Silvestre Reyes

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 357, a resolution honoring former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. As the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, this remarkable woman presided over some of the most important cases of our time, and her accomplishments became a stepping stone for all womankind. Justice O'Connor has strong roots to the city of El Paso, Texas, which I represent. She attended Radford School, and graduated at the age of 16 from Austin High School. Her achievements in graduating with honors from Stanford University and earning a law degree from the Stanford School of Law in only two years, have encouraged numerous aspiring students to reach their greatest potential. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor once again provided a breakthrough when she became the majority leader for the Arizona State Legislature, the first woman in the Nation to do so. Rising from the rejection of law firm employment based on her gender, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is now known as one of the most important women in U.S. legal history. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this very worthwhile resolution, honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas and also the gentleman from Florida for allowing us the time to speak here on this very important event, not just for El Paso and not just for Texas but for our whole country, for a whole generation of players and those that have benefited from their accomplishments. I rise today in strong support, Mr. Speaker, of H. Res. 668, a resolution that celebrates the 40th anniversary of Texas Western's 1966 NCAA basketball championship, recognizing the groundbreaking impact of that title game victory on diversity in sports and, of course, on the impact, as my colleagues have stated, of civil rights in America. I am proud to have introduced this bill and honored to have the opportunity to speak in this Chamber today about the importance of what a basketball team and a coach achieved 40 years ago. This afternoon I want to thank Leader Boehner and Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Miller for their support in bringing this very important legislation to the floor. On March 19, 1966, the Miners of Texas Western, which is now UTEP, led by Coach Don Haskins, defeated the University of Kentucky at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. This significant championship game gave the NCAA basketball championship at a crucial time to Texas Western College. At a time when the bitter politics of racism dictated to many coaches around the country who got to play, Coach Haskins started five black players in the NCAA basketball championship game, the first time in America that this country had seen an all-black starting lineup in a major championship contest. In 1966, as a strengthening civil rights movement met poisonous political dispute and violence, the Miners were clearly able to demonstrate to a Nation and the sports world the virtue of desegregation and equality. As the athletic establishment abided by that unwritten rule that said, play two on the road, three if you are really behind, referring of course to black players, Coach Haskins looked past the color of the players' skin and concentrated on winning games and eventually the national championship. Years later Coach Haskins would say, ``I just played my best guys like any coach would do.'' That simple principled courage changed the course of American athletics and provided an important advance in the struggle of civil rights in our Nation. The Texas Western's championship was an event defined by many as the Brown v. Board of Education of athletics. Like many whose lives were constrained by their appearance and background, I found extraordinary significance in that 1966 game. I was a Texas Western student during the fall semester of 1965 and had an opportunity to see these great players play. Shortly thereafter, I was drafted into the Army and eventually went on to fight in Vietnam. In March of 1966, I was still in El Paso, only stationed at Fort Bliss doing basic training. For those of us who were in the military at the time, the hypocrisy of America's racial policies were very clear. We saw a country that would not hesitate to send black and Hispanic soldiers to fight and die in foreign wars, but would not fight for us back at home. Coach Haskins' and the Miners' victory helped reveal to a nation the absurdity of racism and the futility of segregation. I returned from Vietnam and chose a career in public service and a career in which my successes followed from my abilities and my own hard work. Of course, I found that life does not abide by that perfect rule of a game like basketball, but I remain inspired today by Texas Western's win, and I know that I would not have had the opportunities I did have had it not been for the courage of people like Don Haskins and his Miners. Today, a university, a city and a country are improved by the achievement of that 1966 team. Soon after that championship, Texas Western became the University of Texas at El Paso or, as we call it now, UTEP, and its basketball program continued to thrive under Coach Haskins until his retirement, as my colleagues have said, in 1999. Coach Haskins eventually led UTEP to 32 winning seasons, seven Western Athletic Conference championships, four Western Athletic Conference tournament titles, and 21 post-season appearances. Last year, the Miners won 27 games, 16 at our own Don Haskins Center in El Paso, named after the great coach, and they also earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. This year, they are again near the top of their conference, a testament to the enduring tradition of college basketball success created by Don Haskins. The university itself has been transformed from a small mining school into a