Rubén Hinojosa

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca), a good friend and important member of the Hispanic Caucus. (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HINOJOSA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I also want to first express my condolences to the family of my good friend and colleague, Patsy Mink. The people of Hawaii and this Nation have experienced a tremendous loss. I worked with Patsy Mink for 6 years on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and always found her to be a tireless advocate for children and workers. I will truly miss her wisdom, her wit, and her fighting spirit. She fought for all students to have an opportunity to access quality education and have access to higher education. Madam Speaker, with those thoughts having been expressed, I rise today to strongly support H. Res. 561, honoring the contributions of the more than 200 Hispanic-serving institutions, known as HSIs, throughout the United States. I want to acknowledge the assistance of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) in bringing this bill to the House floor. I also want to acknowledge the contributions which the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) has made to HSIs over the years. It is encouraging to see bipartisan support for these educational institutions of higher learning. I was very pleased to hear the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) talk about the opportunity that I had in 1997-1998 during reauthorization of higher education to raise the level of awareness of the Nation for the work that the Hispanic-serving institutions are making in helping so many Latino students go to college and be able to raise the level of education attainment for this community. This bipartisan support will become increasingly important as we reauthorize the Higher Education Act in 2003. In the last decade we have made significant progress in narrowing the gap of achievement between minority students and Anglo-Saxon students. We must continue to close that gap for Hispanics so that they, too, are successful in their higher education pursuits. Why is this important? It is important because Latinos are the fastest-growing population in the country. If Latinos are to fully contribute to society and this great Nation, then Hispanic students must be given access to educational opportunities. While the increase in Hispanics pursuing a postsecondary education is significant, it is still not keeping pace with the Hispanic American presence in the general population, nor with the pool of Latino high school graduates. For my colleagues who are not familiar with HSIs, they are defined as institutions of higher learning with a Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or greater. A percentage must be low-income and first- generation students. These college institutions are often located in low tax-base communities and too often are grossly underfunded. Until 1996, there were 200 eligible HSIs competing for only $10 million for the whole country. Needless to say, only a small percentage received funding. During the 1997-1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Congress included for the first time language that addressed these woefully neglected institutions. Since then, funding has significantly increased. Yes, as the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) said earlier, it has now gotten up to $86 million. We certainly hope that the leadership will consider some amount greater than 3 or 4 percent, but instead possibly looking at a 25 percent increase to be able to keep up with the need that we have for HSIs. Yet despite these increases, it has been difficult to further develop these institutions because funding remains problematic at both the State and Federal levels. This neglect is a national crisis because HSIs produce most of the Nation's Hispanic college graduates receiving associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Almost two- thirds of the 1.5 million Hispanic students in higher education are enrolled in these HSIs. These colleges offer a real future to those who successfully complete their high school requirements. The majority of HSIs are found in California, Arizona, Florida, Puerto Rico, New York and Illinois. There are also institutions in Washington State and New Jersey. Due to the projected growth of the Hispanic population nationwide, the number of HSIs are expected to increase significantly. There are currently 100 additional institutions on the verge of being declared HSIs. In closing, today we are honoring and recognizing the tremendous positive contributions that HSIs are making in training the next generation of Americans. However, we need to do more than commend HSIs. We need to give them the resources they need to continue their work. I strongly urge all my colleagues to support House Resolution 561. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, although I support this continuing resolution, I want to sound a warning to my colleagues. Last year, many of us proudly went to the White House and stood with the President as he signed the No Child Left Behind Act. That bill instituted many needed reforms and authorized additional funding to help poor and disadvantaged children. I was very disappointed when the President's Fiscal Year 2003 budget did not provide the money necessary to fulfill the promise of that historic bill. Yet today we are heading down a path that will be even more tragic. No matter how inadequate the President's budget, it at least provided some minimal increases to several critical programs. If in the next few weeks, however, we agree to a long-term continuing resolution, even those scant increases will be gone. What does this mean to our children? It means that states with sizeable Hispanic student populations like Texas, California, New York and Florida will lose almost $2 billion in funding for Title I. California, Texas, New York, Arizona, New Mexico and Illinois will lose $63 million just under the English Language Acquisition State Grants program. This program serves 950,000 limited-English proficient and immigrant children. These are the children who need the most help, yet we will be denying them access to education they deserve. If we pass a long-term CR will be freezing funding for TRIO, GEAR-UP, Migrant Education, drop-out prevention, and the College Assistance Migrant Programs. All of these programs heavily impact Hispanic students nationwide. A long-term CR will leave thousands of Hispanic children behind. We do not need a long-term continuing resolution, we need a fully funded education appropriations bill for all the children in this country. I urge my colleagues to take heed.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an outstanding member of the Hispanic community. Dolores Huerta has dedicated her life to fighting for equality and fairness for our Nation's farm workers. She has fought equally hard to protect first amendment rights and other issues of justice. Ms. Huerta began her career as an educator. Her students were the children of farm workers and they routinely went without adequate food and clothing. In response, she founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization to educate and provide assistance to these laborers. This initial effort grew into the founding of the National Farm Worker Association, a precursor to United Farm Workers Organizing Committee. Ms. Huerta, along with this organization, has advocated against the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and Parath; on and has led a national campaign for environmental justice. Ms. Huerta was inducted to the Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. She has received the American Civil Liberties Union Roger Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award, as well as many other prestigious recognitions of her dedication. I am proudly cosponsor H. Con. Res. 177, a bipartisan resolution to honor Dolores Huerta for her tireless efforts on behalf of our nation. Her work particularly interests the 15th Congressional District of Texas, as 60 percent of the national migrant population resides in this area of south Texas. October 15, 2002 marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. I urge my colleagues to bring H. Con. Res. 177 to the floor before the end of this month in order to appropriately acknowledge the contributions of Dolores Huerta, a truly historic Latina.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution honoring the patriots of September 11, 2001. A year ago, our nation suffered a terrible blow. Thousands of our friends and neighbors were lost in an attack by terrorists who despise America and all it represents. This morning, many of us in Washington came together at the Pentagon Observance to comfort and pray for all of those who are experiencing renewed memories of the pain and anguish of that tragic day. This afternoon, we come to reaffirm our resolve to stand strong for the ideals of liberty and unity. September 11, 2001 was one of the worst days in our history. It was also one of our finest hours. That day, America showed the world that, through the spirit and courage of the American people, this great nation did not and will not crumble despite those who try to tear it down. Many people were heroes that day. Some of their stories have been told, but many acts of courage will never be known. Emergency responders braved fire and flames to climb the stairways of the World Trade Centers in New York City to help people evacuate. Ordinary office workers carried strangers down hundreds of stairs to safety. At the Pentagon in Washington, DC, military and civilian personnel went into the inferno over and over again to rescue their coworkers who were trapped. Heroic passengers abroad Flight 93 sacrificed their lives on a field in Pennsylvania to prevent the deaths of hundreds more of their fellow Americans. Yet even while the Pentagon burned and the World Trade Center towers fell, we were already preparing our response to this act of war. On the other side of the Pentagon, the military was making its plans. Within an incredibly short time, Congress came together in a bi-partisan manner and quickly passed historic legislation to secure our homeland and our skies. Many of our allies pledged to stand with the U.S.A., in our war against terrorists. We will always remember those nations who have fought by our side in this war. A year later, we have accomplished much. The Pentagon has been made whole. The rubble at Ground Zero has been cleared. Al-Qaeda has been defeated and stripped of its power base in Afghanistan. Our brave servicemen and women, together with Allied Forces, are far from home, but are proudly carrying out their mission of destroying what's left of Al-Qaeda's terrorists. Today, as we remember the patriots of September 11 and mourn their loss, let us never compromise the ideals of liberty for which they, like so many Americans before them, have died. Let us honor them by remaining strong in our unity and in our diversity. Let us always remember that good overcomes evil and darkness is always followed by light. The American flag represents freedom and still proudly waves. With our strength and resolve, we shall remain united in freedom . . . ``one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.''

