Charlie Gonzalez

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, this vote is about choosing an alternative to a policy of annual review which has failed to open China's markets and its people to the United States. To be sure, this is a vote about trade and export of American goods and services, but it is also about trade and export of American ideals and principles. We can make a difference in China when it comes to human rights, when it comes to religious freedom and workers' rights. Today's vote will determine whether we will make a difference in China. I urge everyone to vote yes for permanent normal trade relations with China.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I offer my sincerest congratulations to Louis W. Fox Academic and Technical High School in San Antonio, TX, upon the notification of their receipt of the Blue Ribbon School Award. Schools are awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award based on their performance in regards to several criteria, including: student focus and support; active teaching and learning; school organization and culture; challenging standard and curriculum; professional community; leadership and educational vitality; school, family, and community partnerships; and indicators of success. Fox Tech High School is among eight schools in San Antonio and 198 schools nationally, all of which excelled in these areas and were rewarded with the Blue Ribbon School Award from the United States Department of Education. To receive consideration for this prestigious award, schools must be recommended for national recognition by their individual state department of education or sponsoring agency. Nominations are then evaluated by a National Review Panel including the Department of Education, the Department of Defense, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Council for America Private Education and a select group of educators from around the country. The Secretary of Education then makes a final determination based on the recommendations of this panel. In receiving this special recognition, I believe that Fox Tech High School will inspire others to provide the level of quality education that this Blue Ribbon School Award merits. I am proud to represent a district and hail from a state that has clearly placed an emphasis on the education of our children.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I offer my sincerest congratulations to Sharon Christa McAuliffe Junior School in San Antonio, TX, upon the notification of their receipt of the Blue Ribbon School Award. Schools are awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award based on their performance in regards to several criteria, including: student focus and support; active teaching and learning; school organization and culture; challenging standard and curriculum; professional community; leadership and educational vitality; school, family, and community partnerships; and indicators of success. Sharon Christa McAuliffe Junior High is among eight schools in San Antonio and 198 schools nationally, all of which excelled in these areas and were rewarded with the Blue Ribbon School Award from the United States Department of Education. To receive consideration for this prestigious award, schools must be recommended for national recognition by their individual state department of education or sponsoring agency. Nominations are then evaluated by a National Review Panel including the Department of Education, the Department of Defense, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Council for America Private Education and a select group of educators from around the country. The Secretary of Education then makes a final determination based on the recommendations of this panel. In receiving this special recognition, I believe that Sharon Christa McAuliffe Junior High will inspire others to provide the level of quality education that this Blue Ribbon School Award merits. I am proud to represent a district and hail from a state that has clearly placed an emphasis on the education of our children.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I bring to the attention of my colleagues an illness that affects millions of Americans. I am speaking of Arthritis. Today I recognize May 2000 as ``National Arthritis Awareness Month.'' You may be surprised to learn that arthritis affects children and adults and is not limited to senior citizens. Arthritis affects the lives of 43 million Americans or one out of every six of us, including 285,000 children. This number will grow to over 60 million individuals by 2020. Unfortunately, this crippling disease remains the leading cause of disability in the United States and it costs our economy $65 billion annually. What many of us do not know is that Arthritis also is more common among women--for whom it is the leading chronic condition and cause of activity limitation. Despite these compelling facts, for generations, our nation has labored under the many myths surrounding Arthritis. It is still widely believed that arthritis is an inevitable part of the aging process. It is also widely believed that there are few effective treatment options for Arthritis apart from taking a few aspirin. Finally, yet another falsehood is that individuals with arthritis should refrain from physical activity. Despite these misunderstandings and myths, however, we can do something to combat Arthritis in America. Thanks to the work of voluntary organizations like the Arthritis Foundation, we are spreading the message that there is help and hope for Americans