Rubén Hinojosa

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, time is running out. We are coming down the home stretch of the 106th Congress. Shortly we will be returning home to our respective congressional districts to report to our constituents what we have accomplished these past 2 years. I would like to be able to say that we've done something about the sky rocketing prices of prescription drugs. This has certainly been a priority for me. This has defiantly been a priority for Democrats. Sadly, there are some for whom this is not a priority--and just who is going to pay the price for this indifference. The answer is America's seniors. The one issue that I have heard more about from senior citizens as well as their sons and daughters, these past 2 years than any other, is the outrageous cost of prescription drugs. I can't even begin to count the number of letters I have received, the phone calls I have had and the people that have come up to me when I am at home in my district, all imploring me to pass prescription drug legislation now. The voices of seniors must be heard--Now. I urge my colleagues in the House--lets pass a prescription drug bill before we adjourn in October of this congress. The Nation's seniors deserve more than rhetoric--they deserve action.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to help try to right a grievous wrong that America's small businesses have suffered far too long. Time and time again, we talk about how small businesses are the backbone of America. Why then, does it seem as if small businesses are constantly fighting an uphill battle? Take for example, the issue before us today, contract bundling. What could be more unfair? I am glad that as a body, we are taking a united stand today to try and change this practice and to hold Federal agencies that fail to provide a fair and competitive market for small businesses accountable for their actions. This is long overdue. You are going to hear numerous facts from my colleagues documenting why this practice is so abhorrent, but the point I want to make is-- wrong is wrong. We should all be starting from a level playing field. The Federal Government took on this responsibility when it promised small businesses would receive a fair opportunity to compete for Federal contracts. It has fallen short of meeting this promise. However, we don't know to what degree this has occurred. We do know that relying on contract bundling devastates small businesses and shows no measurable savings to American taxpayers. We do know that the Government awarded $200 billion in Federal contracts but small businesses only received $43 billion in contract dollars. We do know that this is clearly not a level playing field. The Small Business Competitive Preservation Act of 2000 will allow for us to provide the Small Business Administration with the tools to right the wrongs of contract bundling. It will broaden the definition of contract bundling, it will also require the SBA Administrator to maintain a contract bundling database, and it will inform the House Small Business Committee as to whether or not there are measurable and substantial benefits to contract bundling. Through the passage of this legislation, we will mend the promise broken by meaningless words. We will not only claim that small businesses are the foundation for America's continued prosperity, but we will show them that we mean it.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, back in July this body unfortunately rejected a motion to instruct conferees on the FY 2001 Labor/HHS/ Education appropriations bill--a motion that insisted on more education funding and dedicated funding for class size reduction and school renovation. Personally, I couldn't believe this motion to instruct failed. I say this because as parents all across America know, our nation's schools are overcrowded. Children in Texas returned to school in August, and I can tell you that over the past several weeks I have heard again and again from parents talking about the need to address the challenge of overcrowded schools. Total public and private elementary and secondary school enrollment has continued to rise, from 52.8 million in 1999 to a projected all- time record of 53.0 million this fall. These numbers are projected to rise for most of the century. The point I simply want to make today is that as the United States embraces these new generations and new arrivals to our schools, we must be prepared to be able to provide a quality education to all students. We must help communities nationwide modernize their schools and we must support class size reduction so that America's children are in an environment where they can realize their full potential. These are smart investments--investments that merit broad bipartisan support.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker--Yesterday morning I was unavoidably detained and unfortunately missed two votes. Had I been present I would have voted as follows: H. Con. Res. 253, Sense of Congress Objecting to Any Effort To Expel The Holy See From The UN As A State Participant By Removing Its Status As A Permanent Observer--Yea. H.R. 4442, National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Act--Aye.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I hosted Labor Secretary Alexis Herman in my Congressional District who was meeting with local officials and community members. Our late return to Washington resulted in my missing the following votes on H.R. 4461, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001: Roll No. 373, on agreeing to the Coburn amendment that sought to prohibit the use of any funding for drugs solely intended for the chemical inducement of abortion. Had I been present I would have voted no. Roll No. 374, on agreeing to the Royce amendment that sought to reduce by one percent each amount that is not required to be appropriated or otherwise made available by a provision of law. Had I been present I would have voted no. Roll No. 375, on agreeing to the Crowley amendment that prohibits the FDA from taking actions that restrict the purchase of prescription drugs in Canada and Mexico by United States citizens. Had I been present I would have voted aye. Roll No. 376, on agreeing to the Royce amendment that sought to prohibit any funding to award any new allocations under the market access program or pay salaries of personnel to award such allocations. Had I been present I would have voted no. Roll No. 377, on agreeing to the Coburn amendment that prohibits the FDA from taking any action to interfere with the import of drugs that have been approved for use within the United States and were manufactured in an FDA approved facility in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Had I been present I would have voted aye. Roll No. 378, on agreeing to the Sanford amendment that sought to prohibit any funding by the Department of Agriculture to carry out a pilot program under child nutrition programs to study the effects of providing free breakfasts to students without regard to family income. Had I been present I would have voted no.