Mike Honda

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start out my comments with a quote. ``See, I ran for office to solve problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future generations.'' President Bush at a fund-raiser in Oregon, August 21, 2003. Mr. Speaker, I believe our national budget should reflect a community's values and priorities. It should reflect the needs of the American people, including good jobs, safe community, quality education, and access to affordable health care. In my home district in Silicon Valley, we understand the value of investment. This means crafting budgets based on right choices. Do we fund a trillion dollar tax cut or do we provide after-school programs for our children? Do we give away billions to HMOs or do we help seniors afford their prescription drugs? Do we increase tax breaks for the businesses that ship jobs overseas, or do we work to recover the 2.6 million manufacturing jobs lost in the past 3 years? Unfortunately, the budget submitted by President Bush fails to fund priorities important to middle-class Americans. President Bush's budget has a different set of priorities: budget-busting tax cuts, fiscal irresponsibility, overpayments to HMOs, and reduced funding for important domestic programs. President Bush's budget lays out $1 trillion for tax cuts but provides $9.4 billion less for education than was promised in the No Child Left Behind Act. In California alone, this will result in $897 million less for school districts through the title I programs and $105 million less for children with disabilities through the IDEA program. President Bush is eager to make his tax cut permanent and even make new ones. But he cannot seem to deliver the funds promised when he signed the No Child Left Behind Act nearly 3 years ago. President Bush's budget includes $46 billion in overpayment for HMOs as a part of the Republican Medicare plan but it does nothing to lower the price of senior citizens' prescription medication. President Bush has claimed for 3 years that his economic program would create jobs. But in that time the U.S. has lost nearly 3 million jobs. The President asserted in the State of the Union address that additional tax cuts would create jobs, but the numbers do not support this claim. This is not even a true budget because it will miss the costs of ongoing military operations in Iraq. The budget also avoids long-term reform of the alternative minimum tax, even though the AMT will soon force millions of middle-class families to pay more taxes. And this is in direct contrast to the original intent of AMT. A recent estimate by the Congressional Budget Office put the full price tag of AMT reform at over $500 billion, a cost not factored in by the President's budget. If this budget reflects President Bush's priorities, then it is clear where his priorities lie. President Bush has chosen the interest of an elite few over the needs of the many. I urge my colleagues to align their priorities with those of the American people and oppose the budget proposed by President Bush. That budget reminds me of Swiss cheese. It is full of holes.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday January 27th, Wednesday January 28th, and on Tuesday February 3rd, I was unavoidably detained due to family matters I had to take care of in California and was not present for rollcall votes on those days. Had I been present I would have voted the following: Rollcall No. 6, to extend the provision of title 39, United States Code, under which the United States Postal Service is authorized to issue a special postage stamp to benefit breast cancer research, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 7, the Medical Devices Technical Corrections Act, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 8, on the Baldwin Substitute Amendment, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 9, on the motion to recommit with instructions, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 10, on final passage of S. 1920, a bill to extend for 6 months the period for which chapter 12 of title 11 of the United States Code is reenacted, I would have voted ``nay.'' Rollcall No. 13, on the motion to instruct conferees, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 14, expressing the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives on the anniversary of the accident that cost the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia their lives, and extending heartfelt sympathy to their families, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 15, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding several individuals who are being held as prisoners of conscience by the Chinese Government for their involvement in efforts to end the Chinese occupation of Tibet, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall No. 16, recognizing the 93rd birthday of Ronald Reagan, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I, Ms. Lofgren, and Ms. Eshoo rise today to commemorate the life and many accomplishments of Mr. Loyd Williams, who passed away on Sunday, December 28, 2003. Mr. Williams will long be remembered for his integrity and dedication to the welfare of all people in his community, and for his advocacy and hard work on behalf of the members of the United Association (UA) of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Refrigeration Fitters Local 393 and the entire labor movement. Loyd Williams was born in El Morro, NM on April 15, 1941. At the age of 2, he and his family moved to San Jose, CA, where he attended Cambrian Elementary School and then Camden High School. Mr. Williams had his first experiences with the labor movement and its concerns while in his early school years, working as a prune harvester and later becoming a harvest contractor. During which, Loyd fired his own brother for poor job performance. Consequently, he learned a valuable lifelong lesson when Loyd's father later advised him that his brother was not properly trained. Instilled with his father's wisdom and insight, Loyd became one of the most respected labor leaders by modeling and teaching what he expected of others. After graduating from high school in 1959, Mr. Williams became an apprentice plumber