Solomon Ortiz

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 on January 30-31, 2001 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a unique and outstanding American, Norteno artist and five-time Grammy Award nominee Raymon Ayala, who is one of the most popular artists in regional Mexican music today. He celebrates his birthday today, and I ask the House of Representatives to join me in offering him our good wishes. Ayala, who began his exemplary career at the age of 18, has been one of the great entertainers of his generation. His skill at the Mexican ``canjunto'' music (music with an accordion base) is unparalleled in the industry. His steady rise and his continuous output of inclusive music has made him a favorite of fans throughout the Southwest and in Mexico. In the 30 years that Raymon Ayala has graced the charts, he has recorded over 75 albums, never straying from his canjunto roots. Ayala's success has turned on precisely the same elements that ensure the success of any musician in the industry: a straightforward style, balanced music, and lyrics with universally understood themes. His music touches on tragedy, loneliness, broken relationships, and experiencing love in all its complicated nuances . . . the sort of music that appeals to all music lovers, regardless of their favorite format. Raymon has taken great care to ensure that the material on his albums reflects the excellence that has been his lifelong trademark. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing this talented patriot a happy birthday.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, to see the future we must stand on the shoulders of a giant. At this moment, I would like to offer my condolences to the Gonzalez family and to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), for the loss of his father, a great American. For me and many of us sitting in the House of Representatives today, Henry B. Gonzalez was a giant of a man. He was the key that opened up many doors that in the past had been closed to many of us. People often speak of pioneers or of giants or of visionaries. Sometimes we use those words loosely. But there is literally no better example of those words than Henry B., as he will forever be remembered by those of us who loved him. Henry B. was a pioneer for Texas and for Hispanic Americans throughout the United States. He got a law degree in the days of segregation because he loved the law and he knew that fundamentally the law would eventually come to protect all Americans. He entered politics and was successful in municipal, State, and Federal elections even in the days of the elite primaries, legal segregation, and the poll tax. It was no coincidence that the day Henry B. was sworn in as a Member of this body he clutched in his left hand the bill that he would drop that day to abolish the poll tax. I remember, when I was a young constable back in the 1960s, I was running for county commissioner and I knew that there was a political rally in San Antonio. I drove all the way from Corpus Christi to see if I could talk to Henry B. I had never met Henry B. before. I waited until he was about ready to exit the stage of this theater and I introduced myself. I said, ``Mr. Congressman, I am Solomon Ortiz. I am a constable from a small town, and I am running for county commissioner. I would like to see if you would be kind enough to give me an endorsement.'' Right on the steps as he walked down the stage in this theater, he said, sit down. And he sat right on the steps. He made one 30-second spot and a 60-second spot. I won that election as county commissioner. And then on my reelection, again an old friend by the name of Domingo Pena and Bob Cuellar, who operated the theater, we went to see Henry B. to see if he could come to my district for an event. He and his lovely wife, Charlie's mother Bertha, joined me. And we were very successful. We lost a man that was loved by many, many people. No matter how much he may have disagreed with those who served with him, he always treated each person with whom he worked with great respect. We have lost a great American.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), my good friend; the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons); the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), chairman of the Subcommittee on Water and Power; the gentleman from California (Mr. Dooley), the ranking member; and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), chairman of the Committee on Resources, for the help that they have given us with this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, S. 1761, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act. This comprehensive water resources plan will serve the border region of south Texas, also known as Region M of the Texas State Water Plan. Texas and many southwestern States live in a near-state of emergency when it comes to water resources. The Southwest is mostly desert, and water is hard to come by. Last July, the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on this bill to examine the needs of water for south Texas and how to maximize the water we now have. One of the most important things we examined in the hearing on this bill was the effect of Mexico's water deficit on the water shortage in south Texas. The Texas Senate Water Plan depends upon the water we are supposed to get from Mexico under the 1944 treaty that divides the water from the Rio Grande between our two nations. The continuing drought conditions in south Texas and enormous water deficit that Mexico has incurred under the water treaty are making a desperate situation much worse and it is making it much worse. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Senator Hutchinson for working with us, and I urge my good friends to support this bill. It is a good bipartisan bill.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a unique American who has served our nation with distinction and honor, Joaquin Legarreta, the Drug Enforcement Agency Deputy Attache for the United States in Mexico. Mr. Legarreta has served the United States for 30 years in one of the most dangerous jobs we ask our public servants to do, to stand and fight on the front lines of our drug war, one of the great domestic and international policing challenges of the 20th Century, one already following us into the 21st Century. Thanks to men like Joaquin Legarreta, the United States is safer; but he would be the first to tell you that the task of his agency is not yet finished. He began his service to our country in 1970 with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the precursor to today's DEA (the DEA was formed in 1973). His star was already on the rise when he won the prestigious Administrator's Award in 1980, the award that recognizes excellence in agents whose work brings runners, and those for whom they work, to justice. He won the Administrator's Award in 1980 for the Superfly operation. The DEA caught the Superfly, a ``mother ship'' from Colombia exporting $65,000 pounds of marijuana. A ``mother ship'' sits in international water and distributes its cargo