Solomon Ortiz

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, because of health reasons I was absent for rollcall votes 453-463. If I had been present for these votes, I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall No. 453--``Yes''; Rollcall No. 454--``No''; Rollcall No. 455--``Yes''; Rollcall No. 456--``Yes''; Rollcall No. 457--``Yes''; Rollcall No. 458--``Yes''; Rollcall No. 459--``No''; Rollcall No. 460-- ``Yes''; Rollcall No. 461--``Yes''; Rollcall No. 462--``Yes''; and Rollcall No. 463--Yes.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today we have a grave decision to make on the resolution before us to authorize our Commander in Chief to use force supporting the United Nations resolution calling for Saddam Hussein to rid its nation of weapons of mass destruction. My constituents and I share the same concerns about this resolution. As in any war, we face battlefield casualties in Iraq if we go to war with them. We must be prepared for a vicious war. Will our build-up be sufficient for the force we need to strike and overwhelm? Will our forces be properly prepared for the special battlefield needs of Iraq with chemical and biological gear? The consequences of this action will be large, at home and abroad. I do commend the President for seeing the wisdom of coalition building, and we strongly and very strongly recommend the United States proceed with a united coalition. This debate in Congress must be a message to Saddam Hussein and his army that we are not playing games. There is a narrow opportunity for Saddam Hussein to prevent a military attack on his hiding places and on the protectors around him. Saddam Hussein has ignored 15 United Nations Security Council resolutions. The United Nations was created to provide a forum in which nations can confront offensive nations for their behavior, and the entire world can stand together to oppose offending Nations. This is why we must proceed. We must not go to war alone. We must have a coalition. Many things are pointing to the fact that time is our enemy in this moment. Whether or not Saddam now has usable nuclear weapons, he is fast approaching the moment he will possess them. While this is a tortured decision for all of us to make, it is time. Saddam can offer unlimited inspections under the resolution being debated at the United Nations, and the United Nations can remove the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Failing that, the military force of the United States and our allies would remove the threat of weapons of mass destruction. This is a hard decision, and I was in Saudi Arabia 11 years ago when I met this young Marine, 22 years of age, and he says, ``Congressman, we need to go in there and do our job against Saddam Hussein, and let me tell you why.'' He said, ``My wife gave birth to a little boy. He is 2 months old now, and I do not want him to come and do the job that we did not do here.'' We are facing that threat again. I do not want to second-guess our Commander in Chief or those who advise him on a daily basis. Therefore, I reluctantly support the resolution and ask for the prayers of the American patriots for the soldiers we would likely send to Iraq.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a giant in the South Texas community and a unique American patriot, Bob White, a legendary pioneer in broadcasting in the Coastal Bend, upon the occasion of his retirement. The General Manager of KIII, Channel 3, in Corpus Christi, Texas, Bob is a broadcast veteran, having spent 33 years in Corpus Christi. After service in the United States Navy, Bob dedicated his entire career to Texas broadcasting. In 1977, he won the prestigious Abe Lincoln Award, an award presented annually to one television manager in the United States for excellence in broadcasting. He later served as President of the Texas Association of Broadcasters. After beginning his broadcasting career in radio, he eventually spent 33 years in Corpus Christi television, setting the pace for excellence and telling the stories about numerous memorable events. In 1970, KIII–TV was cited for the excellent coverage and public service in telling the stories and showing the pictures of Hurricane Celia which so damaged the South Texas area. KIII used portable generators and car lights to power and light the pictures; they were up for two days before any other station joined them on the air. A consummate businessman, Bob understood the value and dynamic of the Hispanic consumer long before the Census did. He followed Hispanic stories, and nurtured the Domingo Pena Show in the latter years of the 20th Century, the only Hispanic television program in South Texas for a long time. The Domingo Live program is still broadcast each Sunday and is the longest running live, local Spanish language program in America. KIII sits proudly atop the TV ratings in Corpus Christi in very large measure due to the inspired following KIII acquired in the years Bob pursued Hispanic stories. A native Texan, his proudest achievements are his 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and his 42-year marriage to his wife, Joyce. Bob is a pillar of our community. He