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be here joining my good friend in support of the second amendment of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) on Colonias, and delighted to see that our good friend, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), has been so supportive of the work that we are all trying to do to improve life in Las Colonias. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to bring awareness to a very important issue to my district in south Texas and all along the United States- Mexico border. The continuing plight of Colonias is what I wish to speak on. As my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), noted, Colonias are substandard housing developments in America, with many homes which have no water, sewer or utility hook-ups. United States citizens are forced to buy property without these essential services because of chronic housing shortages in high-poverty areas. For example, in the fifteenth district of Texas, my own district, we have the third fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in the Nation. We also have the third highest rate of poverty. This unique situation creates a hardship on the children and families that live in Colonias. A group in Texas called the Las Colonias Project has worked to bring national awareness to this vital issue but more, much, much more must be done. If we will look at this chart, we will see the numbers that are staggering. There are more than 1,500 Colonias along the United States border with Mexico with more than 400,000 residents. All these facts is the type of national awareness that we are trying to bring to the House floor today and in a bipartisan way be able to bring resources to be able to correct the deficiencies that exist in these Colonias. While I cannot support getting money for this program at the expense of the USDA Wildlife Services program, an absolutely worthwhile program, I do urge Members to support funding for the serious problem of Colonias. I know we can find both a way and the money to do this.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, my participation in the June 15th White House Strategy Session on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Students caused me to miss Rollcall votes 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290 and 291. Had I been present I would have voted as follows: Rollcall #278, Providing for the consideration of H.R. 4635, Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations, FY 2001--Nay. Rollcall #279, Nethercutt (WA) Amendment to the Dicks Amendment that sought to strike reference to the planning and management of national monuments--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--No. Rollcall #280, Hansen of Utah Amendment to Dicks Amendment that sought to strike reference to the planning and management of national monuments--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--No. Rollcall #281, Dicks of Washington Amendment that exempts activities otherwise authorized by law to the planning and management of national monuments or activities related to the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Plan from any limitations imposed under the Act-- Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Aye. Rollcall #282, Stearns of Florida Amendment (as modified) that sought to decrease National Endowment for the Arts funding by $1.9 million or approximately 2% and increase wildlife fire management funding accordingly--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--No. Rollcall #283, Slaughter of New York Amendment that defers an additional $22 million of prior year clean coal technology funding-- Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Aye. Rollcall #284, Obey Motion that the Committee Rise--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Aye. Rollcall #286, Sanders of Vermont Amendment No. 29 printed in the Congressional Record that sought to make available $10 million to establish a northeast home heating oil reserve and transfer strategic petroleum reserve funding for this purpose--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Aye. Rollcall #287, Doggett motion that the Committee Rise--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Aye. Rollcall #288, Nethercutt of Washington Amendment that implements the previously agreed to Dicks amendment except for activities related to planning and management of national monuments--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--No. Rollcall #289, Weldon of Florida Amendment No. 48 printed in the Congressional Record that sought to prohibit any funding to be used to publish Class III gaming procedures under part 291 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--No. Rollcall #290. Dicks motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report it back with an amendment to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by $15 million, the National Endowment for the Humanities by $5 million, and Office of Museum Services by $2 million--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Aye. Rollcall #291, Passage--Department of the Interior Appropriations for FY 2001 (H.R. 4578)--Nay.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strongest opposition to this amendment. I am astounded that we are even debating the elimination of funding for a program as critical as GEAR UP. Although it is a new program started only last year, it has had phenomenal success in my congressional district. It offers a solution to raise the graduation rate of many of the Hispanics. As Members know, it is only 70 percent that graduate, compared to 92 percent for the Anglo-Saxon students. I am here to improve that and GEAR UP is one of the solutions. GEAR UP is designed to enable more young Americans to stay in school, study hard and take the right courses to go to college. Is that not what we are ultimately trying to do by funding school programs? Look at this chart. Every single red dot on this map is a GEAR UP program like mine in my congressional district where there is excitement, there is hope because of GEAR UP. I ask my colleagues to all stand up and vote against this amendment.