Solomon Ortiz

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa). (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, as co-chairman of the House Border Caucus and a representative of South Texas, I rise in support of H.R. 3525, the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act and thank the House for moving this bill so quickly after Senate passage. It is an important bill for the security of the nation--and my district sits square on some of the real estate most affected by our border policies. It ensures safety for the people within this country's borders and provides the tools necessary to the U.S. Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to better serve the American people. Most importantly for the taxpayers in my district, the bill also has a provision to extend the border crossing card deadline for residents along the Southwestern border of the United States. This extension will provide a much-needed boost to the economies that have suffered since the tragic attacks of September 11th. After the attacks, Congress stopped work on a stand-alone bill with bi-partisan support to extend the deadline for one year to October 1, 2002. With the extension in today's bill, until Oct. 1, 2002, consumers whose lives transverse the border can conduct business normally again. Regular border shoppers can--after we finish this bill--use their border crossing cards to go to school, to go to work, to go shopping, or visit their families. They can once again participate in the border economy. The Southwestern border is vitally important to the United States. It is the gateway to the United States from Latin and South America. It is the port-of-entry for one of our most valued trading partners, and it represents the rich diversity of immigrants on which this country was founded. This bill is an excellent first step in recognizing that fact. The Southwestern border, according to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, has a population of 6.2 million people in the U.S. and approximately 4.3 million people in Mexico. The buying power of border residents is immense and the economy of South Texas depends on their participation in our marketplace. In my district alone, 75-80% of Brownsville's downtown retail sales normally come from people crossing the border. Since September 11th this number has dropped. This same report also cites the border crossing card deadline as one of the main reasons that fewer people are crossing the border. The economic effects of the attacks in September were bad for the country; they were devastating for the Southwestern border.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the great businessman in the global village, Mr. Cheow Teck Chang, the President of VT Systems Incorporated, the operating headquarters of Singapore Technologies in the United States. I came to meet Mr. Chang while working with Singapore Technologies to persuade them to bring an aspect of the Engineering Group to Corpus Christi, TX. Currently, the Corpus Christi City Council and Singapore Technologies are finalizing the details of their new venture, one that promises a host of new jobs for south Texans. Mr. Chang is the quintessential 21st century capitalist. His company is a global engineering enterprise specializing in aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine fields. He is the man his company trusted to lead their efforts in developing the North American markets. Mr. Chang is certainly the man to develop these lucrative markets for his company. He is trustworthy, detail-oriented, as well as an extraordinary businessman. He juggles many balls. In addition to the incredible workload of developing American markets for his global company, Mr. Chang is also president of the ST New Business Group, responsible for investments in new technologies, capabilities and services. He came to his current position rich in experience. He served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force until 1990, and then joined the ST Aerospace Group where he moved quickly up through the ranks through various operations and management positions. He graduated with honors from the National University of Singapore and recently completed a management program at Harvard Business School. I have appreciated his gentle humor, his incredible business sense, and his ability to see around the corner in the world of finance. We are golf partners and friends, and I am grateful for the work he has done in south Texas. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Mr. Cheow Teck Chang, one of the great businessman in our global economy.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an American patriot, cultural icon and leader in our South Texas community, Freddy Fender, an accomplished artist whose appeal is ageless. Freddy proved his everlasting influence last month when he won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. A San Benito Texas, native Freddy was born Baldemar Huerta. He began his career as a teenager recording Spanish language recordings of popular English language songs that found an audience in Mexico and Latin America in the 1950s. In the 1960's his career took off in the United States with the hit, ``Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.'' Those wild, early days eventually put him on a more disciplined path. He went back to school and worked as a mechanic, but he continued singing. His number one hit, ``Before the Next Teardrop Falls,'' was his re- entry into popular culture. That album went multi-platinum, and Fender won best male artist of 1976. In the latter part of the century, he spread his wings, expanded upon his talent and worked with Robert Redford in the movie ``The Milagro Beanfield War'' and other non- traditional projects. He found his stride, working different parts of the entertainment industry. But he never strayed far from the bounds of music, working with The Texas Tornados. Very recently, Freddy and his family were tested in the fire when Freddy survived a near-death experience. After a protracted illness Freddy received a kidney from his daughter, thus cheating death, and is still singing and writing his songs. Freddy's Grammy Award-winning album this year captured the yearning for a simple, romantic return to youth. The cover has a 4-year-old Baldemar Huerta dressed as a cowboy astride a painted pony. ``La Musica de Baldemar Huerta'' is 10 boleros with little accompaniment, allowing the classic Fender voice to carry the Spanish language bolero with charm and ease. Boleros are poignant ballads generally featuring sophisticated guitar picking and sensual rhythms. The one thing for which Freddy is known in South Texas is his generosity of spirit in establishing a scholarship fund for average students. An average student himself, and an avowed troublemaker in his youth, he has a unique understanding of the challenges before a young person who has either made a mistake, made only average grades, or both. I ask the House of Representatives to join me today in honoring Freddy Fender, a great American treasure . . . a South Texan, a friend, and lifelong cultural icon in North American music.