and was elected president of his apprenticeship class. In 1964, he became a journeyman plumber and was active for 8 years in UA Local 393. Loyd Williams was elected business agent in 1973 and served continuously until he became business manager in 1992. Loyd's 43-year dedication to UA Local 393 was not merely confined to his role as a business manager. He gladly took on many other responsibilities within the union and the community. Recently, Loyd Williams chaired the UA Local 393's Centennial Committee, organizing the Union's 100th Anniversary Celebration on January 24, 2004. He also chaired the Board of Trustees for the UA Local 393 Pension Fund, served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Western States Pipe Council, and acted as delegate to the Santa Clara/San Benito Trades Council, the South Bay Labor Council, the California State Pipe Trade Council, and the UA National Convention. Mr. William's coworkers fondly remember his outspokenness and willingness to fight for labor rights. Members of the community recall his many other contributions that included helping to establish the South Bay Children's Urgent Care Center and participating in the Christmas in April program. Loyd Williams was characterized by his fervent advocacy on behalf of laborers and his continuous belief in the inherent goodness of people. His own life not only had taught him the values of hard work and perseverance, but also the need for cooperation in order to achieve common goals. Mr. Williams will always be remembered as one of the most dedicated and successful business managers of the UA Local 393. His life constitutes a wonderful example for many young people today who wish to engage in the labor rights movement and who want to actively support their communities. Mr. Williams is survived by his wife, Carolyn, of 37 years and his son, Jonathan. Also, he is fondly remembered by his siblings Oren, Bill, and Linda Fanelli. The entire community of Santa Clara County gives thanks and commemorates the life and many accomplishments of Mr. Loyd Williams. Mr. Speaker, we extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Williams' family and friends. Please join us in honoring Mr. Loyd Williams, a truly exceptional individual who dedicated his life to the service of others.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the eight years of service Paul Igasaki provided to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Mr. Igasaki's tenure as a commissioner and Vice Chair of the EEOC started in 1994, when he was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate, and his second term began in 1998. During his nearly 1 year as acting Chair, Mr. Igasaki convinced Congress to pass one of the largest increases in funding for the EEOC. This increase allowed the perpetually underfunded agency to fill staffing needs throughout its regional offices, implement mediation programs, extended outreach to underserved communities and begin creating a national networked information system. At the EEOC, Paul Igasaki was one of the architects in creating the EEOC's more strategic approach in taking on cases, which prioritizes the most egregious cases as well as those that may prevent future cases of employment-related discrimination. Mr. Igasaki's recommendations to overhaul the EEOC's case processing system and create the National Enforcement Plan helped reduce the agency's backlog of cases by 70 percent. The EEOC was extremely fortunate to have someone with Paul Igasaki's experience serve on the Commission. As executive director of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, one of the Nation's premier Asian American and Pacific Islander legal advocacy organizations, Mr. Igasaki spent several years handling issues such as employment discrimination and sexual harassment cases, as well as wage and hour issues, hate crimes, voting rights, housing, immigration and immigrant rights and other civil rights concerns. Litigating these issues at the Asian Law Caucus prepared him for the work that he would do with the EEOC. Mr. Igasaki enhanced his Congressional advocacy skills with the Japanese American Citizens League serving as their Washington, D.C. Representative. Clearly, the major legislative victory for the Japanese American community was the passage and signing into law of H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. This measure provided an apology and symbolic payments from the U.S. government to Japanese Americans for the wrongful deprivation of their civil liberties during World War II. Serving as Washington Representative, Mr. Igasaki advocated for the appropriations to fund payments promised in the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Without these symbolic payments to individuals who suffered the loss of their civil liberties, many would view the Civil Liberties Act as a hollow gesture. Among other critical issues, Mr. Igasaki also worked with Congressional offices, the Department of Transportation and the White House to resolve unequal enforcement of antiquated maritime law against Vietnamese American fishermen in California. While I think of my friend Paul Igasaki as a Californian, he truly learned the art of politics and its role in improving people's lives in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. In the Windy City, he served as executive director of the Commission on Asian American Affairs; prior to that position, he was legal counsel and advisor to the Mayor on Asian American community affairs. After receiving his Juris Doctor, from University of California, Davis and his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, Evanston, Mr. Igasaki was the first staff director of an American Bar Association project that increased private sector civil legal services to poor clients in Chicago. This service came at a time when federal funding for such services was greatly reduced. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to my good friend Paul Igasaki for his great service to this nation and look forward to his continued success in the fight to protect our civil rights and civil liberties.