Silvestre Reyes

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today is strong support of H.R. 2990, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2001, which was introduced by my good friend Congressman Ruben Hinojosa. Among other things, this legislation amends the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize the construction of 20 additional specified projects in Texas and increases the authorization of appropriations for carrying out the these projects. As you know Mr. Speaker, the Rio Grande and the areas along both sides of the border have been severely impacted by drought conditions during the last decade. In fact, given the recent problems with the Mexican water debt, we are hearing more about the dire conditions of farmers in the area than in years past. There are more than seven million people residing in the Lower Valley of the Rio Grande river with approximately one million of those living in the United States. The area is one of the fastest growing areas of our country with projected populations more than doubling by the year 2050. This area encompasses 29 water districts located in the United States below the International Falcon-Amistad Reservoir System, which supplies nearly 95 percent of the water needs of this area. Mr. Speaker, we need to make significant improvements to irrigation canal delivery systems. We need to develop aggressive strategies to conserve water and we need to improve the overall management of the most precious resource in the area--water. On December 28, 2000, the President signed into law the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-576). The legislation authorized the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to develop a program to investigate and identify opportunities to improve the water supply for selected counties along the Texas-Mexico border. The bill on the floor today amends this law by adding 14 new water conservation projects; modifying the criteria for water supply studies; and increasing the authorization for carrying out the studies. In addition, this bill increases the authorization for construction of facilities from $10 million to $47 million. Mr. Speaker, we need to do everything in our power to facilitate good water management and conservation strategies along the U.S.--Mexico border. I applaud the efforts of my colleague for introducing this important legislation and I ask my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the men and women of the United States Capitol Police. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, America as a nation has grown to appreciate the work that the Capitol Police has done to protect its citizens. The FY 2003 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill before us, allows officers to receive most of the back pay that they earned while working overtime since September 11. As you know, House employees, which include U.S. Capitol Police, are prohibited from earning more than Members of Congress. Because Capitol Police pay is calculated quarterly, officers who worked an enormous amount of overtime in one quarter, if annualized, can exceed the existing annual limit on pay. This bill's provisions change this method of calculating pay to permit officers to receive their overtime pay. This bill appropriates a total of $219 million for the Capitol Police, $61 million more than the current level. This total includes $176 million for salaries and $43 million for general expenses. This level of funding will support 1,454 officers and 326 civilian positions. The bill also includes an additional $37.5 million for Capitol Police buildings. This bill provides a 5% merit pay raise for Capitol Police, which would be in addition to the 4.1% cost of living adjustment provided to congressional staff. This bill provides for a tuition payment program for police recruits and officers, as well as a measure to provide extra pay for officers with special duties, such as members of the bomb squad or those who provide protection to Members or visiting dignitaries. As a former federal law enforcement officer of twenty-six and a half years, I understand first-hand the importance of the duties performed by the Capitol Police. Our officers have been spending numerous days and nights, working long hours, to ensure that Members of Congress, their staffs, and the general public are safe and protected. We certainly owe these officers a debt of gratitude. More than ever, I admire and respect our United States Capitol Police and am glad to see that their hard work has not gone unnoticed. Thank you Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this bill. First I want to thank both Chairman Goss and Ranking Member Pelosi for developing a bill that is designed to meet the intelligence challenges that our Nation is currently facing. Their leadership on critical intelligence issues has been an inspiration and very noteworthy for all of us on the committee. Since the events of September 11, we have been wrestling with many issues in our quest to enhance our intelligence-gathering capabilities. It is apparent now more than ever that intelligence is the cornerstone in successfully prosecuting the war on terror and securing our homeland. Chairman Goss and Ranking Member Pelosi have ensured that this outstanding bill provides for the funding and the policy guidance to get this job done. I thank them for their continued commitment to our Nation and to our committee. One of the things that we have also learned is the need for reliable human intelligence. The lives of our citizens are much too valuable to be trusted to proxy agents. This bill addresses this issue. We need analysts and case officers with language skills and expertise in foreign areas. At both the NSA and CIA, literally thousands of pieces of data are never analyzed, or are analyzed after the fact because there are too few analysts and even fewer with the necessary language skills. I am proud to have played a role in the construction of this bill, especially the components of it that exemplify the mindset of thinking out of the box, something that will be essential in our future success in fighting terrorism. If we do not innovate and ride the dragon of change, then surely that dragon will ride us. That is why I am especially proud to be a cosponsor of the gentleman from Indiana's amendment to authorize additional funding for the national security education program and to establish the national flagship language initiative. One of the lessons we have learned in the current conflict is a shortage of qualified linguists who are central to intelligence- gathering operations such as interrogations and signals intelligence. This bill will alleviate that shortage. Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4940, the Arlington Cemetery Burial Eligibility Act. I would like to thank Chairman Chris Smith and Ranking Member Lane Evans, as well as Mike Simpson, the Chairman of our Subcommittee, for moving forward with consideration of H.R. 4940. While I am aware of concerns that the bill may exclude certain high government officials from burial at Arlington, I support this measure to codify the requirements for burial in order to conserve the limited space available at this hallowed ground. I also support the manager's amendment to permit veterans who were buried in marked graves at private cemeteries to qualify for a government marker if they died after September 11, 2001. This amendment would make a provision of Public Law 107-103, applicable to veterans who die between September 11, 2001 and December 26, 2001. The marker will recognize the veteran's service to our Nation. It is only fitting that this honor be extended those brave American veterans who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on the United States. I support this bill and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill as amended.