to join me in congratulating the Memorial Services Detachment at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on their 20th anniversary of service to our nation's veterans.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the valiant service of Vietnam War and Vietnam-Era Veterans who are being honored at the ``Welcome Home'' Vietnam Veterans Celebration in San Antonio, Texas. This celebration is an important opportunity to thank the veterans of the Vietnam War and provide them with the welcoming that many did not receive at the completion of their noble service to our country. It is important and fitting that our nation recognizes the brave service men and women who made profound sacrifices in the Vietnam War including the more than 58,000 Americans who lost their lives and the more than 300,000 who were wounded during the Vietnam War. The celebration is to be held on March 30, 2012 commemorating the historic withdrawal of United States troops from Vietnam on March 30, 1973. The celebration will recognize veterans in attendance with a presentation of the colors and full military honors. Throughout American history, our brave men and women have answered the call to protect and defend our democracy. And while our nation may be divided on other issues, we must always stand together in honoring the service and valor of our veterans. I would again ask you to join me in recognizing this celebration for those who honorably served and sacrificed for our country.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Bexton Place Apartments in my district in San Antonio. Bexton Place is a member of the Retirement Housing Foundation, and they will join in celebrating the foundation's fifty years of service to the community on March 13, 2012. The Retirement Housing Foundation is a non-profit organization of 159 communities in 24 States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing housing and services to more than 17,000 older adults, low-income families, and persons with disabilities. Throughout the past fifty years the foundation has fostered an environment in which team members work to make life better for thousands of San Antonians. This pinnacle achievement speaks to both the past laurels and future service of Bexton Place. Bexton Place strives to provide all persons with quality, affordable housing so that San Antonio families do not have to sacrifice paying the rent for other basic necessities. The noble mission of the Retirement Housing Foundation is as important today as it was fifty years ago. Its impact on our communities cannot be overstated. I would again ask you to congratulate Bexton Place and the Retirement Housing Foundation on their fifty years of ensuring that low-income families and individuals have acess to quality housing.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Randy and Shari Pulman of San Antonio on being honored at the 2012 Congregation Agudas Achim's Annual Gala and Honors Evening. Over the years, they have been shining examples for our community and have left an indelible mark on the well-being and development of countless San Antonians. Shari and Randy have set a high standard of leadership through their dedication to Agudas Achim Congregation and the entire community of San Antonio. Since 1995, Mr. Pulman has served on the Agudas Achim's Board of Trustees, most recently serving as Vice President-Finance Administration and as Treasurer of Agudas Achim's Endowment Fund Board of Directors. Mr. Pulman's civic engagement is not limited to the Agudas Achim congregation, but includes various leadership roles at Camp Young Judea, the Golden Manor Foundation, and Israel Bonds. Mrs. Pulman's active leadership within the community is evident through her involvement as Vice President of Golden Manor Jewish Senior Services, President of the Campus Board of Directors of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community, and President of the Barshop JCC. Mrs. Pulman was also recognized with the Jewish Federation of San Antonio's Sylvia F. and Harry Sugarman Young Leadership Award in 1998 for her efforts on their Board of Directors. Additionally, Shari and Randy Pulman both hold leadership positions within the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). During the course of just a few years, their tireless support of Israel and the work they have done for Congregation Agudas Achim have been an inspiration to all those around them and a model for generations to follow. I would again ask you to congratulate Shari and Randy Pulman on being honored at the 2012 Congregation Agudas Achim's Annual Gala and Honors evening.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Oak Knoll Villa Apartments in my district in San Antonio. Oak Knoll Villa is a member of the Retirement Housing Foundation, and they will join in celebrating the foundation's 50 years of service to the community on March 13, 2012. The Retirement Housing Foundation is a non-profit organization of 159 communities in 24 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing housing and services to more than 17,000 older adults, low income families, and persons with disabilities. Throughout the past 50 years the foundation has fostered an environment in which team members work to make life better for thousands of San Antonians. This pinnacle achievement speaks to both the past laurels and future service of Oak Knoll Villa. Oak Knoll Villa strives to provide all persons with quality, affordable housing so that San Antonio families do not have to sacrifice paying the rent for other basic necessities. The noble mission of the Retirement Housing Foundation is as important today as it was 50 years ago. Its impact on our communities cannot be understated. I would again ask you to congratulate Oak Knoll Villa and the Retirement Housing Foundation on their 50 years of fostering and ensuring that low-income families and individuals.