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues in paying tribute to my good friend, Tony Hall. When I heard the news that Tony had been selected to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, I immediately thought that there could be no one more qualified for this job. Tony's passion for improving nutrition and ending hunger and homelessness is legendary. He not only talks tirelessly about the need to solve the problems of hunger, but he also acts on his beliefs. He has led hunger fasts and countless vigils to bring national attention to the needs of the homeless and the hungry. He has traveled repeatedly to developing countries to see first-hand the ravages of hunger and provide his excellent counsel to governments trying to deal with this enormous problem. I have been proud to work with Tony on issues of child nutrition and today, largely due to his efforts, every child in this country gets at least one nutritional meal through their school. With the expansion of the School breakfast program, thousands of children now receive two meals. I will sorely miss his advice and counsel, but know he is moving on to even greater things. The United Nations will give him a global forum to continue his mission of bringing real help to those in need. Tony, God speed and good luck.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2990. I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), subcommittee chairman; the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), the full committee chairman; as well as the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall); the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin); the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith); and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) for all of their help in moving our legislation to the House floor. South Texas has reached a crisis stage. A decade-long drought combined with a 1.5 million acre-feet water debt owed by Mexico has left our water reservoirs dangerously low at only 25 percent of capacity. As a result, south Texas farmers have lost much of their crops. Our farmers are unable to plant new ones and are losing their farms because bank loans are being called. The sustainable growth of the region is in jeopardy. Agriculture has long been a cornerstone of the south Texas economy, and the devastating effects of the drought upon farmers are rippling throughout the entire economy in our country. Economists have estimated that the water shortage has cost the Texas economy almost $1 billion in the last 10 years, and costs are now mounting at a pace of more than $400 million annually. This means that south Texas has lost thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity. Given our chronic double-digit unemployment rate along the border, these are simply jobs that we cannot afford to lose. The agricultural and economic losses are not the only areas in which the drought has had a serious negative effect. The environmental negative impact has been felt as well. The Rio Grande River no longer flows into the Gulf of Mexico, which has adversely impacted a number of economically and ecologically important marine species. It is quite clear that the drought, compounded by Mexico's refusal to comply with the terms of the 1944 water treaty, is having a devastating effect upon all aspects of our community. We must continue our efforts to press Mexico to deliver the water that is owed us, but we must also be more efficient in transporting what little irrigation water we have. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that in his most recent agreement with Mexico, the President has promised to fund water conservation projects in Mexico and the U.S. The projects authorized in our bill, H.R. 2990, are the type of conservation projects that will go a long way towards helping us modernize our antiquated water delivery systems on the U.S. side of the border. Currently, we lose up to 35 percent of our water to evaporation and to seepage. This legislation would allow the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct these planned projects that would significantly improve conservation of our scarce water resources. Specifically, this bill authorizes $47 million in new funding for water conservation and infrastructure improvement projects along the Texas/Mexico border from Brownsville to McAllen to Laredo to El Paso, Texas. These are badly needed financial resources that will be an important investment in the future of the South Texas border region. In closing, let me say that after holding several hearings, including field hearings in Weslaco and Brownsville, Texas, this bill was approved unanimously by both the Subcommittee on Water and Power and the full Committee on Resources. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2990.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, recent corporate scandals, including Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Merck, Rite-Aid, Xerox, and so many other corporations have demonstrated the need for our government to take action and bring order, justice, and trust back to our Nation's corporate infrastructure. Criminal practices put in place by high-paid executives demonstrate irresponsibility, hurt investors and employees, jeopardize innocent rank-and-file-worker pensions and retirement systems, and must come to an end. We need to send strong legislation from this House that will make crooked accounting, cooked financial records, and careless corporate executives a thing of the past. To do this effectively, we must craft legislation that puts fear in would-be corporate criminals. Stiff prison sentences for white collar criminals are a must and not an option. High-level executives who have defrauded investors, misled employees, and mismanaged company pension funds must be held accountable. I support legislation that requires honest accounting, independent investment advice, sensible regulation, and criminal penalties for those guilty of wrongdoing. We cannot have economic growth without eliminating corporate crime.