Darrell Issa

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate President Chen Shui-bian, Vice President Annette Lu, and the People of Taiwan on Taiwan's National Day. Since escaping the clutches of Communist China in 1949, the people of Taiwan have made great strides economically, politically, and socially. Taiwan has become a bastion of democracy and an economic power in East Asia. They have made this progress because they have committed themselves to building the institutions that are so important to democracy and the preservation of freedom. They have also liberalized their economy, conformed to the standards of international business, and earlier this year, gained acceptance into the World Trade Organization. They should be commended for proving to the world that democracy, free market economics, and hard work are the keys to success in today's world. But Mr. Speaker, we should not recognize Taiwan's achievements without also thanking them for their partnership in containing China's expansionist tendencies. For over fifty years the Taiwanese have stared down China's threats of invasion and annexation, choosing instead to build a modern, free society and, most importantly, choosing to be our friend. They have played a key role in containing the specter of Communism in East Asia. We should never forget that. I am pleased to have this opportunity to recognize Taiwan on their day of national celebration and I congratulate them on all they have achieved.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I join my many esteemed colleagues today in support of this resolution authorizing the President to use force against Iraq. This is an historic moment for our country--a moment that should not be taken lightly. This is hopefully the last chapter in a long saga of our country's effort to deal with the threats of Saddam Hussein and his cruel regime. We have already given Saddam every chance to prevent war. We have spent ten years working through multilateral institutions, diplomatic channels, and the United Nations, trying to convince him to change. We have tried using sanctions to control his access to weapons. We have tried sending weapons inspectors into Iraq to find and dismantle his weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Speaker, none of these efforts have brought any success. On the contrary, Saddam has only continued his brutal oppression of his own people, his weapons of mass destruction programs, and his support for terrorist groups that are committed to attacking America. Over the past ten years, he has made a mockery of the United Nations and multilateral diplomacy. He has systematically undermined United Nations resolutions that were designed to disarm and reform his regime. He threw out weapons inspectors in 1998 and has aggressively rebuilt his weapons of mass destruction programs. And he has targeted America, attempting to assassinate former President George Bush in 1993. The proverbial ``last straw'' that pushed us to action was when we realized that Saddam could strike us on our home soil just as easily as Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network did on September 11, 2001. We know that Saddam is all too willing to use weapons of mass destruction against his enemies. To hope that he will keep these weapons as ``deterrent'' and never use them is to stick our heads in the sand and ignore over 20 years of history. Mr. Speaker, we have an obligation to defend ourselves in the face of Saddam's threats. We cannot afford to remain silent while our enemies plot their next attack. We make this decision because we have exhausted all other options. King Solomon, in his wisdom, wrote, ``There is a time for everything: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to kill and a time to heal . . . a time to be silent and a time to speak . . . a time for war and a time for peace.'' Mr. Speaker, now is the time to break our silence, now is the time to finish the process Saddam himself began in 1990. It is time for the United States to use the full force of its military to remove Saddam and give the people of Iraq the opportunity to live in peace and security. I urge my colleagues to support the President during this critical time in our nation's history and to vote in favor of this resolution.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Jameel Hourani of Los Angeles, California. On October 16, St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral will honor Jameel Hourani as its ``Man of the Year.'' I would like to join the Orthodox Union Club in publicly recognizing this outstanding person. In 1988, Dr. Jameel Hourani was elected the President of the Parish Council at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Los Angeles. During his five years of service he had oversight responsibilities on many committees and activities. Jameel was instrumental in the refurbishment of the exterior of the cathedral, the celebration of the visit of Patriarch lgnacious IV in 1999, the organization of the 50th Anniversary of the cathedral in 2000 and host to the Antiochian Convention held in Los Angeles in 2001. Dr. Hourani is a Board Certified Physician in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is also a member of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Thoracic Society. He has established his credentials through many years of Service. Jameel is credited with numerous articles, lectures and participated in over 24 clinical research studies in the last five years. Dr. Hourani's expertise has extended internationally as he participated in the first kidney transplant in Morocco. In the United States Dr. Hourani has been inducted into the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels by the Governor of Kentucky for his relief work in the flood-ravaged area in the late 1980's. Mr. Speaker, I would like to personally thank Dr. Hourani for his service to both the community and the cathedral. Jameel Hourani is a dedicated man of his community and I wish him the best of luck in the future.