to smaller ships for transport into the United States. After terms of service that took him to major cities across the Southwest, including Houston, Laredo, El Paso, Brownsville and Sacramento, Legarreta joined the Intelligence Center for DEA, stationed, again, a El Paso. At that point, he began an even more dangerous line of work, work at which he is terribly adept. Today, he is charged with oversight of the DEA regional offices all over Mexico, traveling to them and conducting business on our behalf there. During the course of his service, he has had numerous contracts put out on his life, a certain indicator that an agent is doing his job above and beyond the call of duty. Once, near the border, he was involved in a shootout in which one of his agents was shot; Legarreta picked him up, put him in the car and drove him to the hospital, saving his life. He recently told a story that should make all of us proud. In Sacramento, his team executed a search warrant on a drug lab. Afterwards, an agent brought him a woman who had asked to talk to whoever was in charge. Thinking she was upset because flowers had been trampled or a dog kicked, he was overwhelmed when she thanked him for her freedom, and that of her neighbors. With tears in his eyes, he recanted the story of this small woman with a sweater over her shoulders who grabbed his hand and said, ``Thank you for freeing us.'' She told him that the people in the neighborhood had been prisoners in their own homes because of the drug lab. She wouldn't let go of his hand while they stood together for several minutes. That, he says, made it all worthwhile. So, while we enjoy our comforts here today, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending this brave and unique patriot on the occasion of his retirement. I also thank his wife, Lupita, and their children, Lorena, Veronica, and Claudia, for sharing their husband and father with our nation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I honor the achievements of a fellow Texan who has been serving as a key appointee in the Clinton Administration for the past six years. Gil Coronado is one of San Antonio's favorite sons, and is currently serving as the ninth Director of the Selective Service System. He is also the first Hispanic Director in the Agency's 60-year history. Since his nomination by President Clinton and Senate confirmation in October 1994, Director Coronado has been leading this small but vital Federal agency into the 21st Century with unprecedented modernization and innovation, through the institution of on-line registration and registration by telephone. Nearly three-quarters of a million men have registered on-line to date. More than half of all registrations today are electronic and the ratio of electronic registrations vs. paper registrations increases monthly, making it faster and easier for America's young men to comply with the registration requirement. These improvements also make it less costly to administer, something for which this body has a great appreciation. Gil Coronado's influence as Director extends beyond Texas and Washington, D.C. Through his tireless advocacy in encouraging state and local government support of the Federal registration program, the number of states enacting laws that directly support the Military Selective Service Act has risen from 18 to 28 since 1994. This year two states--Oklahoma and Delaware--became the first states to link Selective Service registration with application for state drivers' licenses. Gil Coronado is dedicated to making sure that our nation's young men are reminded about their civic and legal obligation to register. Gil Coronado is a tremendous role model. He was born in Corpus Christi and grew up in the barrios of San Antonio. Orphaned at the age of five, his youthful years sometimes found him on the wrong side of the law. He dropped out of high school and was a member of Hispanic gangs. But he soon followed a more productive path in life, leading to great personal achievement and dedicated public service. He enlisted in the military when he was only 16 by being more patriotic than honest about his age, earned a GED diploma, a college degree, and devoted a total of 30 years to a distinguished Air Force career, retiring as a Colonel with over 35 awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. A long-time crusader for Hispanic issues, he advocated creating National Hispanic Heritage Month, designated by the Congress in 1988. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the service and accomplishments of one of its most effective appointees, Selective Service System Director Gil Coronado. His selfless contributions to our great nation, from his years as a very young airman to the approaching conclusion of his current assignment as the longest serving SSS Director since General Lewis B. Hershey, are inspirational to us all. In every respect, Gil Coronado is a patriot, a good friend, and a great American.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute in the best bipartisan tradition to my colleague and my friend, Congresswoman Tillie Fowler of Florida. I can truly say I am sorry to see her go. Tillie and I have served together on the House Armed Services Committee during her entire tenure in the House of Representatives. I believe I can speak for my colleagues on the committee on both sides of the aisle when I say that she has never failed to impress us with her deep understanding and grasp of the issues and challenges facing our national defense structure. She constantly showed her skills as an attorney in her probing questioning of hearing witnesses and her summations to the committee members. She never backed away from a flight, but she never made it personal, either. More particularly, Tillie and I have worked together for these 6 years as members of the executive committee of the House Depot Caucus. Again, we put partisan differences aside as we fought with the Pentagon, industry and even our own colleagues here in the Congress in our efforts to ensure that the Department of Defense always has a ready and controlled source of repair for our vital weapon systems, namely our organic depots. We won most of those battles, and those victories are due to the strong consensus and teamwork that Tillie helped forge among our Depot Caucus members, both Democrats and Republicans. Mr. Speaker, I don't like term limits, and Tillie Fowler is one of the best reasons I know of to do away with them. While I admire her for sticking to her principles and adhering to her self-imposed limit of three terms in the House, I for one know that our nation is losing a fine public servant and our armed forces, including the Naval Academy where she is a member of the Board of Visitors, are losing a dedicated advocate. However, I expect we will see Tillie again in some other job at the national level which will put the skills she refined here in the House to good use for our country. Tillie, mi amiga y mi comadre, we will miss you here in the House and on the Armed Services Committee. Thank you for your service to this great institution and to our nation. Vaya con Dios!

