Solomon Ortiz

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote during rollcall No. 627. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted ``yea'' in support of the conference report on H.R. 3199, USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005. Clearly, we are in a time of heightened awareness and in need of greater security in order to prevent another terrorist attack on our land. It is our duty as Representatives of our constituents and fellow Americans to see to it that we provide the resources that are necessary to help prevent such an attack.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for the gentleman from Pennsylvania who speaks with authority about the military matters of the United States. Jack Murtha won the American Spirit Honor Medal, received the Bronze Star with Combat ``V'', two Purple Hearts, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. The issues he raised yesterday are profound issues for each and every American. We honor the fallen soldiers by making an honest assessment of our national security needs. We honor our great democracy by having the national conversation about the war in Iraq--but we dishonor democracy by mischaracterizing what Jack Murtha said--and putting forward a resolution that does not reflect what he asks . . . and stifles real debate on this important issue. Nobody here really believes the United States should--tomorrow-- withdraw all troops from Iraq. But many of us--indeed many Americans-- are unhappy with the direction of the war and believe we could have done it better from the beginning. This is a serious resolution for us to consider; it should not be a political ploy for the leadership to mischaracterize. This is a serious debate that the Congress is not inclined to have--as evidenced by the late scheduling of a mischaracterized bill. We should be holding hearings about this . . . and we should not be debating any of this on a Friday night when people don't watch the news, we should do it next week and give it 50 hours of debate. What is more important than a debate about our national defense and the security of our troops? It is instructive to remember that we sent our troops to battle in Iraq ill prepared for what they would encounter. We did not send them with the tools--or in the numbers--they needed to win the war. We sent them with helicopters and rifles that didn't function properly . . . we sent them without the body armor they needed . . . we sent them in humvees without the armor they needed. They were not greeted as liberators--more faulty intelligence--they were greeted with improvised explosive devises . . . and lED attacks have only grown more sophisticated and more frequent on our troops. Here's where we are right now: when you make a wrong turn and discover that, do you stay on that road because you don't want to admit you are wrong? Or do you find an exit, get off and find your way? By staying in Iraq after our invasion based on faulty intelligence--we are doing irreparable damage to our international friends: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Kuwait . . . and the list goes on. We need to do it right . . . or leave as Jack Murtha suggests . . . 1. redeploy U.S. troops consistent with the safety of the U.S. forces; 2. create a quick reaction force in the region; 3. create an over-the- horizon presence of Marines in the region; and 4. to diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq. I will vote ``no'' for the fabricated resolution before the House tonight . . . but I urge the House to follow the advice--the actual advice--of Jack Murtha.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, when we passed the federal budget earlier this year, Democrats offered an alternative that would have achieved a balanced budget in 10 years . . . 10 years to spread out the pain of finally paying our bills again and freeing up the future for our children. When we passed this budget last Spring, we were told there was no fat in it--it was all bone. Well, when you cut bone, you fall down. Today the House is striking out . . . even if this bill passes today, let it forever be known as the ``3 strikes and you're out'' budget. Strike 1: It hits hard our senior citizens, who built this great country . . . Strike 2: It squeezes our middle class that pays the taxes and struggles to pay the household bills . . . and Strike 3: It dumps on our children and students that represent the future of this nation. Three strikes . . . congratulations, today Congress hits all 3 components of American society with these budget cuts. But let's get to why this bill is before us today. We're not here because the hurricanes busted the budget. . . . It's not the war . . . it's that many people in this House demand that we spend the Treasury's money on tax cuts for wealthier Americans. Period. It's about nothing more than spending this money on tax cuts--or, more appropriately: tax increases on our children. Budgets are a reflection of who we are and what we value. The budget cuts offered in the House of Representatives today--which I oppose-- simply do not represent the values that we say are important to us in this nation. South Texans have been astounded at the depth of cuts in the federal budget, which means Texas students will be less likely to stay in school or go to college . . . Low income Texas children will be sicker with the cut in health benefits . . . Seniors will lose essential services. . . . Today's bill will increase the deficit by $20 billion, give more tax cuts to the wealthy, and hurt those who use student loans, who need health care and who benefit from rural programs. We have got to come up with a budget that represents the right priorities for students, seniors, Katrina families and rural Americans. We had an opportunity to vote for such a budget last Spring, with the right priorities, that paid down the deficit--authored by John Spratt-- but the House rejected it. It is incumbent upon all of us in Congress to help all Americans, not just the wealthy few. We can do better than this--and we must.