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the San Antonio Art League and Museum in celebration of their 100th anniversary. The San Antonio Art League and Museum is the oldest arts organization in the city of San Antonio, Bexar County, and surrounding counties in the State of Texas. The museum was founded by Mrs. Henry Drought, who served as president of the organization for 25-years. Mrs. Henry Drought's mission was to foster knowledge of and interest in art in this area of Texas by means of exhibitions, lectures, and classes. Additionally she firmly believed in the encouragement of local artists in order to create and provide an avenue to display and promote the museum's mission. As a result, the San Antonio Art League and Museum has acquired and preserved more than 400 pieces of art from all across Texas. The museum continues to promote artists from Bexar County and the surrounding areas through its many activities, including promoting talented young art students at a collegiate art exhibition. Art has always stood as an essential form of expression, communication, and cultural appreciation, and it has been extremely important to the cultural development of our community. I would again ask you to congratulate the San Antonio Art League and Museum for enriching the community of San Antonio for the past 100 years.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring someone who has given 50 years of exceptional service to our country, Ms. Mary Alamar Young. Ms. Young was born and raised in Devine, Texas just South of San Antonio, and she began her federal civil service career with the Air Force in 1960 as a clerk typist. Over the years, she rose to various positions of prominence due to her exemplary work ethic and her willingness to fight for the opportunities of others. As Program Operations Manager for the Air Force Affirmative Employment Program, her work expanded the opportunities for the minority community to contribute to and excel in our nation's armed forces. Mary Alamar Young recently retired on December 31, 2011 after 50 consecutive years as a Federal civilian employee. Her expertise and consistently high level of performance contributed immeasurably to the successful accomplishment of the United States Air Force mission. Throughout her career, Ms. Young set the standard by which our nation's military operates today. This is evidenced by the many awards she has received over the years, including the Air Force Distinguished EEO Award and the Texas Governor's Yellow Rose of Texas Award. Additionally through her advocacy, Ms. Young has been critical to empowering students in the Latino community and working to provide increased opportunities for the young leaders of tomorrow. It is my proud honor to represent constituents like Ms. Mary Alamar Young in our nation's capitol. Once again, I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in recognizing a true public servant.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring a true asset to our country's armed forces, Ms. Loyola Rose Trujillo. Ms. Trujillo is currently the Director of the Civilian Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native Programs for the Department of Defense's Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity. Prior to this esteemed position, she has served in various posts within the Department of Defense and has worked in budget and contracting, civilian personnel, strategic planning and manpower. Throughout her career, Ms. Trujillo has been a model for public service and government effectiveness, and her dedicated efforts have ensured that our nation's military is an employer that operates at the highest level of civil rights compliance and protections for its employees. Additionally, her work to promote diversity has greatly increased opportunities for members of minority communities to serve proudly and exceptionally in our nation's armed forces. She is the daughter of Elisa Dominguez and Antonio Simone Trujillo, who was the first Mexican-American policeman on the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. She is married to LTC Randall Miller USMC (ret), and she considers her greatest accomplishments to be the raising of her wonderful family, including two daughters and seven outstanding grandchildren. It is my proud honor to represent constituents like Ms. Loyola Rose Trujillo in our nation's capitol. Once again, I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in recognizing a true public servant.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 860, 861, and 862. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all three.