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I will get to the point, who could not support Head Start, a program that provides comprehensive developmental services for America's low-income children--ages birth to five years? Research has told us time and again that this is the most critical stage of a child's mental and emotional development. Adding $600 million would provide additional services to 53,000 additional low- income children. I represent the third-fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. and yet, we have one of the highest rates of poverty, and a very young population. For almost 30 years, I have been involved with education issues. This experience has taught me that children, regardless of income level or race, have the same potential for high achievement and healthy development. We must give them that chance. Head Start has successfully served 17 million children and their families since 1965 * * * Lets's not jeopardize that. To my colleagues who say no to Head Start: I say is that your final answer? I hope not.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the amendment on 21st century community learning centers. I have been involved with education issues for almost 30 years. This experience has strongly reinforced for me that all children, regardless of income level or race have the same potential for high achievement and healthy development when provided appropriate opportunities. Thus, our goal must be to support the development of quality afterschool programs for all children, but especially those in low- income communities. Our goal should also be to see the expanded-day programs linked to the core school day. After-school programs are the best structures for the development of such programs, as well as other services needed in low-income communities. They can serve as pathways to developing strong, sustainable community schools. We definitely are not utilizing them enough. More than 77 percent of the 21st century community learning center funding goes to low-income youth. And with the changing new mix of technologies and competitive markets, our economy is increasing its demand for skilled labor and decreasing demand for unskilled or semi- skilled labor. This means we can use these centers to focus on expectations for the core school day and its relation to the changes. This is important because for the first time in history, the Nation's economic and social well-being requires that all children be prepared for post-secondary education and career attainment. Although our public education system was never designed to prepare our students for higher education, after school programs seek to provide vital opportunities for children and youth to learn and to prepare for college and careers in the new economy. After-school programs achieve these goals by providing access to information technology and related learning services for children. This is especially critical because we have an opportunity to support an initiative that is really about local impact and local opportunity. We must bring balance to our communities! Afterschool programs keep students occupied with productive activities during the hours they are most likely to get into trouble, from 2 to 8 pm. We can support local and state efforts to sustain a much larger national community school movement than has ever been possible before. New research indicates that afterschool programs can make a positive difference in student development and academic performance. This is especially true for our low-income students. This initiative may be the greatest opportunity to help children at a critical point in their young lives. I'm particularly supportive of this initiative because it means that children who need extra help will be able to receive more attention. For these reasons, Mr. Chairman, I urge members to support this amendment.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this amendment on the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. I have been involved with education issues for almost 30 years. This experience has strongly reinforced for me that all children, regardless of income level or race, have the same potential for high achievement and healthy development when provided appropriate opportunities. Thus our goal must be to support the development of quality after- school programs for all children, but especially those in low-income communities. Our goal should also be to see the expanded day programs linked to the core school day.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for the work that she is doing, and I agree with her opening remarks that our children should not have to fight to get the health care coverage that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that for the first time, a Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, is available in South Texas. CHIP is low-cost health insurance provided under a State- subsidized insurance program. Any Texas uninsured children, newborns through age 18, are eligible. All costs are flexible and based on family income. For example, a family of four qualifies if the household income is $34,000 or less. If they make more than that, they can qualify for greatly reduced insurance through another program, Texas Healthy Kids. The CHIP operates like a health maintenance organization, or HMO. It is run by the TexCare Partnership which partners with all 254 Texas counties to sponsor services through one of three different plans. One is CHIP, two is Medicaid, and three is the Texas Healthy Kids. CHIP provides services such as hospital care, surgery, x-rays, therapies, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, emergency services, eye tests and glasses, dental care and regular health care checkups and vaccinations. For Texas, CHIP is funded from the proceeds of our tobacco settlement with the tobacco companies a couple of years ago. It is critically important in our State because Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the country. Unfortunately, Texas has the Nation's second highest number of uninsured children. The