hub of academic excellence and world-class research. El Paso, long proud of its Miners and its NCAA championship, has enjoyed the attention of a nation this year, as millions of Americans have fallen in love with the Miners through the recently released film ``Glory Road,'' which is currently being shown around the country. It is especially important for us to honor the 1966 Miners today on the eve of their accomplishment, here shown in that championship game against Kentucky. We must revise our historical injustice, the injustice of a group of men being judged by who they were, not how they played. At the time, the Texas Western Miners were denied an opportunity to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, but just last week I want to commend President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush as they honored this team at the White House, shown here in this photograph with the President, the original members of that 1966 championship team. So this afternoon I want to congratulate Coach Don Haskins, Bobby Joe Hill, Orsten Artis, Togo Railey, Willie Worsley, David Palacio, Dick Myers, Harry Flournoy, Louis Baudoin, Nevil Shed, Jerry Armstrong, Willie Cager, and David ``Big Daddy'' Lattin on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of their NCAA championship and for all of their successes in their lives. Today, we also remember, of course, Bobby Joe Hill who died and was unable to be in this photograph here in 2002. So, Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 668.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the USO Congressional Caucus, I join my colleague and good friend, Congressman Miller, on the House Armed Services Committee, who is our founding co-chair of the USO Caucus, in support of House Concurrent Resolution 322. This resolution recognizes the 65th anniversary of the United Service Organizations and extends Congress's appreciation to the USO for 65 years of dedicated service in support of our Armed Forces and their families. I have personally seen the impact of the USO on the lives of our Nation's military during visits, as my colleague mentioned, to Iraq, Afghanistan, and military facilities around the world. I have also seen the work of the USO closer to home. The congressional care package stuffing party, which was held in the Rayburn foyer last September, helped provide care packages stuffed by Members of Congress and our staffs for soldiers deploying from the Continental United States Replacement Center in my district at Fort Bliss, Texas. Also at Fort Bliss in December, the USO established a Wounded Warrior Room at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, providing soldiers recovering from combat injuries a place to relax during their treatment. And later this spring, the USO will open a new center on the main post of Fort Bliss to serve both those currently stationed at Fort Bliss and also the nearly 20,000 soldiers who will be coming to El Paso as part of the decision of BRAC and the overseas rebasing troop movements. While we see every day the good things that the USO does for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, many Americans may not remember how the USO came into existence. The year was 1941, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt challenged six private organizations to take responsibility for the leave recreation of the armed services. The six organizations were the Salvation Army; the Young Men's Christian Association, the YMCA; the Young Women's Christian Association, the YWCA; the National Catholic Community Services; National Travelers Aid Association; and the National Jewish Welfare Board. These six organizations pooled their resources together and became known as the United Service Organizations, or more commonly referred to today as the USO. The USO incorporated on February 4, 1941, and remains a private nonprofit organization that is supported entirely by over 1 million American citizens and hundreds of corporations. Back in its early days, USO facilities were opened in such unlikely places as churches, log cabins, museums, castles, barns, beach clubs and yacht clubs, railroad sleeping cars, and even some storefronts. These USO facilities were many things to so many people, a place to see movies or a place to dance and meet people, a quiet place to talk or write letters back home, a place to find religious counsel, and always a place to go for free coffee and doughnuts. By 1944, the USO had more than 3,000 clubs across the country. However, by 1947 the USO had all but disbanded. During the Korean war, the USO eventually reopened 24 clubs worldwide; and during the conflict in Vietnam, the first USO opened in a combat zone. It is here where I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I have personal knowledge of just what the USO means to a young soldier far away from home, bringing a little bit of home to a combat zone. As the draw-down in Vietnam ended, the USO began to provide new programs to help servicemembers and their families transition back into civilian life. With the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the USO opened its first center in Afghanistan, the Pat Tillman USO Center, at Bagram Air Base in 2005. Today there are more than 124 airport and family centers worldwide, located in 10 countries and 21 States. The USO is also recognized for its entertainment effort on behalf of our servicemembers and their families. In fact, one cannot recognize the USO and not remember that the most beloved and recognized entertainer, the great Bob Hope, was part of the heart and soul of the USO. Bob Hope began his first USO tour in 1942 and continued to entertain and support our troops for more than five decades. Bob Hope brought laughter and joy to thousands of men and women deployed around the world, and he and other entertainers volunteered to entertain the troops both in the United