Devin Nunes

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Ralph Moore of Visalia, California, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on January 14, 2007. Mr. Moore has devoted his life as an innovative agriculturist. He founded Sequoia Nursery in Visalia, California in 1937 with $800 and a dream of hybridizing miniature roses. His dream became reality, and it continues to thrive today. Mr. Moore's achievements go beyond his entrepreneurial accomplishments. He has introduced more than 500 roses onto the market, mainly miniatures. He has received the American Rose Society's ``Award of Excellence'' for 20 of his miniature rose introductions, as well as being honored with other prestigious national and international awards over the years. In 2004, the City of Visalia honored Mr. Moore with the dedication of the ``Ralph Moore Miniature Rose Garden Memorial Park.'' Ralph Moore is part of the rich heritage that makes Visalia and the entire Central Valley of California an enjoyable and interesting place to live. I sincerely wish Ralph Moore a wonderful 100th birthday.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the Tulare County Housing Authority in central California. This agency has done an outstanding job of managing their housing units, implementing the Moving to Work program, and empowering low-income families to be self- sufficient. By way of background, the Tulare County Housing Authority was established in 1945 with their first major project being the development of housing for returning World War II Veterans and their families. Currently, the Tulare County Housing Authority is managing and administering 5,000 units for families, seniors, and the disabled. It is quite clear that the Tulare County Housing Authority has established a solid reputation for providing safe, affordable housing for low income people. In fact, the Tulare County Housing Authority is performing so well that their Board of Commissioners has made the decision to return their operating subsidies to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for Fiscal Year 2007. It goes to show that a Housing Authority, that pays attention to rent structures and operating costs, can not only enhance the lives of those directly participating, but also benefit taxpayers by operating independent of federal subsidies. I commend the Tulare County Housing Authority and their Board of Commissioners for their efficient management and sound business practices.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the late Don Hillman of Tulare, California, who died Oct. 19, 2006 at the age of 86. Don was known as Mr. Tulare. His life exemplified the character traits of integrity, humility, public service and love of family and community. He represented the community he loved on the Tulare County Board of Supervisors for 20 years, twice serving as its chairman. From that position of trust, he helped shape a county that has become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. He was recently remembered by friends as the man every community needs and so few communities have. As a personal friend of Don's, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Don was part of the Greatest Generation, serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. Born May 17, 1920, in Glendale, Hillman's family moved to Tulare a few a months later. He graduated from Tulare Union High School in 1938. He was the student body president and, years later, he was on the organizing class reunion committee and the Tulare Community Auditorium Restoration Foundation. He is also credited with helping revitalize downtown Tulare, which remains a vibrant and welcoming business district to this day. He is survived by his wife, Laverne, his son, Dave, and two grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to this great American.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Friday, July 28, 2006, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to cast a vote on rollcall vote No. 418. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on this vote.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, some of you may know that former Congressman and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Bob Mathias has been battling cancer for the past few years. As many in this Chamber know, Bob is a fighter and is determined to beat it. As Bob continues his fight, I ask that we keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for taking me to ANWR 4 years ago now. It was really an eye-opening experience for me. I was expecting to see beautiful water running through streams and trees and animals running around, and Mr. Chairman, that is not what we saw when we got there. In fact, what we saw was just a barren slope. It is a barren slope, and with gas at $3 a gallon and some places like California approaching $4, it is time that the Congress pass this and make this into law. I just want to point out to the American people that one of the reasons that this continues to be used as propaganda by the environmental community is because it is their number one source of fundraising throughout the country to use in political campaigns. So I would hope that we would pass this here today in the House, and I would hope eventually we can move this through the Senate.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Celebrate the Child Within, Inc.