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor and personal privilege to stand before you to pay tribute to one of our bravest and finest Americans, Pete C. Jaramillo, a loving father and grandfather, devoted son and brother, courageous soldier, loyal civil servant and great human being. Pete C. Jaramillo of Belen, New Mexico, passed away on April 26, 2002, after a long illness. He will be remembered for his quiet strength, gentle manner, humility, deep compassion, kindness, and his dignity. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Mr. Jaramillo was born in Arroyo Colorado (Red Canyon), New Mexico, a small community in the Manzano Mountains. He was the first son and one of nine children born to Aurelia Chavez and Andres Jaramillo. Like many children reared in the 1920s and early 1930s, the Great Depression forced Mr. Jaramillo to grow up quickly. Economic hardships were abundant, and there was always someone's situation that was worse than his. The Depression taught Jaramillo the importance of helping others, and throughout his life he was known to lend a helping hand to those in need. In 1941, at the age of 17, Mr. Jaramillo joined President Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, a New Deal program designed to create jobs and rebuild America's roads and infrastructure. He and his troop of Company 2867, Camp SCS-27-N, maintained New Mexico's treasured forests and streams. As a devoted son and brother, he shared his meager wages with his family. During World War II, Mr. Jaramillo was called to serve his country. After completing his basic and advanced infantry training at Fort Bliss, Texas, he was deployed to Europe where the Germans had invaded the Allies. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, U.S. servicemen landed on Omaha Beach in France. Jaramillo was among the first wave of servicemen who landed on Omaha Beach. Unlike countless troops, Jaramillo survived the Normandy invasion only to be severely wounded by a hand grenade 6 weeks later. He was hospitalized for 4 months before returning to the U.S. His near fatal wounds affected him all the days of his life. By the age of 20, Mr. Jaramillo's decorations and citations included the Combat Infantry Badge, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Badge, the Good Conduct Badge, the Victory Medal, and the Purple Heart, which he received when he was wounded on July 12, 1944. On August 19, 2000, Mr. Jaramillo received the Jubilee Medal of Liberty issued by the Governor of Normandy, publicly recognizing the sacrifice and service of veterans who served in the Normandy invasion between June 6 and August 31, 1944. ``I am very proud to receive this recognition and I am thinking about the men who went to France and never returned,'' said Jaramillo in his acceptance remarks. Upon his honorable discharge in 1946, Jaramillo returned to his home in New Mexico. In 1947 he married Jennie Vallejos, a friend of his two sisters, Sally and Aurora, and together they raised four daughters and two sons: Ida May, Pete Jr., Maria Rita, Maria Leonella (Nellie), David, and Lynda. He also had four grandchildren: Eddie Jaramillo, Jason Griego, and Billy and Selena Manzanares. He was a good provider, devoted father, grandfather and son-in-law. Jaramillo served as a surrogate father to numerous nieces and nephews, providing guidance and support. In 1980, Mr. Jaramillo retired after completing 30 years of Federal service. He received many commendations for his outstanding performance and rarely missed a day of work. His last assignment was with Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mr. Jaramillo enjoyed the simple things in life, his family, the sun upon his face, grape juice, chocolate, a country breakfast and, yes, Sunday drives. An avid reader, he liked to keep up with current events. Above everything, Pete exemplified a life of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. May he rest in peace.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unavoidably detained in my Congressional District. Had I been present, I would have voted yes on rollcalls 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256 and 257.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Republican prescription drug bill. For years, our seniors have been begging for help to obtain affordable prescription drugs. The bill before us today gives relief to the large drug companies, not our vulnerable seniors. It forces Medicare patients into multiple private drug plans, undercuts seniors' collective purchasing power, and enables the drug industry to maintain its unjustifiably high prices. By contrast, the Democratic plan would provide voluntary prescription drug coverage for all Medicare beneficiaries. The plan curbs drug costs by allowing the Secretary to use the collective bargaining power of Medicare's 40 million beneficiaries to negotiate lower drug prices. But we will not have the opportunity to vote on this sensible plan that is supported by the majority of Americans because the Republican leadership is afraid it would pass. I urge my colleagues to oppose the sham Republican proposal and say no to the big drug companies. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for yielding me this time. I rise in support of H.R. 3129, the Customs Border Security Act of 2001. As a Member representing a border community, I am pleased that Congress is taking action to improve the security of our borders. The customs officials and inspectors who work along the U.S.