Grace Napolitano

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

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

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Fallin has made a very good point of her bill, and it does merit support from both sides. So I do request the consideration by our colleagues on this very, very worthwhile project. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2085) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the McGee Creek Authority certain facilities of the McGee Creek Project, Oklahoma, and for other purposes.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers for her role in this. She described the bill very aptly. We are asking our colleagues to support H.R. 1662, as amended. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1662) to amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize improvements for the security of dams and other facilities, as amended.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 236) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a Bureau of Reclamation partnership with the North Bay Water Reuse Authority and other regional partners to achieve objectives relating to water supply, water quality, and environmental restoration, as amended.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, since 1886 immigrants to the United States have passed the Statue of Liberty, which has inscribed, ``Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.'' Why is it that now, when those huddled masses happen to be brown, the golden door of freedom is being slammed shut? Immigrants contribute to the economy. They are free thinkers. They are hard-driven workers who strive for success, not only for themselves and their community but for their families. They come to this country because America is a beacon of hope for them. They are looking for a better life, just like every immigrant since the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. So why do some amongst us feel it necessary to place every obstacle possible in their path, to launch bigoted assaults on them, to wrongly blame those who work the hardest at the worst jobs for the ills of all of our society? Immigrants are the history of the United States. They are our past, they are our present, and I must not rest until we recognize they are part of the future of this great country.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez).