living with this painful and debilitating disease. In the past year, we have reached several milestones in our battle against Arthritis. Whether it involves the new and exciting treatment options arising from our investments in research or our first steps in implementing the National Arthritis Action Plan, we have been provided new tools to aid us in our fight against the disease. In early 1998, the Arthritis Foundation joined forces with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop the National Arthritis Action Plan--an innovative public health strategy that will forcefully confront the burden of Arthritis. Among our goals are improving the scientific information base on arthritis, increasing awareness that arthritis is a national health problem, and encouraging more individuals with arthritis to seek early intervention and treatment to reduce pain and disability. As we take stock of these accomplishments, it is important to remember the challenges we still face in improving the quality of life for Americans living with arthritis and, ultimately, finding a cure. Thus, as we mark National Arthritis Month, I call on the American public to apply our vast talents, energy, and unbending resolve to continue to find the means and measures to combat arthritis. Through this combined effort, we will find a cure.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas very much for this opportunity to join him tonight along with other colleagues that are discussing one of the most important issues facing our Nation, and that is the adequacy of our education system. They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words; and that is what I have here today. It is going to be a series of six pictures that I have blown up. I think as people view this, they will be able to relate to it because this is an experience, this is a situation that basically exists in everyone's home district. This first picture is a picture of one of those buildings that are more often called temporary but really are permanent. My colleagues know what I am talking about, those that went up sometimes as long as 30 years ago. Now, safety is going to be an obvious consideration here. My colleagues can see that it is on blocks. There is an open area underneath there. The sign on the wall says that all visitors stop at the office. But we know in today's climate, and if one wants one's children in a safe environment, does one want the building out there that is easily accessible to anyone off of the streets? Of course not. This is the problem that we have. We will go to photo number 2. Now, this is going to be a picture that is kind of dear to my heart, and there is going to be a special reason for it. Back here, my colleagues see these temporary buildings. They see the old existing building. This is Mark Twain Middle School. This school is located six blocks from my home. Now, my brothers and sisters went to that school. My father also went to that school. My father will be 84 years old this May. He went to this school more than 70 years ago. That is going to be part of our problem. That is the aging, deteriorating condition of our schools. In this school, the amazing thing is that kids from these temporary buildings have to go into the main building regardless of weather because that is where the student bathroom is located. They do not have any facilities even near this particular building. I am very familiar with that campus. We will go to number 3 now. We all think of libraries as a place of learning. Look at this library. The paint is all peeling off the ceiling. We can see it. It actually flakes and falls off of the ceilings onto the teachers and students on a weekly basis. What is really startling here is that we see about 10 computers. Those 10 computers serve 900 students at Mark Twain Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. We will go to number 4. Thank God for counselors; right? Now we can see the counselors' office. Three counselors for 1,000 students; and this is where they are counseled. I will tell my colleagues that I have been in that room, and I am convinced that was once a utility closet. They did not tell me that, but I know they are utilizing other closets for other purposes such as offices. We will go to picture number 5. Now, do they need space? The good news was that recently the school district bought some additional chairs, and so they brought these boxes in. They just did not know where to put them while they moved out the old furniture. They do not have a square inch in that whole facility to even store anything, so these boxes of course were out there in the middle of the hallway for some time. We will go to the last picture, number 6. One of my favorites. This is another temporary building that somehow became permanent. The majority of these buildings now, where the students are housed and taught, are really in the temporary buildings. Everyone that sees this can relate to it. Now, we heard earlier on this floor where we had Members of Congress extolling the virtues and the wonderful performance of the Final Four in the basketball championship. I guarantee if those kids had started off in this middle school, they would never have honed or perfected their skills, their athletic abilities, because they could not. If my colleagues can see, back over here is the basketball goal, which is now located 3 feet from the temporary building. It is no longer a playground; it is no longer a basketball court. But that is what is happening in our schools. By way of background, in 1995, the GAO conducted