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5055. This measure authorizes the placement in Arlington National Cemetery of a memorial to honor our brave World War II veterans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. In particular I thank Chairman Chris Smith and Ranking Member Lane Evans, as well as Mike Simpson, the Chairman of our Benefits Subcommittee for their strong support for this important bill. Mr. Speaker, my father-in-law, Victor Gaytan, fought at the Battle of the Bulge. I am very pleased this memorial will honor him and his comrades who fought bravely during that difficult battle. As Field Marshal Montgomery said, the Battle of the Bulge ``was definitely one of the most difficult in which I have been able to participate and the stakes were considerable.'' Arlington is a fitting place to honor these brave veterans, those that returned as my father- in-law did, as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I am pleased to support this measure. I urge all members to support the bill.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Internship Program and its federal and private-sector partners in providing Hispanic college students with invaluable real world working experiences that have allowed these students to make more educated career choices. Over the past ten years, the HACU National Internship Program (HNIP) has introduced more than 3,800 Hispanic college students to meaningful paid internships with federal and corporate partners during the spring, summer and fall. This has become the largest Hispanic college internship program in the United States. The HACU National Internship Program exposes these students to public and private sector career opportunities and specifically helps address the historic under-representation of Hispanics in the federal work force. Many former interns are now full-time federal employees and managers, proving that the program truly is making a difference. On July 10, 2002, the HACU National Internship Program will celebrate its 10th Anniversary at a ``Red, White y Azul--Investing in the American Dream,'' Gala in Washington, D.C. This gala will showcase the achievements of former and current interns as part of a summer-long series of special events marking this remarkable program's first 10 years. The HACU National Internship program began in 1992 with 24 interns. In 2001 alone, the program provided paid 10- and 15-week internships to 632 interns working at 19 federal agencies and five private corporations in Washington, D.C., and at locations throughout the United States. By the end of 2002, the program likely will set another record in the numbers of participating interns from throughout the country. This competitive program selects top students from among HACU's 318 member and partner colleges and universities, which collectively serve more than two-thirds of all Hispanic students in higher education. This program provides meaningful work experiences to these students by matching their skills and career goals with the objectives of federal and corporate partners, enabling these students to make more informed career choices. Based on formal program evaluations from students and supervisors, the HACU National Internship Program boasts a proven track record in positively addressing the underrepresentation of Hispanics in the federal work force. Ninety-five percent of students surveyed in 2001 rated their internship experience in the federal government as ``excellent.'' More importantly, 73 percent of the 2001 summer students stated that they are interested in pursuing a career in federal service. Of those students, 82 percent said it was a direct result of their internship experience. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that Hispanics remain the only under- represented ethnic group in the federal government. As you know, Hispanics currently comprise 11.9 percent of the civilian labor force but only 6.7 percent of the permanent federal workforce. Recent reports also estimate that within the next five years, more that 50 percent of the current federal work force will become eligible to retire. As the youngest and now largest ethnic population, Hispanics already make up one of every three new workers in the overall workforce, and by 2050 are projected to make up one of every two new workers. Thus, the HACU National Internship Program directly addresses both the historic under-representation of Hispanics in the federal labor force and the need to address the coming shortage of public service sector employees overall. In addition, this program fully supports White House Executive Order 13171, which requests that federal agencies increase their outreach to the Latino community and support programs that help address the continuing under-representation of Hispanics in federal workforce ranks. The HACU National Internship Program is Point Four in the Office of Personnel Management Nine-Point Hispanic Employment Initiative as an effective, proven tool to recruit well-qualified Hispanics into the federal government. I salute those who have made the HACU National Internship Program a success. Their efforts will continue to open the doors to opportunity for new generations of exceptional students while enhancing the diversity of our workforce.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, as a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Intelligence Committee, and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, as a veteran, as a Democrat, as a citizen of this nation, I strongly support the funding in this bill for fighting the war against terrorism and for rebuilding New York. I strongly support the funding in this bill to secure our borders. We all support these provisions. I applaud the Appropriations Committee for putting together a bill that we can all vote for and send to the President. The Republican leadership decided to take a good bill and play politics. The Republican leadership decided to take a bill that is designed to fight a war, to keep our soldiers safe, to secure our ports-of-entry, and decided to add provisions that they didn't want to deal with and debate on their own merits. The Republican leadership doesn't want the American people to know that they are seeking to raise the debt limit, to add $750 billion to our nation's credit card, without having a single member of this body vote on raising the debt limit. They don't want the American people to know that they need to raise this debt limit in part because of their fiscally irresponsible tax cuts that mainly benefitted the wealthiest in the country and ignored the needs of the working class. If we are going to raise the debt limit by $750 billion, we owe it to our constituents to let them know what we are doing and to have an honest and full debate on this floor. Let's stand here and debate the reasons we need to raise the debt limit. If we need to raise this debt limit because we are at war, as the Republicans say, let's talk about it and get all the facts out. I would welcome the opportunity to talk about the fiscal policy of the Republican party that has put us in this situation. Let's confront this issue instead of trying to sneak it into a bipartisan emergency supplemental appropriations bill that we all support. Last night, the Speaker of the House said that if we voted against this bill, we would be ``voting against our military'' and we would be ``voting against those people in New York.'' I say to the Speaker and to my friends on the other side of the aisle that you are the ones who made this ``war-time'' supplemental political. You are the ones politicizing this issue. You should be ashamed of your actions to try and fool the American people. I am about to depart on a CODEL with a number of my colleagues to visit our troops in Korea and Uzbekistan. I have visited troops in Bosnia, in Germany, in Turkey, and in Afghanistan. I participate in these CODELs so that I will never lose sight of what I am doing in Congress and what those brave young men and women are doing for us each day. This debate, these actions by the Republican leadership, make it clear that too many people in this body have lost sight of what we are supposed to do here. This bill should be about homeland defense, about national security, about taking care of our troops who are spilling their blood for us. Instead, this bill has become a political mess because of the action of the Republican leadership. They should be ashamed.