-Mexico border are hardworking, dedicated people, who do an outstanding job with very limited resources. For too many years they have been short staffed and have worked long hours of overtime to keep our ports open. I want to thank the members of the Committee on Ways and Means for recognizing this problem. This bill will authorize funding to hire additional personnel and to upgrade detection and inspection equipment. This new equipment and personnel will make it easier for customs officials to stop illegal drug trafficking and improve our anti-terrorism capabilities. At the same time, it will help keep trade, the lifeblood of border communities, moving efficiently through our ports. I want to commend the ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), for his work in crafting an amendment that improves the underlying bill by addressing several concerns expressed by groups like the National Council of La Raza and the American Civil Liberties Union. The Rangel amendment protects customs officials from personal liability for monetary damages in civil suits while at the same time providing recourse to individuals whose civil rights are violated. Our Nation's security depends on the security of our borders and ports. I urge my colleagues to support the Rangel amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Democratic substitute and in opposition to the underlying bill. Education and training are the cornerstones upon which we on this floor have built our future. This bill should be stressing basic literacy, English as a second language, GED completion and on-the-job training rather than cynically labeling them welfare scholarships. In my congressional district, I have seen how education can bring economic prosperity to one of the poorest regions in the country. Our unemployment rates have dropped from over 20 percent to almost 10 percent. Only a few days ago, the President signed the agriculture bill to restore access to food stamps for legal permanent residents and overcame the mean-spirited denial of food for poor families that had been in effect for 5 years. The Democratic substitute provides significant reforms as well as the resources needed to implement them. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Democratic substitute and against the Republican bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Democratic substitute and in opposition to the underlying bill. First, I want to commend my colleagues George Miller, Patsy Mink and Ben Cardin for their hard work and leadership in drafting this substitute. We all agree that we need to encourage work, but people need access to real jobs that will lead them out of poverty. The ``make work'' approach of workfare in this Republican bill, has only led people into working poor status, and has not improved their economic situation. Education and training are the cornerstones upon which we on this Floor have built our future. This bill should be stressing basic literacy, English-as-Second-Language, GED completion, and on-the-job training rather than cynically labeling them ``welfare scholarships.'' In my congressional district, I have seen how education can bring economic prosperity to one of the poorest regions in the country. Our unemployment rates have dropped from over 20 percent to almost 10 percent. Only a few days ago, the President signed the Agriculture bill to restore access to food stamps for legal permanent residents and overcame the mean-spirited denial of food for poor families that had been in effect for 5 years. Yet today we stand here ready to again weaken this program purely for ideological purposes. The Republican ``super waiver'' provision would undermine critical programs like the Workforce Investment Program and the Childcare Development block grant. Yet without adequate childcare, transportation and flexible work-hours, what mother can concentrate on work when their child is home alone or in substandard childcare? The Republican proposal is empty rhetoric because it is critically underfunded. It puts ideological sound bites over real welfare reform. Even the Nation's Governors have expressed their reservations about the poor policy and unfunded mandates in this bill. The Democratic substitute provides significant reforms as well as the resources needed to implement them. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Democratic substitute and against the Republican bill.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia. And while I share my colleague's goal of promoting national security by ensuring the safety of our borders, I am convinced that the unintended consequences of this amendment would cause it to do more harm than good. Mr. Chairman, in the wake of September 11, it is more essential than ever that we provide the tools necessary for our military to defend this country. Yet this amendment would give the men and women of the armed services the mandate of acting not only as soldiers but as policemen, customs agents, and border patrol officers. Mr. Chairman, the amendment requires that before any troops be allowed to serve on the border they must undergo a law enforcement training program. This would require valuable time and money that could be spent training our troops to do the job they signed up to do, rather than to be police officers and customs agents. If we want to provide more security at the border, we should provide more resources to the INS and Customs Service, not ask military to duplicate the work that existing agents are performing. Mr. Chairman, the President already has the power should he need it, but this amendment is counterproductive to the goals of this legislation. Let us not stretch them thinner by asking them to not only do their jobs, but the jobs of others as well. While I share my colleague's goal of promoting national Security by ensuring the safety of our borders, I am convinced that the unintended consequences of this amendment would cause it to do more harm than good. Mr. Chairman, in the wake of September 11, it is more essential than ever that we provide the tools necessary for our military to defend this country. In a world of limited resources, this means giving our military a clear and specific mandate that will allow it to most efficiently use the resources we give it. Yet this