a study, and this is what they discovered: forty percent of America's schools reported needing $36 billion to repair or replace building features such as a roof or plumbing. Something as basic as a roof or plumbing. Two-thirds of America's schools reported needing $11 billion over a 3-year period for repairs and renovations dealing with accessibility and health and safety problems, such as the removal of asbestos, lead in water or in the paint, and materials in underground storage tanks. Fifty percent of America's schools reported unsatisfactory environmental conditions, such as poor ventilation, heating or lighting problems, or poor physical security, which should be uppermost in our minds. One-third of America's schools needed extensive repair and building replacements at a cost of $65 billion. These schools throughout the Nation house 14 million students. The demand for Internet in our schools is at an all-time high. This study showed, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 39 percent of classrooms in our poorest schools have Internet access. Not having Internet access today is like not having a library. My colleagues know what I am talking about. This is not what we wish for our children or any child in this great Nation of ours. In addition, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that in 1999 America's schools were wearing out. The average public school in America is 42 years old, and school buildings begin rapid deterioration after 40 years. We are well aware of that. That is the problem that faces us. So what do we do about it? Do we throw our hands up and say, oh, we cannot do anything about that; let us give in? Of course not. Our goal, though, is not all brick and mortar. Our goal is not to repair, renovate, and rebuild these schools solely to have a nice building. That is not it. It is part and parcel of a grand plan, and it is an essential component in this grand plan. What I am talking about is reducing class size. Every parent that goes to a school where they are going to enroll their child, the first question they ask is what is the size of the class. What is the teacher-student ratio. That is the first question anyone would ask. But we do not even have the physical facility to accommodate smaller classes in most schools in my district, which is in San Antonio. What do we get out of reduced class size? We have safe and orderly places for learning, to begin with. We have improved performance of students and teachers. Every study reflects the smaller the class, the better an educational experience for the child. There is no doubt about that. Now, I am not here to say that only Democrats have these concerns, and I am not here to say that only Democrats have all the answers. That is not true. We have most of the answers. And a good example of a bipartisan bill was the Rangel-Johnson Better Classroom Act. And I am now just going to briefly go over it. This bipartisan bill would subsidize $24.8 billion in zero interest school modernization bonds. The Federal Government would provide tax credits for the interest normally paid on these bonds. Bonds that would have gone to pay bond interest would be freed for other educational needs. For each $1,000 of school bonds, States or local school districts would save as much as $500 in payments. Yes, out of $1,000, they could save $500 in interest service payments. So what was the Federal Government's role in this? What would be the burden on the Federal Government? What would happen to local control? States and eligible school districts would complete a review of construction and renovation needs. I repeat, the school districts and the States would conduct the studies. State plans would include processes for allocating funds to areas with the greatest needs. The Federal Government would provide a tax credit to the bond purchaser equal to the interest that would otherwise be paid on a school construction bond. No new Federal bureaucracy would be created. So my colleagues might say, that sounds like a great idea; what happened to it? It died in a Republican-controlled committee. They are in the majority, and they can do it if they want to; and they did it in this bipartisan bill. Not bipartisan enough as far as the number of Republicans that would come and join us in this wonderful plan and proposal. But this is the problem today. I started off my remarks by saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. I also will end it by saying that talk is cheap. Words are cheap. What we want to see is action. What we want to see are tangible results. So we may have individuals out there that are touting themselves as the education governor of Texas, but if Texas is such a great model, then I would ask all of my fellow Members in this House, 434, those that are not from Texas, I would ask them to adopt Texas as the model; strive for Texas's great place in education, if that is the great progress that has been made in the past 5 years under Governor Bush. Talk is cheap. I ask Governor Bush and I ask Members on the other side of the aisle to join hands. Let us not give up on an educational system that provides an education to 90 percent of the children in this country, the public school system. It needs improvement. There is no doubt about that, and we all agree. And we can do it if we work together. But we cannot replace it by simply saying we have a voucher program or let us just privatize it. That will not work. Let us not lose faith in our public schools. If we lose faith in our public schools, we lose faith in the students. We lose faith in our children. We lose faith in our future.