--a unique organization in my home district that offers support and encouragement for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Celebrate the Child Within is dedicated to helping negate the shame of childhood sex abuse, as well as the promotion of healing by recapturing happier childhood times. Those involved with CTCW, Inc. are committed to helping sufferers to focus on the little boy or girl within who endured the assault and survived to adulthood, and to celebrate that survival. The celebrations are done with wholesome, happy activities in order to help this specific group feel more accepted by society and to foster better understanding of themselves and their families. Each year for the last three years CTCW's Board of Directors has identified a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who achieved excellence in their field of endeavor as an adult. The board has held a celebratory event that involved the community to recognize their success--and to raise awareness about childhood abuse, as well as the potential for recovery. More people than ever are willing to talk about this ongoing tragedy, which is a significant step in helping rid this problem from our society. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Celebrate the Child Within for their much-needed work, and to wish them many more years of success.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Milk Regulatory Equity Act, S. 2120. This important legislation was first introduced in 2003 and has been subjected to extensive review both inside and outside of Congress. I am satisfied that every effort has been made to craft a measure that is fair and have personally participated in efforts over the past three years to make certain that this legislation does exactly what we say it will do. We have worked collaboratively with every corner of the U.S. dairy industry and have formed a coalition that is unprecedented in this sector of the economy. Indeed, processors and dairy farmers from throughout the country, each with significantly varying local and regional interests, have come together to share with us the urgent need to address this issue. I am pleased that we are responding and would like to thank Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Peterson and their staff for their hard work. S. 2120 is about fairness, Mr. Speaker. The bill responds to fundamental questions of regulatory equity that only Congress can address. The questions are simple. Should producer-handlers in Arizona be exempted from our Nation's regulatory system with no regard for their impact on our system of pooling and pricing, as established by Congress? Should producer-handlers be permitted to continue to operate free of regulation, while collecting Federal subsidies and benefiting from Farm Bill programs? Should a State regulatory system, such as California, be subjected to unregulated shipments of dairy from States participating in the Federal milk marking orders? Clearly, and with a strong bipartisan statement, Congress must say no. We must support passage of S. 2120. Mr. Speaker, I understand that anyone in business who has found a lucrative regulatory loophole would be inclined to fight for it. However, we in Congress need to look at the bigger picture. Those special interests that have resisted this legislation are doing so because they are gaming the system. They owe their success to the very program they claim to loath. Their ability to operate under preferential treatment in a highly regulated industry, while taking government subsidies, is not free market capitalism. It may be asked, ``How are we achieving fairness in this bill?'' Mr. Speaker, we have worked diligently to find a solution that recognizes the realities of our dairy programs today. In Arizona, we establish a three million pound per month cap on producer-handlers. This will allow small mom and pop businesses to operate as they have since the 1930s. However, it will regulate large dairy operations that have been found to have an impact on our system of pooling and pricing. We also address those handlers that are escaping regulation by means of locating their facilities in federally regulated regions, while doing business exclusively in State regulated regions. This activity seriously undermines both the Federal and State regulatory systems, by diverting revenue away from the pool and disadvantaging regulated businesses. Mr. Speaker, State and Federal milk marketing orders have existed side-by-side since Congress first enacted the Federal milk marketing orders in the 1930s. They promote a stable and affordable fluid milk supply and were intended to regulate the industry equitably. However, the discovery of an intra-order loophole has encouraged the growth of unregulated handlers in the marketplace. We need our Federal and State regulatory systems to interact in a seamless way, so that farmers and processors are not disadvantaged or discriminated against by our laws. Under S. 2120, Congress will allow the regulation of processors exploiting the intra-order loophole. They will be regulated based on the rules of the Federal milk marketing order where their plant is physically located. This won't place them at a disadvantage, it will restore equity to our dairy program. Mr. Speaker, we have 70 years of history reflecting Congressional intent for unregulated handlers to become regulated when they begin to have an impact on the regulated market. It has been suggested by opponents that S. 2120 ``targets'' an individual or individuals. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are merely closing regulatory loopholes that can be exploited by anyone. We are thus dealing with a general situation as stated by the Gentleman from Virginia and Chairman of the Agriculture Committee. Congress has been advised by the Department of Agriculture that there may be and indeed likely is, at least one other business entity that going forward could, based upon present business practices, find itself subject to these provisions. And that is the point. The loopholes that presently exist can be exploited by anyone. By closing the loopholes, we address the situations at hand and prevent their use by those who could (and likely would) exploit these loopholes in the future. It must also be emphasized that the provisions of S. 2120 are entirely consistent with the legislative history dealing with producer- handlers and the need to monitor their potential negative impact on fair competition in the markets in which they operate. When the predecessor to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act (the Agricultural Adjustment Act) was passed in 1935, a Manager of the bill on the House floor stated that the United States Department of Agriculture had the power and the duty to regulate producers who were also handlers when they were large enough to disrupt the competitiveness of the market in which they operated. Then, in 1965, after losing three lawsuits in which they made the same arguments they make against S. 2120, producer-handlers sought an amendment on the House floor to the 1965 Farm Bill which would have granted them a limited regulatory exemption from the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act. That amendment was defeated. The Managers' Report explicitly states that producer-handlers who are large enough to disrupt the markets in which they operate can be regulated. Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, the Milk Regulatory Equity act is about fairness. It's about equitable application of our laws. The hard working dairy farmers in Arizona have witnessed a steady decline in their pool since unregulated handlers began to flourish. They deserve to be treated fairly by their government and should never be placed in a situation where government regulations unintentionally disadvantage them in the marketplace. Regulated processors in Arizona are no less efficient or innovative than their unregulated competitors. They are simply unable to compete with businesses that don't have to play by the rules. This situation is wrong and must be resolved by Congress. Without changes to the law to close existing loopholes, California dairy farmers are equally disadvantaged and so are our State's processors. When unregulated milk is shipped into the California marketplace from the Federal milk marketing orders, the impact is not just felt on dairy farms and in processing plants but in the homes of the families whose livelihoods depend on this industry. Mr. Speaker, it is highly offensive to me that California's losses, including dairy industry jobs, are not based on our competition's superior product quality or innovative practices. These losses are because loopholes in Federal law are allowing unregulated handlers to game the system. Let me be clear: unregulated handlers are not promoting market competition. They are driving out competition. They owe their success to the dairy programs and to the advantage they have found in loopholes. Some of them collect large subsidies from the Federal Government, take full advantage of Farm Bill programs and then demand to be treated differently than the rest of the dairy industry. No Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow this to continue. This issue is all about fairness. It's about resolving the current practice of unequal application of the law. I hear about the challenges my dairy farmers face every time I go home and I know first hand how frustrated and disappointed farmers and processors are with the current situation. They are looking to us to close these loopholes and restore free market principles and fair regulation to the dairy industry. Congress must pass this legislation today and I ask for your support.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the Ag Committee, Bob Goodlatte, and Ranking Member Peterson for this ongoing 3-year debate. I find it interesting when we come to Washington, you learn that people like to use politics instead of policy. If you notice, the opposition to this bill, they did not talk or discuss the policy of this matter. They talked about the politics of it. So since they went down that road, I would like to say that this bill is not controversial. This bill has been debated for 3 years. The Senate passed it unanimously. The Senate authorizers have said that this needs to get done. The House authorizing committee, we have the chairman of the Dairy Subcommittee who recognizes this needs to be done. The opposition to this bill, who is a good friend of mine, but this has unanimous support across California, unanimous. Every dairy farmer in the State of California has sent letters to their Congressman, and every dairy industry, not only the dairy farmers, this is not just about dairy farmers, this is dairy processors. This is grocery stores, and it is not only California. It is across the entire country. This has national implications to let producer-handlers game the system. This is about gaming the system. So it is not confusing. It is not controversial, and if you look at the fact that they talk about a constituent being in California in a lawsuit that is being brought forth, that is simply not true. The lawsuit has been brought forth in Texas, and the person claims to be a constituent of Texas.

Mr. NUNES. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, all I am saying is the court case you cited is filed in a Texas court, and he claims to be a resident of Texas.