has hosted and organized the Driscoll Foundation Children's Hospital Children's Miracle Network Telethon at KIII which began in 1985 and raised nearly $1.5 million dollars in 2002. Bob is an invaluable member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Tourist Bureau, the Art Museum of South Texas, and numerous other South Texas service organizations. Bob began his broadcasting career in Port Arthur, Texas, then moved to Bryan-College Station, Texas. In 1961 he went to Houston; in 1967 he moved to Fort Worth; then in 1969 he came to Corpus Christi. His journey from radio to TV came via KIII–TV. He became General Manager in 1972. I ask my colleagues in the House today to join me in commending the broadcasting career of a pioneer in South Texas television, Bob White.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to business in my district, I was unable to vote during Rollcall Vote 423. Had I been present I would have voted Yes.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Millender-McDonald, for organizing this tribute to a giant in the House of Representatives. Patsy Mink was a fighter. She fought every day of her public service for the inclusion of women at every level of government and society. She was an inspiration to so many people: women, Pacific Islanders, mothers, children, and the working poor. Patsy was my neighbor in the southeast corner of the Rayburn building for several years. We often walked back and forth to votes together. We rarely found ourselves on the same side of political issues, but we always marveled that our party was big enough to include both of us. Patsy always spoke candidly, and never strayed from the business at hand. Her office brightened our corner of the hallway with beautiful, fresh exotic flowers from Hawaii every week. Through her life, and via her work in Congress, Patsy redefined the possibilities for generations of women to come. She forced educational institutions to find equity in education between men and women through her work on Title IX. Patsy's championed her vision of equality and justice in the Congress. From her support of Medicare in her first term of service in the House--to her work in education, labor, and Hawaiian agriculture-- Patsy's legacy will live on in classrooms, union halls and farm fields in Hawaii and around the nation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 561 Recognizing the Contributions of Hispanic Serving Institutions. Hispanic Serving Institutions are an important link in our institutions of higher learning. It is the education provided by our colleges and universities upon which the future of our labor force and our economy depend. Hispanic Serving Institutions are the keyhole through which average students in Hispanic enclaves around the nation can unlock an education to prepare them for a career of professional work. Here are some of the successful Hispanic Serving institutions in my congressional district: Coastal Bend College, Del Mar College, South Texas Community College, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M- Kingsville, Texas State Technical College, and the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. I want to offer my personal thanks to those institutions, and to their presidents and faculty, for the education that so many Hispanics have achieved at these great schools, these pillars of our economy. Hispanic Serving Institutions are an important tool in developing Hispanic talent in communities, which is an even more important tool in local economic development and prosperity. By focusing on institutions of higher education with a population of at least 25 percent Hispanic students, we have focused federal efforts on schools that can make the most difference in Hispanic communities. By further targeting schools with a high enrollment of disadvantaged students, and low general expenditures--and where 50 percent of Hispanic students are from low-income families--we are making maximum effort where the need is the greatest for young Hispanics trying to get an education. Mr. Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month is an appropriate time for Congress to formally show our appreciation for the significance of Hispanic-serving institutions, and to commend these higher-education institutions for their commitment to academic excellence. Title V of the Higher Education Act strengthened the academic quality and financial stability of Hispanic-serving institutions and insured their longevity. I join my colleagues in supporting this resolution, which urges the president to issue a proclamation calling on the American people and interested groups to demonstrate support for Hispanic educational institutions during National Hispanic Heritage Month. We should be grateful for the people who created and nurtured this program; we are a stronger society for it. I urge the presidents and faculty of these institutions to continue recruiting, retaining and graduating students who might not otherwise pursue higher education.

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: rollcall No. 400 “yea”; rollcall No. 401 “yea”; rollcall No. 402 “yea”; and rollcall No. 403 “yea.”