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith, Democratic Ranking Member Evans, and the Chairman of our Subcommittee, Mike Simpson, for their work on H.R. 4015. This bill is the product of a lot of hard work by our present Benefits Subcommittee as well as its former Chairman, Jack Quinn, and Ranking Member Bob Filner. When enacted, this measure will result in increased and improved job placements for veterans who use the public labor exchange and receive assistance from Disabled Veterans Program Outreach and Local Veterans Employment Representatives. Mr. Speaker, during our hearing on this bill, I was particularly disturbed that March 2002, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated a very high rate of unemployment for young male veterans, especially minority veterans. In March 2002, male veterans aged 20 to 24 had an unemployment rate of 26 percent compared to 12 percent of all males. For African Americans, the rate was 54 percent and for Hispanic veterans, 30 percent. At this point in time, it is not clear if the data from March 2002, which is considerably worse than that reported during all of Fiscal Year 2001, is an anomaly or a trend. I expect the Department of Labor, under the provisions of this bill, to pay special attention to areas where minority veterans are disproportionately represented in the unemployed labor force. I hope that by providing more flexibility to the States, intensive services will be directed to such veterans. During the hearing on the bill, some concerns were raised concerning increased flexibility to the states in permitting nonveterans to be employed as Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists (DVOP) and Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER). I requested that certain changes be made in the bill and I appreciate Chairman Simpson's cooperation in strengthening this section of the bill. In order to emphasize the Committee's expectation that these positions ordinarily be filled by veterans, the language in the bill now indicates that to ``the maximum extent practicable'', veterans be employed in these positions. Since the bill allows for part time as well as full time employees in these positions, the States may find circumstances under which a qualified veteran may not be available to provide services most effectively or efficiently. In order to assure compliance with the Committee's intention that permanent positions ordinarily be filled by veterans, the States are required to submit information and supporting rationale to the Secretary whenever nonveterans are employed in these positions for more than six months. I intend to monitor this provision closely. I believe that H.R. 4015 will provide the states with the flexibility that they need in order to effectively meet the needs of veterans in the 21st century. I urge all Members to support this bill.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank our Committee Chairman, Chris Smith, our Democratic Ranking Member, Lane Evans, and my good friend Mike Simpson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, for their work in promptly bringing H.R. 4085 to the floor. It is always good to see members of this Committee from both sides of the aisle working together to improve benefits for our Nation's veterans and their family members. I am pleased that we will again be increasing the monthly benefit paid to disabled veterans and their survivors according to increases in the consumer price index. We must never allow the value of compensation paid to our Nation's veterans to decrease because of changes in the cost of living. I support the provision drawn from H.R. 1108 which would allow the surviving spouses of veterans who remarry after age 65 to retain their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and related benefits. I am pleased that the amended bill includes, as I requested, the small number of survivors receiving benefits under the older death compensation program. I also believe that surviving spouses who have already remarried after age 65 should have an opportunity to have benefits reinstated if they request reinstatement within one year after enactment of the bill. I would prefer that the age at which remarriage would be allowed be 55, as Mr. Bilirakis, the author of the original bill, requested. Nonetheless, I recognize the difficulty in obtaining accurate cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) when a new program, without historical data is proposed. As CBO stated the cost of this program ``could be much higher or much lower, depending upon the portion of eligible people that apply for this benefit.'' I believe that the cost will be much lower and expect that data concerning the new program will provide us with a more realistic basis on which to cost future legislation to make the age at which remarriage is allowed, consistent with other federal programs. I agree with my friend the distinguished Ranking Member of the Full Committee, Lane Evans, that Members of the Selected Reserve should not be required to pay an extra fee in order to qualify for a home loan through the Department of Veterans Affairs. As the attached sheet ``Comparison of Fiscal Year Liquidation Rates Reservists vs All Others'' indicates, the foreclosure rates for reservists is more than a full percentage point lower than all others. As we ask Members of the Selected Reserve to assume more and more responsibility for national defense, we must provide them with commensurate benefits. I support removing the additional and unjustified funding fee imposed on the Selected Reserve, as provided by H.R. 2095, for three years and hope that funding will enable us to make this reduction permanent in the future. Mr. Speaker, no one has a stronger claim on the public fisc, than those veterans who have been severely disabled as a result of their military service. The provisions in H.R. 4085, drawn from Mr. Filner's bill, H.R. 2222, will provide veterans who qualify for the Veterans' Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI) programs, closer toward the goal of meeting the needs of these veterans in the 21st century. By increasing the amount of the mortgage insurance to $150,000, and by eliminating the current requirement that the insurance be terminated at age 70, our severely disabled veterans will be assured that in the event of their death, their home mortgage can be paid off. If we can not afford to help our Nation's most severely disabled veterans, who can we afford to help? As an original cosponsor with our Subcommittee Chairman, Mike Simpson, our Full Committee Chairman Chris Smith, and our Ranking Democratic Member, Lane Evans, I fully support additional funding for the State Approving Agencies. When we ask that agencies assume additional responsibilities, Congress must provide the resources to see that those responsibilities can be met. I urge all Members of the House to support our Nation's veterans and this bipartisan bill.