Beto O’Rourke

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. I have to agree with much of what my friend from California just said. El Paso, Texas, just had its primary elections this past week. In El Paso, the turnout was 11 percent. So really one of the smallest minorities of citizens who are able to vote, who have that right, have the freedom do exercise it, actually chose to do that. That small minority, 11 percent of voting age in El Paso, made the decisions for who is going to represent us in county government, in Congress, and on down the line. So that cynicism that you heard at the outdoor market in Maryland we see reflected in the polls and the turnout in El Paso. I think it is because of the same reasons that you cited. I think people feel that it is a closed system, they don't have access to it, why bother participating. The rules are going to be the same, regardless. By nature, we are social people. I don't know that we would be in these positions if we weren't. I like town hall meetings. We hold a general interest town hall every month. We hold special town halls. We have held town halls on the public bus system where we get to talk to our constituents. They have no place to go. They can't get out the doors because the bus is moving. We get to tell them what we are doing up here, and I am accountable to them. I have to answer the questions that they raise with me. As my friend from California said, it is wonderful. It shouldn't be this way, but they are impressed I am even there and listening. That should be. That should be the bar below which we never drop. We should always be there to listen and engage and solicit opinion and feedback and direction from our constituents. Government By the People will encourage that. Right now, if you have to raise a lot of money for a congressional race, which probably accounts for many, if not most, of the Members that we serve with, your time simply from a time value perspective is best spent with those large donors who can write the biggest checks. With Government By the People, you now have the incentive to spend time with your constituents, compel them with your argument and with what you have been able to do in office and what you are committing to do in office that you are the best bet to represent them for their future and for their children's future. With that you earn not only their vote in the ballot box, but that first vote that Professor Lessig talks about--that financial commitment to you as a viable candidate. I think my constituents want me making that pitch to them, both as voters and potential donors, much more than they want me to make that pitch here to corporate interests who are headquartered in D.C., who may never have been to El Paso, Texas, and have no real understanding or sensitivity to the concerns and needs that we have here. The last thing that I will say that really contributes to that sense of a closed system, again quoting from my favorite source on this, Professor Lessig, who says: The pernicious effect of these large-dollar donations is not really on your core issues. Issues 1 through 10 are your core convictions. That is what you ran on. That is what people expect from. You are never going to sway from them. No amount of money is going buy you off, but issues 11 to 1,000-- and we vote on thousands of issues every year--become much more persuadable for Members, I think, when you have large amounts of money involved. If you don't know much about issue number 259 because it doesn't really affect your district, you are not a subject matter expert in it, you have never really thought about it before, and someone is offering to give you $5,000, you are probably going to listen to their side of the story and you may not listen to other one. So I don't know if that is corruption. It certainly comes quite close to it. It is certainly not the way that I want nor my constituents want this body to run itself and govern our country. Again, Mr. Sarbanes, I am so grateful that you introduced this. I am so grateful that we have so many cosponsors. I look forward to working with you to hopefully pass this and make this law in this country.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Catholic Diocese of El Paso as they celebrate their 100 year anniversary. El Paso and the Catholic Church have shared a long history. The El Paso region was settled by Franciscan missionaries in the 1600s. Since then, the Catholic Church has contributed to El Paso in many important ways. From the founding of the first hospital in El Paso, Hotel Dieu; to building the Ysleta Mission, the oldest continuously operating church in the State of Texas; to installing the first Hispanic bishop in the nation, Bishop Patrick Flores installed in 1978. The current Diocese serves more than 680,000 Catholics in and around El Paso. As champions of the poor and the vulnerable, the Diocese of El Paso operates one of the largest legal aid clinics in the southwest and provides health care and education to thousands in my community. It has also welcomed and given shelter to migrants and refugees from Mexico and around the world. The Diocese of El Paso has been of the El Paso community for one hundred years. I invite my colleagues to recognize their history of service as they embark on their next century.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to join my colleague from the State of Texas in this Special Order hour today to recognize our history in this country when it comes to achieving civil rights and perseverance in the face of adversity and some of our shameful past that has been turned, through the very hard work--the blood, the sweat, and the tears referenced by my colleague--into victories and triumphs, victories that are not yet complete, victories that we are still working on, but victories, nonetheless. And I thought it might be appropriate at this time to share a little bit about the community that I represent, El Paso, Texas, and its role in this struggle to achieve civil rights, human rights, and equality for all men under the law. I will begin with one of my favorite stories about El Paso. It is the story of the 1949 Bowie Bears high school baseball team. This was a team that was made up of members who lived in the Segundo Barrio of El Paso, all Mexican American members, all members who lived in what would be seen today as extreme levels of poverty, who played baseball with balls that were made of scrap pieces of clothing, gloves that were stitched together in their own homes, and who won the city championship and won the regional championship. And as they traveled by bus in 1949 on those country highways to our capital in Austin, Texas, they were denied the ability to stay at motels. ``No Mexicans or dogs allowed.'' They were unable to eat in restaurants. They had to eat in the kitchens or eat outside on the bus. The night before the championship game in Austin, Texas--against an Austin, Texas, high school team--they slept under the bleachers in the field that they were going to play on, instead of being able to stay in a hotel or motel in that city; and they went on to win the first high school State baseball championship in Texas. Not too long after that, in 1955, El Paso became the first city in the State of Texas to integrate its public schools; and as my colleague from Texas has pointed out, up until that point, there were separate schools for Black children, there were separate schools for White children, and not too long before that, separate schools for Mexican American children. So in 1955, that school board in El Paso, Texas, made a very important decision to integrate schools. They were the first in Texas, one of the first in the former Confederacy. In 1957, El Paso elected the first Mexican American mayor of a major U.S. city, Raymond Telles. And then, Mr. Speaker, on June 7, 1962, the El Paso City Council, under the leadership of Alderman Bert Williams, passed the first city ordinance of any major city in the former Confederacy outlawing segregation in hotels, motels, restaurants, and theaters; these places of public accommodation that my colleague has so eloquently described that were segregated and, in many cases, were barred to African Americans and, in some cases, in El Paso in earlier years, to Mexican Americans. President Kennedy, in a speech that following year, in 1963, a speech which was titled a ``Special Message to the Congress on Civil Rights and Job Opportunities,'' recognized this achievement in Texas, El Paso, where we were the first community in the former Confederacy to desegregate those places of public accommodation. And lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would draw our attention to the 1966 Texas Western Miners, a college basketball team that fielded the first all- Black starting five to compete for a national title game. Those five young men not only won the national championship against some of the longest of odds versus Kentucky, but in doing so, they effectively ended segregation in intercollegiate athletics and did a lot to further end discrimination more broadly in the United States. So I would just join with my colleague and associate, myself, with his comments about the Voting Rights Act and the need to persevere in the face of adversity, to recognize those triumphs that we have achieved so far, but not to claim victory until we are assured that everyone is treated equally under the law, that everyone has access to the ballot box, and that we truly are a country that treats everyone equally under the Constitution. So I hope that, as a representative of El Paso, Texas, a community that has such a proud history of leading in Texas and leading in the former Confederacy, in leading in the U.S. on important civil rights, human rights, and equality issues, that I will be able to join you, Mr. Green, in this fight and join this Congress in doing the right thing.

Mr. O'ROURKE. Thank you.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize Monica Dominguez, the lead counselor at Dr. Sue Shook Elementary School in Horizon City, Texas. Ms. Dominguez is in Washington D.C. to be honored as an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) 2014 School Counselor of the Year finalist. Ms. Dominguez has led Shook Elementary's efforts to close the gap in services for low-income students through a counseling program that supports students' academic, social and emotional development. By reaching out to students beyond the confines of the school day, Ms. Dominguez has earned respect from fellow educators, parents, and most importantly, her students. In addition, Ms. Dominguez has developed effective relationships with local agencies to support the overall well-being of diverse students and families in El Paso County. Before joining the staff at Shook Elementary, Ms. Dominguez served as the grants counselor for Project HOPE (Heightened Opportunities for Promoting Excellence) at H. D. Hilley Elementary School, which serves many students and families who experienced the negative impacts of violence in Mexico. Many of these families moved to El Paso to escape violence and the new students were in need of emotional and academic support. Ms. Dominguez set up Hilley's first data-driven, comprehensive school counseling program, where she maintained a low student-to- counselor ratio; decreased disciplinary referrals; increased attendance rates; and helped students and teachers succeed on state assessments. Horizon City and the entire El Paso community continue to benefit from the positive impacts that Ms. Dominguez has on her students in her third year as a counselor at Shook Elementary. Her leadership skills and comprehensive vision shape the lives of her students and their families. I join the ASCA and the El Paso community in honoring Ms. Dominguez for her dedication to serving students and for the inspiring example she has set for school counselors across the country.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of World War II Veteran and El Pasoan, Juan C. Marquez. Private Marquez served as a rifleman in the United States Army during the Second World War. He began his tour of duty in Europe, where he served with the 44th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion, and the 71st Infantry Regiment. While in combat, Private Marquez suffered shrapnel wounds. Later, while serving in northeastern France, a German tank struck Private Marquez, as a result of which he endured broken ribs and a separated shoulder. For his courageous efforts, Private Marquez was awarded two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button. On August 29, 1948 after returning home to El Paso, Mr. Marquez was in a fatal car crash. He was survived by his wife and four children. This great El Pasoan's distinguished service is an inspiration to all Americans and his dedication and resolve is an example to all serving in the Armed Forces.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, Jr. III. Born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Mr. Escobedo became a United States Citizen with the intention of enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. During over 10 years of service in the armed forces, Sargent Escobedo served in both the Marines and the Army and he served courageously during two tours of duty in Iraq. Jose Escobedo graduated from Bowie High School in El Paso in 1995. After high school, he decided to join the Marines and served for nearly 9 years. After his honorable discharge, he worked for the city of Albuquerque in the Department of Transportation, but he missed the military. Eager to continue his service, ``SGT Esco,'' as friends called him, decided to join the Army and after training he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment in Schweinfurt, Germany. On November 19, 2008, Sargent Escobedo deployed to Iraq for the third time. Despite being in a combat zone, Jose was known by his fellow soldiers as a kind individual with a positive outlook on life that was infectious. He passed away on March 19, 2009 in Baghdad and at the age of 32. Mr. Escobedo is survived by his wife, Angelica, and their three children, Elvida, Jose, and Mikey. He is interned in Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso. The dedication with which he served our nation for so many years is an inspiration. El Paso misses Jose Escobedo and we are proud to honor him as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Army Sgt. Velton Locklear III, who died while serving his nation in Iraq. Sergeant Locklear, known as ``Lock'' by his friends, was an El Pasoan, and graduate of Eastwood High School. During high school, he excelled at football and was an All-Star wide receiver. Sergeant Locklear, like so many of his family members, wanted to serve in the Armed Forces. His two sisters, Julie and Lori, served in the Army and his father is retired Sgt. Maj. Velton Locklear Jr., who served in the Army for over 24 years. After going to college at North Texas University, Velton decided to serve his country by joining the Army. During his career, he served two tours of duty in Iraq. He volunteered for his first tour of duty and began his deployment in February of 2004. Soldiers who served with him, described Locklear as a gentle giant, who made the day better with words of encouragement during hard times and witty humor in good times. Another soldier said Sergeant Locklear was like a breath of fresh air; always positive, always had a smile on his face. His first tour ended in March 2005. The second time Locklear deployed to Iraq was with the 25th Infantry, 3rd Brigade 2-27th Infantry Battalion in August of 2005. On Sept. 23 Mr. Locklear died in Riyadh, Iraq due to injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat. Mr. Locklear was a committed and loving husband to his wife Denise and their two sons, Velton IV and Nathan, who reside in El Paso. He served our country courageously and with honor. Sergeant Locklear's service and dedication is an example to others and I am proud to honor him as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Madam Speaker, I have the honor of representing more than 2,500 Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas. They are a big reason why our border with Mexico is as secure as it has ever been, and they help keep El Paso the safest city in the United States; it was this year, the year before, and the year before that. Now, despite their successful track record, their vigilance at our borders with Mexico and Canada, and the tough conditions under which they work, they are working with an antiquated, unfair, and inflexible pay system. That is why I am happy to work across the aisle with the gentleman from Utah, Representative Chaffetz, to introduce H.R. 3463, the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act. This provides a fair, flexible, and fiscally responsible way to compensate our Border Patrol agents. It allows management to deploy resources where they are most needed; it gives our agents some predictability in their work schedule; and it saves the American taxpayer over $1 billion over the next 10 years. During a time of sequester and tight budgets, we need to use existing resources as judiciously as we can. I think this bill accomplishes that while supporting our Border Patrol agents. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Antonio Marcias, a World War II veteran and an exceptional El Pasoan. Listening to the story of Antonio and other World War II veterans reminds me why we call theirs the ``greatest generation.'' In 1943, while still a United States resident, Mr. Macias volunteered for the Second World War. He served in Pacific Theatre in Okinawa as a U.S. Navy Sailor and completed his service as a ``Motor Machinist's Mate Third Class.'' As the war ended, he was honorably discharged in 1945. After completing his service, Mr. Macias returned home to El Paso, Texas, where he worked as a rancher, a sheet metal worker, and at the local Phelps Dodge Refinery for 33 years. He retired in 1978 and became the owner of a small business specializing in landscaping. Now, at the age of 95, Mr Macias continues to reside in El Paso with his wife of over 65 years and is a tireless advocate for improving services for El Paso's many veterans. Mr. Macias is an exceptional asset to the community, and as one of my staffers put it ``he is an inspiration to El Paso.'' Like so many other individuals from his generation, Mr. Macias put his life on the line for his country. We are grateful for his service and appreciate that he continues to be a vital part of the El Paso community. Thank you, Antonio Macias, for making El Paso, Texas, and the nation proud.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Benavidez- Patterson ``All Airborne'' Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division, a distinguished Veterans Service Organizational in El Paso, Texas. The Benavidez-Patterson ``All-Airborne'' Chapter is comprised of current and former military paratroopers. The unit develops new relationships and cultivates existing bonds among those who have served in the Airborne; honors the memory of troopers who died in service; and informs its members of legislative changes and policy ideas relevant to veterans. With 250 members, the Benavidez-Patterson Chapter is the largest ``All-Airborne'' chapter in Texas and has included representation from virtually every Airborne unit since World War II. It is comprised of national heroes. Members have included veteran paratroopers who had combat assignments in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Korea, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan, along with others currently deployed in the Middle East. Members have included one of the original Darby's Rangers and a Pathfinder on D-Day. Others were involved in ``Operation: Overlord'' into Normandy, France, on D-Day; ``Operation: Market Garden'' in Holland; and the ``Battle of the Bulge.'' Chartered in August 1985, the Benavidez-Patterson ``All-Airborne'' Chapter is named in honor of the late MSG Roy P. Benavidez and CSM Robert Patterson (Ret.), both recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Chapter was further honored through the membership of Medal of Honor recipients COL. Joseph Rodriguez (Deceased) of El Paso and LTC (Ret.) Alfred Rascon. Other distinguished members have included MG Howard Bromberg; BG Shuffer, a statesman, author and paratrooper; in addition to LTG Lionetti, MG Lennox, MG Cravens, MG Infante, MG Little, MG Oblinger and MG Michael G. Vane. I thank the Benavidez-Patterson ``All-Airborne'' Chapter for their commitment to honoring our veterans and for helping to strengthen the bonds among service members and veterans in the El Paso community.