worst problem we have is that not enough parents are using this great program. South Texas, in particular, has carried the burden of uninsured children for many years. About 1.4 million of Texas' 5.8 million children lack health insurance, but 470,000 of them are now eligible for coverage under CHIP. Almost one-fourth, or 109,000, of the newly- eligible kids live on the Texas-Mexico border. When children do not have the health insurance, they have to rely on costly medical treatment at the last minute. This threatens the child's future well- being. But now we have a true opportunity to change that. CHIP will give a lot of children the opportunity to lead healthy lives without the fear of getting sick. Let me share a quote from a lady from my district who recently went through the enrollment process. She said: ``My husband and I are hardworking middle-income people who were disqualified from Medicaid because I became employed. We have two incomes, and we can't afford insurance. Now we are told by the TexCare Partnership we will have insurance for our children with low premiums and low copayments that we can afford. My children have health care when they need it.'' CHIP was first implemented in 1998 to address a national crisis, almost 12 million children that were without insurance. In Texas, we are now able to offer insurance to approximately half a million children that otherwise would have none. While we can make this offer, it is up to each parent or guardian to enroll or at least inquire about getting their children in this program. Believe it or not, the hardest part of the CHIP program is getting parents to enroll their children. Most parents need to take advantage of this genuinely great program. I want to stress that even if a parent has never qualified for health insurance for their children before, now they can. CHIP solves the cost problem for many Texas families. In CHIP, many families will only pay an annual fee of $15 to cover all their children in this plan. Some higher-income families will pay monthly premiums of $15 or maybe $18 which covers all children in the family. Most families will also have copayments for doctor/dental visits, prescription drugs, and emergency care. And families must reenroll their children once a year. Mr. Speaker, children can only get this insurance if their parents apply. I hope all parents listening will take the initiative and make certain their children are enrolled. The application process is simple and straightforward. Any Texan can call my office in McAllen or in Beeville to get the number for the CHIP hotline. If parents want local assistance or information in my congressional district, they can call my office for that number or visit any public library in Hidalgo County or in Bee County to pick up a bilingual brochure and application.

Mr. HINOJOSA. It has been a fight to get the Texas leadership in the legislature to move the decision-makers to get this enrollment process going. I know that in my office we have been fighting on this for at least 18 months. I can assure the gentlewoman that I am delighted to see it finally get started, because it will stop the suffering of many of the working families that I represent in the 15th District.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a member of the House Committee on Small Business and a former small business owner in celebration of the 37th annual Small Business Week. What better time to recognize America's small businesses and their vital contribution to our nation's well-being. With the advent of a new economy, it is especially appropriate to talk about how high-risk, fast-growing entrepreneurial firms are creating jobs and unprecedented economic growth across the country. Our challenge is to spread the word across the country that we must do more to support and strengthen risk taking entrepreneurs in both big cities and small towns. In so doing, we will ensure that ever- accelerating global change remains our country's ally. Then we will continue to bring the benefits of our entrepreneurial economy home to every community in America.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that for the first time, a Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, is available in South Texas. CHIP is low-cost health coverage provided under a state- subsidized insurance program. Any Texas uninsured child, newborns through age 18, are eligible. All costs are flexible, and based on family income. For example, a family of four qualifies if the household income is $34,000 or less. If you make more than that, you can qualify for greatly-reduced insurance through another program, Texas HealthyKids. The CHIP operates like a Health Maintenance Organization, or MHO. It is run by the TexCare Partnership which partners with all 254 Texas counties to sponsor services through one of three different plans: CHIP, Medicaid, or Texas HealthyKids. CHIP provides services such as hospital care, surgery, x-rays, therapies, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, emergency services, eye tests and glasses, dental care, and regular health check-ups and vaccinations. For Texas, CHIP is funded from the proceeds of our tobacco settlement with the tobacco companies a couple of years ago. It is critically important in our state because Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the country. And unfortunately, Texas has the nation's second- highest number of uninsured children. The worst problem we have is that not enough parents are using this great program. South Texas, in particular, has carried the burden of uninsured children for many years. About 1.4 million of Texas' 5.8 million children lack health insurance, but 470,000 of them are now eligible for coverage under CHIP. Almost one-fourth--109,000--of the newly- eligible kids live on the Texas-Mexico border. When children don't have health insurance, they have to rely on costly medical treatment at the last minute. This threatens the child's future well-being. But now we have a true opportunity to change that. CHIP will give a lot of children the opportunity to lead healthy lives, without the fear of getting sick. Let me share a quote with you from a parent from my district who recently went through the enrollment process: ``My husband and I are hardworking middle-income people who were disqualified from Medicaid because I became employed. We have two incomes and * * * can't afford (insurance). Now we are told by TexCare