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3694 a bill to restore critically needed federal highway funds. I am a cosponsor of this important piece of legislation. As you know, the President's budget includes a cut of nearly 27 percent or $8.5 billion to the Federal highway program in Fiscal Year 2003. The impact of such a cut would be devastating to state and local transportation programs and to the economy in general. Every $1 billion invested in the Federal highway program supports an estimated 42,000 jobs. A cut of the magnitude in the President's budget would result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs at a time when the economy is slowly pulling out of a recession. The Highway Funding Restoration Act increases funding for roads bridges and safety programs by $4.5 billions in Fiscal Year 2003, the level authorized by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Since the enactment of TEA-21, the nation's transportation infrastructure has benefitted immensely. To halt this progress by cutting funding by 27 percent would hurt communities and the men and women whose livelihood depends on transportation-related projects. Mr. Speaker, without the passage of this important legislation, my state of Texas will lose $297 million dollars in Federal transportation funds. Texas simply cannot afford cuts of this magnitude. H.R. 3694 is a good piece of legislation and is supported by 317 cosponsors. I urge the adoption of this important bill and ask my colleagues to vote in favor of it.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4737, the Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2002. The federal restrictions on state flexibility in H.R. 4737 are counter productive to achieving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) primary goal to assist impoverished families and to end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation. Despite its faults, the 1996 Welfare Reform Act was able to help many families reach self- sufficiency. This was possible largely because of the amount of state flexibility allowed in the TANF program. H.R. 4737 removes that state flexibility and replaces it with unfunded mandates that undermine the state's ability to help needy families achieve sustained self- sufficiency. This bill will destroy the key and successful elements of TANF. The changes made to the work requirements in this bill eliminate each state's ability to determine the best approach to place their recipients into paying jobs. In particular, this bill will remove current state discretion to assign work requirements and amount of work hours. It mandates that the work participation rate be at 70 percent by 2007, it requires all recipients be assigned 40 hours work or work related activities a week--even for mothers with children under six years of age, and compounds the restrictions by narrowing the definition of work related activities. Rather than allowing states to develop their own plans based on the unique needs of their recipients, this bill restricts what work-related activities can count toward the work participation rate and the mandated 40 hours of work. States need the flexibility to assign the most appropriate activities to recipients based on an assessment of individual needs. For example, recipients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) need access to English as a second language programs before they can gain the needed job skills and training that result in lasting jobs that pay livable wages and include benefits. Recipients with children need access to quality child care before they can leave home to work. In 2000, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families issued a report stating that only 12 percent of those eligible for federal child care assistance receive this much needed assistance. Instead of providing the funding necessary to offer assistance to the 88 percent of parents in need of child care, this bill doubles their amount of work hours required. Most importantly this bill does nothing to restore federal assistance to Legal Permanent Residents (LRPs). On the contrary, H.R. 4737 contains two extremely harmful provisions that would further restrict LPR access to federal assistance, including to the food stamp program. The superwaiver provision will allow the Executive Branch to waive virtually all program rules completely disregarding Congressional intent. Additionally, the food stamp block grant provision would allow five states to opt for a fixed amount of food stamp funds for the next five years. The incentive to ensure program participation will be eliminated. These two provisions have the potential of reversing the gains made by the restoration of food stamp benefits for LPRs in the Farm Bill, which was just signed into law earlier this week. In times when states face increasing budgetary deficits, a fixed block grant that can be used for other programs sends the wrong message. LPRs are disproportionately represented in industries that are most affected during economic downturns. During these times LPRs are often hit the hardest, and they, like all Americans, must be allowed to access the program that can help them to get back to work. States have recognized the importance of providing services to LPRs, but with more and more states running budgetary deficits restrictions on immigrant access to federal programs impose a serious dilemma. The federal government should not continue to ignore the needs of LPRs. Since many LPRs work in the service industries that are affected most acutely by recessions, they are in need of the back to work assistance that TANF can provide. Mr. Speaker, this bill does nothing to address the barriers that prevent recipients from achieving sustained independence and self- sufficiency. It does nothing to facilitate the education or job skills needed for recipients to gain employment. It does nothing to address the overwhelming backlog of single parents who need adequate child care. It does nothing to restore federal assistance to LPRs. It does nothing to address poverty reduction or advance employment. For these reasons and more, I urge Members to oppose H.R. 4737.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding me the time, and I want to thank both the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for their commitment to drafting a bipartisan bill that addresses the many needs of our immigration system. Therefore, I rise in strong support of the Barbara Jordan Immigration Reform Act. The chairman and the ranking member are to be commended for working together and bringing a great bill to the House floor. As we discuss the issue of INS restructuring today, it is important to distinguish between the men and women in the field and the bureaucracy at INS headquarters when we talk about restructuring INS. INS headquarters has failed the people who work for them more than anyone else. As a former border patrol agent, INS inspector, and chief patrol agent, I know about the sense of duty to one's country and the pride in a job well done that the people who wear the INS uniform are committed to doing today. It is for the men and women in the field that we must restructure this agency. There is no escaping the fact that INS is failing. Even those very reluctant to restructure the INS just a year ago are now advocating this same change. The bill we are debating today is the type of change we need. This change is more dramatic and effective than the White House plan which has changed again since the events surrounding the student visa debacle of a month ago. Late yesterday the White House endorsed this bill with conditions, expressing concern with some of the components of this bill. From my perspective, it is time for the White House to get engaged and support this bill without any restrictions. I have seen more than five INS restructuring proposals from the Democratic and Republican administrations since I have been in Congress, and countless others during my 26 years with INS. They all failed because cooking the books and changing some of the titles never really gets the job done. We need to do more than shuffle boxes if we are going to reform the INS. Let me just say that I am today not piling on. I have a vested interest in the INS. I spent more than 26 years with the INS and I want to see