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today we mourn the loss of a 20th Century American giant, Congressman Edward Roybal. When I got to Congress so many years ago, there were not many people in Washington that I could identify with or look up to as a role model. There were just a few Hispanics in Congress when I arrived there. Nobody stood taller than Ed Roybal in my eyes. He was already a legend in Congress and Los Angeles. Lord knows we were different--he was a businessman from California, I was a sheriff from Texas. But we were more the same for our backgrounds in families that came from modest means. We both represented a large number of low income people. We met in 1976--the year the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, or CHC-- was founded. Even then he was organizing the nation's elected Hispanic officials; and as a County Commissioner in Texas, I was invited to a conference on Hispanic matters. My first impression was what a gentleman he was, and how smart and well-organized. He seemed to know everybody and know everything about the organs of government at all levels. He was a charming and gentle mentor. Paying tribute to Ed Roybal is to remember that to see the future, you must stand on the shoulders of a giant. And this Hispanic pioneer had giant shoulders on which we all stand today. When Ed came to Congress in 1963, he was nearly alone as a Hispanic member of Congress. He faced quite a quandary: While he represented a Los Angeles area district, he carried the hopes and dreams of a growing segment of the population that lived all over the Nation. When he left Congress in early 1993, he saw not only his beloved daughter win a seat in Congress--he witnessed yet another growth spurt of the number of Hispanic members sitting in Congress. That year our Caucus grew to 20 members, quadrupling the membership just over a decade earlier when Ed founded the CHC. Ed knew that he and his Hispanic colleagues: Herman Badillo, Kika de la Garza, Henry Gonzalez, and Baltasar Corrada del Rio represented disjointed districts and the interests of the national Hispanic community. It was Ed's leadership in this group that led to the creation of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in 1976. When he talked about the formation of the CHC, he talked about the use of other Hispanic members as a ``force multiplier''--or the philosophy that more people working together created more opportunities and more information for the larger national community. In the beginning, there were just the five members and they all sat on various committees. Ed knew if there was a central organization for the sitting members, it would be easier for all of them to know what was coming in the various committees. In Washington, information is power. Ed understood that and through the CHC the Hispanics in Congress shared information in a regular, organized way. He was an extraordinary visionary. Just as he organized the Hispanic members of Congress to maximize our numbers to serve the larger Hispanic population--Ed also carried that vision beyond Capitol Hill. He helped create the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, NALEO, which connects the Hispanic office holders around the Nation. Visiting Ed's Capitol Hill office was to take a walk through the important events of the 20th Century. There were pictures of Ed with President Kennedy, with President Johnson, with Cesar Chavez, and with dozens of other bigger-than-life people. His office seemed almost like a living museum. He loved his wife very much. They were a beautiful couple. They were always together and he was so attentive. He was forever explaining to the younger members: the issues are large and complex, and our population is growing, be smart. He was enormously respected on both sides of the aisle and that may have been the legacy he will be remembered for by those of us who labor on Capitol Hill. Ed never believed the other party was bad or evil; he knew we were all Americans, and we all wanted the best for our Nation. He brought his considerable business sense to our cause. Realizing that our future was literally ours to shape, Ed founded, in 1978, a non-profit called the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, whose main purpose was: ``each one, teach one.'' CHCI, the Institute, was created to bring young people to Capitol Hill each year, put them in congressional offices to learn and understand the dynamics of our government, then send them back to their communities with more savvy about affecting change at the national level. In the early 1980s after my service in Congress began, Ed pointed out that we were wasting precious resources on rent for the Institute on Capitol Hill and insisted that we buy a building. He told us this was literally an investment in our children's future, and in the future of the Hispanic community. As always, he was right. While Ed was a quiet man, he had an unwavering commitment to the principles of justice and compassion and to the poor, the elderly and the disenfranchised. He had an enormous heart, a quick wit, and was among the smartest members I ever served with. I was always fascinated by his stories of his early days in the 1960s when the population of Hispanic members of Congress could be counted on one hand. Many of his stories reminded me of experiences many of us shared--how other members of Congress were surprised that he spoke English fluently, with exceptional diction how people didn't think he was Mexican because he didn't have a long mustache or wear a sombrero. Ed Roybal's legacy simply cannot be measured but it can be found in policies he championed, in the organizations he created to further the cause of Hispanic Americans, in the thousands of young lives he touched and influenced during the course of his amazing public service and in the service of his daughter who went on to follow in his footsteps in Congress.