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart in support of House Resolution 631, to honor the men and women of the U.S.S. Cole. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Chairman Spence) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member, as well as the leadership, for moving rapidly and allowing the House of Representatives to speak to this important national moment. I represent Navy country in south Texas, so we have a special perspective of their service and a loss in a hostile action. Two of the soldiers who lost their lives in the insidious act of terror were south Texas' Specialist Third Class Ronchester Mananga Santiago of Kingsville and Fireman Gary Graham Swenchonis, Jr. of Rockport, Texas. Texas also lost Information Systems Technician Seaman Timothy Lee Gauna of Rice. Two women from south Texas were also on the ship, Elizabeth Sanchez LaFountaine of Brownsville, who sustained a broken leg, and Esther Arriaga Hood of Corpus Christi, who is still aboard the Cole. Texans are proud that our sons and daughters seek to serve a larger purpose by volunteering to serve in the United States military service. It is, Mr. Speaker, a noble undertaking, but it often means that those sons and daughters pay a heavy price to serve and protect the United States' interests. Our hearts wrench at the thought of our neighbors answering the door to see the drawn faces of naval officers there to deliver the most devastating news a parent can ever hear. This should bring home the reality of all others that service in our military today is a highly dangerous prospect for our soldiers and sailors. Just because we are not at war does not guarantee a level of safety for those who serve in our military. This tragic incident has brought together the ship's crew in a way no other experiences could, the way only sailors have seen and been in battle together can understand. These young people have learned to depend upon each other in the aftermath of this cowardly act. They worked tirelessly to save the U.S.S. Cole after the explosion. Mr. Speaker, we mourn the young people who perished. We will hold up those who were injured, and we will continue to pray for the safety of men and women in uniform around the world. We offer our condolences to the families.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4205, the Chairman Floyd Spence National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2001. I would like to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member, for a good, good job, and of course the other Members and the staff. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the significant contributions of our recently deceased subcommittee chairman and colleague, Herb Bateman. He contributed immeasurably to the committee, the Congress, and the Nation. Few have been willing to take the extra steps and extraordinary measures he took while serving this great Nation. We will sorely miss him. We will also miss the active participation and support of my good friend, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Pickett), the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler), and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Talent), who have chosen not to return to this body next session. We wish them well. Mr. Speaker, on balance, I believe the readiness portion of the bill is a significant and prudent step in the right direction. It is not all that I would like to see, but we could definitely not satisfy all the different requests that we had. This year, just over $1 billion have been added to the readiness accounts. Members will find increases for those activities that contribute directly to increased readiness. Funding has been included for flying hours for the Air Force and Naval Reserve units, depot maintenance for active and reserve components, real property maintenance, the Marine Corps' corrosion control program, army range modernization, impact aid funding, cold weather equipment for personnel, and other items too numerous to mention here. Many of the programs we were able to fund in the bill address the Services's unfunded requirements. There are also a number of policies that will have a direct impact on readiness. For example, we tasked the Department to provide the Congress information on requirements to reduce the backlog in maintenance. I ask my friends and colleagues to support this nonpartisan bill. It is a good bill. We request their vote.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents I wish to extend my best wishes and congratulations to the people of the Republic of China on the occasion of their forthcoming national day. The Republic of China on Taiwan is a genuine democracy and its people enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. It is my belief that the story of Taiwan needs to be told again and again. Meanwhile, best of luck to president Chen Shui-Bian of the Republic of China.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5284, designating the Owen B. Pickett U.S. Customhouse. I want to commend the House for considering this legislation today because our colleague who is retiring shortly is indeed worthy of such an honor. I have worked with Owen for the entire time I have served in the U.S. House of Representatives and he is a man who epitomizes the sort of public servant whose service is dedicated to his community. I have traveled all over the world with Owen in the pursuit of understanding the evolving needs of our uniformed military service members. You learn much about your colleagues when you travel together. In Washington, Owen is a hard-working member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Resources Committee. When you see him on the House floor, you might never know that this easy-going guy is wild at heart. He is a Harley-rider. He is also a surfer. None of these pastimes seemed even remotely consistent with the things I knew about Owen from our work together in the House. Also, for the last Congress, Owen has been my across-the-hall neighbor in the Rayburn building. He is a generous host for me when I seek a change of scenery and we visit in his office until we get interrupted. Designating a customhouse for Owen Pickett is a fitting tribute for a man who understands the importance of international trade to the economic development and well-being of his Tidewater constituents in Virginia. If there is one thing that I would want to make sure everyone knows about Owen, it is this: he is a tireless advocate for the constituents in his congressional district and for the men and women who serve the United States in our military's uniform. Mr. Speaker, I commend the House for considering this legislation, and I urge its passage.