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Conference Report for H.R. 2215, ``The 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act.'' I thank Chairman James Sensenbrenner, the House and Senate Conferees and the Judiciary Committee staff for their leadership on this bill. Within this Conference Report, in section 312, the Southern District of California will receive five judgeships. This authorization will bring immense relief to this district. As you may know, Southern California has the dubious distinction of having the highest judge to caseload ratio in the nation. I have met with four of the sitting judges in this district and have seen first hand the problems they face on a daily basis. In 1998, the Southern District, which has 8 judgeships, had a weighted caseload of 1,006 cases per judge, annually. I want to give you a comparison of the caseload to judges from different regions of the United States to show you how overloaded the judges in the Southern District of California are: New York has 28 judgeships and each one handles 468 cases annually, LA has 27 judgeships/481 caseload, Chicago--22 judgeships/381 caseload, Houston--18 judgeships/588 caseload, Philadelphia--22 judgeship/381 caseload. Congress has not authorized any new judgeships for the Southern District since 1990, and with this district being a border corridor, I do not expect the level of criminal activity to diminish in the near future. Passing this bill is necessary to ease the burden on the sitting judges of the Southern District.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I would thank my colleagues Congressman Calvert, Congressman Hunter, Congressman Cunningham, Congressman Radanovich, Congressman Doolittle and Congresswoman Bono for their commitment to meeting southern California's energy demands and their continued concern for the communities and property owners affected by the need for a new transmission line. The Cleveland National Forest Responsible Electricity Transmission Act of 2002 will create a corridor through the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest, whereby a 500 KV transmission line can be built to connect the Valley-Serrano transmission line (owned by Southern California Edison) to the Telega-Escondido transmission line (owned by San Diego Gas & Electric). The approval of this corridor will greatly strengthen a fragile California transmission grid while protecting hundreds of homes and businesses from condemnation. This bill is the result of discussions and negotiations among Members of Congress and other interested parties for nearly a year. Our legislation follows the basic premise that we should utilize lands set aside for public use before condemning private property for a transmission line. Nearly 97 percent of the corridor created by our bill will utilize public lands. SDG&E, the utility attempting to secure a corridor for a transmission line, has pledged their support for our legislation in order to avoid making a decision that would be detrimental to the people of the Temecula Valley. Our bill will do something else that California desperately needs. It will allow a local water district to connect a new source of power to the grid. The proposed hydro electric facility on Lake Elsinore, adjacent to the corridor, will enable the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District to place 600 megawatts of green peaker power onto the transmission grid when the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) needs it. In order for this project to become a reality, our legislation needs to become law. California needs both improved electrical infrastructure and a greater generation capacity: our bill is a step towards achieving these goals. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here talking about this common sense legislation. 1, along with my colleagues, look forward to working with Chairman Barton and Chairman Tauzin to make this important legislation law.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 401, I was recorded as not voting. It was my intent to vote ``yea''. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I am concerned about the effects of an unjust tax on borrowers. Every time the Small Business Administration makes a 504 or 7(a) loan, the borrower pays an arbitrary and unnecessary fee. The subsidy rates for the 504 and 7(a) have not reflected the actual performance of these loan portfolios over the past 11 years since the passage of the Credit Reform Act in 1990. The House Small Business Committee has repeatedly raised this issue with the Office of Management and Budget. OMB continues to use a flawed methodology to determine the cost of these loan programs to the government and SBA borrowers are forced to pay excessive fees that, since 1999, have totaled nearly $2 billion. Today, the typical SBA 504 borrower pays more than $10,000 in excess fees and the typical 7(a) borrower pays more than $2000 in excess fees to the government because OMB fails to accurately determine the subsidy rates of these loans. Congress never gave OMB the right to impose a $10,000 tax on every 504 borrower or a $2000 tax on every 7(a) borrower. Yet that is what OMB is doing by continually overstating these subsidy rates. The SBA is responsible for more than 40 percent of all long-term lending to small businesses. The inability of OMB to accurately estimate the cost of subsidizing small business loans draws needed resources from the very businesses these programs are intended to assist. Mr. Speaker, this problem is not a partisan problem. It has existed throughout the previous administration and the current administration. It requires immediate action. It is time to require OMB to recalculate the 7(a) and 504 program subsidy rates for FY 2003.