our Immigration Service properly serve our country like I know that it can. I want to see this conflicted, struggling agency elevated in stature as it is the Sensenbrenner bill so that it will receive the kind of attention and support that it deserves. A well-functioning immigration system is critical to our national security. I have advocated for restructuring since I first arrived in Congress a little more than 5 years ago. I introduced two bills and have cosponsored many other restructuring bills with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. I believe that INS needs a legislative remedy, not the shuffling of boxes that is currently being proposed from within INS again. I strongly support restructuring the INS as a first step in the recovery of our national immigration system. After we restructure and place competent and experienced people at the head of each bureau, they must surround themselves with experts and they must listen. I believe that the new bureau should follow the FBI model and surround the head of the bureau with experienced field personnel. Congress must remain committed to these new bureaus and the new Associate Attorney General more than ever to ensure the success of our national immigration system. This bill includes language stressing equally important roles of the immigration service's bureau and the enforcement bureau and includes a sense of Congress that both bureaus must be adequately funded. Finally, Mr. Chairman, to my former colleagues in INS, I say to you that this bill expresses a commitment from a grateful Congress to provide you with the tools and the kind of organizational structure that will make a meaningful difference in your everyday duties and work.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. I was sitting there listening to my colleague speaking on the other side of the aisle, talking about the Welfare Reform Act that has proven to be a good thing. I would ask him, since when is hunger a good thing? Since when is the fact that there are children going to bed hungry and going to school hungry a good thing for this country? It goes contrary to everything that we stand for. In regard to the affidavit of support, the answer to that is that if we file an affidavit for support and someone is intending to go on welfare, then the immigrant visa will not be issued. I know about that because I spent 26\1/2\ years working in the immigration service. But today, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Baca motion that instructs conferees on the Farm Security Act. The House has passed the Farm Security Act without any protection in the nutrition title for vulnerable populations, and any farm bill reauthorization would be incomplete without a well-founded nutrition title that includes a clean and simple restoration of the food stamp eligibility for legal residents; again, legal residents. I am pleased that we have united in a very bipartisan manner in an effort to restore food stamp benefits to legal residents. I believe that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle as a whole are not committed to continuing an anti-immigrant, anti-Latino, anti-family pro-hunger campaign that we have come to equate with some of those on the other side of the aisle. However, regrettably, the House Republican conferees have been relentless in their efforts to undermine a clean and simple restoration of food stamp benefits. It is unconscionable and regrettable that some Members in this House would use this issue and the issue of hunger that is faced by the most vulnerable of our population as a political ploy and a political tool. There is no compassion in withholding food from families and from children. I welcome the administration's proposal to extend eligibility to legal residents who have lived in the United States for 5 years. The proposal is simple and straightforward, and every Member in this House ought to support it. I agree with the Baca amendment, and I hope my colleagues vote to support it.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, later today the House will debate a motion to instruct conferees on the Farm Security Act that seeks to prevent the restoration of benefits to legal residents. Well, I am appalled that this motion is offered, given the bipartisan support to restore food stamp benefits to legal permanent residents. I am, however, not surprised that there are some still in this House who continue their anti-immigrant, anti-Latino and anti-family campaign. Let me repeat, Mr. Speaker. We are talking about benefits to legal residents; legal residents who come to this country from all parts of the world. Earlier this year we welcomed the administration's proposal to extend eligibility to legal residents who have lived in the United States for 5 years. We supported this proposal because it was simple and straightforward. The Senate has included the administration's proposal in its version of the farm bill, but efforts continue in conference discussions to undermine a fair and simple restoration of benefits for legal residents. These efforts clearly undermine President Bush's own proposal for restoration of food stamps. I hope that this Congress, Mr. Speaker, does the right thing and restores food stamp benefits to legal residents, and I also today ask President Bush to do more to convince his party that legal permanent residents deserve these benefits. It is long overdue, it is time, and it is the right thing to do.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the House to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) chronic disease programs including the CDC's diabetes control program. The diabetes control program has been successfully implemented in 16 states and we must continue to build on this success by assuring its implementation in all 50 states. Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that by 2010, it is estimated that over 10 percent of the population will have diabetes. In addition, current data suggest that diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death for Americans living along the U.S.- Mexico border and the third leading cause of death for Mexicans living on the other side of the border. It is estimated that nearly 30 percent of residents along the U.S.-Mexico border have diabetes and that one third don't even know they have the disease. Prevention of diabetes and its deadly complications are keys to fighting this horrible disease. Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis are the leading cause of death in the United States, killing seven out of ten Americans. The costs of chronic diseases are staggering, with more than 70 percent of health care expenditures in the United States going to combat or treat chronic diseases. By 2020, it is estimated that $1 trillion, or 80 percent of health expenditures, will be spent on chronic diseases. Unfortunately, President Bush's budget calls for a $175 million cut in the CDC's chronic disease budget. With cuts of these magnitudes, the CDC will not have the resources it needs to combat the pending diabetes epidemic. I urge my colleagues to support a $350 million increase in the CDC's chronic disease budget and to send a clear message that combating diseases such as diabetes must remain a national priority.