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the community of Brownsville, Texas, for reminding our children about the values we uphold with ``Violence Prevention Week'' as the new school year begins. Our school years now begin with concerns over not just grades and class assignments, but also the threat of gun violence. This reality confronts students and educational professionals each day they enter the classroom. Here in Texas, we understand that promoting a safe and non-violent community begins at home, where life's first and most important lessons are learned. The logic that dictates that gun violence is driven by the mere existence of guns is inherently flawed. The dramatic increase in school violence during the last decade, without any correlating increase in gun purchases, is a testament to this. Rather, there must be a community effort to ensure the safety of our schools and its students. The community of Brownsville understands this and teaches responsible gun use, while also promoting tolerance and understanding of others. With support from religious and civic organizations, Brownsville offers young people positive role models so today's students can become tomorrow's leaders. Recognizing that it is our individual communities that set the example everyday for our young people, we should teach responsibility, emphasize faith, and offer age-appropriate entertainment and examples of proper behavior to our children. It is our duty to lead our children to the right path; then it is their duty to follow that path. With this in mind, Brownsville is working to reduce school violence by planning ``Violence Prevention Week,'' sponsored by the Brownsville Independent School District, the local law enforcement agencies, the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, area civic organizations, and the local church community. Events for the week include: a student essay contest about the challenge of school violence, the ``Violence Prevention Fair'' at a local mall, and assembly programs and speakers for middle and high school students about the issues facing young people today. Our honored guest for this special event will be Dave Roever, a Vietnam veteran who has an intimate understanding of the daily challenges faced by young people of the 21st Century. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the community of Brownsville, Texas, for their efforts to work together to reduce gun violence and build a stronger and safer community.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, September 11, 2001, is a day you will always remember where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing. My personal experiences that day are vivid: going to a press conference in the Capitol at 9:30, moving fast to get out when we saw the reports of smoke at the Pentagon and seeing the monitor in the House radio-TV gallery flash, ``White House being evacuated.'' Nothing can describe the feeling of rushing out of the building you love, hearing the attack was not concluded and seeing the smoke from the Pentagon rising behind the building in which my Congressional office is located. I went to the Pentagon 2 days later to thank the emergency workers and was struck by the smells that were still so strong there, the stench of the burning building and literally the smell of death. I'd been to that building so many times and it seemed so impenetrable. This attack served to illustrate how vulnerable we are in this country. We live in a wildly dangerous world; the security increases we see here now have been the norm in Europe and around the Middle East for decades. Our world is dangerous. We live in this world; now we appreciate that danger every day. Our nation was founded on the belief that God is great, that He is watching out for us. While the fear and hurt was apparent that day and the days that followed, so too, was the strength and courage of men and women who risked their own lives for their country and their American family that day. The passengers in the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania jumped into action, fighting a battle that eventually saved a Washington-area target, quite possibly the building where Congress meets. Our legacy, our duty, today is to ensure that those who died on the planes, in the buildings, and on the battlefield, did not die in vain. Our respect for their memory must be to recommit ourselves to our nation, our freedom and each other. Today we mourn anew the lives lost in the attack one year ago, and the lives lost in battle since then and we offer our sympathies again to those they leave behind. We also honor the police, firefighters and rescue personnel who risked their lives to help those hurt in the attacks. Our challenges are huge. Many people in this world carry evil in their hearts and minds. We can never change the hearts of humans, but great American men and women are doing their best every day to prevent that evil from finding its way here to our shores again. The United States is a beacon of light around the world. There are thousands of freedoms and privileges in this country that we enjoy every day but those privileges come at a cost, at a sacrifice. Our way forward will not be easy, for this is not over. Ask God for wisdom and strength to protect us here at home and those around the world who love freedom and democracy. Always remember those service men and women serving in the military. They are doing difficult, dangerous work on our behalf, and on behalf of freedom and democracy. Our test is to be united at this hour of crisis in our nation and in our world. Congress will honor the memories of all those we have lost to the war on terror by defending the United States in the face of future attacks.