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Small Business Preservation Competition Act, and thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for her leadership on this issue that affects so many businesses across the country, particularly in rural areas such as the one I represent in south Texas. Every time I go home, I see a small businessman or businesswoman in my travels around town. They tell me about how the contracts that were once part of the healthy competition in the area are finding more and more that they are edged out of business by the mega corporations that can afford to combine a function and underbid for a multitude of services. Many times, to compete for contracts that are over hundreds of millions of dollars, small businesses just do not have the financial resources. Now, they have the experience, they have the skills, but it is the financing resources or bonding capacity to compete for these contracts. We have to realize, Mr. Chairman, that the small business community happens to be the backbone of our economy. It is small businesses that are bigger than General Motors, but slowly and surely, we are leaving them out of the process. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services and the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Military Readiness, I have seen this happen all the time. I am concerned about one of the issues that is happening in my district about trying to regionalize and getting several bases together. Sometimes we are wondering whether they are doing this because if a small businessperson comes with a contract of $700,000 and then there is another contract more or less similar at the other base, they combine them, and the small businessperson cannot compete for that project. This is why this is so, so important. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the fact that many of my colleagues are convinced that contracting out services of the Federal Government would save money. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, in many instances, I have seen that this is just the opposite. We need to be able to give the small business people the opportunity for them to compete, and I favor this piece of legislation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my friends on Capitol Hill, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Republic of China's Representative in the United States, Mr. C.J. Chen. He is now serving a Taiwan's top diplomat in the United States and his office is in Washington, D.C. Representative C.J. Chen is uniquely qualified for this top diplomatic post. Representative Chen has spent his entire career in the Republic of China's government service. After receiving his education in Taiwan and Europe, Representative Chen joined the ROC's foreign service and served in many capacities over the last 2 decades. Most notably, he was the ROC's Deputy Representative in Washington (1982-1989); Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (89-93); a Senator in the ROC Parliament (93-96); Political Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (96-98); and Foreign Minister (99-00). Representative Chen's appointment to Washington is timely. We are fortunate to have someone like Representative C.J. Chen to brief us on the latest developments in his country and the latest issues affecting both our countries. Representative Chen is a hardworking diplomat. Even during the summer recess, he has met with a number of us and briefed members about President Chen's recent trip to countries in Central America and Africa as well as the need for the ROC to be recognized as a team player in international affairs. Taiwan's financial strength, democratization, and record on human rights are accomplishments worth universal recognition and praise. I look forward to working with Representative C.J. Chen and his staff.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, with a heavy heart, I rise and support this resolution before the House today to commemorate the life and service of our colleague, Herb Bateman and, at this time, would like to offer my condolences to his lovely wife, Laura; his children; and his grandchildren. I will never forget the special memories I made with Herb when we were in Europe just a few weeks ago. We were of the legislative delegation visiting our troops in Scotland, Italy, and Germany. As always, Herb was investigating whether the people in the field were getting the equipment which we had paid for. In Herb's service, one of the things that always impressed me was the attitude towards the soldier in the field. This institution can be rightly proud that the Chairman of our Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Readiness, of which I was his ranking man, was led by a man so completely immersed in the needs of the everyday soldier and sailor in the military. He was an effective advocate for the interests of his district, to be sure, but that quiet advocacy was always applied to seeing to the basic needs of those who wear our military's uniform. Herb was a real gentleman. Again, to his friends and family, Laura, I offer my condolences. Herb was a real gentleman, and he treated people with great respect-- from presidents to generals to Capitol Hill staffers to new recruits in the field. While he was a Republican and I am a Democrat, our partisan affiliations never affected how we went about our work. One of the things that I loved most about Herb was the way he conducted his business without partisan rife. When the defense authorization bill was in conference, he was always careful to tend to the needs of individual members on the committee-- which I appreciated very much. We did business the same way that way--the national defense of the United States is not a partisan endeavor. Neither of us are strident partisans, and working toward a larger purpose on our national defense was our common goal. When we were in the field, he was dogged about seeing that the taxpayer's money was well spent. Tonight, I am thinking about my friend, Herb Bateman, but my sympathies are with his beautiful family, particularly his lovely wife Laura. Laura always traveled with Herb and I got to know them as a couple, away from the rigors of Capitol Hill and the legislative grind we face each day. There will be one legacy that should be forever associated with Herb Bateman--his passion and his commitment to keeping the troops who wear the uniform of the United States ready for war. Together, we tackled a host of issues that affected the readiness of the U.S. military. I hope that in Herb's memory, this chamber can celebrate the non- partisan patriotism that his example brought to us.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Robert Anguiano of Corpus Christi's Tuloso-Midway High School, for winning the Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation National Youth Award for Sports. This young man has an enormous amount of discipline and endurance. Robert has accomplished a great deal in the field of sports and academics, and I am proud that he was chosen for this honor. Robert is in the top 20% of his class, an athlete-scholar with a litany of associations including honors clubs, leadership awards and community service. He is precisely the sort of young person that the Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation seeks to reward. Robert has an unusual determination. This became particularly evident when he badly hurt his knee while playing tennis. He went through two and one half months on crutches and hours of physical therapy. His doctors told him he could play tennis again, but would not be competitive due to the seriousness of the injury. He did not let their admonitions deter him from his game. Robert won this award, not because he had a particularly good year, but because he has been a