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2095. I congratulate all my colleagues for this strong bipartisan railroad safety bill, and I associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman who just spoke. It is of utmost importance to my district because over 160 trains travel through my district daily carrying over 14,000 containers, many containing hazardous material, carrying $400 billion worth of trade, most of it for the eastern part of the United States. It is expected to triple by the year 2020. We have experienced many derailments in my area. That has caused great distress not only to my families, to the businesses, the damage, the economic impact it has had, the threat to the public safety, and the anxiety caused along that railroad corridor. This Railroad Safety Improvement Act helps prevent future derailments by improving track safety, improving grade crossing safety, improving whistleblower protections, addressing concerns over railroad fatigue, and ensures enforcement by clarifying the U.S. Attorney General's authority to bring civil action against the railroads, increasing penalties, increasing reporting of enforcement actions, and many other areas that are very, very important. This bill includes two of my amendments to section 605, creating strict training standards for railroad inspectors, tough training for all rail employees who expressed to us their lack of training curriculum and additional training requirements for railroad inspectors who have expressed that they need that training. My amendment creates strong training, testing and skills evaluation measures, ensures that the train inspectors are able to address critical safety defects that contribute to derailments and accidents in a timely basis. I couldn't agree more with the gentleman. We need to look at new technology that is going to help us get there. But we also need the support of the railroads. My second amendment in section 407 authorizes $1.5 million for operation life safety for a total of $6 million. I certainly want to show that we all cooperate in this and look forward to having this vote pass with great success.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, my amendment ensures that trains entering or reentering this country from Mexico are certified and inspected. Over 10,000 trains enter the United States from Mexico through Calexico, San Ysidro, Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, Eagle Pass and Arizona at Nogales. Currently, all trains crossing the border are inspected by our own U.S. inspectors who are highly trained, must follow stringent FRA requirements, fully understand rail safety laws, earn a good salary with strong benefits, and the rail companies they work for are fully liable in case of an accident. U.S. railroad companies have been trying to outsource inspections to Mexico. Union Pacific has been twice denied by FRA in 2004 and 2007. We must set up a process for the Department of Transportation to ensure continued protection with legitimate inspections. Mexican inspectors have much lower standards for safety than our U.S. inspectors, are not versed in U.S. laws and regulations, and are poorly compensated compared to U.S. inspectors. My amendment ensures that all trains coming into the United States from Mexico continue to be safe for rail travel in our country and prohibits Mexican inspectors from performing safety inspections unless the U.S. Secretary of Transportation certifies that inspections are performed under U.S. regulation and U.S. standards, that the Mexican Government is effectively enforcing such safety standards, that inspectors are receiving comparable classroom and on-the-job training as in the U.S., inspection records are maintained in both English and Spanish, records are available to the FRA for review, and the FRA is permitted to perform on-site inspections in Mexico. My amendment also forbids inspections of any hazardous material railcars from taking place in Mexico. FRA must have the ability to grant waivers only if strict safety precautions are in place and adhered to. My amendment protects against future attempts by railroads to apply for inspections in Mexico unless they follow restrictions. My amendment ensures safety and security of all trains entering the United States through the southern border. Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support this important safety amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica and all my colleagues. This is a very important bill to continue making the FRA the safety agency it's supposed to be. We need to be able to ensure that any railcar traveling in the U.S. carries the same safety inspection standards as any other railcar. So, with that, I ask for an ``aye'' vote and support for the amendment and the full bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca). (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, September 10, 2007, I was absent during the recorded vote on H. Res. 643. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 643.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, September 10, 2007, I was absent during the recorded vote on H. Res. 257--Supporting the goals and ideals of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 257.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. How quickly we forget. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Mental Health Schools Act of 2007, which proposes to expand access to school-based mental health services. It would provide grants to local school districts or coalitions of schools, health providers and communities. It would identify students in need of immediate mental health care on site, require schools to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate training for students, parents and members of the community. The statistics we have learned in the last few years are alarming, and they tell an alarming truth. Childhood mental illnesses affect nearly one in five adolescents. One in three Latina adolescents contemplate suicide. The time for action was a long time ago, and we need to move forward on this. The need for mental health services has never been greater. Enacting this legislation will be a great benefit to our society. It would allow mental health professionals to care for our kids in need of immediate health and allow our teachers to concentrate on teaching.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 636, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I certainly respect Mr. Flake's views. I certainly think he has every right to challenge. This has always been a very transparent earmark that we've had since last year, which was not approved last year. It will create jobs. I need those jobs in my area. Yes, there are many areas in the United States that could really be able to use funding from the committee. However, if we don't help create those jobs, we can't spur the economy, and we can't help put more funding into the Federal budget.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am glad my colleague has stated the background of the fair, but I don't know if he knows it has been around for many decades. Yes, it is very well attended, hosts many functions, has all of the buildings that he is talking about. Yet it is still so old that a lot of it is in very, very serious stages of decay. By that, it needs some restructuring. But that's beside the point. What this does is for a center to be made, and I'll read what it really is about. It's Fairplex Trade and Conference Center, will be 85,000 square foot, state-of-the-art conference and exhibition center, complete with broadband connectivity, campus-wide wireless integration, as well as satellite two-way communications gear, attracting and benefiting small business. It will have both small and medium-sized meeting rooms outfitted with high-tech equipment ideally suited to help small business during events. This is an ideal setting to convene small businesses from my area and from outside of the United States to share their ideas and compatibilities to do business. The amendment that is proposed by my colleague would strip the funding from the SBA account for construction of this non-profit entity, a building that will create jobs and provide businesses in a disadvantaged community. I am talking about the number one crime city in the State of California, that's Pomona. Unfortunately, there has not been the foresight from the surrounding community to help combat crime or to try to provide more economic development. Pomona itself had not had a general plan of review in almost 30 years. They hadn't had new investments. This will help bring all of that, not only to Pomona, but to the surrounding communities which Mr. Dreier, Mr. Miller and Ms. Solis are around, would help foster that economic growth by bringing together small businesses, entrepreneurships and being able to do international trade. The center itself is projected to provide roughly 1,700 jobs and provide economic stimulus. Already, 90 small businesses have registered to work. Mr. Chair, the trade conference is scheduled to cost $25 million, minimum. Of that, Fairplex is putting in $5 million; City of Pomona, $7 million; EDA competitive grants, $5 million; SBA, which we are hoping to be able to get, $250,000; and the county and State, $6,750,000 with private sponsorship putting in the rest. This project could be so beneficial to my whole area, not just my communities, but to the whole general area that is not really part of Los Angeles proper. It is more into the Inland Empire and has been, what I call, a neglected area of Los Angeles County. It enjoys a lot of respect and a lot of support from not only the communities, but the many cities around it. As my colleague has aptly pointed out, it hosts a whole slew of activities for the whole southern part of California. It is used also for Federal events. We have had at least two times a year 4,000 naturalization swearing- in ceremonies. Iraqi elections were held there 2 years ago. As representative for the city, I am proud to support this economic development issue and to try to bring more business and jobs to my area. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on my colleague Mr. Flake's amendment. I also want to thank Mr. Dreier. This is not his bill nor his area, but he has always been very supportive of what we are trying to do. I certainly thank you for the time. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``no'' vote and yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. NAPOLITANO

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, on Friday, June 22, 2007, I was absent during rollcall vote No. 545. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on agreeing to the Flake of Arizona amendment. Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Jordan of Ohio