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill in its entirety but especially to that provision which attempts to eliminate the Election Assistance Commission. I need to address a few points that have been made by the proponents of this bill because I was there when this original bill came up for consideration years ago, and I've been there for the subsequent hearings in the committee of jurisdiction. First of all, when it comes to the secretaries of state, they've been opposed to the creation of the Election Assistance Commission from its very beginning. This is nothing new. Their renewal of opposition basically used a form letter that didn't even change the 2006 date. The 2010 opposition letter actually referred and still used the same letter of previous years. But the most important thing to point out is that secretaries of state have multifaceted responsibilities and obligations. One of them is to conduct elections. But each one of us in this body knows who really runs an election, and it's going to be your local election administrators. You and I and anybody involved in the electoral process knows that on Election Day you're not going to find secretary of state personnel at the polling places. When the ballots are mailed for absentee voting, you're not going to find anyone from the Secretary of State's Office. They're not going to count the ballots. They're not going to be there. It is a local effort, and that's what the Election Assistance Commission is doing. It was never meant to have a life span of 3 years. If you read the bill carefully, and Mr. Hoyer, who will be taking the floor later, will remind us of the legislative history of that particular bill that created this commission. If we are to criticize them for an inordinate amount of their budget being applied to personnel, then we must look in the mirror as Members of Congress, because I assure you, because I also sit on a committee, obviously the same committee, that entertains the budget requests of the different committees. Each one of those committees and individual Members of Congress will tell you that they spend a greater proportion of their budget on personnel than the Election Assistance Commission. And there's good reason for it. It was never really intended to fully fund every effort at the local level. It's to give advice. That's why I have received in the past, from local election officials in Maryland, Texas, Florida, and Ohio-- the local experience in Texas, in my county there, was that we saved $100,000 by the suggestions and recommendations that were issued by the commission. Lastly, you criticize the commission for not functioning because it doesn't have a full body of commissioners. But whose fault is that? It's the individuals on the other side of the aisle that have blocked consideration. That reminds me. When I was a lawyer, we used to have an old joke about the individual defendant who was there charged with murdering his parents, and at the end of the trial goes before the jury and asks for mercy because he's an orphan. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Mr. GONZALEZ. If you want to help your local election officials, vote ``no'' on this bad bill.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. 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 the subject of my Special Order tonight.

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, thank you for recognizing me, and I thank the Democratic leader, Ms. Pelosi, for giving me this time. I thank my colleagues for listening and for joining me in a few minutes. But I am also very sorry to be here in a certain respect. I'm sorry because I stand here tonight to talk about threats to the right of American citizens in States across this great country to go to the polls and cast a ballot in our elections. The single most fundamental aspect of our democracy--or any democracy--is the right to vote, and that right is under attack. Mr. Speaker, there is no right mentioned more often in the Constitution than the right to vote. In the past 207 years we have amended the Constitution 15 times. Seven of those amendments--almost half of the amendments--over the last two centuries are about protecting, in the words of the 14th Amendment, the right to vote. Minorities, women, adults over 18 years of age, poor citizens, and of course citizens of our Nation's Capital--at least if only for the Presidential election--all of these groups' right to vote has been enshrined in our Constitution. That's why it is so troubling to see dozens of States passing laws that will make it harder for citizens of the United States to vote. Whether by denying them the opportunity to vote after church on Sunday before the election day--perhaps because they cannot take time off work on election Day--or requiring them to spend time and money to procure a birth certificate and a photo ID, the only thing that these laws will do is to weaken our democracy. They are just plain wrong. Hopefully, I will be joined by some of my colleagues. But I do want to spend a little bit of time explaining to the American public and to my colleagues what this is all about. And I'm going to start off by the photo ID voter requirement which is being passed obviously out of the legislature in the State of Texas and to be enacted for the 2012 election. What is it exactly? Well, people will say, you mean, you just have to have a photo ID? It is not just any photo ID; it has to be one that meets all the requirements of a particular State's laws. So you would say, well, how onerous could that possibly be? As I've said, it is not just any government-issued photo ID that will be accepted on election day. It has certain requirements. So, much to my surprise, I recently found out that basically my identification and my voting card that all Members of Congress use would not be sufficient, would not meet the requirements in the great State of Texas. But it should not come as any surprise, because if you are a veteran and you have a photo ID that allows you to go to the Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, in my district, that photo ID will not suffice under Texas law. If you're a student in one of our State-supported institutions that has your photo on there, has your name, all that information, that is not going to meet the requirements in the State of Texas. So you would ask, why would we pass these laws? What is the need? What is the requirement? Because we all know, whether you're in the State legislature or in this great House of Representatives at the Federal level, we don't pass unnecessary laws. So there must be a purpose behind these photo ID laws as well as other laws that are restricting the rights of individuals to exercise the right to vote. It is to stop fraud. The photo ID, its whole purpose is to stop people from impersonating an eligible voter. Now, you would say, so that must be happening across this great country and that's why we need this law. People are impersonating other people. People that shouldn't be voting might be impersonating an eligible voter. So let's discuss that, the reason for the photo ID in these many States. I'm going to give you the example of the State of Kansas. The secretary of state pushed an ID law on the basis of a list of 221 reported instances of voter fraud. This all was supposed to have occurred in Kansas since the year 1997. So from 1997, for about 13 years, there were 221 reported instances of voter fraud. When the newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, looked into the local cases cited by the secretary of state, they found almost all of them were honest mistakes. None were attempted to be perpetrated by someone impersonating someone who they were not. A great example of that, and I have to read you the excerpt from the Wichita Eagle of October 29, 2010: Republican Kris Kobach, who has built his campaign for secretary of state around the issue of voter fraud, raised the specter of the dead voting in Kansas. Kobach said in a news conference Thursday that 1,966 deceased people were registered to vote in Kansas. ``Every one of those 1,966 identities is an opportunity for voter fraud waiting to happen,'' he said. Furthermore, he said, some were still casting ballots. He gave an example of one person--Alfred K. Brewer, a Republican, registered in Sedgwick County with a birth date listed of January 1, 1900. Brewer, according to the comparison of Social Security records and Kansas voter rolls, had died in 1996 yet had voted in the August primary, Kobach said. Reached Thursday at his home where he was raking leaves, Brewer, 78, was surprised some people thought he was dead. ``I don't think this is heaven, not when I'm raking leaves,'' he said. Those are example after example. No one can give you a specific example of voter fraud based on someone impersonating someone who they should not be on Election Day. Now, between the years 2002 and 2007, a major Department of Justice, at the Federal level of course, had a probe into voter fraud. The result was failure to prosecute a single person for going to the polls and impersonating an eligible voter. Zero prosecutions. After tremendous amounts of manpower, time, energy, and money, nothing happened. Now, the Brandon Center for Justice, the cases for voter fraud, what is it? So if you have a law that is addressing a particular offensive-type behavior that obviously hurts this great Republic of ours, such as voter fraud, surely we must have demonstrated, tangible, verifiable cases out there. The Washington Post, in an editorial, was looking at the number of alleged voter fraud. And these are not all predicated on voter ID. It could be some other type of fraud that's being perpetrated. But if you took all of the cases that have ever been alleged, this is the percentage of the total votes cast of those that might be suspect; because you've got to remember, there's going to be a price we're going to pay for this law, and that is it's going to disenfranchise the eligible voter in pursuit of the phantom illegal voter. In Missouri, if you took all of their complaints, it would amount to, when compared to the total voter turnout, 0.0003 percent. In New York, it would amount to 0.000009 percent. In New Jersey, it would be 0.0002 percent. So where is the voter fraud? What are we trying to address in passing these laws by the different State legislatures? We had a recent occurrence, and this was not even a voter ID case, but this is where the secretary of state in Colorado, Mr. Gessler, was dropping voters from the voting list and not forwarding ballots for voting based on that particular voter not having voted in 2010. It didn't matter if they voted previously to that. If they did not vote in 2010, then they were dropped from the rolls. And what was the reason for that? Well, there's potential voter fraud, potential of fraud. But they could not--that secretary of state, when they finally went to court, could not address, could not demonstrate, could not offer into evidence one case of voter fraud, not one. Based on his suspicions or conjecture. In 2006, in the great State of Texas, my home State, the Texas attorney general had a press release, and it was entitled, ``Let's Stamp Out Voter Fraud in Texas.'' Sounds good. Sounds like a good thing to do. He could not name one, not one single case of fraud that would have been stopped by a voter ID law in the State of Texas. I would yield at this time to my colleague, the great Representative from the great State of New Jersey, Rush Holt, for such time as he may consume.

