Pete Gallego

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. I am happy to yield.

Mr. GALLEGO. Absolutely, Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield. I would point out that part of the conversation that we have had is asking the Senate to take action on a bill that the House sent over, when that is even a better argument for this motion, because the House bill is already back from the Senate in the House, and we can settle this question once and for all by instructing our conferees to accept that language. I would urge that we have 26 additional facilities. I would commit to the chairman that I will do all I can to make sure that it is not just 26 facilities, that if it needs to be 27, I am happy to do that. I have worked in a very bipartisan fashion with the Democratic and Republican members of the Armed Services Committee, particularly the freshman members of the committee, in order to do that.

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I am always happy to yield.

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, again, I am always happy. I love the process, and I am a huge believer in the democratic system, but I will tell you that the idea that we are stuck at 26 and we are stuck at 26 forever is not a credible argument because there are other vehicles in the process that would be just as rapid and just as fast if we would get over this idea, this pride of authorship, and if we would all work together on a bipartisan basis to fashion a solution that all veterans can live with. That is incredibly important. For me, this is a starting point, not an ending point. It is important, it seems to me--and I hope to do that by example, Mr. Speaker, that we stay away from the finger-pointing and the blame game--that we not be guilty of the fiery rhetoric I have never understood. As a west Texan, my instinct is always to put fires out. It is never my instinct to add additional fuel. So the partisan fires that rage in this building, it seems to me, need to be put out, and the interest of the American people and, in this case, the American veteran need to be put first and foremost and at the front and center of everything that we are doing. We shouldn't stand and salute the VA, as the chairman has indicated-- I agree with that--but we should stand and salute every single veteran who has served and every single veteran who deserves health care and who doesn't get it. We should apologize, Mr. Speaker, to every single veteran who has stood in line for those months and months at the VA and not been able to make it through that small funnel, and we should apologize to them if we don't broaden that funnel to allow more people to get more care. Yeah, there may be changes to the system, but those changes to the system are further down the hall, further down the way, further down the road, further down whatever. Today, here, we are talking about additional VA facilities. That one question we can settle, we can settle tonight or tomorrow, whenever the vote is on this, and we can make sure that we expand that pipeline, so that we don't try to push so many veterans through this really narrow pipeline, so that some of them get squeezed out of the system. We should make that pipeline bigger so that more people get served, and each of us, each of us--Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, agnostic--each of us should be proud of that vote. Stand up and salute our veterans, stand up and salute our people who served, and stand up and admit that they need access to health care. That is what this motion does, Mr. Speaker. On that note, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 7(c) of rule XXII, I hereby give notice of my intention to offer a motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 3230, the conference report on Veterans Access and Accountability. The form of the motion is as follows: Mr. Gallego moves that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 3230 (an Act to improve the access of veterans to medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes) be instructed to recede from disagreement with section 601 of the Senate amendment (relating to authorization of major medical facility leases).

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Madam Speaker, today, as we continue our journey through the 23rd District of Texas, I would like to talk about the newest city in the 23rd District and one of the newest cities in Texas, which is the city of San Elizario, with a population of about 12,000 people. Located south of El Paso, it is a small community that incorporated on November 5, 2013, after its residents voted to make it a city. Recently, on May 10, the people of the city of San Elizario elected their first mayor, Maya Sanchez, and the voters of San Elizario also elected council members Leticia Hurtado-Miranda, David Cantu, Miguel Najera, Jr., Rebecca Martinez-Juarez, and George Almanzar. While it is a new city, the San Elizario community has been around a very long time. In 1598, Don Juan de Onate, who was a Spanish conquistador and nobleman who was born in Zacatecas, led a group of more than 530 colonists and about 7,000 head of livestock from southern Chihuahua to settle the province of New Mexico. The group traveled a northeasterly route for weeks and crossed the desert until reaching the banks of the Rio Grande in present day--you guessed it--San Elizario. On April 30, 1598, the travelers, who were very thirsty, drank the cool water of the river and then celebrated with a thanksgiving mass and enjoyed a feast. They ate fish, fowl, and deer. That is actually considered the very first Thanksgiving ever celebrated in the present- day United States of America. Mr. Onate performed a ceremony known as ``La Toma,'' or ``the take,'' declaring the land a new province of Spain, to be ruled by King Phillip II. San Elizario