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American patriot, Dr. J. Patrick Moran of Corpus Christi. Dr. Moran is a much beloved physician in the Coastal Bend of Texas and is being honored by the Spohn Health System next week with the Physician Leadership Award. He is receiving this recognition for his excellence in health care service to our community. Dr. Moran has practiced medicine for 40 years at Spohn Hospital, and prior to that, interned at hospitals around the world. That international experience prepared this Minnesota native for much of what he has seen in his South Texas practice. The totality of his experience makes him the ``go-to'' guy for young doctors and other health care providers in the area who get stumped on a medical question. I consider Dr. Moran a brother and depend on him for wise counsel, as well as for back channel information about what is being said in Corpus Christi regarding a host of issues. He knows what people are saying. We remain very close and keep in touch with each other despite our wild schedules. Dr. Moran literally has his finger on the pulse of the community and works hard to find ways to improve quality of life for our citizens. He is a giant in the South Texas area and in the larger Texas medical community, and I am delighted he is receiving the recognition he so richly deserves. He embodies all that a doctor should be. This man of faith holds a special place in the hearts of many of our friends and neighbors. Like many great men, he is supported by his beautiful wife of many years, Nancy, and their children, Pat Jr., Serena, Colleen, and Maria. I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending this special patriot. Please join me and the Spohn Health System in honoring him for the work of his lifetime with the Physician Leadership Award.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my friend, a great man and Mayor Emeritis of Corpus Christi, TX, Mayor Luther Jones, who passed away last week after a very short hospitalization. He was a great man, a beloved friend, and a figure known far beyond Corpus Christi as a moral, lovable man who loved life, his home, and all the people in it. To see the future, you must stand on the shoulders of a giant. Mayor Jones' political legacy, his legacy of good government, is easily the leadership he exhibited in 1983 when he forced all parties in disagreement about the election of city officials to sit together in the same room until the issue was resolved. His leadership at that moment in our history was pivotal to restructuring the city's election process. In the highly charged emotions of the time, Mayor Jones saw around the curve of history, and through the sheer force of will, personality, and the righteousness of the cause, he persuaded all parties to find a compromise--modified single member-districts--which changed the face of Corpus Christi politics and offered minorities entry into city government. As much as he will be remembered for delivering Corpus Christi into the late 20th century in terms of political participation, it is his personal legacy that made him a widely loved friend and leader. While many in south Texas have extolled the mayor for his contributions to the Nation's military through his leadership at the Corpus Christi Army Depot and his support for education, particularly his successful effort to get a four-year institution of higher learning in Corpus Christi, that was not what was most important to him. The thing that he loved the most was the school that bore his name, the Luther Jones Elementary School, because he knew the silver bullet, the single most important thing in the life of a young person was education, pure and simple. He knew you had to get kids early to make an impression on them. The children there loved him, and he loved them. He never missed a graduation; he came to every event and spoke to everyone there. He wanted these young people to know there was an adult who believed in them. And they believe in him. In the weeks just before the mayor passed, the children at Luther Jones Elementary were building a monument to him. The pentagon-shaped monument had words on each side of it most often associated with the mayor: Integrity, Honesty, Perseverance, Success, and Victory. These were the traits of the only man ever afforded the title of Mayor Emeritus in the history of Corpus Christi. If the measure of a man is in the number of lives touched, of positive changes made, Corpus Christi Mayor Emeritus Luther Jones will be the yardstick by which the rest of us are measured. I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering this great American patriot today.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers for bringing HR 1885 to the floor today. The issue of border security and the extension of section 245(i) are truly important issues, and I'm glad that they are being addressed. I support HR 1885, the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, for many reasons, namely because it insures safety for the people within this country's borders. This bill provides the tools necessary for the U.S. Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to better serve the American people. The bill also has a provision to extend the border crossing card deadline for residents along the Southwestern border of the United States. This extension will provide a much-needed boost to the economies that have suffered since the tragic attacks of September 11th. After the attacks, Congress stopped work on a stand-alone bill with bipartisan support to extend the deadline for one year to October 1, 2002. With this extension, shop owners that were forced to close their doors after the deadline passed will once again be able to open them. People granted the extension can use their border crossing cards to go to school, to go to work, to go shopping, or to just merely visit their families. They will continue being productive members of society of the border economy. The Southwestern border, according to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, has a population of 6.2 million people in the U.S. and approximately 4.3 million people in Mexico. The buying power of border residents is immense and the economy of South Texas depends on their participation in our market place. In my district alone, 75-80% of Brownsville's downtown retail sales normally come from people crossing the border. Since September 11th this number has dropped. This same report also cites the border crossing card deadline as one of the main reasons that fewer people are crossing the border. The economic effects of the attacks in September were bad for the country; they were devastating for the Southwestern border. The Southwestern border is vitally important to the United States. It is the gateway to the United States from Latin America, it is the port- of-entry for one of our most valued trading partners, and it represents the rich diversity of immigrants on which this country was founded. This bill is an excellent first step in recognizing that fact. Again, I thank Mr. Sensenbrenner and Mr. Conyers for their actions.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I was not present on the following rollcall votes. Had I been present I would have voted: Rollcall 53 (HR 1885)-- Yea; Rollcall 54 (journal vote)--Yea; Rollcall 55 (H.J. Res. 367: Ordering the Previous Question)--No.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to a gentleman I have come to know and respect in recent years as we have worked on defense and economic development-related opportunities for South Texas. I want to commend Mr. Boon Swan Foo, the former Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Technologies, for winning the title of Outstanding CEO for 2000. The award is one of several Singapore Business Awards administered by the Business Times and DHL Worldwide Express. Singapore Technologies designs, develops, manufactures and markets a range of engineering opportunities for both the military and commercial uses. Mr. Boon has been with the company since 1979, beginning as a marine engineer. His vision to take this global enterprise to the next level was not hot air; he did it the old-fashioned way, from the ground up, taking care of the assorted details along the way. Market capitalization grew by $6 billion in roughly five years and he raised disclosure standards. He has two philosophies for running a successful company. One, he got the best people by recruiting, retaining and retraining. He found smart, talented people; he enticed them to stay and he offered them continual professional development. The other philosophy is enshrined in the company motto: ``A bowstring which is always kept taut will soon become over-stretched, lose its elasticity and cease to be of use. So it is with human beings, who must alternate work with relaxation.'' To that end, this high-level executive lives on the edge by indulging in deep sea diving and skydiving. Between these activities he is an avid jogger. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending my friend, Boon Swann Foo, for winning the prestigious Business Award.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to share with my colleagues the incredible pride in my heart, pride for two schools in my hometown of Robstown, TX, the biggest little town in Texas. The Solomon P. Ortiz Intermediate School and the San Pedro Elementary School in the Robstown Independent School District were chosen by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as ``Exemplary'' schools under the State analysis of individual schools in each school district in the state. Each year, the TEA ranks the state's schools as: low-performing, acceptable, recognized, or exemplary--based on performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS, the test given to students in Texas) and on attendance and dropout rates. Both the Ortiz Intermediate School and San Pedro Elementary are schools with large Hispanic student populations. Since largely Hispanic schools often have to do more with less money, their challenge is greater to compete on a more difficult playing field. These two schools have found the secret to success. They know that students cannot just up and pass a difficult test--it takes the whole effort of every person who works at each school. It takes teachers, counselors, cafeteria workers, teacher's aids, and school administrators to make the very most of a child's educational experience. I want to thank each and every staff member for their vision on helping students on their journey to higher education. These schools capitalized on every single opportunity, every strength, they had to build a team that helped the children of Robstown find the very best in them. Let's not underestimate the stress associated with the TAAS. There is great pressure on the children, on the schools, on the employees--judgements on the school staff is based on the results young people achieve on TAAS. Teaching children what they need to know to pass the tests, inspiring them to come to school every day, inspiring them to stay in school when they despair, is a monumental task. So the House of Representatives should know that these schools have achieved a great deal. I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending the Ortiz Intermediate School and San Pedro Elementary School of Robstown, TX, for excellence in education.