Partnership we will have insurance for our children with low premiums and low co-payments that we can afford. My children have health care when they need it.'' CHIP was first implemented in 1998 to address a national crisis-- almost 12 million children that were without insurance. In Texas, we are now able to offer insurance to approximately 1.8 million children that otherwise would have none. While we can make this offer, it is up to each parent or guardian to enroll, or at least inquire about getting, their children in this program. Believe it or not, the hardest part of the CHIP program is getting parents to enroll their children. More parents need to take advantage of this genuinely great program. I want to stress that even if a parent has never qualified for health insurance for their child before, now they can. CHIP solves the cost problem for many Texas families. In CHIP, many families will only pay an annual fee of $15 to cover all their children in the plan. Some higher-income families will pay monthly premiums of $15 or 418, which covers all children in the family. Most families will also have co-payments for doctor/dental visits, prescription drugs, and emergency care. And families must re-enroll their children once a year. Children can only get this insurance if their parents apply, and I hope all parents will take the initiative and make certain your children are enrolled. The application process is simple and straight-forward--any Texan can call 1-800-647-6558 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. If parents want local assistance or information in my congressional district, they can call the organization ``ADVANCE'' at 956-618-1642, or visit any public library in Hidalgo County to pick up a bilingual brochure and application.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I am in strong support of the amendment to H.R. 4205 offered by the Ranking Minority Member on the Committee on Small Business, Nydia Velazquez. It has come to my attention, as a member of the Committee on Small Business, that the Department of Defense, to the exclusion of the growing number of small business owners in our nation, has relied on the practice of contract bundling. Furthermore, the Department has no objective criteria to justify the use of this mechanism. The result of this bundling is nothing less than devastating to small business, and additionally translates into higher costs to taxpayers due to the decreased competition. The amendment offered by Ms. Velazquez expands the contract bundling study proposed in H.R. 4205 to require a Department-wide study on contract bundling. It further requires the Department to develop with GAO a database to monitor the effects of contract bundling. I am confident that this amendment will assist small business in combating the many problems relating to contract bundling.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1901, a measure designating the U.S. border station at Pharr, Texas, as the Kika de la Garza Border Station. I am proud to stand here today with my colleagues to honor Congressman de la Garza, my predecessor. Many of my colleagues here in this Chamber had the pleasure and privilege of working with him during his long tenure and especially as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. Naming the Pharr, Texas, border station after the Honorable Mr. de la Garza is important to our district because it honors his role in service as international ambassador for American agriculture, an industry which thrived during Kika's tenure in the House. Agriculture is a strong element of our economy, and it only seems fitting to honor the man who did so much in this area. H.R. 1901 is indeed a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to public service and is known throughout all of Texas and the Nation simply as ``Kika.'' Kika made a dignified institution all the more distinguished with his vision, his keen insight, and his devotion to his constituents and to his country. No one deserves this honor more. I urge my fellow Members to join me in passing this measure to say, Thank you, Kika; we are indebted to you for your decades of outstanding work on behalf of the residents of the 15th congressional district of Texas and to the Nation.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, on May 6-8, 2000 more than 1200 students from across the United States will be in Washington, DC to compete in the national finals of the We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program. I am proud to announce that the class from McAllen Memorial High School from McAllen will represent the state of Texas in this national event. These young scholars have worked diligently to reach the national finals, and through their experience have gained a deep knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and values of our constitutional democracy. The names of the students are: Melinda Acuna, Cassie Baumeister, Paul Bongat, Amy Booth, Emily Dyer, Brandon Garcia, Gabriela Gonzalez, Amber Hausenfluck, Jason Jarvis, Kyle Jones, Anita Manoharan, Suleima Mohamed, Taylor Mohel, George Morgan, Raquel Pacheco, Angela Perez, Blythe Selman, Matt Sheinberg, Jane Springmeyer, Veronica Vela, Summer West. I would also like to recognize their teacher, LeAnna Morse, whose tireless efforts have contributed greatly to the success of the class. The We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program is the most extensive educational program in the country developed specifically to educate young people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The three-day national competition is modeled after hearings in the United States Congress. These hearings consist of oral presentations by high school students before a panel of adult judges. The students testify as constitutional experts before a panel of judges representing various regions of the country and a variety of appropriate professional fields. The students' testimony is followed by a period of questioning by the simulated congressional committee. The judges probe students for their depth of understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We the People . . . program has provided curricular materials at upper elementary, middle, and high school levels for more than 26.5 million students nationwide. The program provides students with a working knowledge of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the principles of democratic government. Members of Congress and their staff enhance the program by discussing current constitutional issues with students and teachers and by participating in other educational activities. The class from McAllen Memorial High School is currently conducting research and preparing for the upcoming national competition in Washington, DC. I wish these young ``constitutional experts'' the best of luck at the We the People . . . national finals, and my staff and I look forward to greeting them when they visit Capitol Hill.