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that AIDS is a global issue. What happens overseas always affects what happens in the U.S. It is in America's national interest to ensure that we do all we can to assist all countries in addressing HIV/AIDS, not only because of the potential for a tremendous loss of life, but for economic, political and security reasons. Globally, about 2.6 million people worldwide will die of AIDS this year, the most of any years since the epidemic began, according to a report by the United Nations AIDS program. About 16.3 million people have already died of AIDS since 1981. In addition, about 5.6 million new infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) will occur this year, raising the number of people currently living with the disease to about 33.6 million, with more than 23 million of those individuals being in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 1.3 million individuals living with HIV and AIDS are in Latin America and some 360,000 are in the Caribbean. It is estimated that some 920,000 individuals living with HIV and AIDS are in North America. Some 300,000 Americans are infected with HIV and do not know it since they have never been tested for HIV infection. Sadly, my own city of San Antonio has experienced over 3,704 cases of people with AIDS; 53% of these people have died. This means that over 1,950 people in San Antonio have died from this disease. Of the reported cases of AIDS in San Antonio, 48% are in the Hispanic community, 39% are White and 11% are Black. The majority of San Antonio's population is of Hispanic origin and maintains close ties with Mexico and other countries in Central and South America. Many return to visit, to work and live, and then return to the United States. Many of my constituents are very interested in reuniting with their families, bring family members to the U.S. to visit or become U.S. citizens. AIDS has affected Hispanics in San Antonio more than in most other communities around the country. One thing we can all do is to continue to educate our friends and relatives about AIDS, not only as to its causes but also on its impact on our local, national and global community. We can also push for increased funding for research and treatment of this deadly disease. Our efforts targeting African Americans here in the United States, and our efforts to address AIDS in Africa and elsewhere are to be commended and expanded. We must do more for those most in need, and we must do more to prevent HIV from becoming a problem in those areas where it has not yet established itself. To do any less is to allow a disease that we can prevent. And we must begin now to look at how we address AIDS in Latin America so that we can prevent it from becoming the next epicenter of the epidemic. Public health practices have shown that it is much more effective to prevent an illness than to treat an illness. Clearly, what we do now in our efforts to address HIV will affect the quality of our lives tomorrow. We must fight the complacency that is threatening our efforts to address HIV and AIDS in the U.S. and worldwide. Yes, new drug combination therapies have prolonged the lives of many Americans who have access to them, who can afford them, and who can tolerate them. Unfortunately, not all have access or can afford them. Imagine how difficult it will be for those in countries outside the U.S. whose average health care expenditures are less than a few hundred dollars a year to pay for drugs which can cost up to $14,000 a year in the United States. Unfortunately, many of our leaders are still afraid to discuss HIV/ AIDS in public. This silence is also evident in many Latin American countries where AIDS is just starting to take hold. This silence only leads to continued denial that AIDS is affecting Latinos, and it will only lead to additional infections and deaths. By not publicly discussing HIV/AIDS, we send a message to our community that AIDS is not an issue of concern to us or that it is taboo. The number of cases, new infections, and deaths in our community have shown that our silence has been deadly. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which I am a member, is proud of its role in securing additional funding and in providing leadership in this area. But we have a long way to go. We need the Hispanic community, especially our Hispanic leaders both here in the U.S. and in other countries, to expand their efforts. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus believes that health issues that disproportionately affect Latinos must be addressed openly and publicly. The Caucus understands the importance of public leadership in addressing HIV/AIDS as a means to educate the public of the impact that HIV/AIDS is having on the Latino community both here and internationally. I offer these comments to honor those from the Hispanic and other communities who have lost their lives to this dreaded disease and to remind the House, the country and the world that AIDS is indeed threatening the lives of a wide variety of people.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 46 and 47, I was away on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on each.