Mr. NUNES. Well, I thank the chairman for that, but I do have to say that we have a differing opinion here, and I can provide the chairman with letters, if he would like, at a later date. But with that, I want to thank, again, the House leadership and the ranking member and especially Chairman Goodlatte for bringing this forward, and I hope that the House will pass Senate bill 2120 as quickly as possible.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who has had a tremendous positive effect on the political landscape of California for more than 30 years. For the past three years Bob Jennings has been my District Director. I could not have chosen a better person to fill this role as I sought to lay a solid foundation for my Congressional career. Bob's knowledge and guidance has made all the difference in helping establish an effective office that meets the needs of my constituents and anticipates opportunities to improve the quality of life for residents in my area. Bob is no stranger to the San Joaquin Valley and its many challenges. He started his career as a District Director for former Rep. Bob Mathias in 1969. He served in that position until 1975. He went on to form California Data Marketing with then Assemblyman Bill Jones. The two formed a unique friendship and partnership in business and politics that endured through Jones' career as a State Senator and eventually as California's Secretary of State. Bob served as Chief Assistant Secretary and later Undersecretary of State for Bill and was instrumental in establishing the Golden State Museum in Sacramento. During his time on my staff, Bob spearheaded efforts at the district level to address a wide range of issues through community summits and workshops, including the shortage of health care workers and professionals; affordable housing needs; leading the charge for a Congressional Research Service study on the 8-county area of the Valley and most notably, fostering a greater sense of unity and cooperation among federal and state district staffs across party lines. For more than five decades, his quiet leadership and vision have made an indelible mark on the communities he has served. His guidance and mentorship of my staff will pay immeasurable dividends far into the future. As he ends his career at the end of March, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him all the best in a well-deserved retirement, and in offering up many thanks for his hard work and dedicated service over so many years. Thank you, Bob.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Friday, November 4, 2005, I was unavoidably detained with family matters and was unable to cast a vote on rollcall vote No. 569. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on this vote.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Friday, October 28, 2005, I was unavoidably detained with family matters and was unable to cast a vote on rollcall vote 555-556. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on both votes.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to a courageous person--a giant among men--that touched many lives in the short seven years he was with us. Cavion Jamik Holloway slipped the surly bonds of this earth on the wings of angels to the heavens above on September 28th 2005 in Omaha, Nebraska. This is a boy who never gave up and had the courage of a lion, the ferocity of a bear, and the tenderness of a dove to fight the scourge of leukemia until it overcame his body--not his soul. Cavion is survived by a loving mother, Danielle Holloway, a devout father, Billy Holloway and four compassionate grandparents, Americo and Mary Flaiban of Bohemia, New York and Billy and Anne Holloway of Warner Robins, Georgia. For over a year, Cavion went toe-to-toe with a disease that ravages the body and demoralizes the soul. Despite this overwhelming challenge, Cavion stood tall with a smile on his face and faith in his heart that he would win this battle and return to a life free of doctors, needles and hospital rooms. With the total dedication of his parents, Cavion knew that courage, conviction, and faith would be his partners on the journey to a life free of this disease. Unfortunately, his body succumbed to the challenges his brain refused to accept. Simply put-- Cavion never quit! Now in the heavens above, Cavion is charged with the duty of serving our Heavenly Father by looking over the family that survived him. To quote one of the many well wishers who left notes for Cavion and his parents, ``Cavion will sing to you in the wind; he will call to you from your dreams; he will walk beside you and whisper in your ears--he will always be there with you.'' During this fight, Cavion had help from many compassionate folks around this country. I would like to take this opportunity to express a special thanks to the medical professionals that never gave up and were constantly a source of encouragement and compassion for Cavion and his parents. I would like to specifically thank the staff of the University of New Mexico's Pediatric Oncology Department, especially Dr. Jeff Hanrahan, aka ``The Commissioner of the Albuquerque Chapter of Hoccerball'' and their counterparts at the University of Nebraska's Medical Center, specifically Dr. Bruce Gordon, aka ``Doc Hollywood''. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that each one of us has an opportunity to help champions like Cavion have a fighting chance at life. I would like to encourage every eligible person to enroll themselves in the the National Marrow Donor Program. This program helps people who need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant. The program connects patients, doctors, donors and researchers to resources they need to help folks live longer, healthier lives. As the days move on, all who knew Cavion will work to lift their hearts and souls to carry on with life. In doing this, we will continue to cherish his memory; we will point to his selfless example; we will aspire to his bravery; and we will carry on in a world that is better for knowing him. May God bless his soul and the family he is charged to protect.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Friday, June 24, 2005, I was unavoidably detained with family matters and was unable to cast a vote on rollcall vote Nos. 313-321.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor a man who has dedicated his life to protecting our nation's treasures so generations of Americans can continue to enjoy their riches. Richard Martin, Superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, is retiring after 48 years of federal land management service. Without question, my district has some of the finest landscapes in the world--from the High Sierras where these parks are found to the vast Central Valley where agriculture is king. All of these riches are interrelated. I came to know Superintendent Martin during his tenure of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Since day one, I have had the privilege of working closely with Dick to find solutions to critical visitor use issues and I have found him a man of his word and deed. I have been especially impressed with his ability to reach out to Valley residents to make the park more accessible. Dick has encouraged park staff to participate as active members of the many communities the park borders and discover how any park decision affects the neighborhood. He has developed close friendships with Valley communities and provided park educational opportunities for all. Superintendent Martin has also tackled issues that go way beyond the National Park System to include the war on drugs. This is a problem no one expected the park staff to have to undertake until the disgusting discovery of a re-routed mountain stream, poisoned by a time release fertilizer component, irrigating hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of marijuana. Automatic weapons, animal carcasses, and a landfill emitting methane gas, are often found in these illegal marijuana plantations within the park. I applaud Dick's effort to eliminate this destructive cash crop and restore the stream and vegetation. We have visitors walking along trails near these locations and private property not far away--we want to ensure the safety of everyone and Dick has taken this task to heart. Superintendent Martin's career has spanned some of this nation's most remote and vast landscapes, from the lowest in elevation--Death Valley National Park, to a far north locale at Alaska's Wrangell St Elias National Park and Preserve, to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Dick is an extraordinary park manager with an eye on retaining our parks for future generations. He and I have found ways to provide access, along with preservation--all in a desire to maintain our national heritage. As the sun sets on his government career, I suspect that I will one day find him walking or riding along one of our western trails with his wife and four grown children. It will be great to see him continue to enjoy what he spent 48 years to protect. Dick, I wish you a hearty so- long and a fond farewell.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Madam Chairman, I had an opportunity to go up to and visit in Alaska the gentleman from Alaska's (Chairman Young) district. And I find it really interesting to hear the opposition to this bill because when I went up there, I envisioned that I would see trees, running water, big mountains, things that the American people would want to preserve. However, when I got there, I found nothing but tundra. And it was just kind of a wasteland of ice and tundra. And as the American people are paying upwards of $2.50 a gallon for fuel today and we sit in the white building on Capitol Hill, I wonder what they are thinking out there. This should have been opened long ago. We could get 10 percent of our daily supply from ANWR. But I believe that the radical environmental groups have been using this as a fund-raising tool for their organizations because what they say is in ANWR and what we see when we get there does not exist. And now I think the fund-raising has continued. Unfortunately, though, it has spread here to the halls of Congress. And with all the ethics charges that are being brought today by the Democrats, I find it very interesting that the author of this amendment sends out a fund-raising letter, and I have the fund-raising letter right here that, that asks people to contribute today. And I would like to submit this for the Record, Madam Chairman, because this is outrageous when people are paying $2.50 a gallon and the Democrats and the radical environmental groups are using this as a fund-raising tool. Dear Friend: In a few short hours, the Republican Energy Bill will be brought up for debate and a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. I need your immediate help to ensure that this terrible bill never becomes law. Last week, in the Energy and Commerce Committee, I offered a series of amendments to increase the average fuel efficiency of cars, mini-vans and SUVs. Each of these amendments was voted down by the Republican majority on the Committee, ensuring that the most technologically advanced nation in the world will continue to ignore energy conservation and not diminish its demand for oil. Why is it that we can send a man to the moon and beyond but cannot make our cars more efficient? This is auto mechanics, not rocket science. I then offered an amendment in the Resources Committee to strip a provision from the bill that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. The Republicans on that committee voted against my amendment, choosing to set up a gas station in this pristine National Refuge. If we allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we will forever ruin this unique wilderness and allow the oil industry to target all 540 National Wildlife Refuges for drilling and exploitation--all for a few meager months worth of oil. Furthermore, drilling in the Refuge is completely unnecessary. If we were to increase the average fuel efficiency of cars, mini-vans and SUV's by only three miles per gallon, we would conserve more oil in ten years than