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, one of our nation's great patriots, Lieutenant General Roy E. Beauchamp, is retiring after 37 years of exemplary active military service in the United States Army. He served his country with dignity, honor, courage, and integrity. General Beauchamp concludes his illustrious career as the Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command from May 2001 to October 2002, and is retiring as the senior Ordnance officer in the Army. During this period, General Beauchamp also served as the Army's Executive Director for Conventional Ammunition, Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition. General Beauchamp has been at the forefront of the AMC Strategic Plan, integrating technology, acquisition, and logistics to ensure the readiness and capability of today's U.S. Army. He is the strategic and operational developer of the Army's Logistics Modernization Program and a significant contributor to Single Stock Fund implementation throughout the Army, a huge endeavor that is saving countless millions of dollars for the Army and the nation by reducing inventory requirements worldwide. He is truly committed to the Army Transformation and continues to market the need and direction of logistics transformation at every opportunity. General Beauchamp is a world-class logistician with an unprecedented understanding of logistics at every level--tactical, operational, and strategic--and is undoubtedly the Army's most experienced and knowledgeable wholesale logistics expert. He has served our nation brilliantly and selflessly in numerous logistics assignments throughout his career. From September 1999 to November 2000, he served as the Director of Logistics and Security Assistance, J-4/J-7 at the United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He was the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Michigan from June 1997 to September 1999. Other assignments included: Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, the Commander of the Defense Industrial Supply Center, Philadelphia, and the Commander of the 2nd Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, and Germany. During Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm, General Beauchamp was the Commander of the 101st Corps Support Group, 101st Airborne Division. During this tour of duty, his actions in combat were exemplary, ensuring the deep penetration of ground and air elements of the 101st Air Assault Division in leading General Schwarzkopf's famed ``Left Hook'' strategic envelopment of Iraqi forces. General Beauchamp's prior assignments include three tours with the United States Army Europe and one tour with the United States Forces Korea. General Beauchamp is a native of Florida and a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 1965, General Beauchamp enlisted in the U.S. Army and later was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1967. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dayton and a Master of Arts Degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. General Beauchamp is also a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. General Beauchamp's military decorations include: the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters. Throughout his career, his lovely wife Olivia has loyally supported him, providing loving support through 31 moves all over the world. She, too, epitomizes devotion to country and the Army, having volunteered countless hundreds of hours at each of her husband's assignments. On numerous occasions she has served in positions of responsibility and leadership in the local family support group infrastructure, working hard to ensure the very best for our military family members. Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant General Beauchamp deserves the thanks and praise of a grateful nation that he faithfully served for so long. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him, Olivia, their son Joshua, daughter-in-law Bridget, and lovely grandchildren Riley and Maggie, all the best in the years ahead.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding me the time. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) made a great point when he said that the response team would take about 12 hours to respond. Can my colleagues imagine how long it will take in Texas? Texas is a big, big State. Those of us who reside close to a military base, we have peace of mind that the people who reside around that military base, they know that they can respond when needed. But if my colleagues take my State, where we have four military bases, south of Corpus Christi, Texas, we have 7 million people. We do not have a military base. What we do have is a border between the United States and Mexico where it is supposed to be the front door to trade. We have thousands of vehicles that cross the border. We have a deep water sea port, people that go back and forth. However, we do not have a military base of active military duty people that can respond to an emergency like this. Texas has one in the great city of Austin, Texas; but for my district way down south, it is 950 miles to El Paso. It is 850 miles to Amarillo. We just happen to have a big State, and I am encouraging that we provide another team in south Texas, and I think that this motion to instruct makes a lot of sense. I think that this will give people in every State peace of mind that we have people who are prepared and ready to respond to any type of emergency.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is truly a very bipartisan bill. We ask Members to vote for this bill. It is very important. It will help those people who have lost a lot of money in south Texas because they have not been able to irrigate and grow a crop. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen). (Mr. BENTSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank my colleagues on the Committee on Resources, particularly the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) who has been a local hero back home in South Texas for his interest and work on this bill. South Texas also would like to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) for their attention to our situation and understanding, and their willingness to move this urgent bill forward. I also want to thank the staff. We had an opportunity to travel to my district, and we had hearings. The South Texan who deserves great credit for House consideration today is the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), our distinguished appropriations cardinal whose personal involvement in this legislation has been pivotal to our success today. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla) and I co-chair the House Border Caucus, and he is an important player for all of us when it comes to issues affecting the southwest border. Mr. Speaker, nature, or El Nino or La Nina, has played a cruel joke on Texas. After a decade of drought in South Texas, Mother Nature dumped between 30 and 40 inches of rain on central Texas which caused a lot of flooding and a lot of damage, none of which made its way to our reservoirs in South Texas. The Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Conservation and Improvement Act of 2001 will authorize $47 million to be managed by the State of Texas to improve the irrigation system in the South Texas area. The bill specifies water transportation and conservation activities. It also begins to implement some of the water conservation measures considered in the development of the State of Texas water plan. We have been hit hard by at least 6 years of drought, and have raced to find ways to conserve this amount of water. We have to save as much as we can. This bill is an outgrowth of a very serious international treaty violation by Mexico. In 1944, the United States and Mexico signed a water treaty to share the waters of the Rio Grande, the Colorado, and their tributaries. Under the treaty, the United States delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado while Mexico delivers 350,000 acre- feet of water to the United States from tributaries and reservoirs of the Rio Grande. I represent the Texas border communities at the downstream of the river. The last drop and the last stop of water is in my district. There is very little that we can do to help south Texas water users today. But passing this bill to authorize improvements to the existing irrigation systems in the area will help conserve the tiny bit of water that we do now have. The gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) led the Committee on Resources in a hearing in south Texas. He saw and heard firsthand the need that we have to improve the existing infrastructure in south Texas. Californians, and others from the American Southwest, have a special understanding of water needs and droughts; and we will be standing together with our colleagues from California as we try to mitigate the circumstances we now find ourselves in. I and all south Texas water users are deeply grateful to all the players in the House who have heard our plea for help and have stepped up to the plate to do what we need to do to make this horrible situation a little better. I want to thank my good friend, the gentlewoman for Wyoming, for being a lot of help in contributing to the passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa). (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. ORTIZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Joseph Patrick Cribbins, a great American patriot, who served the United States military and our nation, and who remains a hero in the hearts of South Texans and other Americans who knew him. He passed away this week. This American soldier, with 52 years of military service, died on June 14, 2002, the 227th birthday of the United States Army. He was a world-renowned expert in aviation safety and logistics, particularly in U.S. Army. As a young man, he was an expert horseman and steeplechase jockey. He joined the U.S. Army First Cavalry Division as a stable sergeant in the horse cavalry in 1940. From there, he was deployed to the Philippines, joining the staff of General Douglas MacArthur in World War II, where he was commissioned as an officer. That is also where he met his wife of over 50 years, his beloved Helen who preceded him in death. After a 26-year career in uniform, he entered the civil service with the Department of the Army in the Army Materiel Command in the Washington, D.C. area. His extraordinary achievements grew, as did Army aviation in the Vietnam Era and the late 20th Century. There, he became a major player in founding the aviation logistics office, which oversaw maintenance and supply activities. This second Army career, in which he worked closely with the Corpus Christi Army Depot in South Texas, led to a second 26-year career culminating in his top rank as the third-ranked DA civilian, equivalent to a three-star general. He received numerous awards and decorations including four individual Presidential Awards for distinguished service, from four different Commanders-in-Chief. I ask my colleagues to join me today as the nation mourns a lost warrior, one who helped defend freedom and democracy and shaped defense policy in the 20th Century Army.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a special South Texan, Sergeant Jose M. Lopez, recipient of a World War II Congressional Medal of Honor. For his courageous and selfless actions on the battlefield, this man is truly a great American patriot. In response to the call of duty, Sergeant Lopez almost single handedly engineered his company's successful withdrawal under heavy enemy small arms fire near Krinkelt, Belgium on December 17, 1944. On his own initiative, he repeatedly repositioned his heavy machine gun to critical points along his company line, which led to over one hundred enemy deaths and saved the lives of numerous American soldiers. For these efforts, Sergeant Lopez deserves the admiration and gratitude of the American people. It is especially appropriate that we honor this soldier today on America's Independence Day. Although the American colonists were victorious in the revolutionary war two hundred nineteen years ago, the American pursuit of liberty did not end there. Throughout the past two centuries, young Americans like Sergeant Lopez have fought to preserve our country's values both inside and outside its borders. In this struggle, one of our most valuable resources has been our soldiers and their dedication to upholding American ideals. This July 4th, as we celebrate the birth of our beloved nation and all it means to us in the 21st century, we must acknowledge the brave and selfless actions of dedicated American soldiers like Sergeant Lopez. Through his courageous military service, Sergeant Lopez has done his part to ensure that America may celebrate its independence year after year. This year, we will honor Sergeant Lopez with a statue in front of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Brownsville, Texas, to commemorate his contribution to American military history. Thanks to brave soldiers like Sergeant Lopez, we retain our freedom and we protect democracy around the world. I ask all my colleagues to join me in commending Sergeant Lopez's sacrifice for our nation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, on final passage of H.R. 4664, Investing in America's Future Act, I was on the House Floor and cast an ``aye'' vote for H.R. 4664. I later learned my vote was not recorded. I wanted to advise the House that had my vote been recorded, I would have voted ``aye'' on final passage for H.R. 4664.