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the city of Leidschendam-Voorburg in the Netherlands for their act of friendship towards their sister city, Temecula, California. As a way to express their sentiments of sorrow and sympathy for the events that occurred on September 11th, the citizens of Voorburg have graciously donated the statue ``Singing in the Rain,'' by Frans Kokshoorn to the city of Temecula. The residents of Voorburg donated thousands of dollars to have this statue built and shipped to Temecula for its installation on this day of remembrance. Mr. Speaker, as we reflect on the events of one year ago, I would like to join the city of Temecula in thanking the city and citizens of Leidschendam-Voorburg for this genuine gesture of kindness during a difficult time for every American.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the city of Leidschendam-Voorburg in the Netherlands for their act of friendship towards their sister city, Temecula California. As a way to express their sentiments of sorrow and sympathy for the events that occurred on September 11 the citizens of Voorburg have graciously donated the Statue ``Singing in the Rain'' by Frans Kokshoorn to the city of Temecula. The residents of Voorburg donated thousands of dollars to have this statue built and shipped to Temecula for its installation on this day of remembrance. Mr. Speaker as we reflect on the events of 1 year ago, I would like to join the city of Temecula in thanking the city and citizens of Leidschendam-Voorburg for this genuine gesture of kindness during a difficult time for every American.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheriff Larry D. Smith of Riverside County California. Larry Smith was sworn in as Riverside County's eleventh sheriff on December 14, 1994. He has faithfully served the people of Riverside as sheriff for the past 8 years and to recognize this service the Riverside County Board of Supervisors dedicated August 1, 2002 as ``Larry D. Smith Day'' in Riverside County. Sheriff Larry Smith began his thirty-six years in law enforcement as deputy sheriff in the Blythe Jail and Patrol Station. He has held each successive rank in assignments across Riverside County. His distinguished career includes a variety of command assignments, including narcotics enforcement, information services, the jail, and the patrol station. Sheriff Smith also served as the County's Search and Rescue coordinator and commanded the department's Emergency Service Team. In addition to being the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for Riverside County he is also a past board chairman and current board member of the Federal Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a past president and current member of the Riverside County Law Enforcement Administrators Association and past chairman of the local and regional CAL-ID boards. In addition, Larry Smith served as President of the California State Sheriff's Association until June 2002. Sheriff Smith has been recognized statewide with numerous awards and commendations including: the Special Recognition Award in 1996 from the California Narcotics Officer's Association, the Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer Award in 1996 from Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of California, the 1997 Director's Award for Partnership from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the 1998 Professional of The Year Award from the California Peace Officers Association. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of the celebration of Sheriff Smith's career, I would like to personally thank him for his thirty-six years of service to the people of Riverside County and wish him good fortune in the future.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express indignation at Germany's refusal to provide evidence in the trial of would-be 9/11 terrorist, Zacharias Moussaoui. This past weekend, the German Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin said that Germany would not release any evidence against Moussaoui unless they were assured that it would not be used to obtain a death sentence. He said that German documents ``cannot be used for the death penalty or for an execution.'' The United States would either have to accept their terms or walk away empty-handed. In the face of this continuing terrorist threat to our country, the Germans are trying to meddle in our justice system--;giving us instructions for how we should try a suspected terrorist conspirator and mass murderer. What an outrage! The last time I checked, Germany was supposedly an ally--;a NATO ally, to be more specific. In fact, right after denying us this critical evidence, Dauebler-Gmelin labeled U.S.-German relations ``good and trustful.'' Yet the Germans apparently have no qualms about using life and death information to make a disparaging comment on our justice system. My message to the Germans is simple: let us decide what we do with our mass-murderers and terrorists. If you are a true friend and ally, give us the tools to provide security for our own people. What really bothers me about this is that the very existence of modern Germany is due to our unwavering support for them during the Cold War. In the face of a mounting Soviet threat against Germany, we provided them with military protection, food supplies, and development assistance. Under the Marshall Plan, we gave them the billions of dollars necessary to get their economy back on its feet following the Second World War. If not for our leadership in the NATO alliance, Germany would have suffered the same fate as the other Warsaw Pact countries--;a harsh and cruel life under a Communist dictatorship. We have always supported Germany, throughout all the difficulties of the Cold War and other challenges they have faced. Germany's refusal to help us is really quite unique. The vast majority of our true friends have been overwhelmingly supportive in the war on terror. Over the past year, we have worked hand-in-hand with the intelligence services of our moderate Arab allies to get the information we need to shut down terrorist threats around the world. Much of the intelligence we used in our successful Afghanistan campaign came from our Arab friends and allies. There has not been one incident where our real friends have even suggested the idea of not sharing intelligence with us. The fact that Germany is now only willing to provide information with strings attached is cause for alarm. Would we put up with this behavior from any of our other allies? It is time to bring some real pressure to bear on the Germans. Germany needs to stop playing games and choose sides.