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a true patriot and exemplary American, the Honorable Louis Caldera. Few individuals define the realization of the ``American Dream'' more perfectly than Louis Caldera. As the former Secretary of the Army under the Clinton Administration and current Vice-Chancellor for University Advancement for the California State University, Louis Caldera has achieved more in 45 years than most people do in a lifetime. What makes these achievements so remarkable is the story behind them. Louis Caldera was born in El Paso, Texas to Mexican immigrant parents. At the age of four, his family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles. As the son of working class parents, Caldera encountered the struggles of poverty at a young age, yet was instilled with a strong sense of patriotism, love of family, and profound appreciation of the importance of education. Louis had his first job at the age of ten, when he worked as a parking lot sweeper at a local shopping center. For two years, Louis and his parents woke up at 3 a.m. three nights a week to clean the parking lot in order to pay the rent for a small hair salon they operated in the shopping center. During high school, Caldera worked 40 hours a week at a fast food restaurant while taking a full load of college preparatory courses. Louis was only enrolled in college prep classes after persisting and even having his parents sign an approval. Advisors at his high school suggested that Louis pursue more `practical' vocational training courses. His hard work and determination paid off. Louis was accepted to West Point upon graduation from high school. After graduating from West Point in 1978, Caldera served as an Army officer and quickly rose to the rank of Captain. He then attended Harvard University, where he received both a Law Degree and a Master's in Business Administration. After a brief stint in the private sector as a corporate finance lawyer, Caldera returned to the public service as a State Representative in the California State Legislature, where he represented downtown Los Angeles. In 1997 he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the AmeriCorps program. One year later Caldera was appointed by Clinton to serve as Secretary of the Army. At the young age of 45, Caldera has accomplished more than many individuals do in a lifetime. Throughout every phase of his career, he has achieved the unimaginable while never losing sight of his roots. Louis Caldera truly understands both the unique challenges and incredible opportunities confronting Hispanics in the United States on a daily basis. Caldera is a true community servant and his dedication to the Hispanic community and especially Hispanic youth are highly commendable. As Secretary of the Army, Caldera was a ``Soldier's Soldier'', visiting troops all over the globe and working day and night to provide enlisted soldiers with the education and skills they need to succeed within the Army and beyond. Thanks to Caldera's leadership, the Army overcame a recruiting deficit, giving a renewed sense of honor and duty to military service. Caldera created the Army University Access Online distance education program that enables soldiers to earn college and graduate degrees while serving. In addition, he directed the expansion of the Junior ROTC program to hundreds of high school campuses nationwide and spearheaded Army sponsorship of ``Operation Graduation,'' a three-year public service advertising campaign designed to increase high school graduation rates among at-risk youth. Caldera's unceasing commitment to education is reflected in his current position as Vice Chancellor of University Advancement at the California State University. Caldera is an excellent role model and phenomenal leader. His ability to understand the struggles and needs of students from diverse backgrounds sets him apart from others, and Louis's own struggle to overcome adversity is truly inspirational. Louis possesses a unique knowledge of government affairs, the private sector, and the challenges that Hispanics in the U.S. face on a daily basis. Caldera's accomplishments speak highly of his character, intelligence, and dedication to the Hispanic community and our Nation. These qualities and countless others make Louis Caldera a truly remarkable man and an invaluable asset to our community. It is a privilege and an honor to recognize Louis Caldera in the company of my fellow members of Congress. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 339, and to recognize the Census Bureau's current and past dedicated employees. Of the eleven major statistical agencies in the federal government, the Census Bureau takes on the greatest task of all--the decennial census that is required by our Constitution. The decennial census is the largest single activity undertaken by a statistical agency. The census if the managerial challenge that few agencies, statistical or otherwise, could accomplish. In the year of the census, the Census Bureau opens and closes over 500 offices, and temporarily hires almost half a million employees. Then comes the enormous task of tabulating hundreds of millions of pieces of information within 1 year. In addition to this massive undertaking, employees at the Census Bureau work hard to collect and provide data from other agencies within the federal government. They provide the information necessary to govern our country and manage our economy. Businesses use federal data to locate plants and retail outlets. Local governments use federal data to comply with regulations and to plan for the future. Those who make all this data available deserve to be recognized, and this resolution does just that. And as effective as the Census Bureau has been, as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I believe that there is still room for improvement to accurately count the Latino community. Last year we received the first results of Census 2000, which showed that the size of the Hispanic population in the United States had reached a record level of 35.3 million. Unfortunately, it has been estimated that the undercount among Hispanics may have been as high as 1.2 million. When your community is not accurately counted, we are precluded from receiving out fair share of federal financial resources, which exacerbates strains on local health, education and transportation infrastructures. In addition to the undercount, Census 2000 did not accurately record subgroups within the Hispanic community. The number of Dominicans and Colombians in New York, for example, was distorted because of the way the Census forms asked respondents to specify their Hispanic origin. On the Census 2000 form, while Hispanics who are not of Mexican, Puerto Rican or Cuban origin were given the option of listing their origin as ``other'' and naming the group, they were not provided with examples of what to list, as they had been on the Census 1990 form. This seemingly minor change in the form led many respondents to not fill in a country of origin at all. As the next census is designed, I hope that this problem will not occur again. Having accurate information about the diversity of the Hispanic population will enable us to better target resources that are culturally sensitive to these communities. As the Census Bureau begin its next 100 years of service to the United States, I hope that it will work seriously and earnestly to address the undercount of minorities. I urge the Census Bureau to re- examine its methods and procedures so that the accuracy of the decennial count can be improved. It should be everyone's goal that the Census reveal the entire picture of America.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, this evening it is a simple situation that we are facing here in the House. Each one of you is going to get one of these handouts this evening, and let me just read it to you. It says, ``He saved the lives of our American soldiers under fire in Vietnam. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor. He now heads the United States Selective Service System. Now we want to make him, and others like him, guilty of an unlawful act if they contribute to your campaign. ``Alfred Rascon, now director of the United States Selective Service, was a legal permanent resident when he served our country in Vietnam and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.'' That is what it gets down to. It gets down to fairness. It gets down to recognizing that legal permanent residents live here, work here, pay taxes; they serve in the military, they earn Medals of Honor, and we should be ashamed of ourselves if we pass this tonight.