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to important business in my district, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below: Rollcall vote No. 569, ``yea.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to business in my district, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall No. 564: ``No.'' Rollcall No. 565: ``No.'' Rollcall No. 566: ``No.'' Rollcall No. 567: ``No.'' Rollcall No. 568: ``Yes.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today is support of the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005. I was disturbed--as were so many Americans--both by the decision of a local Connecticut community to seize private property for area economic development and the Supreme Court's upholding their right to do so. While I believe our Constitution allows for State and local governments to execute the power of eminent domain for those purposes that specifically serve the public good, condemning property solely to implement economic development plans is not serving the public good. Private property rights matter in this country, and violating those rights insults a very basic tenet of American fairness. For my constituents, owning a home is the culmination of many years of hard work and the realization of the American Dream. At no time should a local entity take those years of hard work solely to increase their tax revenue. I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to important business in my district, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall vote No. 555, ``yes.'' Rollcall vote No. 556, ``yes.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bill before us to reject the BRAC recommendations; and I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his work on this bill. While this process has proceeded during a global war, many of us in Congress--including me--have taken issue with the timing. Doing this during a war and before we establish our global military footprint through the Quadrennial Defense Review sends the wrong signal to our allies and to the soldiers and families who may depend on services at the bases we are closing. I have fought this from the get-go. The BRAC list hit my South Texas district hard with the closure of Naval Station Ingleside in San Patricio County. It was a base into which the taxpayers of Nueces County and the State of Texas plowed $50 million to assist the Navy in bringing the base there. The main thing that worries those of us in South Texas--and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast--is that after BRAC the Gulf of Mexico will be a less safe place for all of us. We have been concerned over the past couple of years about the illegal immigrants known as OTMs--other than Mexicans--that are routinely released by law enforcement into the U.S. population. Many law enforcement officers believe we have--or could be--releasing potential terrorists who will do us great harm. Our nation's refining capability and trading lanes run through the Gulf of Mexico. For these reasons--and many more--we must have a Navy presence in the Gulf. After BRAC, there will not be a single surface Navy base in the entire Gulf. The Gulf holds the nation's bread basket and is the primary provider of petrochemicals and refined products to power the nation's cars, heaters, and other machines we depend upon hourly in our daily lives. Those are my primary concerns. Now, the other concerns I have deal primarily with how the South Texas community I represent will recover from the economic devastation that is part of a base closure in local communities. As BRAC Chairman Principi said in an early statement, this will be a tsunami in South Texas. So if the House chooses to support the BRAC list today, we will bear no ill will . . . and we will work very hard to make the transition as painless as possible. While our community is less concerned about the disposition of the property itself--it should revert to the local port--we believe the local community should not have to pay a $200 million cost to retain the base. We are increasingly concerned about the enormous task before us in the coming years: how to deal with depressed property values after the base is to close . . . how to retrain the area workforce . . . and how our schools and housing market can recoup the losses we will most certainly feel in the coming years. That will be the challenge before us in South Texas for probably the coming decade if the House today fails to adopt my colleague's bill to disapprove the BRAC recommendations.