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for the Velazquez-lssa-Wilson amendment. I would like to thank the gentlewomen from New York and New Mexico for joining me in introducing this amendment that is so important to America's small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of our nation's economy. They represent over 99% of all companies in the United States and employ over half of the nation's workforce. The Department of Homeland Security should facilitate a competitive purchasing atmosphere where high quality goods provided by small businesses can assist in the critical mission of this new agency. The Velazquez-lssa-Wilson amendment will require the Department of Homeland Security to adhere to the same minimum procurement goals as other federal agencies. Additionally, the amendment puts accountability into the hands of procurement officials by making goal attainment an element of worker performance evaluations. It is critical that government support American small businesses, which is why Congress created statutory goals for small business procurement. Support the Velazquez-lssa-Wilson amendment and let us secure a place for small businesses in Homeland Security's procurement market.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it is not easy for a freshman to get up and talk about a Member that I do not know very well. Although I was born in Ohio, I am not here because of some relationship to Ohio. I am a California representative. I was voted by, in my particular case, over 800,000 people I now represent, until we get reapportioned. All of my colleagues got here because of over 600,000 or more voters. They put us here, this body did not. Our governors did not put us here; a court did not put us here. We are a unique body. We get here by one and only one reason, and that is \1/435\th of the country votes to put us here. I do not know the people of Youngstown all that well, but they put the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) here, and I take it as an extremely important and extremely solemn duty to decide to take the extraordinary measure of removing him. I must tell my colleagues that I am also not a lawyer, but I am going to have to decide, hopefully in the next month rather than the next hour, whether or not to, for the second time in modern history, I guess for the second time in history practically, to remove a Member. I do not have enough information. I respect the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman). I respect the chairman. I believe that they have looked at this long and hard. But I have not had the opportunity. And as lawyers often say, I must look at this sua sponte. I am sorry, de novo. See, I am not an attorney. I have to look at this anew, and I am not prepared to do it now. I would appreciate the opportunity to see what the court in Cleveland does over the break. I would appreciate the opportunity to review the records and have my staff assist me. I will probably, when the times comes, vote as my colleagues do. Now, if I can just make one statement to this body, because there was a reference from one of my colleagues that in fact we had to worry about the image of this body. We will be gone after tomorrow, more or less, for a month. There will be no votes. There will be no activity. Whether the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) is a Congressman or an ex-Congressman, he has a cloud that he is living under that he will have to deal with. It will make no difference to them. This body will survive one month of somebody with a conviction not yet sentenced or sentenced and not yet incarcerated. I believe that if we give it that time, if all of us go and soul- search, take the time to understand the case, when we come back, whatever the vote is, we will feel better for ourselves and for this body if we have taken the deliberative time, and I ask my colleagues to please support this motion to give enough time for us to do the job right. We do not do it that often.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Chairman, I had intended to offer an amendment today to withhold funds from the Government of American Samoa to protest the treatment of one of my constituents. In January of 1997 a constituent of mine signed a special services employment contract with the government of American Samoa as Executive Director of the Centennial 2000 program. In August of 2000 he was informed by the Governor's office that his employment and contract had been terminated. As a result reimbursements, per diem, travel expenses, and salary were never fully paid under the terms of the contract. To date, he is still owed $87,942 by the government of American Samoa for services rendered. I have pleaded with Governor Sunia to provide me with information necessary to make an independent judgment on my constituent's case. I have also requested that the Office of Insular Affairs withhold appropriate funds from the government of American Samoa until my constituent's claims are resolved. All my efforts to resolve this issue with the government of American Samoa have been unsuccessful. Mr. Chairman, I was hesitant to bring these amendments to the floor but I felt that the appropriations process may be my only avenue to resolve this issue. Earlier today I was pleased to learn that my constituent was given an appointment with Governor Sunia to discuss this issue. I hope that a reasonable and just solution will result from their meeting and for this reason I will not be offering my amendment.