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), I am proud to support the Conference Report on H.R. 1, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). I am pleased that the conferees included most of the CHC's priorities in the final bill, which will now go a long way to reduce the disparities in educational achievement between Hispanic and non-Hispanic children. The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2030, Hispanic children will represent 25 percent of the total student population, and even the most recent Census figures show that Hispanics are now on pace to become the nation's largest minority sooner than expected. Given these statistics, and the likelihood that many of these students will come from low-income households, the reauthorization of ESEA has been a significant priority for the Hispanic Community. With appropriate funding, many of the programs in H.R. 1 that we helped shape will improve the educational achievement of low-income and limited English proficient children. I would like to share with my colleagues some of the important provisions affecting Hispanic students in H.R. 1 that the Hispanic Caucus helped develop. And in particular, I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, who has worked tirelessly on education issues in his capacity as Chair of the CHC Education Task Force. I do not believe we would be where we are today if it were not for his dedication to expanding academic opportunities. First of all, bilingual education programs are important to limited English proficiency (LEP) children because they build on native language proficiency to make the transition to all-English academic instruction. Without this foundation, many children will not be prepared to perform to high academic standards. H.R. 1 sets a ``trigger'' of $650 million at which bilingual education would convert from its current competitive grant structure to a new formula grant, consolidated along with immigrant education. This new formula, accompanied by a significant increase in appropriations, will extend bilingual education to millions of eligible students who currently do not receive bilingual education services. The Conference Report does not require parental consent before students are placed in bilingual education, even though opponents of bilingual education fought hard for this and included it in the original House version of this bill. Instead, the conference compromise continues to maintain the current ``opt-out'' system, favored by the Hispanic Caucus. Schools will be required to notify parents if their children are placed in bilingual education and parents will be given the information they need to immediately transfer their children to English-only classes, if they want. This system will ensure that LEP students are not deprived of services that will help them succeed academically, while giving parents flexibility and choice. It is estimated that 50,000 new bilingual education teachers are needed to meet the demands of a growing limited English proficient student population. At our insistence, H.R. 1 now includes a set-aside program for professional development to improve the qualifications of existing teachers and to recruit and train new teachers. The program will authorize two funding sources: one through the federal government and the other through the states. In an additional boost to improving teacher quality, the Conference Report retains a national clearinghouse for information and data on bilingual education. The compilation and distribution of this data provides important information to educators on how to improve the quality of bilingual education. Opponents of bilingual education favored placing a three year limit on how long students can be enrolled in bilingual education regardless of what level of English proficiency they reach. The CHC opposed this, recognizing that students entering the educational system at different stages acquire language proficiency at different speeds. The compromise bill gives students the flexibility to remain enrolled in bilingual education as long as is appropriate. As part of the compromise, the bill requires students to be tested for English reading proficiency after their third year in bilingual education. However, school districts can obtain a waiver on a case-by- case basis to delay the test for two years. The results of the test will have no direct highstakes effects on individual students, but instead will be used to measure a school's progress and hold it accountable. If the school fails to meet performance objectives, it will be required to implement improvements including professional development and curriculum changes. These accountability measures promise to ensure that schools maintain effective bilingual programs. The second issue area in H.R. 1 that the Hispanic Caucus worked very hard to achieve results in was migrant education. Migrant students have unique educational needs because of their families' need to periodically relocate in order to maintain employment. The Conference Report expands education services for migrant students by increasing the authorized funding level of migrant education by $30 million, from $380 million to $410 million for fiscal year 2002. While this funding level would fall short of meeting all existing needs, it is a significant step toward reversing the 11 percent decline in dollars spent per migrant pupil over the past two years. This bill also helps migrant students by improving the way their academic and health records are transferred from one school to another. Although some States have developed and implemented their own student records systems, current failures and interruptions in records transfer result in delays in school enrollment and academic services for migrant students, discrepancies in student placement, and repeat immunizations of migrant children. Under the Conference Committee agreement, the Secretary of Education is directed to assist states in linking existing systems of interstate migrant student records transfer. This will help eliminate two serious problems faced by migrant students: (1) multiple unnecessary vaccinations, which create a serious health hazard, and (2) denial of high school graduation because high school credit records are missing. Finally, the third issue area addressed by the Conference Report is high school dropout prevention. Addressing the dropout problem during this ESEA reauthorization has been of paramount importance to the CHC. Statistics show the dropout rate for Hispanic students is approximately 30 percent compared to only 10 percent for non-Hispanic white students. For LEP students, the dropout rate is approximately 50 percent. At this rate, the economic and social potential of an entire generation of Americans is at risk. Students cite a variety of reasons for dropping out, such as the lack of qualified teachers, lowered expectations of minority students' academic potential, classes that fail to challenge them intellectually and the threat of ``tracking.'' Currently, there are a variety of programs which offer only piecemeal and inadequate solutions to the problem. The Conference Report takes a major step towards addressing the Hispanic dropout crisis by launching an innovative dropout prevention program that will comprehensively support proven measures to reduce high school dropout rates in schools predominantly serving low- income students. I would like to express my thanks Senator Jeff Bingaman, who introduced the program in the Senate, and all the conferees, for including this dropout prevention program in the final conference report. In conclusion Mr. Speaker, I believe we are taking a great step for our children and our nation's future by passing this education reform bill. As President John F. Kennedy said, ``Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.'' While we have more work to do to improve education, let us now appropriate sufficient funds to make the promise of H.R. 1 a reality, and be proud of what we have accomplished for our children's education in this session of Congress.