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 48, on agreeing to the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1000, I was away on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman's efforts. It is a great honor to serve with her. Mr. Speaker, it is of great importance. It is just not a matter of partisan politics. It is just not a matter of Latino politics. I am very privileged to be the Chair of the Hispanic Caucus's Task Force on Civil Rights and the Census, but they really are one and the same. That is what I want to talk about this evening. It is brief, but it is going to be very important. I am going to digress from the Federal funding aspect of what happens when we have inaccurate numbers. Not that that is not important, and I will give you a couple of examples why it is so important to Texas and for my district. The 1990 census resulted in half a million Texans being missed, not counted. That is astounding. What was more astounding though is that 330,000 of those that were not counted were Hispanic or African Americans. That is something that we cannot tolerate and should not tolerate. But, you may ask, why is it a civil rights issue? Because when the census misses people, it is not missing all people equally. The reality is that the people undercounted in the census are disproportionately Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and all other American minorities. The unquestionable result of undercounting American minorities is not only a reduction in Federal funds for services in minority communities, which are in the greatest need, obviously; it is a blatantly unjust reduction in the political voice of those communities. This is indeed a political fight. It is a fight for the political representational rights of millions of Americans. Based on these numbers we will be redrawing all lines. What do I mean by that? I mean we will be setting up what comprises school districts, city council districts, county commissioner districts in the State of Texas, State representative and State senators, as well as Congressional districts. Minorities will be underrepresented. They will not be counted. They will not exist for the purposes of making sure that they are represented when they draw those lines in the State legislatures. We cannot start a new millennium with inaccurate numbers. This is not 1990. We have the ability; we have the science; we have the method; and it is there at our disposal, only if we use it. Think of it, a new millennium; and we start it off with an inaccurate census that does not count everyone, and for 10 years going into the next century, we live with these inaccurate numbers, at great cost to the quality of life of our fellow Americans. That will not be tolerated, that should not be tolerated, and that is why I come here tonight to join my colleague from New York in a single voice to say that we are here to remind the American public, whether they be Republican, Democrat or Independents, that we must join together and use the best method to have an accurate census, because it truly impacts all of us. The old quote, ``For whom does the bell toll,'' well, it tolls for you and me, because we are all Americans in this great country. If one American goes without a voice, then all Americans are without a voice. This is not what this great country has been built on all these years. This is not what we have fought great wars over. This is a representational democracy, and we can never achieve that if we do not have an accurate census and if we do not utilize proven scientific methods, such as sampling. So I beseech and implore everyone out there that has any questions about it, they can come and talk to us. We will be happy to have a dialogue. But let us not let this be reduced to some petty partisan squabble, where the only end game and end product will be some sort of perceived political advantage. There is much more at stake here. General Leave

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, on October 21, 1999, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 2, the Students Results Act, which reauthorized funding for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I provides funding to local education agencies to help educationally disadvantaged children learn the core subjects, like math and reading, and authorizes other programs to assist low-achieving students. Last revised by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, Title I is the largest federal elementary and secondary education grant program. In general terms, H.R. 2 was a good bill. It provided a billion dollar increase in Title I funding, focused on holding Title I students to the same high academic standards as all students, targeted funds to the poorest communities, and it improved accountability measures. In addition H.R. 2 addressed the quality of instruction in Title I classrooms by requiring certification for all teachers and strengthening professional development opportunities. Unfortunately, H.R. 2 also included the ``Parental Notification and Consent for English Language Learners'' provision. In my opinion, the ``Parental Notification and Consent'' language in H.R. 2 was unfair at best and discriminatory at worst. The provision would at minimum have an unjust and disproportionate impact on limited English proficient (LEP) students, of which over 70% are Hispanic. Schools provide LEP children the necessary language support services to ensure high academic standards in addition to developing their ability to speak, read and write English. However, the proposed ``Parental Notification and Consent'' requirements would unjustly prohibit schools from providing services until parents provide consent or until the school meets the mandatory requirement to build a written record of attempting to obtain parental consent. While I do not presume to know why each of those who voted against H.R. 2 did so, I believe that in the case of the Democrats, that decision was based, at least in part, on concerns regarding the ``Parental Notification and Consent'' provision. It was apparent to me, and likely to others, that this provision potentially violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which guarantees access to equal educational opportunities for LEP students. As a parent, I must stress that I fully support and encourage enhanced parental involvement in schools and increased parental participation in their children's education. Nevertheless, I am convinced that this legislation, in its ill-advised attempt to include parental consent as part of Title I, will instead result in discriminatory practices and in limited resources being focused on bureaucratic requirements rather than on educational programs. I did not easily arrive at my decision to oppose H.R. 2 and to make a statement regarding its potentially discriminatory effect on a limited group of students. In the end though, I could not vote to validate legislation that would result in isolating LEP students for different treatment than is applied to any other group of students, while denying access for millions to important Title I educational services.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I insert the following for the Record:

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule, and I would like to make a couple of comments about why I think we should support the conference report. The future of any American business enterprise is not determined, in the final analysis, by imagination, innovation, technological advances or determination. It succeeds only when those of us in Congress establish policies that encourage and accommodate sensible and healthy economic growth. The conference report represents a balanced approach between the House and Senate versions of financial services modernization. Congress has spent several decades considering many of the complicated and extremely important issues addressed in this compromise. Failure to adopt this bill will relegate our financial industry to continue to operate under the current artificial structural limitations that place them at a competitive disadvantage in the constantly evolving international playing field. This rule and the conference report should be adopted.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, and again I wish to follow everybody else and commend the chairman and the ranking member of the subcommittee on their fine work and the many hours they have placed into this particular project, which really is of great importance to every American and to everyone on both sides of the aisle. I think we can all agree, and the speakers before me have pointed out, we have reached a point where we know we need to agree on the task at hand, and that is education, awareness, and participation. What do I mean by that? We all know that this outreach campaign will underscore benefits of the census participation. We are going to explain to everyone that they have a vested interest in responding to this census. The outreach campaign is the largest ever aimed at increasing participation in the national census. It includes partners from nearly 30,000 community groups, civic organizations, labor unions, the Congress, Federal agencies and corporations, as well as elected officials at the State, local and tribal governmental levels. What does it mean to me personally? I do not want to occasion the same mistakes that we had back in 1990 that resulted in undercount in my State of Texas of 500,000 residents, 250,000 of which were Hispanic. I do not want that same mistake repeated. I do not want history to be repeated in my district, where we missed 39,000 residents, 16,000 of which were children, enough to fill 29 schools and to hire 1,000 teachers. They did not exist for the purpose of the census, but we still had to teach them; we still had to house them; we still had to feed them. They participated in every program at the State, local and, of course, national level; but, for all intents and purposes, they did not exist, and we cannot afford for that to happen again. Every Member in this House knows their district better than anyone else, so it is a unique challenge. But it is also a unique opportunity to do our fair share, our responsibility, and make this the most accurate census in the history of our Nation.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. GONZALEZ. Madam Chairman, with the understanding that I will be withdrawing the amendment subject to discussions with the chairman and ranking member, the amendment I am offering today addresses a very important safety issue, and that is the reporting of unsafe tractor- trailer drivers and their equipment. I know that every Member of this House has been driving down the road with his or her family and seen one of the big commercial trucks speeding, weaving in and out of lanes and cutting people off. Also, we have seen trucks that appear to be in unsafe conditions operating on our highways. My amendment would take a step in addressing this issue. My amendment would address and require that all trucks display the Department of Transportation hotline number, the 1-800 number, so that ordinary citizens, as they view the unsafe drivers or the unsafe equipment on our highways, would be able to simply get on their cell phones, because that is the condition of society today, and that is we all have cell phones in our cars, for the most part, to report these violations, or the unsafe conditions.