could ever be produced by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. For the last five years I have led the battle in the House to stop the Republicans in Congress from selling off one of our greatest natural treasures to the powerful special interests. Help me continue to fight to expose to the American people the dangers of this extreme and ineffective action by making a contribution today. Today, I will offer these amendments again on the House floor. This series of votes is a critical moment for our country's energy future. I need your help now to expose the travesty of this Republican energy plan and ensure that this horrendous bill, rife with handouts to the special interests, is ultimately defeated. If this bill passes, we will create more pollution, forever spoil one of our most important and beautiful public lands and be forced to continue placing our soldiers in harm's way in defense of oil in the Middle East. Help me continue to fight for a sensible, clean and independent energy future and shine a light on the Republican Party's backroom attempts to cater to the special interests by making an immediate contribution. As Justice Louis Brandies used to say, ``sunshine is the best disinfectant.'' Thank your for your action, Ed Markey

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague Representative Jim Costa, to pay tribute today to Manuel Hernandez, a long-time community activist in Visalia, California, who died February 25th at the age of 91. Mr. Hernandez was affectionately known as the ``Godfather of North Visalia,'' where he mentored many up and coming leaders in the large Latino community. He was born in 1913 in Torreon, in the Coahuila state of northern Mexico. His family moved to the United States in the 1920s. He worked in the fields earning a living by picking cotton, oranges, peaches and other crops for as little as 15 cents an hour. Later, he worked cleaning up after construction crews. He became a carpenter and took certification courses at College of the Sequoias to become a construction supervisor. In the 1960s, he was involved in the formation of Self-Help Enterprises, helping low-income families build and own homes. As a longtime member of the Self-Help board and during his service with a long list of organizations and citizens advisory committees, including the Tulare County Grand Jury, he was an advocate for Visalia's less fortunate. Hundreds gathered at his funeral in March, and as his hearse drove to the cemetery, children stood on the sidewalk and saluted him. Once again, we urge our colleagues to join us in applauding his many years of selfless dedication to the community he loved. His legacy of hard work, compassion, and cooperation stands as an example for us all.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Representative Jim Costa, to pay tribute to Tulare County Superior Court Judge William Silveira who has faithfully served as judge for more than 25 years. His career is distinguished by his innovative efforts to improve juvenile justice, involve parents in the rehabilitation of their delinquent children, and bring together a comprehensive approach to the disparate factors that influence this unique area of law. Judge Silveira was instrumental in building support for the construction of a new juvenile detention center in the county, along with probation offices and a new juvenile court complex. He has also helped create a 100-bed juvenile boot camp and one of the first juvenile drug courts in the country, which has gone on to receive national acclaim. During his time on the bench, he has traveled the country speaking as a leader in juvenile justice and has helped other communities establish their own programs. At home, he is widely involved in many community activities and boards apart from his work on the bench, and he remains the loving husband of Marylin with children Matthew and Amy. Once again, Representative Costa and I encourage you to join us in applauding his many years of dedication as a judge, whose thoughtful approach to the administration of justice has forever changed the legal landscape of Tulare County. He leaves a legacy of hard work, compassion, and justice that stands as an example for us all.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, it is really a privilege to stand up today and thank all of my colleagues who have worked so hard on this bill. This has been one of these bills in Congress that has really been a California Member bipartisan effort that we have worked with both Republicans and Democrats to come forth with a compromise on such tough language dealing with water. The gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) should be thanked for holding hearings throughout the State of California last year leading up to this language. We have strong commitments on storage. The gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) mentioned Governor Schwarzenegger's support on storage. This is part of the overall agreement that has been achieved not only through this bill but through other agreements that have been made outside it because of this bill passing today on the floor of the House. As we move forward, it is important for the folks in the United States and all over California to realize as California grows to 35, 40 million people, we have to have new water storage. This bill lays the groundwork for that. We are going to be working hard with the appropriators to continue to move forward on the storage aspects and the funding for the studies and obviously with our colleagues in the Senate, Dianne Feinstein, who has done a phenomenal job in moving this language forward.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Thursday, September 23, 2004, the House had rollcall Votes Nos. 469, 470, 471, and 472. Unfortunately, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all four rollcall votes. Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Monday, October 4, 2004, the House had rollcall Votes Nos. 487, 488, and 489. Unfortunately, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all three rollcall votes.