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues tonight to talk about what we have seen in a part of the world that has vexed American policy makers for generations. First I want to commend Chairman Weldon for his high-energy, unyielding approach to seeing as much as possible on these delegation trips. Our focus is always on bringing back information that will enlighten and inform U.S. policy makers, both in the Congress and in the Administration. At this difficult moment in the world, our trip was a good opportunity to speak to our legislative colleagues in the Russian Duma. We arrived in Moscow in the wake of the historic signing of the strategic arms reduction treaty by Presidents Bush and Putin. While we were there, NATO nations met in Rome to agree to limited membership for Russian in NATO, India and Pakistan danced dangerously close to a nuclear confrontation, the cycle of violence continued between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the war on terrorism continued in Afghanistan. So there was a great deal on our plate with which to deal. We last went to Russia in September 2001, after the attacks on the United States and after the war began, and came away with a real partnership with many of our colleagues in the Russian Duma. We began then to talk about areas of commonality through which members of our respective legislatures (the U.S. Congress and the Russian Duma) could work. In our last visit, we presented a document entitled: ``U.S.- Russia Partnership.'' In our visit this time around, we were told that our document's recommendations were the basis for the Russian initiatives presented to President Bush during his recent visit in Russia. Discussions in Russia generally followed concerns such as: combating international terrorism, using academics and science to address political problems, joint environmental--and economic--efforts, and engaging young people of both countries in issues of mutual interest (such as sports and cultural events). Russia is an important strategic partner for the United States and for NATO. After entering the 21st Century through columns of fire, our relationship with Russia is on a considerably stronger foundation. For the first time, there is mutual agreement on goals and values, and on a shared vision for the security threats we both face in this world. When we met with Uzbekistani President Karimov, I was impressed with the geopolitical environment of the region. He, too, supported Chairman Weldon's proposal to establish a joint U.S. Congress-Uzbek parliamentary working group, based on the success of the U.S. Congress- Duma work of last year. The best part of being in Uzbekistan was seeing the satisfaction on the faces of the young men and women serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. They are the ones carrying our battle to our enemies, and they are gung-ho about their mission. We got a good deal of intelligence on the ground--literally--intelligence about the daily activities of our troops and how they see their jobs every day. We had the privilege of distributing homemade cookies baked by people here at home for these brave men and women. They very much enjoyed the special gifts from home. As always, I saw a host of Texans stationed in Uzbekistan doing then- duty for the United States, including Specialist Harwig from Corpus Christi, Texas. We also went to Beijing, China, to talk with senior officials about a host of defense-related and economic-related topics. With China, as always, the topic of Taiwan was paramount in the minds of the Chinese. They continually expressed the importance of the ``one-China'' policy. We emphasized the wide breath of things on which the United States and China agree, and urged both nations to find agreement rather than disagreement. Several members of our delegation surmised that the issue of Taiwan will diminish as a divisive issue over time due to the large--and increasing--investment by Taiwan interests in mainland China. India and Pakistan are adjoining neighbors, and the nuclear saber- rattling in the subcontinent is unnerving all the nations of the world . . . most noticeably the Chinese. Both nations are China's neighbors, and they continue to hope the difference over Kashmir can be solved peacefully. This is no place for a hair-trigger on a nuclear weapon. The CODEL also met with members of the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea) and thanked the ROK for their prompt and significant support for the United States after 9-11. The ROK stepped up quickly to support our war against the Taliban and al Queda in Afghanistan, providing shipping, aircraft and a field hospital to support U.S. operations in the area. We were particularly disappointed that the North Koreans refused to meet with us. The ROK, we were told by the foreign ministry, continues to talk of peace with North Korea, but the pace of discussions was extraordinarily slow. Chiefly, discussions with the ROK centered on trade, U.S. forces in Korea in the DMZ, our war on terrorism, political and military stability on the Korean Peninsula, and the strong desire--on their part--for reunification. We even had significant discussions about internet voting in the ROK, ``E'' government initiatives, and the digital divide in the ROK. There are also a number of Texans serving in uniform as we visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The DMZ never ceases to amaze me . . . it stands as a tribute to the standoff between ideologies along the Pacific Rim, and on the south side of it is the best reason for the conflict in the first place: democracy and free commerce in the highly developed south, with the north side practicing communism and starving their citizens and their economy. Our trip proved, once again, the importance of going beyond our borders to see first hand, and hear first hand, the particular situations in the nations of our friends and those whom we hope to make our friends.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) to close on this amendment.