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an extraordinary team on an extraordinary season. On Saturday, November 23, 2003, the San Jose Earthquakes became the second team in Major League Soccer history to win the Major League Soccer Cup multiple times, thrilling soccer fans around the country and around the world. The Earthquakes' 4-2 victory over the Chicago Fire showcased the team's explosive talent and demonstrated why soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in America today. This match featured more goals than a Major League Soccer championship has ever seen, including two from two-time U.S. National Team Player of the Year and MLS Cup MVP Landon Donovan. The Earthquakes' rise to the MLS championship game provided soccer fans with endless high drama, including a five-goal comeback against the Los Angeles Galaxy to advance to the Western Conference final, and a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Wizards, in which Landon Donovan sealed the championship birth with a golden goal in the 117th minute of play. In the championship game itself, the San Jose Earthquakes showed a capacity crowd in Carson, California and a national audience four goals, one saved penalty kick, and 90 minutes of world-class soccer. Throughout that game, and throughout the season, the Earthquakes played aggressive, attacking, exciting soccer and delighted San Jose's growing legion of fans. The sportsmanship and gamesmanship of the Earthquakes have helped bring success to Major League Soccer. Only eight years old, this league has already captured the hearts and imaginations of soccer fans around the country and provided the United States with some of the world's best players--many of whom were instrumental in bringing our country to the quarterfinals of last years World Cup, held in Japan and Korea. Today, the Earthquakes are the pride, not only of San Jose, but also of America's entire sports community. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 2003 Major League Soccer Champions, and I congratulate the San Jose Earthquakes on a fantastic season.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 189, the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act. I thank the distinguished leaders of the Committee on Science, the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) and the gentleman from Texas (Ranking Member Hall) for working with me on the House version of this bipartisan bill, as well as Senators Allen and Wyden for their leadership on the Senate version of this legislation. I would also like to thank my personal staff and the committee staff for all their hard work in ironing out the differences with the other body that has allowed us to get to where we are today on this important legislation. Nanotechnology, which is the ability of scientists and engineers to manipulate matter at the level of single atoms and molecules, can be revolutionary because it is an enabling technology and fundamentally changes the way many items are designed and manufactured. Most Members of this body had probably never heard of the word ``nanotechnology'' before we first considered legislation in May, but their support for the bill then and in the following months suggests that they have come to appreciate the impact this field will have. The long-term, sometimes high-risk nature of the research that will be needed to bring nanotechnology to maturity requires the support of, and significant investment by, the Federal Government. This bill provides three things. It puts the National Technology Initiative into law and authorizes $3.7 billion in spending over the next 4 years for the program. This investment in the future is critical because experts agree that investing in innovation is the key to a vibrant U.S. manufacturing base and continued generation of new jobs. Nanotechnology is one of the areas of innovation most worthy of investment, as it has the potential to create entirely new industries and radically transform the basis of competition in others. The bill also contains a number of other provisions to make improvements in our national technology initiative. It requires the creation of research centers, education training efforts, research into the societal and ethical consequence of nanotechnology, and efforts to transfer technology into the marketplace. Importantly, the bill includes a series of coordination offices, advisory committees and regular programming to ensure that taxpayer money is being spent wisely and efficiently. This is an excellent bill that I am proud to have had the chance to work on, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Once again, let me again repeat my gratitude and thanks to the leadership of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), our chairman, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), our ranking member.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the current health disparities as they relate to minority health care. More importantly, I want to talk about the solution, the Health Care Equality and Accountability Act. My district, alone, of Santa Clara County, California, is extremely diverse. Mr. Speaker, 30 percent of my community are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, 17 percent are Latinos, and 34 percent are foreign born, 43 percent speak a language other than English. Despite the increasing diversity of our Nation, our health care system is not meeting the needs of our community, and our racial and ethnic minorities are too often denied the high-quality health care that most Americans receive. According to the 2000 census data, the number of individuals who speak a language other than English at home has reached almost 45 million, and 19.5 million speak English less than very well, an increase of 40 percent from 1990. There are two important things about our communities: number one, this bill and the solution codifies existing standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate health care, authorizes a new center in the Office of Minority Health to assist in cultural and language services, and increases Federal reimbursements for these services. Another area is data collection. Data is a crosscutting issue. Lack of data impacts our understanding of the health problems in our communities as well as the problems in access and quality. Adequate data collection continues to be a challenge for APAs. Though often mistaken to be a homogenous group, the Asian Pacific group encompasses 49 ethnicities speaking over 100 languages. Aggregating such a large and diverse group makes it difficult to understand the unique problems faced by the individual ethnicity it encompasses. So what do we need to do? We need to be able to provide health insurance coverage; increase workforce diversity; reduce disease complications; provide cultural and linguistic services; attain quality data; strengthen health institutions to all minorities, Asian and Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians. Mr. Speaker, in solidarity with the Democratic leadership and minority caucuses, we call on our colleagues and the Chief Executive in the White House to help enact the solution for minority populations across this great Nation, the Health Care Equality and Accountability Act.