steady, reliable athlete and has always been in it for the long haul. His coach credits him with holding his tennis team together during a transition and leading them to the regional level. This young man is more than an athlete; he is a scholar, a young leader in his school and community, and he volunteers his time to teach tennis to younger people in the community. He is a National Honor Society member, captain of his tennis team, and has a grade point average of 3.74. The Hispanic Heritage Awards celebrates the achievements of outstanding Hispanic Americans in the arts, literature, leadership, education and sports. The awards program provides an important service to the community and youth by profiling Hispanic American role models. The awards, which are endorsed by 34 national Hispanic organizations who serve as the nominating committee, is the only program co-hosted by all of these organizations. I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending Robert Anguiano for his accomplishments and his quiet leadership in the classroom and on the tennis court, and in commending the Hispanic Heritage Awards for their efforts in rewarding the excellence among our young people.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 544 commending the people of Mexico on their recent elections and congratulating President-elect Vincente Fox on winning a historical election as president of Mexico, an important economic ally of the United States. It has been noted that, in a democracy, more important than the first election, is the first transition of power from one party to another. It is on this point that the people of Mexico proudly take their place alongside the world's great democracies. Everyone deserves great credit for this election. As it should be in a democracy, it is the people of Mexico who deserve the greatest credit. They voted in large numbers, unafraid of what change might mean to them and their country. When it was apparent that a candidate who was not part of the traditional power structure had won the election, Mexicans across the country celebrated; and Mexicans who supported the incumbent party did not riot nor try to undo the vast change wrought by the democratic election. While their revolution was fought from 1910-1920, their long- term democracy was sealed in the first election of the 21st Century. President-elect Vincente Fox deserves great credit for running a great campaign, a long and steady campaign. He built a coalition composed of people representing various philosophies to include as many points of view as possible in his campaign. Finally, Ernesto Zedillo, Mexico's sitting president, deserves great credit for accepting the country's decision without dissent. It was due in no small part to Zedillo's steady hand, cool head, and vow to make the transition between political parties go smoothly that led members of his party and the government to accept their defeat with grace and dignity. The United States and Mexico have a long and storied history. As proud countries which share an international border, we have had more than our share of disagreements as well as victories. Along with that border comes an entire culture unto itself, on both sides of the border, that consists of traditions, unique cuisine, Old West legends and a language that is a mixture of Spanish and English. In the past decade, we have strengthened our relationship with Mexico by virtue of NAFTA and other trade policies. It is my hope that in this decade and this century, the United States and Mexico will further cement that relationship with closer work on a host of economic and law-enforcement policies. President-elect Fox and the people of Mexico have a great deal to work through in the next year. I have invited President-elect Fox to the United States to meet with me and other Hispanic Members of Congress to talk about issues that affect both our countries, but I know he has a great deal to do first. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives today offers our congratulations to Mexico and President-elect Fox. Adelante. * * * *

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in offering a national welcome to a very special visitor to the City of Corpus Christi, the Mayor of Toledo, Spain, Excmo. Sr. D. Jose Manuel Molina Garcia. Mayor Garcia is in my congressional district today as the guest of Corpus Christi's Sister Cities Committee. Toledo, Spain is a sister city of Corpus Christi in the U.S.A. The Sister Cities Committee is an important international economic engine in the Coastal Bend of Texas. I offer my congratulations to the Sister City Committee for the good work that they do. Even before the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Corpus Christi was becoming a leader in international trade. With the trading agreements we have made in the past decade, the international trade in our area has skyrocketed. The Sister City Committee has had much to do with this dynamic. The Mayor of Toledo, Spain, Excmo. Sr. D. Jose Manuel Molina Garcia, is a very accomplished leader in Spain and has been active in government and economic affairs during the course of his career. He has served as a Senator and national congressman in Spain's legislature. He is well-versed in matters related to economics, he was schooled as an accountant and an attorney. Since the official business of the House of Representatives keeps me here today, I wanted to ask the House to join me in offering our best wishes to the Sister Cities of Corpus Christi, U.S.A., and Toledo, Spain. Let us also welcome the Honorable D. Jose Manuel Molina Garcia to our country.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Texas Shrimp Association on the occasion of its golden anniversary. On August 6, 1950, the Texas Shrimp Association was born out of necessity; its industry was on the verge of extinction. The Federal Food and Drug Administration was prepared to utterly reform the industry; it was given the ultimatum ``clean up or be cleaned up.'' While fear motivated the Association at its infancy, safety, customer satisfaction and superior businesses became the focus of the Texas Shrimp Association (TSA) as it grew with the 20th Century. During the 50-year history of the TSA, it concentrated its energies on becoming leaders in U.S. fisheries. The growth has benefitted many more people than those associated with the shrimping industry; the industry overcame enormous challenges to contribute over $600 million annually to the Texas economy. Life has never been easy for those who cast their nets for shrimp. Shrimping is hard, dangerous, dirty and many times lonely. The TSA has faced legal and regulatory changes that often prove to be difficult, although the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are more treacherous than the waters of Washington. The TSA board conducts a host of efforts to ensure the continued vitality of the shrimp harvesting industry. These efforts include: monitoring legislative activity in Austin and Washington where regulations are written that govern the industry, monitoring the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service and other agencies with regulatory authority over the industry, and working with the International Trade Commission to protect the industry. TSA also works closely with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on activities that enhance our state's fishery resources. It monitors and responds to permit applications that affect wetlands, bays and estuaries, water quality and other environmental concerns. TSA is a group of hard-working, dedicated people. Through it all, it is primarily about education . . . the education of consumers, of lawmakers at the state and national levels, the press, environmental groups and the public at large. It is part of a market expansion and consumer education program in conjunction with the Texas A&M University system, through which it is developing strategies related to consumer preference for domestic shrimp, and promoting quality assurance programs. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in commending the men and women of the Texas Shrimp Association for the hard work it does on the 50th anniversary of its founding.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a special service officer, Captain Adan Guerrero, commander of the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Corpus Christi. Captain Guerrero is the model service officer for the Coast Guard. In addition to being a great guy who deals squarely with whatever comes up and a tireless advocate for the United States Coast Guard and the men and women who serve in his command, he is also a hometown boy. This Coastie from Corpus Christi began his service with the U.S. Coast Guard after graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1974. He served first as a deck officer on the USCGC Morgenthau from 1974 to 1976 when it was homeported in New York City. He served as engineer officer aboard the USCGC Durable homeported in Brownsville, Texas from 1983-1986. Captain Guerrero started a career in marine safety at the Marine Inspection Office in New Orleans, where he served as a marine inspector, investigating officer and licensing examiner. He also served as the Coast Guard liaison officer at the United States Embassy in Mexico City before returning again to the Marine Safety Office Training Office. From 1990-98, he served as the executive officer responsible for marine safety and environmental protection on over 500 miles of the Ohio River. Before returning to Corpus Christi, he was chief of the Vessel and Facility Operating Standards Division, Office of Operating and Environmental Standards, Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. He represented the United States when he headed the delegation on Ship/ Port Interface Working Group of the International Maritime Organization in London. He also served as director of the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee and the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Advisory Committee. He has been awarded two Coast Guard Commendation Medals and three Coast Guard Achievement Medals with Operational Distinguishing Device. I ask my colleagues to join me today in wishing Captain Guerrero well upon his retirement with his wife, Silvia DeLaRosa of Corpus Christi, and their children, Nicolas and Benjamin.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the Calallen Wildcats, the 2000 Texas High School Class 4-A Baseball Champions. In a herculean effort in the sixth inning of the final game they came from behind, sending the game into extra innings to win. In the championship game, they fell behind, rallying to a tie in the sixth inning, sending the game into extra innings before winning the state championship. The young men who won this championship deserve great credit for holding together to bring home this important win. Some of the seniors on this winning team have been playing together since they were 5 years old, so they have been a team longer than most baseball teams have played together. I am proud of the 4-A champs; these players kissed medals and fought back tears as they savored their win. This was the sixth time in the past eight years that the Wildcats made it to the state's final four teams, but this was the first to come home with the state Class 4-A title. These young players played and enjoyed this series for themselves, the perfect ending to a season in which the Wildcats first won 38 games, then earned the No. 1 ranking in Texas and finally won a state championship. Calallen is the first South Texas team to win a state championship since Orange Grove claimed the 3-A title in 1994. These young men didn't just play ball well. They had to be patient for years. They fell short of the title in 1998 and again in 1999, but the third time was a charm. Their game was canceled due to rain Friday. We have had a drought for years in South Texas, and the two other rain delays they sat through seemed pretty cruel. But they never gave up. But when an opposing hitter grounded out, the Calallen Wildcats at long last became Class 4-A state champions in extra innings. Nothing, including the rain, could dampen the Wildcats fans' excitement. They waited through two rain delays. They stood and cheered the team on, even as rain poured down on the field and stadium. When the Wildcats won, the joy was palatable as far away as the players' hometown. A WalMart employee got the call that Calallen had won from a Kingsville manager who attended the game. She immediately made an announcement over the store loudspeaker and shoppers stopped to cheer, clap and wipe tears from their eyes. It was a beautiful moment. This victory belongs to the entire community. They all pulled together, hoped together, and prayed together and the Calallen Wildcats came back to Corpus Christi as the State Champions. These guys learned the important lesson of knowing that champions must have patience, skill, and heart. They learned that victory comes from within. I want to include the leadership of the school and the coaches in this victory: Superintendent Dr. James Warlick, Principal Mike Sandroussi, Athletic Director Phil Danaher, and Coaches Steve Chapman, Danny Fogg, Dough Edwards, and Mark Soto. I ask my colleagues to join me today in offering our congratulations to a team of outstanding young men and outstanding young ball players, the 2000 Texas High School Class 4-A Baseball Champions.