amendment would give the men and women of the armed services the mandate of acting not only as soldiers, but as policemen, customs agents, and border patrol officers. This is an unreasonable burden to place upon our troops at a time when we need them to be prepared to join the war against terror at a moment's notice. I believe that this amendment would be extraordinarily expensive and counter-productive. The amendment requires that before any troops be allowed to serve on the border, they must undergo a law enforcement training program. This would require valuable time and money that could be spent training our troops to do the job they signed up to do, rather than to be police officers and customs agents. Furthermore, even after they are trained, the amendment would require that all members of the military working on the border be accompanied by a civilian law enforcement officer at all times. This creates an enormously duplicative yet costly role for troops that we desperately need elsewhere. If we want to provide more security at the border, we should provide more resources to the INS and customs Service, not ask our military to duplicate the work that existing agents are performing. Mr. Chairman, the President already has this power should he need it. But this amendment is counter-productive to the goals of this legislation. I have heard many Members in this Chamber today claim that our military has been over-burdened and under-funded in the past. Lets not stretch them even thinner by asking them to not only do their jobs, but others' jobs as well.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for yielding me this time. I rise in support of H.R. 2871, the Export Import Bank Reauthorization Act. As a businessman from the United States-Mexico border region, I know how important exports are to our economy and to businesses, both large and small and medium. The Export Import Bank has been an important partner in helping companies find foreign markets and to export their goods. In the 15th congressional district of Texas that I represent, the Export-Import Bank has provided over $145 million of assistance in the form of loan guarantees, insurance, and working capital. Access to capital means expansion of business firms who create many jobs in neglected regions like mine where the unemployment rate was in double digits for over 3 decades. The Export-Import Bank is partially responsible for helping reduce the rate from 20 percent to only 10.5 percent in Hidalgo County in south Texas. One company, for example, Hermes Trading Company in Pharr, Texas, is a small company that sells musical instruments. The assistance from the Ex-Im Bank has allowed them to expand their business into new markets, and they have doubled their sales. I agree with the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), the ranking member, in his efforts to raise the level of awareness and importance of this important bank. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and reauthorize the Export Import Bank.

Mr. HINOJOSA. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentlewoman. I can tell my colleague that in south Texas, three out of every four businesses are owned by minority businesses and they are benefitting a great deal from this bank. My region is one of the areas that has grown 48 percent from 1990 to 2000, and has created, with the help of the bank and the Small Business Administration, the Women's Development Center, hundreds of new small businesses, creating four and five jobs in each one, and that is what is helping drive down the unemployment rate to my region.

Mr. HINOJOSA. I thank the gentlewoman for helping us crystallize the importance of this bank in areas like ours, Houston, and, of course, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande valley of south Texas.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I had to travel to my Congressional District for an important event on April 25, 2002. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcalls 114 and 115 and ``aye'' on rollcall 116.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the motion by the gentleman from California, Mr. Baca. Each day in this country, thousands of children go hungry because their families are ineligible for food stamps. Many of these children are American citizens and many are legal permanent residents. No matter their status, or the status of their parents, there is no excuse for denying children access to food. No doubt many Members on the other side of the aisle will oppose this motion. They want to make it impossible for hard working, taxpaying U.S. residents to feed their families just because they are not yet full citizens. We are not talking about people who have come to this country illegally or people who refuse to work. Legal permanent residents, like our parents and grandparents, have followed the rules and come to America to work for a better life for their families. They serve in our military and in their communities and continue to make this country a vibrant, diverse nation that is the envy of the world. Despite support by the Administration for benefit restoration, House Republicans continue to stall the Farm Bill conference by opposing help for minorities and the poorest among us. This is wrong, it is unfair and it is not in keeping with the spirit and ideals this nation was founded upon. I urge my colleagues to support this motion and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about a serious problem that is affecting the health of our children. I am talking about childhood obesity. In his recent ``Call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity,'' the surgeon general found that in 1999, over 13 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 14 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 years are overweight. Nationwide, the number of overweight children has tripled over the last two decades. This has led to a staggering