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I am here not to point fingers; rather, to encourage all Americans to complete and return their census forms. When I hear people saying, ``Don't bother to fill out your long form,'' and we seem to be hearing a lot of that lately, I am incredulous. What am I missing here? To not do so would be like driving down the road and throwing $100 bills out the window. I just cannot afford to do this, and I have yet to meet anybody in the circles I travel in who can. If I want to talk in broad strokes, I can say that nationwide the Commerce Department estimates that 4 million people were overlooked in the 1990 count. This figure represents a shocking disempowerment of 1.6 percent of the American population and the figures for minorities were significantly worse. A full 5 percent of Hispanics were simply overlooked, 4.4 percent of blacks were never counted, and 4.5 percent of Native Americans were ignored. Quite clearly far too many minority Americans were denied the representation that is their birthright. If I want to talk about the State of Texas, the 1990 census resulted in the second highest undercount of any State. Not only in 1990 but for a full 20 years, almost half a million Texans were inadequately represented in their government and received only a fraction of the Federal funds that they were due. The undercount meant that Texas alone was deprived of $1 billion of Federal funds. An equally inaccurate census in the year 2000 could result in a loss of $2 billion to our great State of Texas. If I were to narrow my focus even more to the area that I represent, South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley communities stand to lose far more this go- around than the last. The 15th Congressional District was the 23rd most undercounted district in the Nation. The miscount in 1990 meant that 25 schools in my district were not built, and over 850 teachers were not hired through the course of that decade. Over the course of the past 10 years, our school districts have lost well over $78 billion in Federal funding that would have otherwise been allocated to educate our children in South Texas. Mr. Speaker, the 1990 undercount also resulted in missed opportunities for health care and senior programs as each individual in my district lost $2,037, or a total of $46 million over the course of the decade in Federal resources. In short, what we do not receive as our fair share has real implications for our congressional district. My constituents lose too much if they are not counted. Why would we choose to do that? I think we have learned from the past about why we need an accurate census count. Again, let me ask, what am I missing when I hear people essentially saying, Don't bother to ask for what is yours? If a bank misallocated someone's hard-earned funds, I am certain no one would act so passively. Representation in American government cannot be contingent on the affluence of your neighborhood or the color of your skin. This is a sanctioned disempowerment of American minorities and cannot be allowed to continue. We must have a census that not only attempts to count Americans but one that makes the people count. In closing, I want to say, Mr. Speaker, by not completing the form thoroughly and completely, we are allowing ourselves to become third- class citizens without a voice in our government. The census is in our hands. It is simple. Abide by the law, fill out the form, and make yourself count.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday was the Democratic primary in Texas and because of that and other commitments I had made in my congressional district, I was not here in Washington the remainder of the week. This resulted in my missing several rollcall votes. Had I been present I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. 46, on a motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3699, designating the Joel T. Broyhill Post Office Building--``yea''; Rollcall No. 47, on a motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3701, designating the Joseph L. Fisher Post Office Building--``yea''; Rollcall No. 48, on agreeing to the conference report on H.R. 1000, Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century--``yea'' Rollcall No. 49, on passage of H.R. 3843, Small Business Authorization Act--``yea''; Rollcall No. 50, on motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1501, Juvenile Justice Act--``yea''; Rollcall No. 51, on agreeing to H. Res. 441, providing for consideration of H.R. 2372, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000--``yea''; Rollcall No. 52, on agreeing to the Watt of North Carolina amendment to H.R. 2372, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000-- ``aye''; Rollcall No. 53, on agreeing to the Boehlert of New York substitute amendment to H.R. 2372, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000--``no''; Rollcall No. 54, on motion to recommit H.R. 2372, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000--``no''; Rollcall No. 55, on passage of H.R. 2372, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000--``yea''.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, because of a transit problem, I unfortunately missed rollcall votes 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33. Had I been present I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. 29, Government Waste Corrections Act (H.R. 1827)-- ``yea''; rollcall No. 30, To Redesignate the Facility of the U.S. Postal Service in Greenville, SC, as the Keith D. Oglesby Station (H.R. 2952)--``yea''; rollcall No. 31, To Designate the U.S. Postal Office Located at 557 East Bay Street in Charleston, SC, as the Maybelle H. Howe Post Office (H.R. 3018)--``yea''; rollcall No. 32, Congratulating Lithuania on the 10th Anniversary of its Independence, S. Con. Res. 91--``yea''; rollcall No. 33, Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War, H. J. Res. 86--``yea.''