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the Moody Trojans, runners-up in the 2000 Texas High School Class 5-A Baseball Championship. While not taking the top spot in the state, this season for ``Moody Magic'' has been one for the record books. While the prize proved elusive, the Trojans marched impressively on their journey to the championship game. The team completed the season with a 38-4-1 record, were ranked number one in the state poll, and reached the third highest ranking in the nation. Moody's fans were as relentless as their team. They cheered the players on, chanting ``Moody Magic,'' blowing horns, yelling, clapping and stomping their feet. Like the Trojans of old, they didn't give up until the battle was done. Logistics proved to be a part of the game, with rain delays holding up the game from Friday until Monday. The burden of the delays fell directly on the Moody players since their opponents could drive home after each delay, while the Trojans wandered around their Austin hotel. The season brought forth twin themes for Moody, one of spirituality, and one of inspiration. They drew inspiration from a movie, The Gladiator. The certainty that Trojans were warriors and that warriors fought the good fight marked the last three weeks of the season. The foremost theme for the Trojans, however, was one of spirituality. These are warriors with a deep faith. ``Si quieres puedes'' (If you want to, you can) was written underneath the bill of a player's cap. This team did indeed want to win. They prayed silently on the field and in the dugout, and looked to a tiny laminated drawing of Jesus Christ in the dugout for motivation. The Moody Magic was part inspiration and part spirituality that drew this team close. They rose to number three in the nation and number one in the state. They prayed together, won together and lost together; but through it all they kept their faith. While their opponent was awarded gold medals for the championship, they prayed that the experience will make them better people. These young people have learned the very best lessons sports can teach. They learned that winning is great, but winners on the field are made from teamwork and faith; and winners in life are those who master the fundamentals, never lose their faith, and put their whole effort into every endeavor. All these young men have learned this lesson, and eight of Moody's seniors will leave for college soon where they will play ball and employ the lessons they learned in the Moody dugout and on the ballfields of Corpus Christi. I want to include the leadership of the school and the coaches in this victory: Interim Superintendent Sandra Lanier-Lerma, Principal Conrado Garcia, Athletic Director Richard Avilia, and coaches Steve Castillo, Gene Flores, Corky Gallegos, and Allan Lynch. I ask the House to join me today in commending this outstanding group of young champions from ``Moody Magic'' who have learned the most important lessons of competition, faith and dignity.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I just want to compliment the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) for bringing this issue not only to the floor today but before, when he was able to bring some young children from Colonias to testify before Members of Congress. I would like to also thank my good friend, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), for doing a great job, him and his staff; the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), from our class of 1983; and the staff, thank them for being able to understand the seriousness of the problem that we have. I do not want to continue to belabor the issue, but it is a very, very serious issue along the border. These children have tremendous potential. With all the obstacles and pitfalls that they face on a daily basis, some of them make the national honor roll. They make the Boy Scout troops, with all these obstacles. So we do have tremendous potential if we can help them by providing all these services so that they will never lose sight of the fact that they can become productive citizens. Again, I would like to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), members of his staff, my good friend, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), for all they have done in bringing this issue to the floor.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a special service officer, Captain David Moore, commander of Coast Guard Group and Air Station Corpus Christi, who retires this week. Captain Moore is the model service officer for the Coast Guard. In addition to just being an outstanding man, he deals squarely with whatever comes up, and he is a tireless advocate for the United States Coast Guard and the men and women who serve in his command. This Coastie from the heartland (Iowa) began his service with the U.S. Coast Guard as a deck watch officer aboard the Coast Guard lcebreaker Glacier, deployed to both the Arctic and Antarctica, where he developed a love of the earth's polar regions. He later earned his Naval aviator wings in Pensacola, FL. While stationed in Alabama, after his first Coast Guard aviation tour, he was the operational commander for recovery operations after the onslaught of Hurricane Frederick. More importantly, while there, he met and married the former Lisa Scott of Mobile, Alabama. Returning to the Arctic, Captain Moore was stationed at Kodiak, Alaska. Following that, he moved to Air Station San Francisco where he deployed support to the Exxon Valdez cleanup and responded to the San Francisco Bay Area earthquake in 1988. In 1994, he returned to Alaska, stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, the area to which he and Lisa will return upon his retirement. In 1996, he went south again, this time as chief of the Intelligence Division, Coast Guard Pacific Area in Alameda, California. He came to South Texas in 1998, assuming command of Group and Air Station Corpus Christi. During his time in South Texas, he has overseen a growth in the Coast Guard facilities in Port Isabel/South Padre Island and was the incident commander for Hurricane Brett last year. He is highly decorated; his personal awards for service include: 4 Coast Guard Commendation Medals, 4 Coast Guard Unit Commendations, 6 Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendations, a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, 5 Humanitarian Service Medals and both the Arctic and Antarctica Service Medals. Captain Moore has accumulated over 6,000 flight hours, and his flight accomplishments include instructor pilot and chief of the Training Division at the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, AL. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending this unique patriot as he and his wife leave South Texas for life as civilians in Alaska.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, the tradition of Naval enlisted medical personnel goes back to the navy of the 13 Colonies in the Revolutionary War, before they even declared independence. These medical sailors were known by many designations: first the Loblolly Boys, whose job it was to sound the bell for daily sick call aboard ship, and to spread the floor of the sickbay with sand so that the ship's surgeon would not slip on the blood there. Later they were known as the Surgeons' Stewards, the Apothecaries, and the Baymen. Then, on June 17, 1898, in the midst of the Spanish- American War, Congress authorized The Hospital Corps of the United States Navy. They were and still are the only ``Corps'' in the U.S. military composed entirely of enlisted members. Since that founding, Navy Corpsmen have had the responsibility and the honor of caring for the Fleet and the Marines. The first corpsman to earn a Medal of Honor was serving with the Marines in China when the U.S. took part in the intervention there to end the Boxer Rebellion at the turn of the last century. Between the turn of that century and the onset of World War I, corpsmen sailed around the globe with President Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, landed in Nicaragua with the Marines, and a second corpsman earned the Medal of Honor in San Diego Harbor a few years later, aiding his shipmates when the USS Bennington's boiler exploded. Corpsmen took care of navy shore parties during the Moro Uprising in the Philippine Islands