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to the conference report on H.R. 2115, the FAA reauthorization bill. This conference report is an affront to the proper legislative procedures of this body and, worse yet, a threat to our Nation's stellar aviation safety record. As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I know firsthand that our committee developed strong, bipartisan legislation that this House almost unanimously passed 418-8 last June. Yet today, we debate a controversial FAA reauthorization conference report that has sparked heated opposition. Why? The answer is simple. By bowing to industry pressure and Bush administration demands and by shutting Democrats out of conference deliberations, Republican leaders have crafted a report that compromises the safety and security of the flying public. In fact, this conference report is proof that the lessons of September 11 have been forgotten. Republican leaders have forgotten that on September 11, air traffic controllers safely landed 4,482 planes within 2 hours without one operation error. This is a system to protect, not endanger. Yet this conference report does just the opposite. By allowing for further privatization of the air traffic control system, which is really silent on it and the wording previously was ``prohibit,'' Republican leaders wish to put air safety in the hands of the lowest bidder. That model did not work for airport security, and it will not work for our air traffic control system. In writing this conference report, Republican leaders have also forgotten the September 11 lesson that flight crews are a critical line of defense in aviation security. This report drops a House-passed provision that would require TSA to issue security and antiterrorism training guidelines for our Nation's flight attendants. By making these guidelines optional, the Congress is effectively rejecting calls by flight attendants for greater security training to protect themselves, airline passengers, and the American public. I cannot in good conscience support this conference report. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, my colleague Eddie Bernice Johnson and I would like to pay tribute to the memory of our dear friend and a remarkable woman from Dallas, Dr. Suzanne Insook Ahn. Dr. Suzanne Insook Ahn was born in Pusan, South Korea and raised in the United States. Dr. Ahn's beginning was very humble. Her father, Chai Ho Ahn, had been scratching out a living for his wife and children. Their community was so impressed with his intellect they collected $143 to send him to a local college to start him on his way to become a doctor. The family patriarch never forgot his neighbors and friends, and until his retirement, he oflen returned to the village loaded with donated pharmaceuticals to treat patients. Dr. Ahn joined her father a few years later in the U.S., and quickly acclimated to her new home, learning to speak fluent English just eight months after her arrival. She was the top student in her class through junior high school, and participated in many activities including the school debate team. She became an accomplished pianist, and at age 17, she entered the North Texas Beauty Contest and won first alternate. Upon graduation from high school, she decided to pursue pre-medical studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She was also a graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Ahn was a co-inventor of 23 U.S. medical patents. She was the founder of a medical division of a Hi-Tech start-up, and served as its president for three years. She was the founder and president of Dallas Summit, a group of Dallas women in decisionmaking positions. Dr. Ahn served on many boards, including the Texas Air Quality Board, National Board of Girls Inc., Women's Center of Dallas, DeGolyer Library of Women of the Southwest, and the board of the Hockaday School. Dr. Ahn has made it a habit throughout her life to demonstrate that Asian Pacific Americans are not ``foreigners,'' but proud Americans. She especially believed in the democratic process, supporting candidates in their elections and developing close long-lasting relationships with them. Former Texas Governor Ann Richards appointed Dr. Ahn to the Air Control Board during her governorship. Dr. Ahn also became the youngest person, and only the second woman, ever to be appointed to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners in its 100-year history. Dr. Ahn also knew too well about the negative side of political participation. When President Clinton ran for his second term of office, the Republicans accused the Democrats of illegal campaign contributions, specifically from China. Auditors questioned any contributor with an Asian-sounding surname, including Dr. Ahn, about their contributions. She was infuriated and let her feelings be known to the national media. Appearing on ABC's Nightline, Ahn recounted her own experience: ``The questions that [the auditor] asked were: one, what is your reported income on your tax statement; two, what are your assets; three, are you an American citizen?'' The questions came with threats. The auditor told Ahn that if she did not tell them everything that she would be listed as uncooperative and her name would be released to the press. ``When white men violate campaign finance rules,'' she pointed out, ``they pay a fine and nobody gets hurt. There is no maligning of the entire race. I think there is an incredible double standard here.'' Last year, Ahn made a surprise appearance at the Asian American Journalists Association's national convention meeting in Dallas, where she presented the group with a $100,000 endowment, the largest gift the organization has ever received. Friends and family will miss Dr. Ahn. She leaves behind her husband, Dr. Steven Hays, a nephrologist, their 17 year-old son, Foster, and 14 year-old daughter, Kimberly. We are privileged to have had the opportunities to work with Dr. Ahn. What was most amazing about her was the hard work and determination she had in helping others. Her unmatched passion and love for public service will be missed by many. We join the residents of the Dallas/Ft. Worth community in extending our condolences to her family. The Great State of Texas was fortunate to have had Dr. Ahn, and we all have been greatly touched by her courage and life's work.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express how thrilled I am to honor the immigrant workers for making their courageous journey across the country to fight for equality and civil rights. Modeled after the 1961 Freedom Rides of the U.S. civil rights movement, today's Immigrant Workers Freedom Riders are converging in Washington, D.C., after having visited cities and towns across America to raise awareness about the plight of immigrant workers. This country was founded and built by immigrants. They are still the backbone of our country and we must continue to fight for their civil rights and immigration reform. Like countless Americans throughout our history, the Freedom Riders visiting our nation's capital today are seeking to fulfill their American Dream. They work hard and contribute tremendously to our country, and to our economy. They deserve fair and equal treatment. We must come together to continue to educate our communities about the plight of these workers, and to end the injustices and indignities these immigrants face daily. The Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride is sponsored by a large coalition of religious groups, labor unions, immigrant advocates, and civil rights organizations. State legislators and political leaders across the country have endorsed the Freedom Ride, including the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Black Caucus. There are many members of Congress like myself, who support efforts for meaningful and long overdue reforms such as: Providing a ``Road to Citizenship'' for immigrant workers, reuniting families in a timely fashion by streamlining our outdated immigration policies, and protecting and restoring workplace rights for immigrants. Together, we will ensure that our message of equality and human dignity is heard. We will educate other members of Congress, and convince them to join our efforts.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Campbell Mayor Daniel E. Furtado, Councilmember Jeannette Watson, and Campbell Police Captain Russell Patterson. Their work in Campbell, California, has made that city one of our Nation's safest. Today, the National League of Cities commended these leaders for developing a homeland security preparedness program that serves as a national model. Since the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, each level of government has been faced with the challenge of making our homeland more secure. In developing the City of Campbell's Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness Program, Campbell's leaders have met this challenge by coordinating efforts between government agencies, local schools and universities, and community based organizations in order to respond to disasters quickly and efficiently. This highly effective program utilizes an ``All Hazards'' approach, sharing information and resources used to combat both natural disasters and the kind of terrorist attacks our country witnessed two years ago. The program allows for the expansion of an emergency management organization based on the severity of each possible disaster or terrorist attack. The Mayor, City Council, and Police Department deserve our gratitude. They have made invaluable contributions to the City of Campbell over the past two years. I hope other cities throughout the United States are able to emulate Campbell's achievements, as America moves forward in protecting our homeland. The people of Campbell are more prepared for catastrophes, and are privileged to have proactive public servants working for them.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HONDA. I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma.

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I offer a simple amendment that subtracts $1 million from the San Francisco Muni Third Street Light Rail Project and adds that amount to the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Project. The Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Project is a meritorious project that deserves Federal funding. It will connect BART with the highly frequented Santa Clara County destinations, including Santa Clara County's light rail system, ACE rail system, Cal Train's San Jose Station, the planned people mover at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Airport, and thousands of Silicon Valley employers. In addition, this project is the last link needed to complete the connection of all the region's rail systems around San Francisco Bay. Mr. Chairman, I am honored and thankful that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver) support this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment as well.

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, let us talk about fairness for everybody: 262,000 of these children are from military families; 178,000 are children from farming families; 567,000 are children of nurses and orderlies. They say no to these children. Three hundred thirty-seven thousand are children of teachers. They say no to these additional children. We can go on and talk about earned income, but this is fairness for all people with children in this country and they deserve a child tax credit.

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger) for offering this motion to instruct conferees on the child tax credit. I really appreciate his commitment to this important issue, and also his expertise in being able to explain the fairness of what we want to do, fairness to the public of this country. This is not the first time I have spoken out on the child tax credit. In fact, this is not the first time Democrats have spoken out on this issue either. For over 3 months, Democrats have been fighting to expand the child tax credit to the 12 million children Republicans left behind. We will continue to speak out on this floor and we will continue to fight this Republican leadership until we provide this benefit for all working families. Back in July, I know many Americans received a check for the child tax credit in the mail from the IRS. However, and it has been said before, 6.5 million families received no check or a smaller check because the Republicans decided they did not deserve this money. The Republicans decided that when they put together their $350 billion tax cut bill, Republicans decided they had room for dividend and capital gains tax cuts, 72 percent of which goes to the top 5 percent of the households. They decided they had room to provide tax cuts of over $93,500 to those making over a million dollars. But when it came time to do a child tax credit, they decided they could not afford to help all working families. Mr. Speaker, I know many Americans listen to these debates, and the message we Members try to convey often gets lost in all of the technical and legislative terminology. So what is our message today? It is simply this: Republicans managed to pass a $350 billion tax cut but deliberately left 12 million children behind, and Democrats have been continuing to fight on behalf of those 12 million children.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Japanese American National Bowling Association (JANBA). From its noble inception to oppose discrimination after World War II, JANBA continues to be a forum for social interaction and friendly competition for its thousands of members throughout the United States. After internment in World War II, Japanese Americans trying to return to a life of normalcy discovered bowling as an engaging social pursuit. The sport quickly became a popular pastime with many joining bowling leagues and competitions. However, a restriction against Japanese Americans on the national stage was quickly realized. In 1947, Mr. Rokuro ``Fuzzy'' Shimada was planning to bowl in a Santa Clara bowling league. However, he was denied acceptance due to the league's ``whites only'' membership policy set by the American Bowling Congress (ABC). In objection, the National Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Nisei Bowling Tournament was birthed later that year. The selected venue was Salt Lake City, Utah, the headquarters of the National JACL at that time. Despite its inaugural year, the tournament was able to attract nearly 300 participants. Admirably, Mr. ``Fuzzy'' Shimada was inducted into the ABC Hall of Fame as a Pioneer in 1997, after the discriminatory rules were absolved in 1951. From 1947 to 1973, the National JACL Nisei Bowling Tournament was held annually at multiple locations across the United States. Then in 1974, the Japanese American National Bowling Association was spawned when it was agreed by the JACL Advisory Board of Bowling to form a separate organization from the JACL. Mr. Ozzie Shimada acted as the president pro tem for the first year. The Annual JANBA Tournament has continued its heralded traditions passed down from the JACL. Recently, the 2003 JANBA tournament was held in San Francisco. Over 800 men and women bowlers of all ages enjoyed competing in multiple tournament formats during the weeklong event. Mr. Speaker, I commend the Japanese American National Bowling Association (JANBA) for its courageous beginnings to oppose segregation in the aftermath of World War II and providing a venue for social interaction and friendly competition for fellow Americans.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of a dedicated public servant, Daniel Villanueva Hernandez. Mr. Hernandez's unexpected passing on June 6, 2003 ended a life committed to his community, social justice, and most importantly, his family. The Bay Area has indeed lost an extremely great lawyer, who advocated for the rights of the less fortunate. His work and legacy will continue through the many lives he touched. Born in 1944 to Ignacio and Maria Hernandez in Texas, Daniel traveled with his family across the Southwest as migrant farm workers. Every summer, his family would travel to Santa Clara County to pick prunes. From his experience as a migrant worker, he learned the values of hard work, determination, and the importance of education. It was his father who made certain all nine children, including Daniel, graduated from high school. Daniel exceeded his father's dreams by attending San Jose State University, where his activism flourished, and he became a fiery leader. Daniel's goal during his life was to ensure others had access to the same opportunities he enjoyed. At San Jose State University, Daniel started the organization called Student Initiative. As the leader of this organization of Latino students, Daniel became a leading voice for the rights of minorities. At this time in history, our country was engaged in the Vietnam War. Many of his friends were being drafted into the combat, and it was clear to Daniel that the underprivileged were not given equal treatment. Daniel did not stand on the sidelines. With passion and conviction, he organized students and led demonstrations against the war. Knowing the importance of education, Daniel worked on enabling more Mexican American students to attend college. Through his creation of another organization, the Mexican American Student Confederation, he brought 200 students into the college system in one year alone. Emboldened with the desire to make a difference, Daniel brought together students from different campuses across California to fight against discriminatory practices. He spoke out on the issues of poverty, civil rights, and affordable housing, and on many occasions, he civilly disobeyed laws that were unjust to Mexican Americans and the less fortunate. Daniel reached out beyond the college campus, in order to work with United People Arriba. Through the organization, he helped bring a medical clinic and 193 affordable housing units to the predominantly Latino East Side of San Jose. It was through the encouragement of his wife, Jessie Serna, that he decided to pursue a career in law. He had the ability and the heart to truly make a difference. He attended and earned his law degree from Golden Gate University. During the 22 years he practiced law, Mr. Hernandez would represent the poorest people, and would take on the most difficult of cases. To him no case was hopeless. Knowing that a person was imprisoned falsely was a matter Mr. Hernandez could not accept. He made certain his clients were equally represented before the court of law. In addition to decades of service fighting to protect the rights of the less fortunate, Daniel dedicated countless hours to the Mexican American community through his services as a community activist and mentor. He was, for example, an effective advocate for the Pro Bono Project. The Pro Bono Project allowed future lawyers to contribute their services to the poor in need of legal services. Mr. Hernandez was a mentor to many future attorneys through his service with the Pro Bono Project. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of a friend. I have had many opportunities to meet with Mr. Hernandez, and what amazed me most about him was his dedication and determination to help others. The passion and love he had for public service will be missed by all of us. The Bay Area was fortunate to have Mr. Hernandez as an activist, family man, and friend. I am personally fortunate to represent a district that Mr. Hernandez touched with his courageous works.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my opposition to the fiscal year 2004 VA-HUD Appropriations bill. After passing sweeping tax cuts for the wealthy, the Republican majority in this House is once again telling the American people that not enough money is available to adequately fund programs for our Nation's veterans and poor. Consider, for example, that this appropriations bill provides $25.2 billion for veterans' health care--$1.8 billion less than was promised in the Republican budget resolution passed earlier this year. While Republicans may assert that $25.2 billion is a $1.4 billion increase over fiscal year 2003 levels, the truth is that this modest ``increase'' does not keep pace with hospital inflation or the growth in the numbers of veterans enrolled. The bill will only exacerbate the crisis in veterans' medical care. In fact, in a recently released report, the American Legion concluded that an average of 200,000 veterans must routinely wait 6 months or more for an appointment at the Veterans Administration's hospitals. Sadly, some veterans die before they even see their doctor. It is shameful that this Congress is turning its back on the same veterans that fought for the safety of this nation. I will continue to fight to fulfill our obligation to those who have served our country so well. Just as this bill shortchanges America's veterans, it also fails thousands of poor Americans that rely on Federal housing assistance. The VA-HUD Appropriations bill provides funding for the ``Section 8'' housing choice voucher program. The voucher program enables low-income families with children, the elderly, and the disabled to rent apartments in the private market. It makes up the difference between what low-income people can afford to pay for housing and what private rents are, and is a critical source of support for more than 2 million families. Without vouchers, many of these families would be stuck in overcrowded or unsafe housing, or even worse, wind up homeless. While the bill before us today improves upon the President's inadequate request for this program, it still falls short of the amount needed to continue all vouchers in use, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office and outside experts. Specifically, the House bill uses data on voucher costs that date as far back as April 2001. Mr. Chairman, as we all know, housing costs in most parts of the country have been steadily rising since then, and it is unrealistic to ignore those market trends in setting HUD's budget for the year. If the shortfall in this bill is not addressed, 85,000 families will not have the funding for their vouchers renewed. This kind of cut would be unprecedented in the history of the voucher program. In fact, what we should be talking about today is how to make more vouchers available to families, not fewer. Only a fraction of eligible households receive vouchers, and most people face a several-year wait for a voucher. And last but not least, I will be opposing the fiscal year 2004 VA- HUD Appropriations bill because it makes rash and unwise cuts in the AmeriCorps program, a program that embodies the spirit of altruism and service that has made our nation great. In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush introduced the Freedom Corps program to further encourage volunteerism across our nation, asserting that ``we need mentors to love children, especially children whose parents are in prison, and we need more talented teachers in troubled schools.'' At that time, the President announced his goal for the Freedom Corps to ``expand and improve the good efforts of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps to recruit more than 200,000 new volunteers.'' In providing 20 percent less than the President's request, the House fails to heed the President's call for national service. Indeed, this bill will limit new enrollment in AmeriCorps to 55,000. The House, once again, is falling short of its responsibility to support all those Americans who so desperately need our help. We can do much better than the bill before us today. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 2861.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) for yielding me this time. I have about three or four pages of written comments; so I have to say my comments within a minute. I am opposing H.R. 2210. I was a classroom teacher and a principal. And my wife has been a kindergarten teacher since 1965. So most of us here, we talk about Head Start from personal experiences and from professional experiences rather than sitting in the board rooms of school board members and other things, volunteers to these programs; and I am not going to question the motivations of those who are proposing this bill. But I have to say from my gut that you are wrong. You are wrong about the direction you are headed with Head Start. We understand because we lived it, and we understand it because we worked with the youngsters and we saw it work. I had two primary schools. I established two Head Start programs. Our teachers worked with youngsters who spoke Cambodian, Vietnamese, Spanish; and our kindergarten teachers and first and third grade teachers said it works. If it ain't broke, why do you want to adjust it? Mr. Chairman, as a former teacher and principal, I rise today to voice my opposition to H.R. 2210, the Republican Head Start Reauthorization bill. We should be increasing funding for Head Start, so that all eligible children can enroll. We should be increasing the salaries of Head Start teachers, and providing the necessary resources