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I want to say how glad I am that today we have an opportunity to vote to repeal the earnings test for Social Security beneficiaries between the ages of 65 and 69. This action is long overdue. The earnings limit originated in the 1930s when the Social Security program was started during the Depression, and it remains despite the vast changes in the economy and the lives of senior citizens that have taken place over the last 60 years. It makes no sense to penalize seniors for participating in the workplace, especially at a time when businesses cannot find enough qualified workers to fill jobs that remain vacant. People remain healthy and vigorous longer than they did in the 1930s. So it makes perfect sense to repeal this obsolete and punitive limit. By passing this bill, seniors who need or want to work can now do so without the fear of being punished by an outdated law. I am glad that today we, both sides of the aisle, can all be on the same page and finally take this action. Let us vote ``yes'' to pass H.R. 5.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, the following is a list of rollcall votes I recently missed and how I would have voted had I been present: January 31, 2000 No. 2--Days of Remembrance: H. Con. Res. 244, Holocaust remembrance. Yea. No. 3--Hillory J. Farias Date-Rape Prevention Act, Senate amendments to H.R. 2130. Yea. February 1, 2000 No. 4--Child Abuse Prevention & Enforcement Act, Senate amendment to H.R. 764. Yea. No. 5--Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, H.R. 1838. Yea. No. 6--Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2990, Quality Care for the Uninsured Act. Yea. February 2, 2000 No. 7--Workplace Goods Job Growth and Competitiveness Act, H.R. 2005. Nay. February 8, 2000 No. 8--Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, Senate amendment to H.R. 1415. Yea. No. 9--Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness, S. 632. Yea. No. 10--Honoring the Former Speaker of the House, Carl B. Albert, H. Res. 418. Yea. February 10, 2000 No. 11--Journal for Wednesday, 2/9/00. Yea. No. 12--Rule (Marriage Tax Penalty Relief). Nay. No. 13--Rangel substitute (Marriage Tax Penalty Relief). Yea. No. 14--Hill of Indiana motion to recommit (Marriage Tax Penalty Relief). Aye. No. 15--Marriage Tax Penalty Relief Act (final passage), H.R. 6. Nay. February 14, 2000 No. 16--National Donor Day, H. Con. Res. 247. Yea. No. 17--Child Abuse and Neglect, H. Con. Res. 76. Yea. February 15, 2000 No. 18--H.R. 3557, Gold Medal for Cardinal O'Connor. Yea. No. 19--H.R. 3642, Gold Medal to Charles M. Schulz. Yea. No. 20--H.R. 3201, Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Study Act. Yea. No. 21--Approval of the Journal for Monday, February 14, 2000. Yea.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of this resolution and a member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, I rise to express my strong support for increased Federal funding for diabetes research and prevention. I represent the 15th Congressional District of Texas, comprised of south Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. With the help of Dr. Maria C. Alen of the Texas Diabetes Council, I am well informed on this issue, as all of my colleagues who have spoken before me. For us, we know all too well the need to find a cure for this life-threatening disease. It is staggering to realize that nearly 75,000 individuals of the Rio Grande Valley suffer from diabetes. More troubling, it is estimated that over 40 percent of diabetes in Texas are Hispanic. The cost to the Nation is staggering, estimated at $105 billion each year. More than one out of every 10 health care dollars in the United States and about 1 out of every Medicare dollars is spent on diabetes care. The number of Americans with diabetes has increased nearly 700 percent in the last 40 years. I believe we can find a cure for diabetes in our lifetime if Congress is willing to provide the necessary funds for the research. By adequately funding the fight, we will continue to make headway in stamping out diabetes once and for all. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to express their support and vote to increase funding to combat diabetes.

Mr. HINOJOSA

Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 557, approving the Journal, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''