Mr. GONZALEZ. I thank my colleague from New Jersey, and I appreciate his words of encouragement here to address what is going on in this country as we speak. As a matter of fact, there are other laws that are awaiting legislative action in different States. I return still because I think people have a legitimate and good faith question about what are these laws supposed to address. And it's supposed to be about fraud. Mr. Speaker, let me address the claim of fraud once more. There is no voter fraud that is going to be stopped by denying a 96- year-old woman in Tennessee her voter ID card because her last name doesn't match the name on her birth certificate, and she doesn't have a copy of her marriage certificate showing the change. There is no voter fraud that will be stopped by denying Floridians the right to vote after church on Sunday before election day. Is that because there is no fraud? Not really. Fraud isn't about voters going to polls when they're not eligible. It's about the two individuals in the State of Maryland who were indicted earlier this year for organizing deceptive robocalls to keep voters from the polls. It's about the robocalls last month in the State of Ohio telling people that the election was on a Wednesday. This is about the group in Houston, Texas, that just hosted a man who said that registering the poor to vote is un-American and ``like handing out burglary tools to criminals.'' That's the fraud that's really perpetrated on Americans today. It's an old story of keeping people away from the polls when we should be encouraging them to vote. These new voter ID laws and law curtailing early voting or election day registration won't stop this kind of fraud, and the kind of fraud that would stop simply does not exist. The previous administration, as I noted earlier, nearly broke the civil rights division of the Department of Justice in its quest to find this kind of voter fraud that voter ID would stop. They couldn't find any because it does not happen. But these laws will have a powerful effect. They will deny millions of Americans the right to participate in this democracy. So we know what the law is. We know what it is intended to address, but doesn't really exist which is that kind of fraud. But what is the cost? Mr. Speaker, all of us in this Chamber understand that when we pass legislation, we always look at the cost-benefit aspect of it. In other words, does the good really outweigh the bad? Is it worth the investment because there's going to be some consequence. In this case, it would not pass any kind of scrutiny if we really look at what it's going to cost Americans and how it's going to benefit Americans. Now, the NAACP in a brief from November 1 of this year cited the following information: 11 percent of eligible voters in this country, 11 percent of eligible American citizen voters, 21 million strong, don't have updated State-issued photo IDs. So who's going to be impacted? Potentially 21 million eligible American citizen voters. But of that 21 million, 25 percent will be African Americans, 14 percent are families or individuals that earn less than $35,000 a year, 18 percent will be seniors over the age of 65. But even 20 percent will be individuals between the ages of 18 and 29. So I was asking a colleague, why do we do the analysis? What is the benefit and what is the cost? And many times we'll say, well, the cost is beneficial because it's worth that kind of investment if we get any kind of return. Let me point out the fallacy of these laws when we actually apply the test because when we talk about numbers, they are mere numbers in the abstract; but these are real American voters that will be denied their right to vote when they go to that polling place and are informed that they need a State-issued photo ID. There is no more fundamental right than that of voting, and a barrier that stops 1 percent of the people from voting is not acceptable merely because 99 percent of the people are still able to vote. Think of that proposition. You simply are saying, well, if we just deny 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, or 5 percent, you still have 90-something percent of the population, of the registered and eligible voters, who are still going to be able to vote. But think in terms if that were your vote or if that were a family member's vote. Every vote is precious in this country, and there is no evidence to support that what you're addressing is a widespread problem that will disenfranchise many, many thousands--hundreds of thousands and even millions--of American voters. That's what we're facing here today. That's what the analysis shows. So, even if the lies of any scrutiny would show that this is ill- conceived, it will not produce the result that you're seeking because the problem that you're trying to remedy does not exist. There is a price that will be paid, and the price will be paid by many disproportionately--by seniors and minorities and by those who may not be in the upper economic scales of this country. It is now my honor to yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from the great State of Florida, who can tell us many things about the Florida experience, Congressman Ted Deutch.

Mr. GONZALEZ. I thank my colleague from Florida. At this time, I yield to a dear friend and colleague who is also from the great State of Florida, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for such time as she may consume.

Mr. GONZALEZ. I thank my colleague from Florida. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into colloquy with my colleagues from Florida and New Jersey. I guess I'm just going to pose the question: So what if just a few people are denied access to the ballot box? It's just a few. And after all, we're trying to see if there's any kind of provable, tangible fraud going on. Now, they haven't been able to prove any fraud based on identification, of course. But you pointed out in your remarks what happened in Florida in 2000. How many votes in Florida actually determined who was going to be President of the United States of America?