was established around 1760 as a civilian settlement of Hacienda de los Tiburcios. In 1789, the Spaniards established a fort there called Presidio de San Elizario. The town grew around the fort and took the name of San Elizario. The word San Elizario actually comes from the Spanish word ``San Eliceario,'' known as the Roman Catholic patron saint of soldiers. The chapel there at the mission of San Elizario, or La Capilla, is one of three missions in El Paso--Socorro and Ysleta being the other two--and is part of El Paso's historic Mission Trail. During the 20th century, it served as the center of missionary work throughout the Mission Valley. The chapel was moved to its present site in 1789 to protect travelers and settlers along the Camino Real, or Royal Highway, which ran from Mexico through Ciudad Juarez, which was then called Paso del Norte, and on to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Upon Mexico's independence, the presidio fell into ruins. Rebuilding efforts didn't beginning until 1853, with a small church. The present structure was completed in 1882, and little has changed since then. I invite everyone to visit the city of San Elizario and the historic Mission Valley of El Paso to learn more about the cultures and traditions of the 23rd District of Texas. I congratulate the new city.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to continue our journey throughout the vast 23rd District of Texas and talk about San Felipe Del Rio, known today as Del Rio, Texas. San Felipe Del Rio was founded by the Spaniards in the 1600s. In fact, local lore talks about the Spaniards offering a mass there on St. Philip's Day in 1635, hence the name San Felipe. When the local post office was established in 1883, the name was condensed simply to Del Rio, in order to avoid confusion with San Felipe de Austin. Del Rio, from the onset, has been carried forward by those with innovation and entrepreneurship in their blood, from the San Felipe Agricultural, Irrigation, and Manufacturing Company, which first harnessed the clear waters of the San Felipe Creek to satisfy the thirst of crops and a growing population, to Julio's Corn Chips, which went from a smalltown favorite now being mailed to Texans abroad who want a little taste of home. From the skies over war-torn Europe to protecting our border, Del Rio has a long history of military accomplishment and continues to contribute to the safety and security of our Nation. In 1942, during World War II, the War Department opened Laughlin Field as a training base to prepare pilots for high-risk missions over European skies. In 1962, U-2 high-altitude spy planes that played a critical role in the discovery of Russian missiles hidden in Cuba were stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio. This action would eventually lead our Nation to having the resolve to win the Cold War. Through Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio continues its military tradition by training the greatest pilots in the world and serving as a base to those who guard our borders. Being a mix of Spanish and Mexican tradition, Del Rio is a cultural hub and an example of how in America many cultures can blend together to form something wonderful and exciting. In Del Rio, you can fill a day visiting a winery run by the Qualia family, which is the oldest winery in Texas; learn about regional history and see Judge Roy Bean's grave at the Whitehead Memorial Museum; or, you can catch an evening show by the Upstagers, Del Rio's award-winning live theater group. In fact, if you like the outdoors, visit Seminole Canyon, not far from Del Rio, which has one of the largest collections of Indian pictographs found anywhere in the world. You can also visit Devils River, which is the last river in Texas still in its natural state. If you are a sports fan, there are plenty of sporting events to catch, such as Del Rio's Mighty Ram football team, or the annual fishing tournament held on Lake Amistad, which is an absolutely phenomenal lake and a national recreational area run by the National Park Service. So if you find yourself near Del Rio, I invite you to experience the culture, take a dip in the clear waters of the San Felipe Creek, or catch a theater show. And bring back a bag of Julio's Corn Chips, which you are sure to enjoy.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for the time as well. I am not much for hyperbole or finger-pointing. I want to talk about what it is that is important about this bill for me as the representative of much of the Eagle Ford area in Texas and the Permian Basin. It is not about Keystone or even the President because it doesn't go into effect until 2016. All my life, I grew up hearing about the Arab oil wars, and I remember well the Arab oil embargo as a kid growing up in west Texas. I think we can do something today that secures our energy future for our kids and our grandkids. We can do this carefully, making sure that we preserve the environment for future generations. Sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act, which apply to the construction of facilities, still apply here. These facilities are still subject to NEPA review. They must still meet the same safety standards, which we all know are very important. As Mr. Matheson indicated, our neighbors to the north and south are increasingly vital partners as the rest of the world goes into the global economy. We need not constantly rely on oil from unstable parts of the world when we can get it here at home and get it safely-- underscore safely--and cleanly, and we can help our neighbors get it safely and cleanly, too. My hometown of Alpine is not located near oil or gas fields, but it is on the main line of a railroad, and in 2010, only 1 percent of U.S. oil production was moved by rail, and last year, it was up to 10 percent, and I have personally seen several derailments. One year, many of us in town had soap for a year as a result of a railroad derailment. I want my son to play in the Big Bend and float the Devils River with his kids, just as I did, and I also want to be sure that, when he flips the switch, the lights come on, or when he and his kids cook or use their air conditioners or their heaters, the energy is there to do what they need. Again, I want to thank the ranking member for the use of the time and the Chair and the ranking member for their work, and thank you for letting me share my thoughts.