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Chairman Thomas, Chairman Tauzin, and the House Republican leadership for their work on H.R. 4954, a bill which attempts to balance the needs of two national objectives: ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable prescription drugs and exercising fiscal responsibility. No American should be denied needed prescription drugs because he or she cannot afford them. This bill, if adopted, will ensure that low income seniors, who cannot afford them will receive the prescription drugs they need. H.R. 4954 takes a new approach to providing Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drugs and improves the mechanisms for paying healthcare providers, Under this approach, the federal government will pay some of the costs and private insurance plans will be expected to pick up the tab for others. This setup will encourage participants to seek out cost effective ways of addressing potential health problems through preventive measures and competitive bidding. Rival proposals that do not include the participation of the private sector choke out the innovation of competition and often lead to price gouging. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, H.R. 4954 should fit within the framework of the budget resolution this House agreed to this year. The Democratic alternative to H.R. 4954 would burst the seams of the budget resolution and is in no way a fiscally responsible plan. Nonetheless, I harbor ominous concerns about the wisdom of spending $350 billion on a new entitlement program at a time when we are already running a deficit. Although I have not seen any specific plan that takes a better approach to helping needy Americans obtain prescription drug benefits, I hesitate in lending my support to H.R. 4954 because I believe that a more thoughtful process might result in a better and more fiscally responsible proposal than any this body is scheduled to consider today. Mr. Speaker, in our lifetimes we have seen too many government programs expand to the detriment of our nation. The actual cost of entitlement programs has sometimes doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled that of the original estimate. The authors of this bill have taken many precautions to preserve the private medical insurance system and have attempted to limit government aid to Americans who actually need assistance. My greatest concern about this bill, however, is that it may lure Americans who can afford prescription drugs away from private plans and into the black hole of dependency on the taxpayers. If this Congress adopts this bill we must all remain vigilant and turn away from all temptations to morph this entitlement program into a monster that will take a trillion dollar bite out of the general revenues. This Congress will be credited or held responsible for the results of this initiative for many years to come. I, nevertheless, recognize that our nation's seniors are in need and know that we must respond. H.R. 4954 is the best prescription drug benefit plan before us and I support its passage.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 459, a resolution condemning the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for ruling that the phrase ``under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. The ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals flies directly in the face of Thomas Jefferson's reasoning for the formation of our Nation. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson reasoned that all men have been endowed with inalienable rights by God and to defend these rights governments are instituted among men. Mr. Speaker, Judge Goodwin and Judge Reinhardt do not understand the irony of their decision: without God, according to Thomas Jefferson, there is no American government and thus no 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judges are supposed to interpret the Constitution and laws passed by Congress: not revise the wisdom of our founding fathers to their own liking. If this harmful judicial attitude is not soon corrected, we may find ourselves condemning judicial decisions to delete text from the Declaration of Independence. I would like to assure my colleagues and the American people that, although the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals exercises appellate jurisdiction over the State of California, this decision is not indicative of the sentiment of the people of California. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is notorious for the fact that its decisions are overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court more often than any other circuit. I am confident that this decision will, like many others this court has made, be overturned. The Senate has acted swiftly to condemn this decision. I urge them to back up their rhetoric with action and expedite their approval of the President's Judicial nominations for the five existing vacancies on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals so that similar decisions may be avoided in the future. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak and I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that yesterday the Ninth Circuit ruled in complete and total disregard for the wishes of the people of California. I heard earlier speakers address the House and talk of the vacancies, and there are five on the Ninth Circuit, specifically because of the inaction of the Senate; and I would like to associate myself with those who have called for the Senate to take appropriate action. But more importantly here today as a Californian, I want to make it very clear that when we are called the ``left coast,'' they are only speaking about our courts; they are only speaking about the insane actions that often come from our judiciary. They are not speaking about the people of California up and down the State who embrace America's core values, including one Nation under God, indivisible.