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, Quite often, the familiar faces we see and depend upon have entire stories behind them that we don't know. Phil Rosenstein of Corpus Christi has a familiar face, one that is always reliably around when there is a civic event, or if there is a cause to be advocated. I have been friends with Phil for several decades and he has a beautiful heart and a way of finding out what people need and how to get it to them. Everyone should know what a great man Phil is, what a great American he is, what a unique, charitable human being, what an everyday hero he is. An orphan raised in New York City, Phil came to Corpus Christi and joined the Merchant Marine and proceeded to see the world and his place in it. He visited orphanages all over the Far East, taking candy and clothing, offering financial assistance to them and, most importantly, drawing attention to their plight in the United States, connecting many Asian orphans with American families. As a Merchant marine for 40 years Phil never forgot his adopted hometown of Corpus Christi, and he combined that devotion with his love of the arts. As a Merchant Marine traveling to a host of foreign lands, Phil always set forth to find fine art and antiques that he purchased and donated to museums in the Coastal Bend. He was appointed field representative of the Corpus Christi Museum. He was also the Mayor Luther Jones' goodwill ambassador, representing Corpus Christi well and arranging for exchanges between Yokosuka, Japan and South Texas (Yokosuka was then the sister city to Corpus Christi). Phil helps those who need help, particularly seniors and children. Visiting local nursing homes led him to become the Mayor's volunteer liaison to senior citizens and senior care centers. He got them cable and purchased television sets for seniors. The Senior Community Service Awards confers an annual award to companies and agencies that have done the most for the senior community. In 1990, Phil won the award as a citizen, not a business nor a service agency. For his service in the Merchant Marine in World War II, Phil won service medals for campaigns in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean war zones, but those who depend upon HAM radios for contact with the world most value his service to them. At his own expense, while he was a Merchant Marine, he bought, set up, replaced or repaired any number of HAM radios for people living across the South and Midwest. He knew the world was too far away for those who were paralyzed or stricken with some manner of disability that kept them in the home, so he helped them with their HAM radios if they asked. He started the school supply program for needy children in Corpus Christi and was noted for his assistance to the Head Start program in Corpus Christi. He donated shoes to needy kids in Corpus Christi, even getting the crew of a ship on which he served to donate money for children's shoes in his hometown. Once, Phil noted that crosswalks at a school needed repainting. When the city didn't get to it, he bought the paint and painted it himself-- this is a metaphor for his whole life. When he saw a need, he went to fill it. (Even if it made the city unhappy.) I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Phil Rosenstein, a unique American, a good Samaritan, and an extraordinary patriot.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, because of official business for my District (27th Congressional District of Texas) I was absent for rollcall votes 1-5. If I had been present for these votes, I would have voted as indicated: Rollcall No. 1, present; rollcall 2, yea; rollcall 3, yea; rollcall 4, yea; and rollcall 5, yea.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, the Rio Grande Valley thanks the House for this economic stimulus package for the border * * * our economic opportunities were severely curtailed this fall when the extension of a deadline to obtain new border crossing cards was held up for three months. The efforts of the House Border Caucus have borne fruit with the inclusion of the extension of the deadline to replace old Border Crossing Cards (BCCs) with new ``laser visas.'' This is the perfect Christmas present to the Southwest Border from the United States Congress. In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack, the increased vigilance at the border has also translated into a rougher tone in the Congress with regard to what should have been a pro forma extension of the deadline. The Southwest border has seen extensive economic damage as a result of the deadline not being extended, as expected, in September. I encourage the Senate to expedite consideration of the bill since the House has overcome the objections now. As the Co-Chairman of the House Border Caucus, I thank the House for including this provision so important to the Rio Grande Valley. I am also pleased that the bill authorized funding for additional staff and training to increase our border security. I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a more complete monitoring program of foreign students, as since September 11 it is glaringly apparent that data and reporting gaps must be filled.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an American patriot, Mary Alice Salizar, who is retiring the end of this turbulent year. A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Ms. Salizar has served in the judicial branch of our government since the early 1970s. She spent the early part of her career working for local attorneys and as a court reporter. She wanted to be part of the federal court system, and in 1973, she became part of the U.S. District Clerk's office. She has been an integral part of the office since then. Likewise, she has been an integral part of our community, working with children and young people from low-income families and communities through her church. In doing so, she is part of a tradition of doing the most fundamental work Jesus instructed Christians to do: help the poor. While she intends on spending a great deal of time on her crafts, quilting and others pastimes, she nevertheless intends to continue her tradition of service to community through volunteering at a public school or as a senior Candy Striper at a local hospital. Mary Alice Salizar is the example for others to follow, both in the course of her life's work and her desire to continue that service by volunteering in the fields of health and education. She will now also be spending more time with her family, the people who supported her during her service to the community including: her husband Pedro Salizar; their children Mark, Rick and David; and their grandchildren Annaliza and Estevan Marcos. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the life's work of Mary Alice Salizar, who has spent the better part of her professional life as part of the federal judicial system.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in my district during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall No. 499: Yes; 500: Yes.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of S. 1438, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2002. I want to specifically address the provisions in the bill relating to military readiness. First, I would like to express my personal appreciation to the readiness subcommittee leadership . . . and to my colleagues, on both the subcommittee and the full committee, . . . for their active participation, support and cooperation in addressing critical Readiness matters during this accelerated session. I feel confident that our efforts to improve the readiness of the forces are being reflected in the performance of our deployed forces worldwide. They truly deserve our best efforts. Mr. Speaker, the readiness provisions in the bill reflect some of the steps that I believe are necessary, . . . with the dollars available, . . . to continue to make some of the readiness improvements that are sorely needed. But it still does not provide all that is needed. As I have said before, . . . while the readiness of the force has shown some improvements in some areas, . . . much remains to be done. And we cannot afford to wait until they are involved in conflict to properly resource them. September 11 was a reminder for all of us just how vulnerable we are as a free and open society. As such, we must ensure that we have a ready military force that is capable of responding to threats to our national security. I look forward to continuing to initiate and support efforts to address two areas that have been neglected for a number of years . . . the readiness of our dedicated civilian employees and the modernization of our failing infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, the readiness provisions in this bill do represent a step in the right direction. They permit the Department to build on the improvements that have been started in an area that is crucial to our national security. I would hope that as we continue through with the passage of this bill and in future consideration of supplementals later in the fiscal year, . . . we will continue to search for opportunities to increase the resources available for the readiness accounts without having to trade off funds for other critical needs. Mr. Speaker, while I have expressed strong support for the readiness provisions in this bill, I still have reservations about some other portions of S. 1438. Specifically, I think the BRAC provisions are ill- timed and costly. We are approving these BRAC provisions at a time when the nation is at war and the economy is in bad shape. Funds that could be used to improve readiness will have to be diverted to begin the costly preparations for BRAC considerations. Based on our past experiences, once an installation is identified as a candidate for BRAC consideration, resources have been diverted, resulting in further degradation of the installation prematurely. We are all aware that historically preparations for BRAC rounds have had a devastating effect on the morale and performance of the civilian workforce. Notwithstanding my reservations about having BRAC in the bill, I strongly urge my colleagues to support S. 1438. In this time of national crisis, it is essential that we have a defense authorization bill. There are a significant number of provisions that are necessary to ensure essential support for our military forces, their family members, and the dedicated civilian workforce that supports them.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I join my good friend from California and thank him for his work with the Border Caucus and his diligence to find ways to accommodate the free flow of commerce along the Southwestern border. It is not new for border members to let the House know when our infrastructure does not meet our transportation and trade needs. But at this point, it is less the need for more infrastructure--we simply need to be able to use what we already have. It does us no good to have 4-5 lane U.S.-Mexico bridges if we have only enough personnel to operate a couple of those lanes. This House would be appalled if you could see the staggering lines of traffic waiting to use a fraction of lanes on a bridge . . . only because we do not have the personnel to staff them. Imagine coming across a bridge from Virginia using only one lane, while perfectly good lanes go unused. That's what we face at our nation's border crossings. The border is in a crisis, Mr. Chairman. It is the front door to the North American markets--yet right now it is the front door to chaos and congestion. As a border representative, I understand--more than you can possibly imagine--the recent attitude in the Congress that while we are at war, our borders should be harder to cross--not easier. That's bunk. Open borders and free-flowing commerce are a large part of what this country is about. And I might remind my colleagues, respectfully, that the terrorists who visited the terror on our nation came across the northern border, not the southern. We have addressed that already through the PATRIOT Act, and this amendment does not affect those inspectors on the northern border. But we failed to focus our attention on the border traffic that is best characterized by the extraordinarily long waits at our front door. Well, we have to put out a better welcome mat than that, my friends. This addresses not only our democratic tendencies, but a fundamental principle of our economy as well. Mr. Chairman, we are in real trouble on the border. That's hardly a new position for us; but the increased security after the 11th has made an already bad situation much worse. One of the issues that has contributed to the suffering on the border is Congress' insistence that border crossers now use biometric laser visas. The deadline to get the new visas passed Sept. 30, and many border residents can no longer cross to shop, go to school, or get health care. Let's forget for a moment that the INS does not have enough equipment to scan the biometric components, which is bad enough. But without an extension to the now-passed deadline, these people simply won't be participants in our economy until well into 2002 when they can get replacement cards. The truck traffic passing over our bridges is nearly always destined for points far beyond the border. That leaves us with nothing. I understand the chair's ruling on the amendment and we will not press this here, but let the members of the House hear our message: We are in trouble on this and we need enough inspectors on the bridges and an extension for laser visa compliance to mitigate the damage to the border economy.