States and abroad, often under some of the most trying situations and conditions. Today that same commitment and dedicated spirit lives on in the hundreds of entertainers that have volunteered and continue to support our deployed troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as other bases around the world. Today the USO continues its outstanding achievement under the leadership of president and chief executive officer Ned Powell; chief of staff Sarah Farnsworth; and senior staff, Michael Farley, John Hanson, Keith Weaver, Bruce Townsend, and Hilary Welch; and the contributions from the USO World Board of Governors. These great people continue to help build and sustain the USO. But the most critical component of the USO and what makes it so special and what makes it so unique are the over 33,000 volunteers and paid staff members who contribute over 400,000 hours of service annually. These are people that are the heart and soul of the USO and provide direct comfort and assistance to our troops and their families, and I want to thank them all and honor them for their service to our troops and their families. Congress also recognizes the important role that the USO plays in support of our servicemembers and their families; and to further provide support to the USO, it established the USO Congressional Caucus. As co-chair of the caucus, I am pleased that over 150 of my colleagues have joined that effort to enhance the outreach to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, and their families. So today, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this great resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 657, a resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic schools across America, including those in my congressional district of El Paso, Texas. On September 21, 2005, with representatives of the school watching from the House gallery, I proudly rose to recognize the 80th anniversary of Cathedral High School in my district. Cathedral and other Catholic schools in El Paso and throughout our country offer a quality education and produce men and women committed to a broader idea of learning--one that extends beyond just textbooks. Catholic schools offer--in more than one sense--a value-added approach to education. They instill in their students a moral compass, a sense of purpose, and a commitment to service. Indeed, many of the men and women who inspired me to spend my life in public service were themselves encouraged to enter that field by the virtues conveyed through Catholic education. I count among that group Ambassador Raymond Telles, the first Hispanic mayor of EI Paso, an American ambassador, an advisor to presidents, and a man whose success in life was built in large part upon the ideals he learned at Cathedral High School. Today, Catholic schools teach 2.5 million young Americans, almost 15 percent of whom are not Catholics. This resolution reaffirms the House of Representatives' support for the countless Catholic school teachers and administrators who dedicate their lives to a particular vision of education, and for the values of love, charity, and hope that are tenets of a Catholic education. Again, Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support H. Res. 657 and urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this important resolution.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 655, honoring the life and accomplishments of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. It is with great respect and a heavy heart that I pay tribute to the life of a woman admired by so many Americans. On January 31, 2006, God summoned home one of His most dedicated activists in the fight for equal rights and social justice. It seems like only yesterday that Mrs. King joined her husband, the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., to fight for equality for all Americans. While the country mourned the loss of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. King picked up the torch and continued the fight for social justice, at the same time caring for their four children: Yolanda Denise, Martin Luther III, Dexter Scott, and Bernie Albertine. In doing so, she worked tirelessly on multi-national disarmament treaties, anti- poverty efforts in the U.S., and opposition to apartheid in South Africa. Later, in 1985, she initiated the creation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute to ensure that future generations of leaders carry on Rev. King's dream of peace and social justice. It is fitting that we honor her today not far from where she led several hundred-thousand people to commemorate her husband's historic march on our Nation's Capital. Because of the Reverend and Mrs. King's hard work and many sacrifices throughout the years, millions of Americans have greater opportunities today. Without their efforts, people like me might not have the opportunity to serve in the House of Representatives today. While the loss of Mrs. Coretta Scott King brings great sadness, it brings a sense of peace knowing that she will be reunited with her husband the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and that their legacy will flourish for generations to come.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission recently released a report grading our government's response to its recommendations of a year ago, and that report is sadly filled with failing marks. Now, more than 4 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this House is finally getting around to considering legislation that is supposed to address illegal immigration and border security. The only problem is that the bill offered by my Republican colleagues is completely inadequate to do the vitally important job and would surely earn yet another failing grade by the 9/11 Commission. Mr. Speaker, as the Members may know, before being elected to Congress, I served for 26\1/2\ years in the United States Border Patrol, including 13 of those years as sector chief in McAllen and El Paso. I have years of experience patrolling the tough terrain of the U.S.