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, my colleague on the other side of the aisle is absolutely right, this is about jobs. I have listened for almost an hour to people talk about the rule and about what kind of rule this is and whether it is fair. I would like to speak about jobs. Before I came to this body, I spent over 20 years in the American electronics business, and I sold freely in those countries that had free trade; and I was either locked out or severely limited in the countries that we had not opened trade with. I would like to remind my friends on both sides of the aisle that we cannot pick our friends and enemies on free trade. Some of the most protectionist countries are our close allies. In fact, we need this kind of trade promotion authority if we are going to open those markets, many of them with European countries that today freely trade between each other and, in fact, are limiting our products. So, Mr. Speaker, I strongly rise in support of this rule and of the underlying language. I ask for my Democrat colleagues to please go beyond the 22 and vote this up.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, authoring this bill was a unique pleasure for me, for I have known Ron Packard for all but 2 years of the time that he was a Member of Congress. But what I did not know until I arrived here was what kind of a special Representative Ron Packard was while he was here in Congress. Time after time Members on both sides of the aisle would come up to me and talk about something special they had with Ron, perhaps a difficult situation long into the night on a piece of legislation either here on the floor or in committee, or some piece of appropriations that both sides were wrangling with how to make it work. And Ron would quietly smile, give a kind word, listen, and try to make things happen. That attitude, that way of doing business, was what everyone remembered about Ron. What we also remember about Ron Packard is that he was able to have that unique talent so seldom found in this body, but so admired when it is found. Ron was able to be fiercely partisan in his beliefs and totally open and bipartisan in the way he approached problems, in the way he dealt with Members on both sides of the aisle. Ron was known as a man who was already not only an adult, but a father and on his way to being a grandfather before he discovered the game of golf. He did not use golf as a tool against anyone, he used it as an opportunity to come to the other side of the aisle to say, let us go talk about something and maybe catch a round of golf. Ron did that in everything that he did here in the House. He will be remembered for his effectiveness, but most important, back in our district, he today is contributing as only a former Member of Congress can. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4794, a bill designating the United States Post Office building in Oceanside, California, as the ``Ronald C. Packard Post Office Building.'' I would like to thank Chairman Dan Burton and the Government Reform Committee for discharging this bill, and House Leadership for placing it on the suspension calendar in such an expeditious manner. Many of you remember Ron Packard as the distinguished Congressman who represented the 48th Congressional District for 18 years, but you may not know his storied past. Congressman Ron Packard has served the people of California and his country for nearly half century, accentuating integrity and above all, respect for his fellow man. After relocating his family to Northern San Diego County, Ron Packard began his public service career as a trustee of the Carlsbad Unified School District, serving from 1962 to 1974. Ron Packard went on to serve two years on the Carlsbad City Council, and was elected the city's mayor in 1978. During his four years as mayor, Packard was very involved with the community and regional affairs. He served three years on the transportation policy committee of the League of California Cities, and spent four years as a Director of North County Transit District. He also served two years as the President of the Council of Mayors for San Diego County. Ron Packard was first elected to Congress on November 2, 1982, through a grassroots write-in campaign. He was only the fourth successful write-in candidate in the history of the United States Congress. During his time in Congress, he served on the House Appropriations Committee and chaired the Energy and Water Development, Military Construction, and Legislative Branch Subcommittees. Congressman Ron Packard retired from public service on January 3, 2001 to spend more time with his wife Jean, his seven children, thirty- four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. His legacy in Congress is best characterized by hard work and honesty. Ron Packard has left an extremely positive and long-lasting impression on me, his colleagues in Congress and most importantly, his constituents. I am honored to sit in the seat that Ron Packard occupied before me.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would like to second not only everything the gentleman has said so far, but perhaps go one step further. I voted, as the gentleman did, for the bill last week. I was concerned that it came unamendable, and it came around our committee of jurisdiction. It never had an opportunity, even in the Committee on International Relations, where we deal on a day-to- day basis with the good, the bad, and the ugly of the situation in the Middle East. I also would add that whenever we do these resolutions, we have to remember that we are giving confidence to one side, but we cannot allow ourselves to take away hope from the other side. As the gentleman so aptly said, when we did not talk about the desire and the conviction of this country to keep working toward a lasting and sustainable peace, we took away some of the hope of the very people whose adverse behavior we wanted to dissuade.

Mr. ISSA. I would like to second what the gentleman said and go one step further. We did some good with that resolution, but we could have done more. There was no question that had we encouraged the Palestinians to get their house in order, what is now kind of a whisper the idea that there needs to be a shifting of Chairman Arafat's position to more symbolic and the strengthening of the support of real leaders who do not have to be on both sides of issues, especially on security. That whisper could be a roar if we had included that kind of support there. And I hope that with the gentleman and I speaking tonight we are going that direction of encouraging the Saudi Crown Prince to continue his agenda, but also speaking to the Palestinians and letting them know that this body, I am sure to a person, still believes that solution that includes two separate people able to determine their own future.

Mr. ISSA. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I think that tonight two friends of Israel, two people who in fact do support and will continue to support all the legitimate needs of Israel coming to the floor, and I know the gentleman does not come to the floor very often. This is a very unusual appearance. I think what the gentleman is doing is he is sending the message that has to be sent, not just to the men and women of Israel who may hear or read about this, but also to the American Jewish community who does not always understand that it is not Israel right or wrong. It is Israel's survival protected, while at the same time our money has to have some suggestions to it.

Mr. ISSA. Once again, I want to thank the gentleman for giving that good advice. The gentleman and I often vote differently, but we discuss that there are at least two ways to look at every single bill that comes to the floor. And I think that this is a good example that rather than the way we did it with the vote from Israel where it came to the floor as though there was only one opinion, the gentleman has said let us look at some additional ideas.

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mr. Paul Ecke, a friend whom I have known for many years. Mr. Ecke, who passed away on May 13th, led a truly remarkable life. Although he was only 16 years of age when America entered World War II in 1941, Paul Ecke served courageously aboard a Navy Destroyer in the Pacific theater. Following the war's conclusion in 1945, Mr. Ecke attended the Ohio State University where he graduated with a degree in horticulture. After graduation, when America found itself embroiled in a war against communist aggression in Korea, Mr. Ecke again answered America's call by serving as a damage control officer in the China Sea for the Navy's 7th Fleet. Despite his heroic service in the Navy, Paul Ecke did not choose to pursue a career in the military. There is, perhaps, a slight taste of irony that this military hero pioneered and championed a symbol, the poinsettia, which is synonymous with Christmas and the Holiday season; a time when people of many faiths pray for peace among nations and good will towards men. Mr. Ecke found new techniques of cultivating, genetically engineering, and marketing poinsettias. Today, thanks to Mr. Ecke's legacy, approximately 60 percent of the world poinsettia market consists of licensed varieties developed at the Ecke Ranch. This figure includes over 65 million poinsettias sold nationwide last year. Mr. Ecke shared the success of his business with many charitable causes. His philanthropy in the San Diego area was particularly generous: he shared his wealth with local schools and universities, deeded land to the state of California for preservation, and took the North Coast Family YMCA, which was later renamed after his mother Magdalena, under his wing. Mr. Speaker, Paul Ecke was my friend. Although I am grieved by his passing I, along with the many other lives he touched, take solace in knowing that Mr. Ecke's legacy lives on: in the County of San Diego and in every home that takes in a poinsettia for the Holiday season.