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, precisely because he was a man dedicated to the ethic of the working class, Norm Sisisky would be proud that a United States Post Office will bear his name. As a patriot dedicated to justice, he would share the horror we all feel in the wake of the ongoing anthrax attack that has so profoundly touched the lives of our postal workers, their families and our communities. Norm and I came to Washington together in the same class in the House of Representatives. We traveled together from time to time with the House Armed Services Committee. On long trips to military interests around the world, you get to know people very well. For nearly our entire service together in Congress, we served on the House Armed Services Committee. We sat beside each other for all of that time on the committee, and often put our heads together on issues witnesses addressed during their testimony. Norm was a constant source of inspiration and humor at our hearings. At the same time, he was the consummate businessman. He could figure out quickly what the hidden costs were to taxpayers in any plan brought before our committee, and he could find the holes in plans any witness presented. Norman Sisisky was dedicated to Virginia . . . to the Navy . . . and to the betterment of our fighting men and women. He was much beloved by his staff, his friends and the people he represented in Virginia. Most of all, Norm was the ultimate patriot, whose highest calling was watching out for the interests of his district and the United States Armed Forces. It is utterly appropriate that we honor his memory and the quality of his service by passing the Norman Sisisky Post Office Building Designation Act.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, thanks to the gentleman from Califorfiia, Bob Filner, for organizing this special order series. Living on the border is never easy. NAFTA--commerce in the 1990s--brought lower unemployment, a larger tax base for border communities. Like the nation, South Texas affected by national economy . . . so the economy been hurt by the dip in the national economy. Increased inspections as a result of heightened security have resulted in longer wait times (sometimes more than four hours), that discourage thousands of Mexican citizens who legally cross into the U.S. to shop and conduct business along the border. As former law enforcement officer, a border member--understand the need for security. Say this only to illustrate small part of the picture that affects the border economy. Weekend after the attack on the United States, barge hits the only bridge connecting South Padre Island to the mainland of South Texas. Accident added even more to the burden of a faltering economy. On Wednesday, immigration inspectors began checking the ID of each pedestrian against databases of 19 federal agencies, adding much more strain to an already difficult situation. Finally, with Congress not extending laser visa deadline flow of traffic and commerce across our borders considerably slower. Join my colleagues in asking President Bush to declare a state of emergency along the border in response to these assorted body-blows to the border economy. The hostilities of September 11--and the resulting increased security throughout our nation--affected all of us . . . but they affect those who live on the border most profoundly. Need to protect borders--ensure that terrorists who would do us harm not enter U.S. via our neighbors. Stories of economic hardship in the past month are heart-wrenching. Need for relief along the border in the economic stimulus package is evident. In the Brownsville-Matamoros area: Traffic at bridges has decreased 40% (causing area bridges to lose almost $5,000 daily) and businesses along the border are seeing sharp declines in sales; border crossers face increased border wait times for vehicle and pedestrian traffic; the causeway accident has had a major impact; under-staffing of Border Patrol and Customs agents continues to cause concern; lack of attention and sensitivity to border community are also concerns; and the laser visa deadline has only exacerbated the situation and will have drastic effects as the holiday season nears. The Brownsville-South Padre Island airport is feeling the direct impact of the terrorist attack on airport revenue: As is the case elsewhere in the country, passenger traffic there is down about 35%; the airport projects their annual cost for new security measures alone $632,000--an unbudgeted, unfunded cost which equals 35% of the annual airport budget, and the overall cost, of all these factors, to the airport will be $845,000. Border economies require immediate help. Low-cost loans and grants, and other forms of help, are urgently needed. Everything is affected--tourism, airports, maquiladora production and Brownsville merchants. Here is an example of how intertwined the U.S.-Mexican economies are: Mexicans who come to the U.S. to shop derive much of that money from Winter Texans, who cross the border about six times while they are in the Valley. This combination of factors means Winter Texans will cross less, therefore spend less--with a result of less income for Mexicans to spend in the U.S. I urge the Ways and Means Committee, as well as the House leadership, to consider economic relief for the border communities in the upcoming stimulus package.