- Mexico border region, supervising thousands of dedicated Border Patrol agents and doing everything within our power to strengthen our borders and reduce illegal immigration. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, it is clear to me that there are some Members of this House who either have no idea of what Congress really needs to do to help keep Americans safe, or they are more interested in scoring political points with voters back home than protecting our country. This is a bad bill. This bill is being motivated more, in my opinion, by partisan politics than by sound policy. I personally believe that the underlying legislation betrays our heritage as a Nation of immigrants whose rich history has been enhanced by those who have come to this country to share our American dream. While we can disagree about the motives behind the bill, what is absolutely indisputable is that it fails to provide the Department of Homeland Security with the tools to protect the American people. That is why I am offering this motion to recommit with the support of my colleagues, Mr. Conyers and Mr. Thompson, who are the ranking members of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. Under this motion, we require DHS to develop a comprehensive border security strategy to establish control of all of our borders and ports. Unlike the base bill, we also provide significant personnel and equipment necessary to apprehend, to process and deport illegal immigrants: 12,000 additional Border Patrol agents are provided for in this motion; 8,000 more immigration and Customs enforcement inspectors; 4,000 additional inspectors at our ports-of-entry; 1,000 additional U.S. Marshals; 1,000 more detention officers; and 300 additional immigration judges. You see, Mr. Speaker, the effective control of our borders involves a little bit more than proposals for fences or mandatory sentencing. In fact, it is more about listening to and understanding the challenges that are faced by hardworking Federal officers and officials in every phase of the process. That includes Border Patrol agents, detention officers, Customs inspectors, U.S. Marshals, immigration judges and Federal prosecutors. In this motion, we also provide 100,000 new detention beds to ensure that DHS has the space to detain illegal immigrants so that we can put an end to that absurd policy of catch and release once and for all. Furthermore, we instruct DHS to locate and deal with the 110,000 undocumented immigrants who have already been released so that we can apprehend them and deport them back to their home countries. In short, Mr. Speaker, this motion to recommit would fulfill and even surpass the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Mr. Speaker, it has been over 4 years since the September 11 attacks. We need real action, not rhetoric. The American people are counting on us, and we cannot continue to fail them. Vote in favor of the motion to recommit and against this terribly misguided underlying underlying bill.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. REYES. Yes, I am, Mr. Speaker, in its current form.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, the well-known comedienne Joan Rivers used to say: Can we talk? And that is what I would like to say tonight, is, can we talk about a terrible bill, a bill that may feel good and make some people think they are voting for border security and to do a better job of monitoring the borders of our Nation but really is not? We can do much better. This bill reminds me a lot of the automobile that was built by Dr. Seuss that looked like an abomination. This bill has fenders sponsored by Congressman Issa. It has got a horn and a steering wheel sponsored by somebody else. It has got an engine that belongs to somebody else. And in its totality, it does nothing to address the issues and the problems that we have as a Nation. It talks about getting tough on smugglers, and do my colleagues know what it does? It criminalizes immediate family members. That means, if an individual is bringing in his wife or his children or his parents, he gets zapped just like that individual that is bringing in people for profit. Terrible. It talks about mandatory sentencing. That translates, if we are serious about that, to billions of dollars in prison construction. It does nothing for assistant U.S. Attorneys who are going to have to prosecute all these new felons. It does nothing to provide new judges that are going to be needed in this process. And it certainly is silent on U.S. marshals who, today, their vehicles average about 140,000 miles when the replacement suggested mileage is about 95,000. But, oh, no, we are not doing anything about the things that we really need on the border. We are doing things that are mean spirited, things that are not in keeping with the best traditions of a Nation that was founded by our immigrants. It betrays our legacy. It insults our immigrants. And I will tell my colleagues, Mr. Chairman, we can do much better. In fact, last week, in my district, I was informed that two young men that had just come back from Iraq, two young men that I have gotten to know because their father a long time ago came into this country as a bracero; he overstayed, raised a family here, and under the provisions and amendments that are proposed in this legislation, those two young men would be ineligible to be U.S. citizens. But, oh, yes, by the way, that is okay that they can go to Iraq and fight for the principles and for the rights of all people in this country. This is a terrible bill. I am opposed to it. I recommend that all our colleagues oppose it. Let us talk about doing a better job for this country by doing a better job with immigration.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule, and I do so because it does not seem to me reasonable to bring us into a debate over a very serious issue where our young men and women are in harm's way without hearings, without giving it any thought, without any careful thinking or examination, but thrusting it, thrusting us into voting on a resolution that is, as the gentleman from Georgia said, three lines long. In Texas we have saying that ``this dog don't hunt,'' and it does not hunt. This political strategy speaks to an observation that was made to us in a hearing recently by General Kelley from the Army. He said, We are a Nation at war. We are a Nation at war except in Washington, DC. We are not a Nation sharing the sacrifice. Nothing exemplifies his testimony better than the so-called debate here on this rule. In August, we honored four soldiers that are recipients of Purple Hearts, and one of the sergeants told me, Congressman, does anybody in Washington understand that we have a flawed strategy where we are being subjected to a mentality of ``The Charge of The Light Brigade?'' So I went back and I looked up ``The Charge of The Light Brigade'' by Lord Tennyson, and I will just read a portion of it: Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred, `Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!' he said: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. `Forward, the Light Brigade!' Was there a man dismay'd? Not tho' the soldier knew Some one had blunder'd: Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do and die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Every day our men and women are riding convoys into that valley of death. Shame on us for this resolution. Vote against it.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Tonight is both a sad night, because we are here because of the passing of a great American, Congressman Ed Roybal, but it is also a time to celebrate his life and his accomplishments and his legacy. I was just spending a few minutes with my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), a great American in her own right, who carries on that great legacy of her dad, and I was telling her how proud she must be here this evening to hear so many people talk about her dad. I know that she misses him, and I know that there is a huge void in her heart as there exists in many Members that worked with Congressman Roybal. I did not have the privilege of working with him in the House, but I certainly knew him, or at least I felt I knew him. I got to know him even more by virtue of becoming a good friend of his daughter and my colleague, Lucille Roybal-Allard. She always told us about her experiences coming to Washington and working in and around the Capitol with her mom and her dad and about the things that her dad stood for and about the things that he wanted to change and the things that he did change. She told us about the optimism that some day in this great country and in this, the people's House, there would be many more Latinos and Latinas that would represent communities all around the country. And guess what? Today, that is reality. Today, we have not only Latinos and Latinas here but many other minorities that carry on the work and the legacy of Congressman Roybal. What a giant he is among all of us. What a giant he is for us to look up to. As a grandfather, I want to be able to tell my grandkids that they should be proud of their heritage because of leaders like Congressman Roybal and the many things that he has left for us. There is a lot of work left to be done, but certainly many of us are here tonight and many of us are able to be here in these elected positions because of the work that he and a few others did back then when it must have been much harder than it is today. The challenge may be different. The challenge today may take on a different venue and a different texture, but we are able to do that and to take on that responsibility because we stand on the shoulders of great leaders like Ed Roybal. So, tonight, it is sad that we are here because we are going to miss him, but it is also a time to celebrate a great American, a great leader, one that leaves a legacy that I feel personally blessed is carried on by his daughter, Lucille Roybal-Allard. May God bless all of the Roybal family, and certainly God has blessed this country because they have walked into this people's House for two generations.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the commitment this Congress has made to the budget of the National Science Foundation, NSF. Over a 10-year period, we have increased NSF funding 45.2 percent in real terms, and in a tough budget climate we are increasing NSF appropriations by 2.4 percent over last year. The NSF is perhaps the government's most efficient and effective agency. It provides the backbone of our Nation's basic research efforts and strengthens our institutions of higher education by funding that research at university campuses across the country. The NSF also supports science education in grades K-12 to ensure future generations of Americans are equipped to carry on our tradition of innovation and prosperity. Every dollar appropriated to the National Science Foundation is an investment in this country's future. Mr. Speaker, we need more investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM. This appropriation is a good first step. However, if this country is to keep pace and maintain its leadership in the global economy, we must greatly expand and improve STEM education for children and college students and continue to increase our support of American innovation. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this appropriation for the NSF and renewing this country's commitment to innovation and economic competitiveness.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I join the entire Nation today in mourning the death of Ms. Rosa Parks. This humble woman showed how a single act, the refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, could change the course of history. Her actions helped spark the civil rights movement, inspiring leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ms. Parks' courage in an era marked by racial tension and hatred is still an example to us today. Indeed, we are all indebted to Ms. Parks for helping move this country toward one in which all men and women-- black, Latino, Asian, Native American, white--can take their rightful place in society. Ms. Parks' commitment to justice did not end with the civil rights movement. She went on to co-found the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development to help young adults attain a higher education, register to vote, and work toward racial harmony. In recognition of a lifetime of achievement, Ms. Parks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. She is also the first woman in history to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, which is a testament to her enormous impact on our Nation's history. Mr. Speaker, I join all Americans in mourning the passing of Ms. Rosa Parks. Though we are saddened by this loss, we are mindful of the fact that through her life she made our country a better place, and through her memory we will never forget the importance of justice and equality for all Americans.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the efforts of America's Blood Centers and especially the center in the 16th District of Texas, which I represent. For more than a half a century, United Blood Services of El Paso and Southern New Mexico has been serving our community as the sole source of blood supplies for blood transfusions and trauma surgeries. The United Blood Services has a staff of over 90 handling more than 30,000 donations a year. When a fire destroyed our local United Blood Services facilities in 2003, there was a serious shortage of blood supply not only for my district, but also for the Southern New Mexico region. The fire destroyed close to 500 units of blood. Fortunately, an emergency blood drive was quickly organized to obtain enough supply to serve those in need without having to rely on surrounding areas. I applaud not only the efforts of the center, but also those of my constituents who came out to donate during the time of critical need. The incident was incredibly unfortunate, but it did remind us all of what our blood center means to El Paso, and what the community means to the blood center. Mr. Speaker, with the life-saving services that the center in my district and those around the country provide, it is only appropriate to recognize the important work of America's Blood Centers today. Therefore, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this very worthwhile resolution.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 457, a resolution that supports the endeavors of the American Chemical Society to unite businesses, schools, and individuals in celebrating the importance of chemistry in the lives of Americans. Scientists have led us in the pursuit of discovery and innovation, which has helped make America a great nation. In order to educate the next generation of scientists, in my congressional district local school districts and colleges are actively working to educate future chemists. It will be this generation of students who will lead our society to the next frontiers of science. I applaud the efforts of the American Chemical Society to educate elementary and secondary school students about the positive effects of chemistry and to encourage them to consider chemistry as a career. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in recognizing the goals of National Chemistry Week, and I urge them to support this very worthwhile resolution.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1973, the Water for the Poor Act of 2005, a much needed statement of Congress' concern for one of the world's most fundamental problems. Mr. Speaker, according to the World Health Organization, one billion people around the world live without access to clean water, and 2.6 billion--40 percent of the world's population--cannot access basic sanitation. While the front pages of our newspapers recount the horrors of conflict and displacement and the risk of potential influenza pandemic, the silent epidemic of waterborne illness continues to sicken and kill around the world. Most of us here take having an unlimited supply of clean water for granted, but for billions of people the everyday question of water access means the difference between hope and misery, and even life and death. If we make the commitment to help more people around the world gain access to potable water, we can help societies become more productive by making them healthier. We can ensure the education of more girls who had previously spent hours a day carrying water. And we can save the lives of children who would have died of easily preventable diseases before maturity. Mr. Speaker, it is also important to point out in this context that some people struggle to access water right here in the United States. In my district of EI Paso, Texas and along the entire United States- Mexico border, unincorporated and under-served settlements called colonias regularly lack access to clean and affordable water. As we pass H.R. 1973 today, I want to remind my colleagues that we must continue funding North American Development Bank programs, such as the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), that help finance essential services infrastructure on both sides of the border. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all of my colleagues join me in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I fully support H.R. 4061 and encourage my colleagues to approve this legislation. I also want to thank our chairman and the ranking member for their leadership and the hard work of the staff on both sides of the aisle. This bill helps the Department of Veterans Affairs construct a balanced, responsive, and accountable system to manage information technology at the VA. This legislation is necessary to overcome a mindset at the VA regarding the management of information technology that increasingly is defined by clouded management processes and a lack of accountability within the three principal administrations. In just the last decade, VA has expended hundreds of millions of dollars to field information technology systems that were discontinued due to misalignment with VA's mission, mismanagement or serious cost overruns. Under H.R. 4061, this will change. The Department will receive a centralized framework to manage IT assets throughout the Department in pursuit of its One-VA initiative. Information technology will be managed by a highly qualified VA-wide information technology team that will ultimately report to a chief information officer, or CIO. The CIO will have control of the budget, assets, personnel, and systems necessary to achieve success department-wide, but there is an express understanding that information technology in VA is a support function. It is not a final goal. Measures of effectiveness across the administrations will be tracked and should demonstrate that VA has become a more effective organization. Also under this bill, a deputy CIO will be assigned to each of the three administrations. In this capacity, they are the principal advocates for the business and mission needs of the respective administration at all levels of use, from senior managers to end-users throughout the field. This requirement will facilitate innovation and fine-tune the design of the IT infrastructure. The deputy CIO will be responsible to the Department CIO for IT system alignment and related matters, but will otherwise be in control of day-to-day IT operations in their respective administration. I would like to congratulate again the staffs from each side of the aisle for working out this improved IT management system for VA, and I am glad to be an original cosponsor of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth).

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), our ranking Democratic member of the committee.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, John H. Bradley, a Pharmacist's Mate Second Class, who enlisted in the United States Navy in January, 1943, was one of the six men who raised an American flag at Mount Suribachi during the battle of Iwo Jima, an action that we all know now has been immortalized in the Pulitzer prize photo by Joe Rosenthal and the subject of the statue at the Marine Corps Memorial. He was a key part of an event that recorded the soul of a Nation in a time of great crisis. Bradley was born in Antigo, Wisconsin, as we have heard, and his family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, where he grew up as a boy. He was assigned to the 28th Marine Corps Regiment of the 5th Marine Division during the assault on Iwo Jima. Two days after landing with his regiment, he earned the Navy Cross. The citation accompanying his Navy Cross cited extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy at Iwo Jima on February 21, 1945. It cited that during a furious assault by his company on the strongly defended enemy position at the base of Mount Suribachi, Bradley observed that a Marine infantryman had fallen wounded in an open area under a pounding mortar barrage interlaced with merciless crossfire from machine guns and small arms. With complete disregard for his own safety, he ran through this intense fire to the side of the fallen Marine and determined that an immediate administration of plasma was necessary in order to save that Marine's life. He heroically shielded the injured man with his own body and tied a plasma unit to a rifle that he had planted upright in the sand. After stabilizing the patient and his injuries, Bradley pulled the man some 30 yards through that intense fire to safety. His heroism did not end on that day. A few weeks later, he was wounded in both legs in a mortar attack. He refused evacuation until he had finished rendering aid to two other wounded Marines. He was subsequently awarded a Purple Heart for this action. Bradley was a star attraction during the Seventh War Bond Drive, where he spoke in over 33 cities. This war bond drive collected over $24 billion, which is the largest borrowing from the American people in the history of our country. Bradley was the last surviving member, as we have heard, of the six flag-raisers. He died in 1994 at the age of 70. His son, James Bradley, is the author of the book ``Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima.'' As has already been mentioned by Chairman Buyer, this bill has the support of the Wisconsin delegation. It has my full support. And today, where a couple of hours ago we celebrated the Marine Corps birthday, it is a fitting tribute. I urge all my colleagues to vote for this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in strong support of H. Res. 523, a resolution condemning Iranian Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's declaration that ``Israel must be wiped off the map.'' At a time when so many are working to foster peace and enhance security in the Middle East, President Ahmadinejad's comments are not only abhorrent, but also place that already very troubled region in further jeopardy. His statement warrants a swift, unequivocal condemnation from Congress as well as the United Nations and all countries around the world that are concerned about troubling changes in Iranian foreign policy under President Ahmadinejad. Again, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution, and condemn the Iranian President's remarks in the strongest possible terms.