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to take note not only of a wonderful victory, but of a great example. The most popular NBA team in the 23rd District and one of the most popular NBA teams in the entire country, the San Antonio Spurs, are now the NBA champions, for the fifth time--the drive for five. There are some interesting things that Congress and the American people can learn from the Spurs. It is the most culturally diverse team in the NBA. In addition to Americans, there are folks from Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, and Australia. Tim Duncan, who has spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, started out playing basketball in the ninth grade, after he was not able to swim anymore because the swimming pool he used in the Virgin Islands was destroyed. None of the players are among the highest paid in the league. In fact, Tony Parker is the highest paid player and he ranked number 37 in the NBA. Five championships, some heartbreakingly close calls. In fact, last year they lost in the very last minute, but they never gave up. They continued working. They came back, and this year they won it all. The Spurs have the greatest coach in the NBA. Coach Popovich has been in San Antonio since 1996. He is the longest-tenured active coach in all Big Four sports leagues, and he has the most consecutive winning seasons, including playoffs, of any coach in the NBA--17. The Spurs have so much they can share. Their cultural diversity is their strength. They won because they played together and they played as a team. They trusted each other. They worked together. They didn't care who got the credit. One second you would be watching Tony Parker on a drive, the next second somebody else had the ball, and the next second they scored. All of these examples of working together, teamwork, understanding, and knowing that cultural diversity is a strength, all of these things, that drive and that determination, that practice every day, day in and day out, all of those things are examples that are well-suited to those of us who serve in Congress and well-suited to the American public at large. Never give up; never quit. That patchwork quilt of a basketball team is the same mosaic that represents all of America. And you know what? They weren't arrogant. They weren't hardcore. They come across just as they are, as humble, decent, good-hearted human beings. They are clearly the 23rd District's favorite basketball team. In fact, I have the privilege of representing several of them who live in the 23rd District. I think the more that America gets to know them, they will soon be America's most popular basketball team. Congratulations to each and every member of the NBA champs, the San Antonio Spurs, their coaches, their staff, their owners, and congratulations to each and every one of their fans.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment because I believe that government must respect the people that it serves and always remember that government is a servant of the people. Several years ago, the Department of Agriculture closed an inspection station that was incredibly important to the city of Presidio in Presidio County, Texas. When I took office some 18 months ago and made inquiries, USDA never returned phone calls, never made any effort to work with us to determine why it is that that inspection station was closed. They refused to work with the city or the county or the local business community, and so businesses across the area were harmed in a way that they will never get their money back as a result of all of the lost business. Presidio was the leading cattle importation port in the country at the time. This amendment would zero fund their Office of Congressional Relations in an attempt to get the attention of the Department of Agriculture and indicate to them that their behavior is totally, thoroughly, and completely unacceptable. People in Presidio, as well as people elsewhere across the Nation, deserve respect. Those men and women who run businesses and depend on the cattle industry in that part of the State deserve to have their questions answered. For the Department to drag its feet for more than 2 years before giving a simple answer as to why that action was taken by the Department is totally, thoroughly and completely inexcusable. As I said, Mr. Chairman, this amendment would zero fund their Office of Congressional Relations in an attempt to get their attention. Having offered the amendment, Mr. Chairman, and made my point, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the second anniversary of the passing of three constituents of the 23rd District of Texas who died in a tragic accident on May 26, 2012--Alex Alvarez, his wife, Maritza Alvarez and her mother, Olga A. Valdez. I rise today to speak in their honor. I honor their lives. Like all of us, they sought a better life. They worked hard to achieve success. Like many of us, they were parents who longed to see their son and grandson graduate from high school, go off to college, get married, and generally succeed at life. Unfortunately, they got none of the above. Their deaths were caused by a person who was texting and driving. Poor judgment caused a terrible tragedy. The lone survivor of this horrific car accident was Alex and Maritza's young son, Alex Jr. Alex and Maritza were hard workers. Alex was a native son of the border, having been born in Eagle Pass, Texas. He worked in the IT department of the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center. Maritza was also a native daughter of the border region. She was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, the sister city to Eagle Pass. She worked in Eagle Pass as a dental assistant. Olga A. Valdez was born in San Luis Potosii, Mexico. She was a devoted grandmother, mother, and sister. Three lives tragically cut short. One young boy left to face life alone without his parents. One moment of poor judgment by an inattentive third party--nothing, absolutely nothing in that text could've been worth the cost of three lives not yet fully lived. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the lives of Alex and Maritza Alvarez, to commend the courage of a young boy, Alex Alvarez Jr., who still I'm sure struggles to make sense of the loss he has suffered, and urge the residents of the 23rd District of Texas and our entire Nation not to text and drive.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Rogers and the ranking member for an opportunity to work on this issue with them, and I certainly wish Chairman Rogers well in his future endeavors. Mr. Chairman, this amendment helps us find ways to ensure that our veterans and other former public servants can continue their service to our country on cybersecurity, a critical national security need that will only grow in importance over the next several years. While Congress is well aware of the challenges that we face in cybersecurity, it is important to understand that cyber attacks are not only aimed at the government, where they challenge our national security and endanger our troops, but these attacks also target our Nation's economic advantages, our core advantages, when they steal proprietary information and intellectual property from American firms that lead the Nation and lead the world in innovation. In fact, for the private sector, it is important to know that an IP theft in the U.S. costs companies upwards of $250 billion a year, and global cyber crime costs $338 billion. And when you factor in downtime, either way, that is a lot of money. And we spent up to--no kidding--$1 trillion fixing these problems. These highlight an important point, that if these attacks on American companies are so bad, just use your imagination to figure the threat of foreign-based cyber attacks on the Department of Defense or other critical intelligence agencies. And there is no better group of people than our veterans and our retired members of the intelligence community who could be ready to assist in cybersecurity. This amendment allows us to do everything we can to support our veterans who are looking for jobs along with those retired members of the intelligence community who have already demonstrated their commitment to public service. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, many of our servicemembers have made the ultimate sacrifice. There are 4,423 that have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom; 66 in Operation New Dawn; and, as of yesterday, 2,320 have died in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, where I just returned from this week. But many of the thousands upon thousands of our troops who did make it home to see their mothers, fathers, spouses, and kids are alive today because actionable intelligence helped them achieve their missions more safety. While there has been a lot of criticism about intelligence collection--and we have had a very robust debate on these issues--I think it is important that we concentrate on the fact that intelligence is so critical to the lives of our men and women in uniform. And it really does help them come back home today safe with their families because of the work of our numerous intelligence agencies who have provided the information they need to stay alive. Mr. Chairman, I also want to do a shout-out to the Air Force ISR Agency in San Antonio, in Bexar County. I know that they do critical work to protect and defend our liberty each and every day. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to continue my journey through the 23rd District of Texas and saddle up and ride along the Butterfield Trail to a place that is truly American, and that is the city of Pecos, Texas, home of the Eagles, the mighty purple and gold. Pecos is on Forbes' Top 400 Fastest-Growing Small Towns list. Spurred by growth in agriculture, Pecos is the home of the sweetest cantaloupes--Pecos cantaloupes--grown anywhere in the country, and also of incredible growth in oil and gas, as Pecos is part of the Permian Basin. Pecos can be found sitting quietly in rich tradition just outside the Chihuahuan Desert where the Pecos River flows. The formidable Pecos River was nearly impossible to ford at one time. But being intrepid citizens, Americans using their ingenuity explored and discovered several places of the river where they could cross, and they founded the city of Pecos. The city of Pecos was established in the late 1800s, and with the arrival of the Texas Pacific Railroad in 1881, Pecos functioned as a transportation hub and created something that was Texas tough, kind of a combination of a cowboy culture and a Hispanic culture that still thrives even today. Many outlaws like Bill Earhart and John Denson met their end in Pecos, messing with the Texas tough values of Pecos. That combination of cultures encouraged competitiveness. As a result, the dusty air was filled with cowboys contending for bragging rights through friendly rivalries that would eventually lead to the first ever rodeo on July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas. The winner of many Pecos rodeos was that mythical person Pecos Bill, a man who legend says was raised by coyotes and can be found in many movies and many books. Today, Pecos continues that longest-running annual rodeo. If you are lucky, perhaps you can catch a glimpse of Pecos Bill still carrying on that rich tradition of accomplishment, perhaps eating a cantaloupe--as I said, one of the fruits that that area is famous for. I invite all to visit Pecos, to learn more about the culture, the beauty, the traditions of the 23rd District. I am certain you won't regret your visit to west Texas.