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, while the past weeks have broken our hearts an steeled our spines, it is still important to take the time to celebrate our unique heritage as Hispanics. At the same time, we all appreciate that now, more than ever, Americans are one people. Since the attack, we have all come together. Americans of all sorts died together, we cried together . . . and we will fight together. Hispanic Heritage Month, and the war in which we are currently engaged, serves to remind us of the extraordinary role Hispanics have played in the history and the defense of our Nation. Today, it is appropriate to begin in the present day and grieve for the Americans who died in hijacked planes, at the Pentagon and in New York City--a great many of whom were Hispanics from around the Americas. The rescue workers, a number of which are also Hispanic, have labored 24 hours a day since the attack to find victims. We have never lived through a tragedy of similar nature, but already Americans have shown the world we are one nation and one people, now stirred to great anger. Today we want to honor our forefathers who played a large part in making--and then keeping--the United States free and democratic. For as long as there has been a United States, Hispanics have played major roles in building our country and defending it. From the American Revolution that freed the United States from England--to the Persian Gulf war and today's operation against terrorism--Hispanics proudly and bravely served the United States. When the colonies on the east coast of what is now the United States rebelled against England, Hispanics played a pivotal role. As Governor of the Louisiana Territory, General Benardo de Galvez sent money, gunpowder, rifles, and other supplies to General George Washington to aid in the revolution. He later served gallantly in the War for Independence by capturing both Mobile and Pensacola--at a pivotal point in the war. Captain Jorge Farragut came to the United States to seek his fortune by fighting the British--first in the Revolution, then in the War of 1812--as part of the U.S. Navy. Hispanics also raised special collections and taxes to aid the fight for independence. After the Revolution was won, Mexican pesos aided in the construction of St. Peter's Church in New York City to celebrate the end of the war. As in the Revolution, Hispanics served proudly in each war and conflict in which the United States participated. In the course of that service, 38 Hispanics have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, our country's highest award for military bravery and service. In the Civil War, David Glasgow Farragut, son of Jorge Farragut, won fame as a Union hero by blockading Southern ports, destroying Rebel ships anchored in New Orleans, and by capturing Mobile for the Union. His contributions prompted Congress to create the title of rear admiral to reward him as the first man to ever hold that rank. Farragut was commissioned vice admiral in 1864, then admiral in 1866. Federico Fermandez Cavada, a Lieutenant Colonel for the Union Army, fought bravely at Gettysburg. Rafael Chacon also served with the Union Army, and attained the rank of major. Santos Benavides-- originally from Laredo--fought for the Confederacy. His rank of colonel was the highest of any Mexican-American Army officer in the Civil War. Major Manuel Antonio Chavez forced the Confederate Army to retreat down the Rio Grande, preventing the rebels from carrying out their plans to seize the gold mines of New Mexico and California. Lieutenant Colonel Jose Francisco Chaves of the Union Army assisted in recapturing Albuquerque and Santa Fe. One of the most interesting soldiers in the Confederacy was Loretta Janet Velazquez, who fought disguised as a man. Upon discovery and discharge, she continued her service as a Confederate spy. I wanted to concentrate mostly on those who served in the U.S. military prior to this century, because not near enough has been said about them throughout the course of history. Part of the purpose of having Hispanic Heritage Month is to commemorate those Hispanics who have gone before us--people who are not often included in the history books. In 1973, Lieutenant Colonel Mercedes Cubria retired from the Army-- she was the first Hispanic woman to achieve that rank. Hispanics served bravely for the cause of freedom and democracy in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. More than 400,000 Hispanics served the United States during World War II and about 25,000 Hispanics served in the Persian Gulf war. In the years to come, when the military service of Hispanics is viewed through the prism of history, there are certainly a number of young Hispanics whose service to this Nation in this new war will distinguish themselves among great U.S. warriors in the 21st century.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the men and women of the United States Coast Guard who have come to the rescue of South Texas communities of South Padre Island, Port Isabel and Brownsville. Very early Saturday morning, Sept 15th, the Queen Isabella Causeway, the bridge that connects South Padre Island to the mainland was hit by a barge, resulting in sections of the bridge falling into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Nine cars crashed into the water of the Laguna Madre, rocking the community with the fear that terrorists had struck in South Texas since it occurred the weekend following the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. The Coast Guard Group of Corpus Christi, South Padre Island and the Marine Safety Office arrived at once and worked tirelessly--around the clock--to recover the victims, and retrieve the vehicles and debris from the water in the canal so commercial traffic could move again through the canal. No one was surprised by the instant response from our Coasties. They are amazing people. They began as soon as the tragedy was reported and worked with our local and state officials in providing further protection and emergency assistance for citizens in the area. They worked tirelessly around the clock. They brought assets to the Valley from the Coast Guard, Corpus Christi Group to help with search and recovery. They were focused on recovering victims. They are well-trained and ready to perform brilliantly in a time of crisis like the bridge collapse. The Coast Guard provided tremendous support to the local and state officials, which was a huge logistical chore. They helped ensure the re-opening of the canal so the Rio Grande Valley would receive fuel supplies, food and other necessities, which arrive via the Intracoastal