Mr. GONZALEZ. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. GONZALEZ. Madam Chairman, I appreciate looking to leadership on this issue, which is a very practical approach to a very complicated problem, but I appreciate my colleagues' assistance as we work through this. Madam Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague for yielding. It is a great opportunity, and I appreciate it, because it is a very important subject and it is an issue, I think, when we go to our town hall meetings, obviously this is something that is coming up over and over again. In my district, as in many congressional districts around the country, older Americans are increasingly concerned about the high prices they pay for prescription drugs. I requested that the minority staff of the Committee on Government Reform investigate this particular issue. Numerous studies have concluded that many older Americans pay high prices for prescription drugs and have a difficult time paying for the drugs that they require. The study presents disturbing evidence about the cause of these high prices. The findings indicate that older Americans and others who pay for their own drugs are charged far more for prescription drugs than the drug companies are charging their most favored customers, such as large insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and the Federal Government. The findings show that senior citizens in my district, the 20th Congressional District, San Antonio, Texas, pay more for his or her own prescription drugs, on average, more than twice what the home health organizations would pay, private insurance companies and the Federal Government. This is an unusually large price differential. It is seven times greater than the average price differential for any other consumer good. It appears that drug companies are engaged in a form of discriminatory pricing that victimizes those who are least able to afford it. Large corporate, governmental and institutional customers with market power are able to buy their drugs at discounted prices. Drug companies then raise prices for sales to seniors and others who pay for drugs themselves to compensate for these discounts to their favored customers. Older Americans are having an increasingly difficult time affording prescription drugs. By one estimate, more than one out of eight older Americans has been forced to choose between buying food and buying medicine. There is no reason in today's time, in this the greatest country and democracy known to mankind, that we should have this type of situation exist. Preventing the pharmaceutical industry's discriminatory pricing, which it is, and thereby reducing the price of prescription drugs for seniors and other individuals will improve the health and financial well-being of millions of older Americans. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a copy of this report prepared by the Committee on Government Reform for my district. PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICING IN THE 20TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN TEXAS:

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincerest congratulations to Mr. Emilio Torres of San Antonio, TX, upon his retirement after 51 years of Federal Government service. Mr. Torres began serving his country on May 4, 1948, with a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy. After his service with the Navy, Mr. Torres spent his remaining years of Federal Government service at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. Throughout those years of service, Mr. Torres held positions in Kelly Flight Test and in the Quality Assurance Division of the Directorate of Maintenance. Mr. Torres also served as chief of the Quality Evaluation Team and as chief of Administration Services for the Directorate of Maintenance. In addition, Mr. Torres was assigned to the San Antonio-Air Logistics Center as a special projects officer. As an artist, Mr. Torres has made a number of significant contributions to Kelly Air Force Base. Mr. Torres is the designer of the Veteran's Monument at Kelly Air Force Base, and his efforts were instrumental in establishing the Kelly Air Force Base Heritage Museum. Mr. Torres has also received wide recognition and acclaim for his historical carton depiction of Kelly Air Force Base, a piece which appeared in the San Antonio Express News, the San Antonio Light, and the Kelly Observer. Mr. Torres' artistic contributions have been recognized by the city of San Antonio, and his works have been presented to many distinguished officials including the Pope, the Queen of England, the King of Spain, all U.S. Presidents beginning with President Kennedy, and a number of secretaries of the Air Force, Governors, State senators, and other visiting dignitaries. In his final duty for the Federal Government, Mr. Torres has been assigned to the San Antonio-Air Logistics Center Commander's Action Group. In this capacity, Mr. Torres manages the special projects function which aids the commander in support of distinguished visitors, briefings, tours, displays, and orientations. The efforts of Emilio Torres merit recognition, not only for his years of dedicated service, but also for the indelible imprint that his artistic works have left on the San Antonio community.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Chairman, I will keep it brief, I do not want to consume the whole argument here with facts, but let us see what has happened in the recent past. The FCC has basically changed its own rules, which it can, to presently conform to 90 to 95 percent of what is now the generally accepted accounting principles. They are almost there, but they are not quite there, and as a result it does result in the keeping of two sets of books. The second set of facts is that this amendment leaves in place the FCC's ability to require information on costs from the local telephone companies. This is not an end run, this is simply regulatory reform, and we need it now. Please support the amendment.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincerest congratulations to Casey Lee Adkisson, Boy Scout, from San Antonio, TX, upon the notification of his advancement to the rank of Eagle Scout. Boy Scouts are awarded the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout based on their faith and obedience to the Scout Oath. The Scout Oath requires members to live with honor, loyalty, courage, cheerfulness, and an obligation to service. In addition, the rank of Eagle Scout is only bestowed once a Boy Scout satisfies duties including, the completion of 21 merit badges, performing a service project of significant value to the community, and additional requirements listed in the Scout Handbook. In receiving this special recognition, I believe that Eagle Scout Casey Lee Adkisson will guide and inspire his peers, toward the beliefs of the Scout Oath. I am proud to offer my congratulations to Casey on this respected accomplishment.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincerest congratulations to Matthew William Adkisson, Boy Scout, from San Antonio, TX, upon the notification of his advancement to the rank of Eagle Scout. Boy Scouts are awarded the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout based on their faith and obedience to the Scout Oath. The Scout Oath requires members to live with honor, loyalty, courage, cheerfulness, and an obligation to service. In addition, the rank of Eagle Scout is only bestowed once a Boy Scout satisfies duties including, the completion of 21 merit badges, performing a service project of significant value to the community, and additional requirements listed in the Scout Handbook. In receiving this special recognition, I believe that Eagle Scout Matthew William Adkisson will guide and inspire his peers, toward the beliefs of the Scout Oath. I am proud to offer my congratulations to Matthew on this respected accomplishment.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Madam Chairman, I am disappointed that the Rules Committee did not allow me the opportunity to offer on the floor the amendment on title insurance. I hoped to be able to explain the treatment of title insurance in the bill and ensure the protection of Texas state law. The title insurance section of H.R. 10--Section 305--generally prohibits national banks from underwriting or selling title insurance, either directly or through a subsidiary. There is a grandfather clause (Section 305(c)) that enables any national bank or national bank subsidiary currently engaged in title insurance sales activities to continue to engage in those activities. National banks would remain free, however, to underwrite and sell title insurance products through affiliates. The core prohibition on national bank and national bank subsidiary title insurance sales activities is based on the idea that there are problems associated with bank sales of title insurance. These are real problems, and I thought that the best way to address them was to limit bank-related title insurance activities to their affiliates. This was why I originally offered the amendment that was adopted by the House Banking Committee to require that title insurance sales be done only through affiliates. Section 305(b) of this bill has a ``parity'' exception that grants national banks parity with state-chartered banks in the sale of title insurance. The intent is to grant national banks in a State the power to sell title insurance products in the same manner and to the same extent as state-chartered banks that we actually and lawfully engaged in title insurance sales activities in that State. My amendment would simply have made it clear that Section 305(b) was a true parity provision. It would have made clear that national banks could sell title insurance products in a State only if state-chartered banks are actively and lawfully engaged in title insurance activity on the date of enactment. Alternatively, national banks could sell title insurance if a state expressly authorizes bank title insurance sales for national banks. Therefore, if the State legislature has not expressly authorized title insurance sales as a lawful power for its State banks, but has some other general statutory provision that might be interpreted as an authorization (but does not explicitly do so), that other general provision would not trigger parity rights for national banks. I thought this clarification was necessary because it is only in states where state legislatures had actually considered these problems that the unique problems associated with bank title insurance sales activities have been addressed. Texas State insurance law is very important to me, and I hope this clarification can still be made at some point during the consideration of the bill.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincerest congratulations to Jared Markgraf, Boy Scout, from San Antonio, TX, upon the notification of his advancement to the rank of Eagle Scout. Boy Scouts are awarded the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout based on their faith and obedience to the Scout Oath. The Scout Oath requires members to live with honor, loyalty, courage, cheerfulness, and an obligation to service. In addition the rank of Eagle Scout is only bestowed once a Boy Scout satisfies duties including, the completion of 21 merit badges, performing a service project of significant value to the community, and additional requirements listed in the Scout Handbook. In receiving this special recognition, I believe that Eagle Scout Jared Markgraf will guide and inspire his peers, toward the beliefs of the Scout Oath. I am proud to offer my congratulations to Jared on this respected accomplishment.

Mr. GONZALEZ

Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincerest congratulations to Kirk Thomas Buechner, Boy Scout, from San Antonio, TX, upon the notification of his advancement to the rank of Eagle Scout. Boy Scouts are awarded the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout based on their faith and obedience to the Scout Oath. The Scout Oath requires members to live with honor, loyalty, courage, cheerfulness, and an obligation to service. In addition the rank of Eagle Scout is only bestowed once a Boy Scout satisfies duties including, the completion of 21 merit badges, performing a service project of significant value to the community, and additional requirements listed in the Scout Handbook. In receiving this special recognition, I believe that Eagle Scout Kirk Thomas Buechner will guide and inspire his peers, toward the beliefs of the Scout Oath. I am proud to offer my congratulations to Kirk on this respected accomplishment.