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which will help us to reduce the unacceptably long wait times for our veterans who are waiting to hear back on service- connected disability claims. In El Paso, Texas, I have the honor of representing almost 80,000 veterans. Right now, their average wait time out of the Waco regional office is nearly 460 days to hear back on a service-connected disability claim. I visited that office not too long ago and witnessed people carrying around the claims files for single veterans in hand trucks with the files and the paperwork measuring 3 to 4 feet in some cases. That is why, along with Paul Cook, I introduced bipartisan legislation earlier this year to work with no cost to reduce that wait time by informing veterans of the average wait time to file a disability claim amongst all available methods. From the slowest, which is an incomplete paper-based claim, to the fastest, which is a fully developed claim filed online. I am pleased that this legislation in section 109 includes this bill called the Faster Filing Act. I am convinced it will help us to get our veterans the response in the time they deserve. After all, they have sacrificed their health, their security, and their safety for ours. We need to meet our end of the obligation. I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud. I also want to thank Mr. Broun from the committee staff and Erin Snow from my legislative team for helping to write the legislation. And I encourage all of my colleagues in the House to pass this without delay.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, the government shutdown continues to harm the communities I represent and the more than 43,000 Federal employees in El Paso who dedicated their careers to public service. The Federal district court in El Paso is one of the busiest in the country. It handles a large volume of immigration and drug cases, among many others. I recently heard from Maureen Franco, a Federal public defender, regarding the shutdown's impact in El Paso. In the U.S. Attorneys Office there, the prosecutors and public defenders are working, but not getting paid. In addition, their staffs have been furloughed. The result: prosecutors brought only 35 cases on Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, only nine people were brought into court. When our government works, the average is 55 a day. The same number of people are being arrested, but the shutdown means we are not prosecuting them in a timely manner. It is likely that these individuals are remaining in detention at taxpayer expense, costing us more than if the government were open. Justice is not being served, nor are the American people. Mr. Speaker, it is time to end the shutdown. Please allow an up-or- down vote. It will pass this House on a bipartisan basis. It will be signed into law by the President. We can reopen the government today.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Madam Speaker, I received the following email from Stu Harris in El Paso yesterday. He's the vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, Local 1929. He writes: Our Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector are outraged by this nonsense. We cannot understand tying the fight against the Affordable Care Act with funding the government. I can only hope that nothing happens to any of our agents in the field putting their lives on the line and doing it for free. Imagine having to be in a state of heightened awareness for 10 hours a day, all the time not knowing if or when the paycheck will come in or how we're going to pay the bills and feed our families. Due to the shutdown, all Border Patrol agent trainees that were at the academy have been sent home. This amounts to yet another delay in adding measures to secure the border. Madam Speaker, it is time to reopen the government and allow an up- or-down vote on funding this government.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, 43,000 El Pasoans are Federal employees. This is the fifth highest concentration of Federal employees in the Nation. Many of them work at Fort Bliss. Others are Border Patrol agents or customs officers at the busiest ports of entry in the country. All of them are facing uncertainty because they're being furloughed or working without pay. I have spoken to many of them over the past week, including Army officers who are worried about what this shutdown is doing to the morale of the soldiers they command and veterans employed at William Beaumont Army Medical Center who cannot go to work to care for our wounded warriors. A woman whose husband must go to work, but doesn't know when he will get paid provided this advice to us: Do your job, just as my husband has to do his. Mr. Speaker, the solution to this crisis is right before us. Bring the Senate-passed government funding bill to the floor. It will pass this House, and the government will be open tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, please put politics aside and do what is right.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the week of September 23, 2013 as National GEAR UP Week at Socorro Independent School District and Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, TX. The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded, competitive grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP serves low-income, minority and disadvantaged students and their families from underserved communities who might be the first person in their family to go to college. The program provides multi-year grants to states to deliver resources to students and their families, starting in middle school and onward, to help them achieve their dreams of attaining a postsecondary education. GEAR UP includes interventions such as tutoring, mentoring, rigorous academic preparation, financial education and college scholarships to improve access to higher education for low income, minority and disadvantaged first-generation students and their families. The program is built around public-private partnerships, enlisting resources from government, business and community groups to support low-income students as they prepare to enter and succeed in college. The GEAR UP-SOAR (Solutions for Optimal Academic Readiness) and GEAR UP-Proyecto MAS is a partnership of the Socorro Independent School District, Ysleta Independent School District and the University of Texas at El Paso. Over 8,000 El Paso students have benefited from their participation in these GEAR UP Projects focused on college readiness. The program helps the University of Texas at El Paso, Socorro Independent School District and Ysleta Independent School District fulfill their missions to provide a quality education for all students, helping them achieve their highest potential. I thank GEAR UP for increasing the number of low-income and minority El Paso students who are college ready, and helping these students enter and succeed in higher education.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great man, a legend in the community that I have the honor to represent and a hero to our country, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Eugene Chisholm. Mr. Chisholm entered the military in 1942 and served 28 years, fighting for his country in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam before retiring in 1971. He parachuted into Normandy on D-day and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, as well as Operation Market Garden. He is the recipient of more than 20 service awards, which include two Presidential Unit Citations, a Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Bronze Star. Lieutenant Colonel Chisholm's service did not end when he left the Army. He helped found the Roy Benavidez-Robert Patterson ``All Airborne'' Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division in El Paso, Texas, an important veterans' service organization working in our community. Mr. Chisholm is a shining example of why his really is the greatest generation.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record references to pages 1 through 4 of report S. 2201 from the U.S. Census Bureau showing that 329 Active Duty military families at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to be here today to speak on the topic of immigration reform, immigration reform that is humane, that is rational, that is fiscally responsible, and to be doing so with the guidance and leadership of Congressman Cardenas, my friend from California, who despite his short tenure in Congress has really emerged as a leader on this very important issue--important to me, important to the community I represent in El Paso, Texas, important to our State, and important to our country. Frankly, just to extend it one more time, important to the world, because I think the world's eyes are on us today, they're on us as we decide how we are going to respond to this opportunity, this once in a 20- or 30-year opportunity to make meaningful, positive changes in our broken immigration system, because as Steny Hoyer said earlier, ``we are proudly a Nation of immigrants.'' I'm sure it is this way for the gentleman from California, but for me the moral and ethical reasons are the most compelling--to do the right thing for those people who are already in our communities, for the people who have so much to offer who have yet to come to our shores and will add to the economy, to the civic strength of our communities and make the places that we live in and the country that we call home a better place. I think of Edgar Falcon, a constituent of mine, a U.S. citizen, who is working. While he's working, he's also going to nursing school to improve his life, his ability to compete in the marketplace, his opportunity to contribute back to the community that we live in. To complete his life beyond his education and his work and everything that he has done in the community, he wants to marry the woman of his dreams, a woman named Maricruz, who currently lives in Durango, Mexico, who would love to be here with the man that she loves. But unfortunately, because of our current broken immigration system, she's unable to live here in the United States with the man that she loves. He's unable to bring her here because when she was a child, her sister, while they were crossing into the United States, falsely claimed citizenship for the both of them. Under our current broken immigration system, that has earned her a lifetime ban from reentry to the United States. So despite the fact that an American citizen, someone I represent, someone who pays taxes into our government, someone who is by all measures doing everything he can to make our community and our country a better place, he cannot be with the woman he loves because of what I think to be a very arbitrary and unhelpful law that is separating two people who deeply love each other. What we need to do is correct this through comprehensive immigration reform and through a measure that we'll be introducing this week, the American Families United Act, that will allow judges some level of discretion in cases like these where we have someone who poses no threat to our country, who can pay a fine, do some sort of penance for a mistake they made or a family member made on their behalf, and then if it makes sense for our community and our security is secured, they are able to join our community, the person that they want to marry, a U.S. citizen. I hope that we'll have others who will join us in cosponsoring this legislation that we'll introduce this week because there are literally thousands upon thousands of American families, families of U.S. citizens, who are affected negatively by this immigration law. As I said earlier, we want to do the right thing for the right reasons, for the moral imperative. Coming from El Paso, Texas, we really have been the Ellis Island for much of Latin America, including Mexico. The people who came through our ports of entry ended up in Los Angeles, they ended up in California, they went to Chicago, they went to New York, they went to all points east, west and north, and then many tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, chose to stay in El Paso. It is because of those immigrants, both legal and unauthorized immigrants I would argue, that El Paso today is the safest city in the United States. It was the safest city last year as well, it was the safest city the year before that. For the last 10 years, El Paso has been one of the top five safest cities in the United States. When we hear people, who I think out of ignorance, say that we need to secure the border before we move forward with comprehensive immigration reform, I tell them that today we are spending $18 billion on border security, more than we are spending on all other Federal law enforcement agencies combined, that we've built hundreds of miles of fencing, that net migration last year from Mexico was actually zero, that El Paso is the safest city, San Diego is the second-safest. The U.S. side of the U.S. border compared to the rest of the country is far safer. We do not have a border security problem today. The border has never been more secure or more safe. For all of those reasons, all of the moral ones and all of the commonsense ones that I just cited, we should do the right thing. Yet that is not enough for some people. I will conclude by saying this. It is in our moral interest as a country that wants to do the right thing. It makes all the common sense in the world to do the right thing. But if we look at our economic self-interest, today it is already proven that immigrants, including unauthorized immigrants, contribute far more to our economy, they contribute far more to our tax base, they contribute far more to job opportunities and quality of life than they take in benefits. That has, I think, been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. What we also know is that if some form of the current proposal for comprehensive immigration reform passes, the CBO has scored it such that within the first 10 years these new immigrants to our country who will be on a path to citizenship will be able to reduce our deficit by more than $150 billion. In the next 10 years, those same immigrants will reduce our deficit an additional $800 to $900 billion. They'll also be contributors into Social Security, one of the pillars of our social safety net, one that is unable to meet its obligations in the not too distant future. This is surely going to help us to shore up Social Security as well. So whether we look at the moral dynamic, whether we look at what makes common sense for our communities and our country, or whether we look at our economic self-interest, comprehensive immigration reform that is rational, that is humane, and that is fiscally responsible makes sense for this country.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor distinguished El Pasoan Woody Hunt as the recipient of the Ysleta High School ``2012-13 Outstanding-Ex Award,'' which recognizes exceptional school alumni. Mr. Hunt has earned this distinction through a lifetime of serving the El Paso community in his roles as a successful business leader, tireless education advocate, and generous community servant. Mr. Hunt, a fourth generation El Pasoan, graduated from Ysleta High School in 1962 and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin (1967). He received his MBA in Finance from UT Austin (1970) and later earned his MA in Management from the Drucker School of Management in Claremont, California (1986). Mr. Hunt began his career by returning to El Paso to work for the family business, which he eventually grew into one of the nation's leading construction and development companies. As Chairman and CEO of Hunt Companies, Inc., Mr. Hunt manages more than $13 billion in assets focused on the key areas of public-private partnerships, community development, real asset investment management and multifamily housing. Mr. Hunt uses his business expertise as a board member of numerous business and leadership nonprofits in El Paso. Beyond his notable business achievements, Mr. Hunt has been a particularly effective higher education advocate. He understands that access to college is essential to growing our middle class and ensuring that all Americans have an opportunity to succeed. Mr. Hunt is a board member of several national, statewide and local education organizations focused on college access, including Complete College America; the College for All Texans Foundation; and the Development Boards of the University. of Texas at El Paso and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso. He previously served as the Vice-Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents. This work allows him to focus on closing achievement gaps and increasing opportunity for traditionally underrepresented students. He is one of the first people I call when issues of higher education are before Congress. Mr. Hunt is also passionate about promoting quality and accessible healthcare. He is the founding Chairman and current board member of the Medical Centers of Americas Foundation in El Paso; a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; and was the Chairman of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. Mr. Hunt serves as Chairman of the Hunt Family Foundation, which he and his wife Gayle established in 1987. The El Paso community continues to be enriched by Woody Hunt's legacy of leadership, integrity and generosity. I thank Mr. Hunt for his commitment to improving the quality of life for everyone in El Paso, and in particular for his tireless efforts to ensure young people in our community have access to excellent educational opportunities.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce bipartisan legislation that will assist servicemembers as they transition back to civilian life. We have a fundamental responsibility to provide for the needs of our veterans who have sacrificed their comfort and safety for ours. The Healthy Transitions for Veterans Act will help us meet that responsibility by requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to perform two simple and common sense tasks: 1. Provide a comprehensive physical examination to all servicemembers of the active, guard, and reserve components when they separate from military service. 2. Provide separating servicemembers with an electronic copy of their complete medical records. Currently, servicemembers in the Guard and Reserve are not required to have physical examinations when separating from military service. This can result in a lack of documentation of service-connected injuries and medical conditions and is one of the reasons that former Guard and Reserve members who file disability claims with the VA are 4 times more likely to get an unfavorable decision than their active duty counterpart. Providing all servicemembers the ability to take ownership of their complete health record will also ensure a smoother transition into the VA health care system as DoD and VA struggle to make their systems interoperable. For veterans who may apply for VA benefits, having their full medical record from the military will make the application process more efficient. VA employees would not have to track down evidence or engage in time consuming correspondence with the applicant to locate medical records from the DoD. This is good not just for the individual veteran, but for the entire VA system that continues to struggle to reduce the claims backlog. I have the honor of representing Fort Bliss and the 33,000 active duty soldiers stationed there. I also represent nearly 80,000 veterans. All of these individuals, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to ``The United States of America'' for an amount of ``up to and including my life.'' Our responsibility to these men and women does not end when we bring them home from war. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and help guarantee our servicemembers make a healthy transition back to civilian life.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 60th Anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War on July 27, 1953 and honor the Korean War Veterans and their families, who have taught us about strength, duty, service, and resolve. I am proud to represent hundreds of Korean War Veterans. Their service has been selfless and their accomplishments have been extraordinary. The 60th Anniversary of the end of the Korean War calls us to reflect on the immeasurable burdens of war that have been borne by our veterans and their families. We pay tribute to our wounded, our missing, our fallen, and their families. They know the true costs of conflict and deserve our deepest respect. On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when approximately 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People's Army poured across the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea's behalf. Nearly 5 million people died as a result of the Korean War. More than half of these--about 10 percent of Korea's prewar population--were civilians, a rate higher than either World War II or Vietnam. Nearly 40,000 Americans died in action in Korea, and more than 100,000 were wounded. 289,000 Texans served in the Korean War. 1,916 were killed in action and 440 are still missing in action. 169 El Pasoans gave their lives in Korean War and 23 are missing in action. The President of the United States awarded the highest of military honors to 11 Texans, including one El Pasoan Modesto Cartagena, for their acts of valor during the war. Today we remember our commitments to those who served in Korea. As we do so, let us reaffirm our promise that when our troops finish their tours of duty, they come home to an America that gives them the benefits they have earned, the care they deserve, and the fullest opportunity to keep their families strong and our country moving forward.

Mr. O'ROURKE

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Chair, my amendment aims to provide the Department of Defense with additional budgetary flexibility, should they need it, to guarantee that the resources are available to properly maintain family housing at our military installations. Section 8058 of this legislation prohibits funds from being used to repair or maintain military family housing. My amendment would strike that provision and, I believe, provide needed flexibility at a time of austere budgets and sequester. I represent Fort Bliss, one of the largest installations in the Army. There are over 3,700 homes on Fort Bliss, and my community, El Paso, Texas, takes immense pride in creating a high quality of life for all those who serve at Fort Bliss. We have an obligation to our servicemembers and their families to ensure they have first-rate housing. It is good for morale, and it is the right thing to do. I understand that funds for repair and maintenance are included in the Military Construction-VA appropriations bill. My goal is simply to do everything we can to protect our servicemembers and fulfill our responsibility to them. I know that the chair and the ranking member share my goal. I am prepared to withdraw my amendment, and I would hope the chair and ranking member would be willing to work with me going forward to continue providing our servicemembers and their families first-rate housing. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.