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I have been on both sides. I have been in law enforcement and I have been in the military, and I will say one thing, law enforcement and military matters do not mix. And I am just wondering whether my colleagues know that we have 120,000 troops stationed and deployed throughout the world. I think that we need to focus now on the war that we are fighting now. The new war includes many fronts, including law enforcement on our borders, we have Customs, we have Border Patrol, we have INS and others doing a great job. Since September 11 in the Commerce-Justice appropriations last year, we funded an additional 570 border patrol men and 348 immigration inspectors. And not only that, Mr. Chairman, in the border security bill that we passed yesterday, we added another 1,600 INS inspectors and investigators. Besides, Mr. Chairman, many of the border States already have the National Guard helping INS, helping the Border Patrol. We did not want to have a negative impact on the readiness of our troops to bring them from the military role that they are playing now and put them in a civilian role. I think this is wrong, and this is why I oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), my good friend, the Vice President of the Hispanic Caucus.

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise to briefly describe my amendment to today's bill . . . it is a simple amendment. It merely re-enforces for the services that the journey to approval of any policy or purchase on their part must travel through the House Armed Services Committee. The genesis of this amendment lies with the Navy's intention to purchase five T-5 tankers (surface ships) now under contract with Ocean Freedom Shipping. These tankers are being used to ship diesel fuel for the Defense Energy Supply Center. Under the contract, the Navy has the option to buy the tankers. The contract also requires the Navy to have the purchase authorized and appropriated. This amendment reinforces for the services the procedure for which such policy must past muster. This is for the HASC to authorize, not for the Navy to seek appropriations for alone.

Mr. ORTIZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4546, the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. Mr. Chairman, I want to specifically address the provisions in the act relating to military readiness. First, I thank the Subcommittee on Military Readiness leadership and my colleagues on both sides of the committee here for doing a great job, and at the same time to the staff for doing a great job, and for the manner in which they conducted the business of the subcommittee this session. I also wants to express my appreciation to my good friend, the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Stump), who has now decided to retire, for his friendship and for his leadership these last few years that we have worked together. Mr. Chairman, we are going to miss you. Also, I say thanks to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) for his personal involvement and the extraordinary steps he took in getting us to this point in developing the readiness portion of fiscal year 2003. Although we worked at an accelerated pace this session, we had an opportunity to see readiness through a different set of eyes, the eyes of the leaders of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who are entrusted with the awesome responsibility of carrying out our responsibility at the forefront, in harm's way. We heard them talk about the charges of repair parts, the extra hours they spent trying to maintain old equipment, and the difficulties encountered in trying to conduct realistic training. While we in this body may differ on some policies and program objectives, we in the subcommittee were able to get a better appreciation of the challenges that they face in performing their duties. For their effort, we can all be proud of it. Mr. Chairman, the readiness provision in this bill reflects some of the steps I believe are necessary with the dollars available to make their task easier. It does not provide all that is needed. Much more funding could be used. At the same time, I believe that this is a good bill. I encourage our Members of the House to vote for a very responsible bill.