and hit the beach with the Marines during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914. In both of these actions corpsmen were again honored by Congress. Corpsmen took care of the Marines when they landed in Santo Domingo, and then in Haiti for the first time. Then in the ``Great War,'' the ``War to End All Wars,'' corpsmen were with the fleet, hunting U-boats in the first Battle of the Atlantic. They earned two more Medals of Honor in that war, serving with their Marines in the barbed wire and poison gas hell of the trenches and forests of France. Between the World Wars, corpsmen went ashore with the Marines in Nicaragua a second time. Then at Pearl Harbor several corpsmen, still tending to their shipmates' wounds, were and still are entombed within the USS Arizona. And as the globe tore itself apart during World War II, they were serving with the fleet in Pacific actions against the Imperial Japanese Navy and with the Atlantic Fleet again combating the German U-boat menace. They were aboard hospital ships, on med-evac planes, and manning hospitals and clinics around the world. And they were in every landing on every invasion beach from North Africa to Normandy, and from Guadalcanal to Japan. During the battle for the island of Iwo Jima a corpsman helped raise the Stars and Stripes atop Mt. Suribachi and was then immortalized along with his Marines in the statue that is now the Marine Corps Memorial just across the Potomac River in Arlington. And after Iwo Jima and the last major battle of the war, on the island of Okinawa, seven more Medals of Honor were hung 'round the necks of corpsmen. Corpsmen were again in action as the Cold War turned hot on the Korean Peninsula. They served alongside their Marines, from the early bleak days inside the Pusan Perimeter to the Inchon Landings, up to the frozen Chosin Reservoir, and back down to the stalemated trench warfare along what became the DMZ. And they earned five of the seven Medals of Honor awarded to the Navy during those three bitter years. Corpsmen were aboard the USS Nautilus when she surfaced at the North Pole, and they accompanied their Marines ashore in Lebanon for the first time and then to the Dominican Republic. They were aboard the hospital ships off the coast of Vietnam. While ashore there, again in action with the Marines in the sweltering jungles and rice paddies, corpsmen earned their 19th, 20th, and 21st Medals of Honor. Corpsmen were with their Marines hitting the beach in Grenada, and then going ashore in Lebanon for the second time. Over a dozen corpsmen were killed there at the Beirut Airport by the terrorist truck bombing of the Marine barracks. They sailed aboard the hospital ships and served again with their Marines in the invasion of Panama, and in Desert Shield/Desert Storm aboard the ships of the Fleet, manning hospital ships in the Persian Gulf and ashore staffing Navy forward fleet hospitals, and on the front lines in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Just in the last decade they've accompanied their Marines ashore in Haiti yet again, and for famine relief in Somalia. They've cared for Haitian refugees in Guantanimo Bay, Cuba, and for Kurdish refugees in Guam. They've carried on their healing traditions with the fleet hospitals in the bitter conflict in the former Yugoslavia, and gone at a moment's notice with the Marines to evacuate American and allied nationals from countless hot spots around the globe. They've held their heads high as they helped to safeguard health and heal injury and disease throughout the Fleet, with the Fleet's Marines, for all their families, for military retirees, and in hundreds of isolated duty stations flung across the globe, even to the South Pole. Just two years ago, Congress awarded another corpsman the Medal of Honor, this one belatedly, for his actions in Vietnam. It was the 22nd such honor awarded to Corpsmen, who've won more Medals of Honor than any other rating in the military. This is even more remarkable for the fact that all of these Congressional honors were earned while helping others, and that in so doing they never fired a weapon except in defense of their patients. And of the 22 men so honored, 10 gave their lives in earning that honor, sacrificing their lives to save others. Saturday is the Hospital Corps' 102nd Anniversary. And after more than a century, the sons and daughters of corpsmen, and the grandchildren of corpsmen, are now serving their country as Corpsmen, carrying on the long, proud, honored tradition of their forebears. And as they celebrate this landmark in time, they do so in camaraderie with their teammates in healing, the Navy's dental technicians, nurses, doctors, dentists, and administrators, scientists, and clinicians of the Medical Service Corps, with their partners throughout military medicine, and with all those they've cared for. They look back in pride at the good they've accomplished and remember fondly all those who've made them what they are, establishing these traditions of helping and of serving, whenever and wherever help and service are needed, sacrificing much--and too frequently sacrificing all--to do so. And finally, they look eagerly ahead to a future full of challenges unimagined, and more opportunities to do what they do best: to care for those who need them. And so, Happy 102nd Birthday, United States Navy Hospital Corps!

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to an integral part of our cultural community, the Olaya Dance Studio of corpus Christi, Texas. They will be holding their annual recital this weekend on Saturday, June 17, and I want them to know how much we appreciate what they do. In the Coastal Bend of South Texas, Olaya Dance Studio contributes mightily to the entertainment of the area through the dancing of children. It is, after all, children who fascinate us as well as entertain us, and teach us a little bit about ourselves. The dancers at Olaya range in age from 3 through adult. They do a host of dances but are known particularly for Flamenco, which is Spanish classical dance, and Folklorico, traditional Mexican dances from different regions in Mexico. There are nearly 100 dancers, and Olaya Dance Studio attracts both boys and girls. There are certain times of the year when people around Corpus Christi just cannot get enough of these talented young people. These dancers perform a valuable cultural community service. South Texans celebrate two holidays that are unique to the Southwest Border, Cinco de Mayo and the 16 de Septiembre. Cinco de Mayo pays homage to a great Mexican battlefield victory over the French in the 19th Century. The 16 de Septiembre celebrates Mexican Independence Day. On these two holidays, and for many other holidays throughout the year, including birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions, the Olaya dancers are in great demand. They will even go to dinners held at homes of area restaurants to perform for special events. Olaya Dance Studio is run by Olaya Solia, a director, choreographer, and performer who is dedicated to children and educating them through dance. I ask that my colleagues join me in commending the Olaya Dance Studio for the contribution they make to the community of Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend.