Ed Pastor

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, they tell me that reasonable men will differ, and being reasonable, I am sure that we will have some differences. I do, but first before I point out the differences, I would like to also commend the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young). In the way he treats our membership in the two bills that have been reported out, agriculture and now the leg branch, he has done it in a very bipartisan manner, and I want to commend him for the fairness with which he has dealt with our side. He has been a very fair gentleman. I want to commend him on that. I asked someone to look at the figure of the reduction, which is approximately about $28 million, and the reduction of the MRA account. It runs about $60,000 to $65,000 per Member. We believe that that cut, which will affect our staff, is too drastic. When asked to cut this bill in a bipartisan manner, we offered $12 million, even though we knew it was going to be hard. We were told it was not enough, so we offered another amount of dollars that totalled $30 million. That was not enough. We feel that the additional approximately $30 million is too much and will affect the effectiveness of our offices, especially in the ability to make sure that our employees, who work long hours, they work very hard, will be treated like other employees in the House and the Federal government and will be able to receive a fair cost of living adjustment.

Mr. PASTOR. I rise in opposition, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer). In the spirit of the subcommittee working in a bipartisan manner, you have another example of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) working with the Republican side to get a bipartisan amendment that has been accepted by the chairman. I also happen to have read the same book and I was inspired by the same book. My expectation, Mr. Chairman, was taking this simple bill, the simplest bill of 13 appropriation bills, and maybe writing about this legislation and developing a small booklet so that these pages could be taken home. But after the different dance steps I have learned in the last couple of days and most recently the last couple of hours, I am about to finish filing Number 1.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, and I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer). (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), and respond to the previous comments by saying that, as was shown, the bill itself has produced reductions in the past and continues to reduce the funding for the legislative branch.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I also would like to commend and thank the staff that helped us develop this bill and the members of the subcommittee who worked on this bill and produced a bill that is fair and meets the needs of the House. This bill basically deals with the safety of the buildings, Mr. Chairman. It also ensures security for the personnel that work in this building and those who visit this building. But this building is mainly about personnel, and that is how we treat our employees who work in our offices to make sure that we are effective and efficient. I have to tell my colleagues that I commend the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor). He was very fair, very bipartisan. We had the hearings, we developed this bill in a bipartisan manner, and we were cognizant of the needs of this House. It is a responsible bill. Through the subcommittee, as my colleagues were told earlier, by unanimous vote, this bill was forwarded to the full Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Appropriations unanimously, on a voice vote, forwarded it to the House. It is with great disappointment I must now vote against this bill. We thought this was a fair bill; that the Members would accept it and adopt it. We did not expect a long time in its debate or in bringing it forth. In fact, we were so confident that this bill would be accepted that as we talked about the calendar, we thought that it would take a few minutes, it would get adopted, and the Members would be able to leave early. Well, here we are, late at night, and it is taking a while to get this bill through the House. It is a fair bill, and the reason I have to ask the members of the Democratic Conference to not support this bill is that the late developments are that they are requesting a big reduction in the Members' allowance. We had in that allowance considered a cost-of- living increase for our employees. These are the men and women who work for us, who make sure that we represent our constituents very well. It is our feeling that what was a reasonable bill, a fair bill, now is something that we cannot support. I know there will be debate, but it is our position that our employees who work very hard for us, long hours, also deserve consideration when it comes to a cost-of-living increase. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I would like to again thank the staff, the members of the subcommittee; I would like to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor) for the fairness in developing this bill. It was a reasonable bill, it was a fair bill, and due to last-minute decisions that were beyond our control, it has now become a very harsh bill, especially when it deals with the House Members not being able to provide COLAs to our staff. So, Mr. Chairman, I would ask that the Democrat side oppose this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of the time.

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise also to commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) who through his insistence the full Committee on Appropriations adopted a mandatory recycling program. As he explained, a program such as this is required in many cases of our constituents and I think that we as Members of the House should also have a recycling program that is mandatory, efficient and effective and will produce the moneys. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I also would like to commend these young men and women and thank them for the great service they did to the membership of this House. We wish them the best. Mr. Chairman, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to proudly bring tribute to a fellow Arizonan and someone I am proud to call my friend, Mr. Frank Hidalgo. I am calling your attention to Frank's accomplishments in light of an award he recently received from Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc., (CPLC), a well-respected nonprofit organization in Arizona that has long advocated for the Latino community. Frank was recently presented with CPLC's Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifelong dedication to promoting higher education in the Hispanic and Chicano community. The 1999 Lifetime Achievement Award was established to honor an extraordinary individual who has dedicated his/her life to serving the Latino community. This award not only recognizes the personal and professional accomplishments of the individual, but also their altruistic contributions to the advancement of the Hispanic and Chicano community. Frank, a native Arizonan, began his career as a junior high school teacher, and later served as the Director of the Phoenix Job Corps. In 1984, Frank was hired by Arizona State University (ASU) to serve as Director of Community Relations. Under his direction, Frank has been responsible for coordinating the ASU Hispanic Convocation, an inspirational graduation ceremony for Hispanics. Each year an estimated 300 graduates take part in each Spring and Fall ceremony and over 3,000 proud family members and friends are in attendance. This year marked the 16th anniversary of the ASU Hispanic Convocation. It has become one of the Valley's most significant and motivating ceremonies involving Latinos, recognizing both individual scholastic achievement and the collective progress of the Latino community in higher education. The television broadcast of the ceremony on the local Univision and PBS stations has become a traditional viewing event for Latino families hoping to encourage young people to pursue higher education. Frank also administers the ASU Cesar E. Chavez Leadership Institute. This program brings Arizona Hispanic high school students to the ASU campus for a week of intensive leadership training by respected community and university leaders. The program teaches valuable leadership skills that students can use to improve their communities, as well as gives them the opportunity to learn about the importance of higher education. Since 1995, more than 200 students have participated in this exceptional leadership program. In addition to the tremendous work Frank does for youth, he serves on a number of boards and committees such as the Rio Salado Committee, CPLC Board of Directors, the City of Phoenix Police Department Advisory Board Committee, the KPNX Channel 12 Minority Advisory Committee, the National Community for Latino Leadership and the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Speaker, Frank Hidalgo is an exemplary leader and a profoundly committed individual who is a true role model for the nation. He has dedicated more than forty years to the advancement of higher education for Hispanic youth. I sincerely appreciate this opportunity to honor Frank Hidalgo and his four decades of contributions to Arizona.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to call my colleagues' attention to the accomplishments of Ms. Emma Torres, who was recently chosen as a 1999 Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leader. At a time when health care issues top our national agenda, Ms. Torres' tireless dedication to addressing health care inadequacies among migrant farmworker communities is truly exemplary. Emma Torres was born in Mexico, the daughter of migrant farmworkers, and worked alongside her parents in the agricultural fields of California and Arizona. Inspired by the hardships of migrant life and her struggle to obtain adequate healthcare for a husband who later died of leukemia, she developed an interest in improving health services for migrant workers. A young widow and mother living in poverty, she managed to complete her education and began to serve her community as a community health worker. For more than ten years, Ms. Torres has worked in various aspects of health promotion and has become an effective advocate for migrant farmworkers. She has provided instrumental leadership in strengthening the role of uncredentialed yet competent community workers to fill health care gaps in medically neglected communities. These lay health workers, recruited from within the communities they serve, are uniquely able to provide information in a family-oriented and culturally competent manner. Ms. Torres has successfully utilized such workers in initiating and implementing a cancer prevention program and a regional Migrant Network System which emphasizes pre-natal care and teenage pregnancy prevention. In 1994, having developed a reputation as a leader in her field, Ms. Torres was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to serve on the National Council on Migrant Health. Most recently, Ms. Torres has taken on the leadership of Puentes de Amistad, a community-based substance abuse prevention initiative in Yuma County, Arizona. The program reaches out to local communities composed in large part of agricultural workers engaged in seasonal employment. Ms. Torres works with eight staff members and 29 ``promotores,'' lay health workers, going into the fields and peoples' homes to educate them about substance abuse, pesticide poisoning, HIV/ AIDS and TB, often working with entire families to resolve problems. She and her staff address the issues of mobility, poverty, and language barriers that for too long have hindered health care access in this region of the country. It comes as no surprise that Ms. Torres was among the ten outstanding individuals awarded a grant this year from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Community Health Leadership Program. She has shown tremendous leadership in addressing some of the most difficult facets of health care outreach and is making a difference in the quality of life of many southwestern Arizonans. It is my hope that through this well-deserved national recognition, Ms. Torres' work will become known to many and serve as an example of how we can begin to address some of our nation's most pressing problems by recognizing, supporting and following the lead of creative and committed individuals within our communities.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Augusto Ortiz and his wife, Mrs. Martha Ortiz. For 50 years, this outstanding team has provided medical and clinical services to the under-served, rural and urban, Spanish-speaking populations of Arizona. Dr. Ortiz, a medical doctor who graduated from the University of Illinois in 1945, provided the medical services while Martha, who rarely accepted compensation for her services, acted as the full-time administrator, personnel director, and business manager of the practice. The willingness of Dr. and Mrs. Ortiz to forego salaries or their acceptance of ``pay-what-you-can'' arrangements made medical services affordable and available to many poor residents of Arizona. Thousands of Arizonans owe their health and lives to the caring dedication of this selfless medical team. Although Dr. Ortiz' family did not have large amounts of money, they encouraged a love of learning and a dedication to community service. With these values instilled in him as a young boy in Puerto Rico, Dr. Ortiz often dreamed of helping underprivileged people when he grew up. In order to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor to aid indigent people, Dr. Ortiz had to leave his much loved family and childhood home to attend medical school in Illinois. Although he was now thousands of miles away, these early dreams and lessons helped guide and inspire him to continue toward his goal. In the early 1950's, while stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Ortiz took on a Herculean task. He readily agreed to assist Dr. Carlos Greth with a medical practice that served 80,000 Spanish-speaking people in Maricopa County. At this time, they were the only Spanish-speaking doctors in Maricopa County. Aside from generously offering his medical talents, Dr. Ortiz also became a champion for those that he treated. His political motivation was his need to ``stand up and speak out'' because he felt ``an obligation to do something to . . . remedy those problems'' which were regularly encountered by his patients. Dr. Ortiz was especially active on behalf of his farm worker patients. He was instrumental in obtaining an Arizona state ban on the short handled hoe, as well as improving the Arizona laws regulating pesticides and field sanitation. Dr. Ortiz' commitment and accomplishments make him an outstanding role model for the citizen activist. He identified the problems that needed to be addressed, sought logical, humane remedies for them, and consistently persuaded political decision makers to agree to the solutions. Dr. and Mrs. Ortiz not only emphasized preventive health care, they organized mobile clinics and community health boards to ensure that this message would be heard and spread throughout many Arizona communities. In 1972, Dr. Ortiz joined the University of Arizona Rural Health Office as the Medical Director. Currently, he continues as the Medical Director of the Rural Health Office while maintaining his rural mobile clinic practice in three communities. During his tenure, he has worked tirelessly to encourage the poor and minorities to enter and to succeed in healthcare professions, while continually working to develop and deliver better health services for those in need. Throughout his career, Dr. Ortiz has received many honors and awards, including: The Arizona Latin-American Medical Association Award; the Arizona Family Doctor of the Year Award; Distinguished Leadership Award, American Rural Health Association (national); and the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Service to the Community, Institute for Public Service (national). Dr. Ortiz and Martha deserve the nation's gratitude and respect for the magnitude of the service they have given for such an extended period of time. I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in applauding and honoring this noble doctor, Dr. Augusto Ortiz, and his admirable wife, Martha Ortiz.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 139, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the wisdom and vision of the Tohono O'odham Nation for recognizing the need to set aside a special day to honor children. I believe, and the Tohono O'odham believe, that they are the first tribal nation to declare a day for children. Because the Children's Day Proclamation speaks so eloquently of its purpose, I have included the original text that others may be inspired to ``recognize, protect and promote our children''. Children's Day Proclamation Whereas, our children encounter challenges to their spirit, emotional, mental and physical well being from sources that exist outside our O'odham culture and tradition; and Whereas, the knowledge and wisdom necessary for our lives was passed forward from our Ancient Ones to our Elders to each successive generation; and Whereas, our Ancient Ones and our Elders form our connecting bridge to our past and our present, but our O'odham children form our bridge to the future, and without our children we as Tohono O'odham would cease to exist; and Whereas, we must recognize, protect, and promote our children for they are the only means for carrying on our traditions, our history, our language, our values, our culture for those generations yet to come. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that as Chairman and Vice- Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, and by virtue of the power vested in us to protect Tohono O'odham children, we do hereby recognize that our children are our greatest resource and on Friday, the 23rd day of April of this year and the third Friday of April in every succeeding year shall be forever known as Children's Day, a day in which we as Tohono O'odham celebrate our children, our future. Done this 12th day of April, 1999. Edward D. Manuel, Chairman. Henry A. Ramon, Vice-Chairman.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to proudly bring tribute to a fellow Arizonan who has long exemplified the meaning of leadership, community, and good citizenship. He is a well-respected leader in Arizona and Phoenix, and someone whom I'm proud to call my friend--Mr. Daniel R. Ortega, Jr. In my home state, Danny recently received the Leader of Distinction Award from the Arizona Region of the Anti-Defamation League. This award was established to honor extraordinary individuals for their successful professional and philanthropic achievements. It recognizes people who have truly made a difference in the lives of Arizonans through their strength, courage, creativity, individuality and motivation, whether professionally or in their personal pursuits. I can attest that Danny is one of the most revered individuals In Phoenix when it comes to community. He has been a dauntless voice, particularly for the Latino community, when no other voice was there to champion their causes. Whether he is fighting for the rights of migrant farm workers, advising elected officials on community issues, or advocating for his clients, he has guided decision-making with wisdom and moral purpose. An attorney by profession, Danny has served on the board of directors of numerous national organizations. He sits on the boards of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, National Council of La Raza, and the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association. He also serves on the disciplinary Commission of the Arizona Supreme Court, and is a member of the Stewardship Board for the Roman Catholic Church of Phoenix. He is a member of the Arizona State Bar, American Trial Lawyers Association as well as the American and Maricopa County Bar Associations. Previously, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, Valley of the Sun United Way, Arizona State Alumni Association and Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. He also served on the Arizona Industrial Commission, the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board, the Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments and Arizona State Bar Peer Review Committee. Danny is a 1974 graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1977 from ASU's College of Law. Before going into private practice, he was an attorney with Community Legal Services in Phoenix. Currently, as a partner with the law offices of Ortega & Associates, P.C., he provides legal services in the area of civil litigation, personal injury law, employment law, and government and non-profit agency representation. Mr. Ortega primarily concentrates in the litigation of personal injury and employment matters. Danny is the oldest of eight children born to Elvira and Daniel Ortega Sr., both of whom ingrained a deep sense of family and community into their children. He has served as a volunteer in many campaign positions including field operations, fund-raising, finance and campaign chair. Mr. Speaker, as you can surmise, Danny Ortega is an exemplary leader and a profoundly committed individual who is a true role model for the nation. He has effected change that has improved the lives of and broken down barriers for many Arizonans. Therefore, I am pleased to pay tribute to my friend Danny Ortega, and I know my colleagues will join me in thanking him and wishing him great success.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Madam Speaker, I could understand a year ago when the majority, because of their hate for President Clinton, made the impeachment process a partisan procedure. But last night I could not believe that the vote to not support NATO was done because of the hate the majority has for the President. What message have we sent to NATO? What message have we sent to our troops? That we do not support them. The ironic thing is today, this afternoon, I am going to be asked to vote on the supplemental that doubles the request, and yet I am being asked to vote for a supplemental that the majority does not support, does not support the action of the NATO cause. In the words of the great Congressman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), all I can say is: Beam me up, Scotty.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Gabriella Contreras, a pupil at Roskruge Middle School in Tucson, Arizona, who has been recognized by the prestigious 1999 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program. This award salutes the most impressive student volunteers in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. With today's media focusing on tragic stories of troubled adolescents, we must not overlook those teenagers with high ideals and strong community values. Gabriella personifies those qualities and is a true role model in guiding other youth into positive activities that enhance their communities. As an elementary student, Gabriella was concerned over the gang violence, riots, and drug use which was evident within a neighboring high school. Determined to become part of a solution before her class entered that school, she organized a group of eight friends who picketed the school with placards bearing anti-violence and anti-drug slogans. Through the years, that core group continued to grow as it organized activities aimed at channeling teenagers into constructive endeavors. Today, Gabriella's group has become a community service organization which fills the dual role of improving local neighborhoods while providing a positive group setting for teenagers to identify with as an alternative to gang membership. Gabriella Contreras and the other recipients of the Prudential Spirit of Community Award have demonstrated outstanding initiative and act as an inspiration to other youth. As such, they represent a warm ray of sunshine during these times of bewildering incidents involving violent and disturbed young people. They are the individuals who will lead their generation into a productive and bright future, and I salute their efforts on behalf of their communities and our nation.

Mr. PASTOR

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) for introducing this resolution and allowing us time to pay tribute to a great American. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to be here today and to manage this resolution that pays tribute to Morris K. Udall, who many of us here knew and remember fondly as ``Mo.'' Mo's retirement from the House of Representatives in 1991, following 30 years of distinguished service in this body, was a great loss for the State of Arizona, for the environmental and Native American issues he championed, and for the cause of civility and humor in public life. His death last December after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease was a great personal loss for the Udall family, to whom I offer my deep-felt condolences. Mo earned an uncommon respect and loyalty among his colleagues here in the House and those who knew him across this great Nation. He was able to distinguish between political opponents and enemies and maintain friendships across the ideological spectrum. He built bridges of goodwill that allowed him not only to pass prolific wilderness and historic preservation agendas but to resist the partisan animosity that erodes public faith in Congress. He was a source of pride to the Arizonans he represented and a source of pride to many Americans. Mo had the courage to lose and yet was never defeated. He challenged the status quo, even within this institution, encouraging a debate that brought vitality and progress to our public discourse. He was willing to keep standing up after being knocked down, and to be and to champion the underdog, and yet to maintain a courageous optimism. Mr. Speaker, he faced personal adversity in his struggle with Parkinson's disease with the uncommon grace we had come to expect of Mo. Mo's legacy will live in the retelling of his famous anecdotes, in the CAP water that my granddaughter drinks in Arizona, in the wilderness lands preserved for generations of Americans yet to come. Perhaps it will live in the work of his son and his nephew drawn to public service and newly elected to this body. In remembering and learning from Mo's example, be it perseverance or bipartisanship, we can all contribute to a legacy of decency, optimism, and honorable public service that Mo Udall has left to this country and to this House. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.