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a true American patriot: Irene De Los Santos from Brownsville, Texas. On October 22, 2005, Ms. De Los Santos will be 99 years young. She has seen the greater part of the 20th century and has been at the forefront of numerous historical events while serving as an outstanding example for her community. Since she had a profound understanding of what the early 20th Century was like, before women were finally given citizenship in this great Nation, and allowed to vote. As. De Los Santos cherishes this precious right and never lets an election pass her by. She has voted in every Brownsville election since 1929 and remembers her $1.75 poll tax vividly. What is most amazing and admirable is the fact that Ms. De Los Santos is still an active member of the community and encourages everyone to participate fully in our democracy by both voting and working at the polls. Her daughter remembers riding along in the back of the car as they went from house to house encouraging members of the community to vote when she was only 8 years old. Ms. De Los Santos is a powerhouse of politics in the South Texas community, and her support for various candidates is sought and cherished. I am so proud that she has been one of my strongest supporters throughout my 23 years in Congress. Irene has lived a long and rewarding life, and watched our most important national events unfold: the passage of the 19th Amendment, the rise and fall of dictators around the world, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and countless other memorable events in our Nation's history. Through it all, Ms. De Los Santos says she has enjoyed her life and would not change anything. Her extended family includes three sons and two daughters, 16 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great grandchildren, and 10 great-great-great grandchildren. Everyone, that totals to 71 potential votes, and we all know that elections have been won or lost by fewer votes. Even now, Ms. De Los Santos encourages her entire family to vote and continues to look on as her fellow voters come in and out of the polls. Today I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this extraordinary woman for her contributions to her community and our Nation, and for her active participation our Nation's history. May the next century be as wonderful for her as the past 99 years.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere congratulations to the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan as they celebrate the 14th anniversary of their Independence from the Soviet Union. On October 18, 1991, Azerbaijan adopted its Constitutional Act on Independence declaring their independence as a sovereign state. Having lived under Soviet rule, the people of Azerbaijan have a great appreciation of living in a democratic civil society and understand that they need to continue to democratize and hold free and fair elections in order to develop and integrate into western structures. On November 6, 2005, Azerbaijan will hold important parliamentary elections. As a sign of his commitment to ensuring free and fair elections, President Ilham Aliyev issued an Executive Order earlier this year outlining important steps that will be taken prior to the election. Since then great progress has been made to: allow all political parties to organize rallies free from violence and intimidation, welcome domestic and international election observers, provide appropriate access to media, and ensure central and regional authorities create the necessary conditions for exit polls. Azerbaijan has come forward as a strong strategic partner and ally not only to the United States but also among the democratic societies in our world. I congratulate Azerbaijan on this important day and look forward to them having free and fair elections next month.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of designating October 15, 2005 the 3rd Annual Latino AIDS Awareness Day. HIV and AIDS have wrecked havoc on millions of lives across the globe for over two decades, ending lives before their time. Today in America, over a million Americans, or about 1 in 300, have HIV or AIDS--a statistic that this Congress must acknowledge. For every American living with HIV or AIDS, a family is traumatized. Even more staggering is the distribution of those victims. While Hispanics are roughly 14 percent of the population of the United States, they account for 20 percent of America's HIV/AIDS population. To date, nearly 100,000 Hispanics have died with AIDS. Since Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, our challenge is even greater. Minority groups have been hardest hit by the disease, adding another burden on families struggling to make ends meet. Another troubling fact is that as many as 1 in 2 people with HIV/AIDS don't even know they have the disease. And the fastest growing group of people contracting HIV is young people, putting a tenuous hold on their young lives and future. The more attention we place on HIV/AIDS, the closer we get to eradicating this vicious disease. We have to talk about it, the causes and the prevention. I encourage all of my colleagues to support Latino AIDS Awareness Day and work to educate Hispanics and other constituents about HIV and AIDS. Education and facts are the best way to wipe out ignorance about HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic populations, and every other demographic in our Nation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding citizen, teacher and coach from Corpus Christi, Texas: Phil Danaher. Coach Danaher reached an historical milestone on September 9, 2005, by achieving his 300th high school football victory and becoming a member of an elite group of coaches who have amassed such a record. Coach Danaher is currently serving as the athletic director and head football coach at Calallen Independent School District and is in his 35th year of coaching. He is the winningest active coach in football and is surpassed by only three other coaches in number of victories. Coach Danaher played high school football for Harlingen High School in Harlingen, Texas, where he was two-time All-District, and two-time All-Valley as quarterback. He continued his love for the game by playing college football at Angelo State University. Mr. Danaher has proudly served as head coach for Calallen High School for the past 22 years, after beginning his career at San Antonio Edison as an assistant head coach. He later served as head coach for Dilley and Hamshire-Fannett high schools from 1974 to 1983 before arriving at Calallen in 1984. His remarkable coaching talent was evident from the start, leading Dilley to the district championship and capturing three more district championships over the next 9 years at Hamshire-Fannett. Prior to Mr. Danaher's arrival, Calallen High School had not been to the playoffs in 29 years. After just one season, Coach Danaher turned the program around and led the school to the playoffs for 20 consecutive seasons. However, for Coach Danaher, it is not all about the number of victories he accumulates. Mr. Danaher believes the real honor in coaching lies in the fact that the athletic program has made a difference in the lives of countless players who have come and gone over the years. On the night of his 300th career victory, Coach Danaher graciously thanked the fans and his team for their significant contributions. When history remembers Coach Danaher, his win-loss record will be noted--but his most enduring legacy will be his record for teaching young people how to make the most of their talents and their lives. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Coach Phil Danaher for his outstanding achievements and dedication to our south Texas community.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, September 22, 2005, I was not present to vote, on H.R. 2123, the School Readiness Act of 2005, as I was in my district making preparations for Hurricane Rita's landfall. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: The vote on final passage would have been a difficult one for me, but I would have ultimately been forced to vote against the bill. Using Federal funding to run a program should preclude that program from discriminating in hiring decisions. Our country has a strong tradition of religious freedom, and I cannot support a vote that chooses to ignore that. However, that should not diminish the fact that I remain a strong supporter of education and the Head Start program. Additionally, as a Hispanic member of Congress, I recognize the importance of civil rights in our country. America has fought hard to rectify transgressions of the past, and to turn back that work is not a position I can endorse. H.R. 2123 unanimously passed out of committee-- demonstrating clear bipartisanship and maintaining the longstanding civil rights provision which has been part of the Head Start program since 1972. It was designed to protect over 198,000 Head Start teachers and staff and over 1,450,000 parent volunteers from employment discrimination based on religion in federally-funded Head Start programs, and should not have been eroded. Rollcall No. 478--``no''; rollcall No. 479--``yes''; rollcall No. 480--``yes''; rollcall No. 481--``yes''; rollcall No. 482--``yes''; rollcall No. 483--``yes''; rollcall No. 484--``yes''; rollcall No. 485--``yes''; rollcall No. 486--``no''; rollcall No. 487--``yes''; rollcall No. 488--``yes''; rollcall No. 489--``yes''; rollcall No. 490--``yes''; rollcall No. 491--``no''; rollcall No. 492--``no''; and rollcall No. 493--``no.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the bipartisan leadership--both for the whole House and for the Appropriations Committee--for this urgent response to our neighbors and families in the Gulf Coast region. The notion of refugees in America is a foreign concept for us, but I know the American family will respond fully and completely in relocating the people who have fled the Gulf region; and who must now necessarily migrate north and make temporary lives somewhere else for at least the next few months. I want to note something interesting to my colleagues. Just last week before the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, BRAC, I pointed out to the commissioners that the Gulf of Mexico has serious security needs. With the BRAC recommended closures of Naval Station Ingleside and Ellington Air Field in Texas, and the closure of NS Pascagoula in Mississippi, we were leaving the Gulf of Mexico vulnerable to an attack that could disrupt our oil supplies--both the wells in the Gulf and the refineries along our southern coast--and our vital trade routes. Post- BRAC, we will have not a single surface Navy ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Mother Nature painted a very vivid picture for all of us of how a major disruption in the Gulf can affect our Nation and our economy. I will be talking to DOD officials and my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to pursue a Center of Excellence for Homeland Defense and Security in the western Gulf of Mexico. Again, I thank the House for this rapid attention to the dire need for relief to our neighbors in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. I support the bill, and urge swift passage. We must come to grips now with the fact that this is just our first drop in the bucket; this ongoing rescue and relief effort will be monumental and long term. It will be years before New Orleans and the Gulf Coast can be rebuilt. It will take our money, it will take our energy, and it will take all our hearts.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to important congressional business, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below: rollcall No. 417: yes; rollcall No. 418: yes; and rollcall No. 419: yes.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall vote No. 401--``no''; rollcall vote No. 402--``no.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to important business in my district, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated: Rollcall vote No. 363--``yes''; rollcall vote No. 364--``yes''; rollcall vote No. 365--``no''; rollcall vote No. 366--``no''; rollcall vote No. 367--``no'', and rollcall vote No. 368--``yes.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to business in my district, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall No. 324: ``yes''; rollcall No. 325: ``no''; rollcall No. 326: ``no''; rollcall No. 327: ``yes''; rollcall No. 328: ``no''; rollcall No. 329: ``no''; rollcall No. 330: ``yes''; rollcall No. 331: ``yes''; rollcall No. 332: ``yes''; rollcall No. 333: ``yes''; rollcall No. 334: ``no''; rollcall No. 335: ``yes.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Corpus Christi's Calallen High School Varsity Baseball team on winning the 2005 4A State Championship last weekend, winning the championship game 10-3. This is the second time the Wildcats have dominated Texas high school baseball, the first being in 2000. The Cats' won their first victory against the Wichita Falls Riders-- an impressive 12-2 game, with seven hits and a grand slam by sophomore Ryan Duke. The game was called in the fifth inning, by way of the 10- run ``mercy rule.'' But mercy was the last thing the Wildcats showed their next opponents, the Waco-Midway Panthers. Calallen earned the title through sheer power at the plate, with 13 hits and 10 runs, all scored by the fourth inning. Leading the Cats at bat in the championship game were Seniors Jonathan Vest, Luke McCall, Wes Callihan, Randy Haughton, and Sophomore Ryan Duke. Wildcat pitchers Seniors Chip Nance and Brandon Key, and Sophomore Ryan Duke provided the other power station for the Cats on the mound. Nance boasted nine strikeouts in six innings and held the Midway Panthers to five hits, earning MVP honors in the championship game. South Texas is proud of these young men as is their coach, Steve Chapman, to whom the victory came as no surprise. With such talented players and excellent coaching, it seemed only right that this would be the year. Besides receiving an impressive ring to commemorate their victory, these boys have learned the endurance, discipline, self- sacrifice, and determination that it takes to be the champions. In high school sports, as in life, the way to winning is hard work and a can-do spirit every day, both in practice and on the field. Sports teach young people many things, most importantly how to be gracious In defeat and in victory. That will be as important as how they play the game of life. I congratulate the Wildcats, for their hard work which paid off handsomely. The following roster of players earned the title of Champions: Chip Nance, Wes Callihan, Jonathan Vest, Tyler Marrou, Cameron Lucky, Ryan Miller, Brandon Key, Corey Schick, Steven Vidaurri, Bucky Bryan, Randy Haughton, Sean Hoelscher, Paul Flores, Ryan Duke, Jared Verret, Daniel Alonzo, Luke McCall, Matt Brynestad, Kyle Plumley, and Jacob Kaup. The Coaches who led them to victory are: Coach Steve Chapman, Asst. Coach Rudy Salinas, Asst. Coach Jon Irvine, Asst. Coach Micheal Watson, and Asst. Coach Jose Luis Lopez.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Bonilla provision to delay implementing mandatory country of origin labeling, which is known as COOL, for meat and meat products for 1 year. This distinction is important. This delay is for meat and associated products alone. In the 2002 farm bill, we added the COOL requirement for fruits and vegetables. The conference, however, expanded the mandate to meat, fish, perishable agricultural commodities, and peanuts. As most things not vetted by committees, these regulations brought a number of problems and unintended consequences. Several government and private studies have identified numerous costs added, especially for consumers. American families should not pay the price for marketing beef without it being any safer than it is now. The House has previously voted to delay mandatory COOL in order to review the law and develop a voluntary option. The Bonilla provision to delay COOL labeling for meat is the right thing to do. I ask the House to join me in keeping this provision and oppose the motion to strike.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 159 because now it is more important than ever for our Nation to show our support for our warfighters. While our Armed Forces are engaged in struggles in Afghanistan against the terrorists that attacked our Nation--and deployed against insurgents in Iraq--they represent the interests of our Nation. We are at war; and the people who carry the guns and go after our enemies have a job that is harder than any of us can imagine. This Nation asks our men and women in the armed service to carry out a mission in which their lives are frequently in danger. Many do not come home to their families' arms. The ones who do come home must cope with new realities in their lives, and in the lives of their families. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, there's a wisdom to our recruitment. First, you recruit a soldier. When he re- enlists, you recruit the whole family. Much of our retention problems stem from families simply not being able to handle the emotional strain of a loved one serving, plus the financial detriment military service can present. While loved ones are away serving our Nation in uniform, families are left with only one parent and all the responsibility of the family. In the case of National Guard and Reserve service members, it nearly always leaves the family with much less earning power and the entire family must make do with less. This breeds a number of challenges for military families. While we in Congress must do all we can to help those families financially and with appropriate health care and other quality of life components . . . the least we can do today is to have a special week to recognize the difficulties that our military families live through every day. We must remember their sacrifices every day, but it is useful and educational to take a week to officially honor the sacrifice of the families of those who wear the uniform of the United States.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer the thanks of this body to a democratic friend, Taiwan, the Republic of China, for their recent generous gift to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. 9-11 scarred our souls and forever changed the way we view enemy attack and the security of our Nation. The Pentagon is known globally as the place our military policy is created and recommended for implementation. It is a prominent part of the government commanded by the Chief Executive and maintained by the United States Congress. The targeted component of the surprise coordinated attack there shocked and appalled the civilized nations and people on the planet. This Nation lost 184 souls across the river on that day. The sight of smoke coming from the Pentagon is a picture seared in my memory from that day, seen as I ran out of the U.S. Capitol. Part of the salve applied to our national injury is in honoring the memory of the 184 men and women who perished on 9-11. So, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I thank Taiwan for their part in helping to immortalize their memory by contributing to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. And I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the Washington Post story announcing the generous contribution. [From the Washington Post, May 5, 2005] Taiwan Aids Pentagon Memorial Fund The government of Taiwan has donated $1 million to the Pentagon Memorial Fund, according to James L. Laychak, the fund's president and chief executive. About $6.5 million has been raised to finance the memorial, which is to be built with private funds. Families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon began a fundraising drive in April 2004 with a goal of $30 million--$20 million for construction and $10 million for a maintenance fund. Taiwan's gift is the second for $1 million; the first came from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation. ``The donation does not simply represent our offering of support for the victims of 9-11,'' said David Tawei Lee, a government representative, in a prepared statement, ``but also express our appreciation for the symbols of freedom.'' The memorial on the Pentagon's west lawn will have 184 cantilevered benches, one in memory of each of the victims of the terrorist attack.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Resolution supporting the ideals of Cinco De May, a day that holds much meaning for many people in the South Texas Congressional district I represent. For many Hispanic Americans, we celebrate Independence Day on July 4, and Cinco de Mayo on May 5. Independence Day celebrates our Nation; and Cinco de Mayo celebrates our spirit. On the eve of May 5, 1862, the commander of the French forces in Mexico sent this message to Napoleon: ``We have such superiority over the Mexicans that tomorrow, at the helm of my troops, I will attack, and I will consider that Mexico is mine.'' He was wrong. When he attacked the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe on May 5, his 8,000 troops were beaten back by 2,000 Mexicans. It is important to note why we celebrate this day--we celebrate the courage and the strength of a people who will fight against all odds for the things they cherish--freedom, independence and democracy. The lessons of the French commander should not be lost on us today. I often tell schoolchildren in South Texas to adopt a new take on the French commander's arrogance by saying: ``I will go to school, I will study hard, and I will consider that the marketplace is mine, and we will not be beaten.'' We must continue to fight in that same spirit that the Mexicans fought the French. Our young people today must fight to learn--fight for the ability to get good jobs--and fight to go further than the previous generation. I am pleased the House is moving this resolution, albeit just over a month late for Cinco de Mayo celebrations this year. Nevertheless, this is a good opportunity for many of us in the House of Representatives to explain to our colleagues and our countrymen why this celebration means so much to so many of us.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill. I thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter); my ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton); and all the subcommittee chairmen and subcommittee members for their skill and leadership in addressing the military issues before us. This bill provides for the needs of our troops and their families. While we are at war, we must always see that they are given the equipment and supplies that they need to do the mission that we ask them to perform. Like many other things now, this bill is not perfect. In fact, there are a number of challenges still unaddressed by the bill, particularly relating to our retention and recruitment problems. The war in Iraq and the global war on Terror, coupled with the uncertainties of Base Realignment and Closure, the overseas base changing and the accompanying QDR, Quadrennial Defense Review, present many challenges to our readiness posture. As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Readiness, I remain deeply concerned about the shortfalls in our recruiting and retention across the board. For example, in March, the Army missed its recruiting goal by 27 percent. We do need soldiers for our all-volunteer Army. Our Armed Forces have many, many pressing needs, including basic equipment, body armor, Humvee armor, other vehicles, tanks and more; and our troops are doing a great job. We need to continue to support them, to give what they need.