to improve teacher quality. We need to continue to impose the high standards that Head Start has been required to meet for the past 38 years. Instead, Republicans are advocating for the exact opposite. They support trillion dollar tax cuts, but refuse to provide resources for disadvantaged children. The Head Start Reauthorization bill would dismantle this critical program by shortchanging teachers, denying services to eligible children, and weakening accountability. Republicans shortchange Head Start teachers. Currently, Head Start teachers only make about half of what kindergarten teachers make. Common sense tells us that increasing salaries is imperative for attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers. However, Republicans only provide an annual increase of $49 for teacher salaries and education next year--this is over $300 million short of what is needed in 2004, and $2 billion short of what is needed over the lifetime of the bill. As vice chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am particularly alarmed by how these Republican cuts will hurt APA communities. Nationwide, over 25,000 APA children are served by Head Start. In California alone, over 6,000 APA children are enrolled in Head Start, with over half of them coming from homes where English is not the primary language. By cutting funding for Head Start, Republicans deny these children the opportunities they richly deserve. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to put the needs of children first, and vote against the Republican's proposal to destroy the Head Start program.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the opening of the Lines of Violation exhibition at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Organized by the Women's Development Institute International, the Asian American Women's Coalition, and the Philadelphia Branch of the American Association of University Women, this exhibition will showcase British artist Andrew Ward's sculptural piece Lines of Violation. This contemporary work of art memorializes the indignity suffered by 200,000 ``comfort women'' in Asia before and during World War II. These women were ordinary civilians--some of whom were young girls who had barely reached adolescence, others of whom were married women with children at home--who were forced into prostitution by the Japanese Imperial Army. Most of these victims were Korean nationals, but they included Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Burmese, Pacific Islander, and even American women as well. Life in the so-called ``comfort houses'' established in the wake of the Japanese warpath was agonizing. The women there were raped multiple times each day, often contracting debilitating sexually transmitted diseases while suffering all the mental and emotional repercussions of their dehumanization. Many women lost their fertility; some committed suicide. The comfort houses' proximity to the hostilities on the surrounding battlefields compounded the comfort women's misery and fear. Those women who managed to survive and return to their homes after the war had believed that they would be compensated for their labor, but payment never came. While a number of former comfort women have filed lawsuits against the perpetrators of these unspeakable crimes, virtually none have succeeded in securing either a formal apology or monetary compensation. Even to this day the vast majority of former comfort women have not received the atonement payments that they were promised by the Japanese government in 1995. The injustice that these victims have suffered prompted the United Nations to send artist Andrew Ward to Asia in 1998 to interview 52 former comfort women. At once horrified and inspired by their stories, Ward created Lines of Violation as a modern monument to the forbearance that these women showed both during the war and in the decades since. Lines of Violation depicts life-size drawings of the hands of these 52 Filipino, Taiwanese, Korean, and Dutch former comfort women. Ward relied on his sense of touch to sketch their hands, thereby capturing his response to the women's emotions immediately in the moment. The drawings are encased in two 7.5 foot-high and 23 foot-long semicircular plexi-glass frames lit by shifting lights in the center of the installation. A sound system projects the voices of the victims recounting their stories, constantly infusing the artwork with their presence. Mr. Speaker, I applaud today's opening of the Lines of Violation exhibition in Philadelphia. Lines of Violation has already touched countless viewers in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and now for the first time Americans will have the opportunity to experience this unique work of art. I sincerely hope that this exhibition will heighten awareness of the terrible crimes committed against these women and hasten the day when they achieve the justice that they deserve at last.

Mr. HONDA

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for their leadership in crafting this legislation and the support for this noncontroversial bipartisan amendment. I would also like to give a special thanks to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for working with us on this amendment. This amendment, based on legislation I introduced earlier this year, the Teacher Mentoring Act, would permit the use of grant funds to be used for teacher mentoring programs and is supported by the American Federation of Teachers. As a former teacher and principal, I can attest to the critical role teacher mentoring programs play in preparing and retaining teachers for the many challenges they will face. Teacher retention rates remain a critical problem for our Nation's schools. According to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, nearly a quarter of new teachers quit by the end of their second year, and almost half leave within 5 years. This revolving-door phenomenon is particularly problematic in high-poverty schools, where the turnover rate is almost one-third higher than the national average. Teachers who leave the profession often point to support programs for beginning teachers as a key to increasing retention rates. One critical source of support can be found through teacher mentoring programs that will pair new teachers with experienced educators serving as mentors. A large majority of school districts today have enacted teacher mentoring programs that have proven successful in retaining teachers. In fact, teachers without mentoring programs have been shown to leave the profession at a rate almost 70 percent higher than those with mentoring programs. My amendment, Mr. Chairman, will help provide the necessary resources for these essential programs, and I urge all Members to support this bipartisan amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.