canal, closed to such traffic while the recovery is in progress. One of the most satisfying things about watching these men and women do the work that they do is understanding the love they have for their job. They simply love what they do, and they are very good at it. While we always appreciate the good work of the Coast Guard in South Texas and around our nation, we particularly want to thank them today for the hard work they did when they came to the rescue when our community needed them. The Coast Guard has a wide range of responsibilities . . . in peacetime, they are law enforcement; in times of war, they are soldiers. Right now they are working extended hours to carry out a host of responsibilities: search and rescue, enforcing our fisheries regulations, enforcing boating regulations, drug interdiction and other national security missions. I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending these great Americans for their dedicated service to South Texas and our nation.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his leadership. I think it was a great trip, a very productive trip. We were able to learn things that we were not used to talking about from countries like Turkey, Russia, some of the other countries who have had terrorist acts. For the United States, it was something new. I think that individually I was able to learn a lot from Turkey. Turkey will continue to play a very, very important role in the defense of this country that is so dear to them. But we feel sometimes that we have neglected Turkey. They are proud citizens, they are proud soldiers. They have stood by our side during almost every conflict that we have been involved in. One of the things that really impressed me was the relationship that our good chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) has with the officials from Russia and the people of Russia. We were received with open arms. Not only that, they stated that they were willing to work with us. This legislation that the chairman is talking about is very, very important, not only for the United States, but for the rest of the world. This is a cancer that has to be removed. Bin Laden, even though we were able to dispose of him, to remove him from power, he has been able to train many young men to conduct the same terrorist acts that have been conducted all over the world. We just hope that the Muslim and Islamic leaders can explain to the rest of the world that this is not Islamic religion, this is not the teachings of the Muslim world; this is hatred, this is murder. Hopefully, we will be in a position to do better as a world, to be more understanding. I know Muslims do not preach hate. They do not condone the killing. But I am so happy that I went on this trip, because this was really a fact-finding trip, Mr. Speaker. I want to say again, I thank the gentleman for his leadership.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Chairman, I stand in opposition to the Traficant amendment. Madam Chairman, I understand that my friend from Ohio, he is a very good friend, and I think his amendment has some merits, but I think this is the wrong time to be moving troops and to be positioning them at the border when we have a more serious problem of dealing with terrorists. It takes people at the border who understand the skills, or who have the skills to do the right job. The military, and I served in the military, we are trained to do a different job: to destroy the enemy, to do covert operations. We are dealing with a friendly country on both sides, Canada and the United States. Now, this new war that we are now involved in includes a host of fronts which include law enforcement on our borders, which includes Customs, Border Patrols, the INS, and just like what we are trying to do now, to be sure that when we get people who work at airports, that we pay them a decent salary, that they have the skills necessary so that they know exactly what they are dealing with, what they are looking for. Stationing troops at the border will not do the job. I was in law enforcement for about 8 years.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Aurelio Valdez for over a decade's worth of hard work and community service. For 27 years, Aurelio Valdez strove to improve the lives of an often overlooked segment of our American society, the mentally handicapped. As the Superintendent of the Corpus Christi State School, Mr. Valdez labored to reconnect the Texas citizenry with the lives of the mentally impaired residents of the school. For 12 years, Mr. Valdez worked as the Superintendent of the Corpus Christi State School, and during that time, he helped to provide normalized living conditions for the school's three hundred eighty-seven resident students. By helping to change people's perceptions of those suffering from mental illness, Aurelio became not only a respected educator and healer, but an architect of a unified Corpus Christi community. Aurelio joined the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation in 1974, and has received constant praise for his contributions to the improvements in care for those suffering from mental retardation and mental disease. He is noted around the State School as an innovator and a leader. Ray is one of those special people who sees what he is doing less as a job, and more as a labor of love. A hero in the shadows, Aurelio urged his employees to step into the limelight and take credit for the work he encouraged from them. This life-long caregiver retires not only with the respect and admiration of his colleagues, but with a vow that he will continue to assist the mentally challenged in reaching their goals. I am proud to have had the opportunity to serve with such a dedicated servant of the people on a number of health and education issues. With his retirement, Corpus Christi and the rest of Texas lose a leader, an inspiring educator, and a shining example of American patriotism. I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring a great and generous man, Aurelio Valdez, as he retires from a lifetime of dedicated service to the Coastal Bend, to Texas and to the United States.

Mr. ORTIZ

Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained during the following rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below. Rollcall No. 343: ``Yea.''