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GALLEGO. I, too, want to start by thanking Chairman Wolf for his service and by wishing him the best of luck on his next steps after retirement. I would also like to take a moment to thank Representative John Culberson and Representative Cory Gardner for their help on this amendment and for making this effort bipartisan. Mr. Chairman, this amendment seeks to add additional revenue to the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program. It is a rural program that enhances the safety of children, youth, and adults who are victims of domestic violence or who are victims of stalking or of dating violence or of sexual assault. Frankly, in rural areas across the 23rd District and in much of the country, domestic violence shelters survive on grant programs of various kinds, and money like this is the lifeblood of many of these shelters. This amendment provides additional revenue to keep those shelters open and operating and protecting these victims of crimes, victims who so desperately need protection. It also adds additional revenue to the Violence Against Women prevention and prosecution programs, which are programs that also help to assist the victims of crime. In addition to that, it helps to make sure that we put these people behind bars. I have had a long history of being involved with the criminal justice movement, and I have had the opportunity in the Texas legislature to serve as chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over crime victims and crime victims' rights, and I can think of no better way to spend revenue than to make sure that victims are protected and taken care of, particularly the victims who are children, who are so in need of our assistance. Mr. Chairman, I ask that this amendment be adopted. Again, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Culberson and Mr. Gardner and Chairman Wolf and our ranking member as well for their help in drafting the amendment and in making sure that all of the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I serve on the House Armed Services Committee, and through that assignment I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors, and their families. Like all Americans, I certainly want our sons and daughters to be safe when we send them into harm's way. We want to take as much care of them as we possibly can. The media has talked some about some of the documents that were released by Mr. Snowden, but there were at one point 7 million documents that were released. Many of these documents didn't even relate to the NSA. When those files are disclosed in the press and they are disclosed to our adversaries that naturally puts our sons and daughters in harm's way. It should say something that the first place you go is China and the second place you go is Russia. That should say something to the American people. This Memorial Day, I want the American people to focus on those men and women, our country's sons and daughters, who have honorably served our Nation and have stood by their brothers in arms and protected one another as we have asked them to fight for us. Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, thank you for your work on this legislation.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of John Villafranco, of San Antonio, Texas. John graduated in 2007 from Ronald Reagan High School in the city's Northside. He would have been 25 on May 31, 2014. John was a drummer with a band called Northern Nights and they played at several venues in San Antonio. He met his wife, Lydia Marlow, of Watertown, New York, four years ago at one of the band's shows. Shortly after, they began a relationship and John moved to New York. John drowned on April 21, 2014, while fishing with his wife, Lydia, in New York State. The two lived on the Black River in Watertown. John loved to take a canoe out to go fishing. On that day, the water levels of the river were high, and the water was cold. The couple dropped an anchor to fish; and shortly after the boat capsized. John and Lydia then swam towards a group of soldiers from nearby Fort Drum. John was swimming well, but went back to save his wife's life when he noticed Lydia was having trouble swimming and keeping up. John kept his wife above water and then, with all the strength he had, he threw Lydia towards the soldiers. She was transported to a nearby hospital where she was hospitalized for hypothermia. Lydia survived. Days after the tragic event, local police and firefighters continued to search for John to no avail. Since then, the search has been called off and John's body was recovered. He did not have life insurance and was about to start working at a car wash in New York. John is survived by his wife, Lydia; parents, Gilbert and Blanche Villafranco; sisters and their spouses, Natalia Villafranco and Andrew Fetzner, and Monica Villafranco and Rene Trevino; nephews, Joshua and Nicholas; grandmother, Aurora Garza; his pet fur babies, Otto, Leo and Skynard; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. It is with great sadness that I tell this story on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today. We lost a fellow Texan and San Antonian in a very tragic way. May his memories, joy and stories live in our lives forever. I pray that God may comfort his family, friends and loved ones during these very tough times. I also pray for John and that he may be resting in peace.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I, too, would like to thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership. I am glad to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from each of them, and I certainly wish the chairman well in his future endeavors. This legislation marks more than 50 years of bipartisan agreements on national defense. Not many committees in the U.S. Congress can say that. As a new Member, I am proud to be part of that tradition. However, the bill only buys us a little time. Unless Congress provides relief from sequestration, next year's decisions will be exponentially more difficult. Yet we must do everything to be sure that our sons and daughters have what they need to be successful and safe, both at home and abroad. That means training or weapons or materials or supplies or equipment or machinery. Our sons and our daughters deserve the very best. Texas is extremely proud of its connection to our military. Important installations like Fort Bliss, Laughlin Air Force Base, and Joint Base San Antonio are core parts of our economy and our communities. Texas is home to many of our warfighters--soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines--and both the civilian and military personnel who support them. I, too, am proud to support our men and women in uniform. Thus, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and, like today, work in a bipartisan fashion that ends sequestration tomorrow, and from here on out, work in that same bipartisan fashion. May God's blessings be upon all the men and women in uniform who are impacted by this bill and their families. I want to thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith. It was a pleasure working with them both on this bill.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of Pedro Huiizar. A surveyor by trade, his family roots and history date to the 1700s when accuracy in surveying depended on personal skill--not technology. Pedro was born in 1740. As a young man, he was trained as a sculptor in Spain and then sailed to the New World to seek his fortune. Thirty-eight years later, he married his first love, Mariia de la Trinidad Henriques. Historical records are somewhat hazy, but we know they had at least four children: three boys and a daughter. Sadly, in an event lost to history, Mariia died. Pedro would later remarry to Mariia Gertrudis Martinez in 1798. In April 1793, Pedro was appointed surveyor when the San Antonio de Valero Mission--the mission we now know as The Alamo--was secularized. He was also present when Governor Manuel Munnoz distributed lands to 23 adult Indians. He too received a small piece of land for his service. Pedro went on to survey the lands at the missions San Francisco de Espada, San Juan Capistrano, San Josee and San Miguel de Aguayo, and Nuestra Sennora de la Puriisima Concepcioon de Acunna. Around 1790, Pedro was commissioned by Governor Manuel Munnoz to draw the plans for reconstruction of the San Antonio de Beexar Presidio. Shortly after, on March 4, 1791, Pedro was sent to La Bahia to report on the feasibility of irrigation for lands around Nuestra Sennora de Loreto Presidio, but later concluded that the efforts would be too costly. Through his profession as a surveyor, Pedro Huiizar played an important role by surveying the various missions and the presidios of San Antonio de Beexar. His reputation for honesty and sound judgment earned the trust of his community and made others call upon him when a reliable assessment or survey was required. After many years of service, Pedro Huiizar was appointed a justicia at San Josee in 1794 by Governor Munnoz. Later, in 1796, he was appointed justicia at Concepcioon, also by Governor Munnoz. In that position, he oversaw the temporal affairs of the Native American population. Today, Pedro is most known as the probable designer or sculptor of the window of the sacristy at San Jose Mission. No documents exist to prove he was the sculptor, but it is believed he was the artist in charge of both the rose window and the faccade. There are several variations of the legend concerning Pedro's connection with the rose window. Some claim that the window was dedicated to Saint Rose of Lima, but there are no roses in the window, only figs. The Huiizar family maintains that the window was dedicated to Rosa, a love lost on the journey to the New World. Today, on this floor, I honor the life and legacy of Pedro Huiizar. I also honor his descendants--many of whom even today still live in the San Antonio area and in the area of the San Antonio missions.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, today, in my 23-in-1 journey, I would like to take you to a beautiful city in West Texas known as Marfa. Established in 1883 as a water stop for the railroad, Marfa has become a cultural mixing bowl, with cowboys and artists alike. Located in the Trans-Pecos area at an altitude of over 4,800 feet and situated on what is known as the Marfa Plateau, it is surrounded by a beautiful landscape that has served as the backdrop to many notable movies, like the film ``Giant,'' starring James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor. Despite having a population of only 2,000 people, Marfa has become a hidden cultural hub in the desert. It is a place filled with cowboys and art galleries, Mexican food and Texas barbecue. In Marfa, you will find one of the most beautiful, historic courthouses in Texas. The antelope literally play amongst the rich outdoor art, and the tourists come to relax, surrounded by big city culture in a town with only one traffic light. In Marfa, the old crashes with the new to form a harmony that is truly American. I am honored to represent a city so rich in art, cultural life, and history. Mr. Speaker, I invite everyone to Marfa.