increase in children with Type 2 diabetes, a disease that normally affects senior adults. Sixty percent of obese children ages 5 to 10 have at least one risk factor for heart disease, and 25 percent have two or more factors. As obese children grow up, they are likely to remain obese as adults, and continue to be at risk for a variety of health problems. If we are to reverse this trend, parents, schools, and the government must work harder to address this problem early, before our children's health is affected. I want to commend two organizations in my congressional district that are doing just that. The Region One Education Service Center in Edinburg, Texas, and the Texas School Food Service Association have taken the lead in working with our schools to improve nutrition and encourage physical activity to reduce childhood obesity. Our schools are working hard to reverse this trend toward obesity. Many schools that eliminated physical education programs are reinstating them. Mr. Speaker, I would like to show that there is a great need for improvement in school meals, with this poster. Our schools are working hard to reverse the trend, as I said earlier. Thanks to the work of the Texas Food Service Association and the National Food Service Association, between 1991 and 1998, there has been a significant trend toward lower levels of fat and saturated fat in school meals. More schools serve low-fat milk and provide healthful food choices in the school cafeterias. Despite these successes, there still is work to be done. While school breakfasts are close to meeting all Federal nutrition standards, many of the school lunch programs still do not meet Federal nutrition guidelines. The school meal programs also face competition from vending machines and fundraising food sales at schools that encourage children to skip the more nutritious school meal and eat snacks and sodas that are full of fat, salt, and sugar. Despite their good efforts, our schools cannot do it all. Parents need to take responsibility, and the Federal Government has to do its part. I urge my colleagues here in Congress to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 2129, the Better Nutrition for Schoolchildren Act of 2001. This bill will give the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to extend nutrition guidelines to every food product in our schools, including those outside of the cafeteria. As we look towards next year's reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, I hope that we in Congress will be a partner, not a hindrance, in improving the health and nutrition of our schoolchildren. Our children deserve no less. Again, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 2129, and let us pass this legislation.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Madam Speaker, this week we in the U.S. Congress will debate the budget resolution for fiscal year 2003. Last year, after almost a decade of work, we finally had a budget surplus. This year, we will again plunge into deficit spending and raid the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. No Member of Congress is opposed to paying the necessary cost of defending our country, securing our homeland, and supporting our military personnel. However, this defense did not have to come at the expense of other important domestic programs. We are in this fix because the trillion dollar tax cut over 10 years, enacted last year, left us no room to deal with the emergency we are now facing. I want the people of the 15th District of Texas to know what the 2003 budget will mean to them. It means that people in my district will not get vital assistance to combat our decade-long water drought because the President has eliminated the Drought Assistance Program from the 2003 budget. It means the ``One Stop Capital Shop'' that helps small minority businesses stay in business in the poorest county in the Nation will have to close. It means there will be even less funding to combat the epidemic of tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS that is rampant on the southern border and, if not checked, will spread throughout the country. Finally, it means that the bipartisan education bill, of which we were all so proud because President Bush signed it in January 2002, will not be fully funded, and poor and minority children will again be shortchanged. That is not right.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unavoidably detained in my Congressional District. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on Rollcalls 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, and 64. I would have voted ``no'' on Rollcalls 55 and 62.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Job Creation and Workers Assistance Act, H.R. 3090. On behalf of my constituents in the 15th Congressional District of Texas, which has suffered from a chronic double-digit unemployment rate for decades, this bill is long overdue. I am glad that the majority decided to bring a bill to the floor upon which we have broad agreement, and which will be well received by the other body--the Senate. Mr. Speaker, this bill represents the kind of constructive compromise that must be the cornerstone of our efforts to create public policy that promotes job growth and economic prosperity. This bill includes provisions that will provide much-needed relief to our unemployed workers who have been losing their benefits. It also provides effective and immediate tax relief that will help businesses to survive these difficult economic times and lead our Nation to renewed economic growth. I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together to craft this ``economically sound'' bill in our Nation's time of need, and I urge support for the resolution and the bill.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I had to travel to my Congressional District for an important event on February 28, 2002. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 46.