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, let me begin by thanking the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for bringing this important bill to the floor today. He has been willing to work with me on a number of issues in this bill, and I thank him for his efforts. I would also like to thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), for all of his assistance on this issue, as well as my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), for her hard work on bringing these issues forward and giving us these venues. As the only Member of Congress with an immigration background, I have a unique perspective on many of these issues. The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act is the product of a compromise between the House and the Senate and includes a number of issues that many of us have been working on for many, many years. This bill includes the extension of the deadline for replacing old border- crossing cards with new laser visas. This 1-year extension will benefit thousands of families and struggling businesses along the border, and I applaud the chairman and the ranking member for including this extension. Since September 11, Madam Speaker, our Nation's borders have looked more like parking lots than entry points into this country. This bill provides additional personnel and technology at our ports of entry; and while we need more INS and Customs personnel and much more than $150 million in technology, this bill provides a good down payment for our border region. This bill also provides the framework for information-sharing among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. This cooperation is critical and vital to our homeland defense efforts. I am also supportive of the provision restricting the issuance of visas to nonimmigrants to countries that are state sponsors of terrorism. Also included in this bill is a pay raise for hard-working Border Patrol agents and INS inspectors. We have been working on this for many, many years; and I am confident that this provision will help in our efforts in recruiting and retaining qualified Border Patrol agents and inspectors. What is as important as what is in this bill is what is not included in this bill. Last night the White House and Senate and House negotiators agreed on this bill. The bill is what we have before us here today, with one notable exception, that is, the extension of section 245(i), which was pulled from the bill at the last minute at the insistence of a small group of Republican Members. I am extremely disappointed, as are many other members of the Hispanic Caucus, that our leadership and the White House did not follow through on their commitment to immigrant families across this whole country. The President proclaimed that he supported the extension of 245(i), and we expected him to live up to his commitment to fight for this issue, as he has fought for many, many of these other priorities and issues such as tax cuts. Sadly, last night we were again abandoned. Madam Speaker, let us look at the facts surrounding the extension of 245(i). It allows immigrants who are otherwise eligible to adjust their status and to pay a fine and obtain their immigrant visas in the United States, instead of having to leave the country and pick up their visas. Madam Speaker, all in all, I believe this is a good bill and I support it, and I would ask all my colleagues to support this bill. It is important for our country and the security of our borders.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Elementary and Secondary Education Authorization Act Conference Report. I would like to join my colleagues in commending the members of the Conference Committee, namely Chairman Kennedy, Chairman Boehner, and Ranking Member George Miller, for their hard work and commitment on this conference report. This bill was truly the product of bipartisanship. The best interests of our children and teachers took priority, and because of that they will continue to prosper. The goal of this bill was to eliminate the achievement gap between rich and poor students and minority and non-minority students that has burdened our schools for years. Not only does this bill begin to address these issues but it puts forth a realistic twelve year time frame to achieve it. I am particularly pleased with the agreements made in regards to bilingual education. This bill will empower our parents and given them the option to remove their children from bilingual education at any time. Also, no time limit will be imposed on our students regarding their length of enrollment. The funding formula for bilingual education will base its funding levels on the size of its limited english proficiency student population. Our teachers will also be provided funds for training and professional development. This bill also authorizes a funding increase of nearly twenty percent for elementary and secondary education programs. This is a significant and well deserved increase. Students and teachers of El Paso will surely benefit and I am pleased to show my support for its passage.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues today to vote against H.R. 3295, the Help America Vote Act. While this bill makes efforts to improve our electoral system, I oppose it because it fails to provide key safeguards that ensure every voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. As the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I proudly support the election reform principles our Caucus adopted earlier this year. Thanks largely to the hard work of Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, who chairs the Hispanic Caucus' Civil Rights Task Force, we developed a set of principles which state that election reform should include minimum standards, guarantee accessibility for language minorities and the disabled, provide for provisional ballots, and establish a voter bill of rights. Unfortunately, H.R. 3295 fails to adequately address these principles, which are tremendously important to Hispanic voters and those who expect fairness at the polling place. This bill was brought to the floor on the back of an unfair rule that did not allow any debate on critical amendments that would have made the difference between complete election reform that takes into consideration the principles I just mentioned, and incomplete reform, which, unfortunately, ignores the necessity of improving the electoral system for all voters with full consideration of their rights as participants in a democratic process. I therefore urge Members to vote against the rule and vote in favor of the motion to recommit. Election reform legislation should establish and enforce minimum standards for election technologies, voter education, and election worker training. We cannot let local jurisdictions opt out of ensuring that our elections are fair and accurate. States and localities must comply with all federal voter rights safeguards, including those established by new election reform legislation and those guaranteed by the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act. Election reform legislation must reinforce the existing minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act, which ensure that voters in areas with a significantly large language minority population can receive a ballot and election information in a language other than English. While this bill does contain language that would ensure accessibility for voters with limited English proficiency for optional activities, there is no reinforcement of existing language access requirements. These laws have been poorly enforced, as the 2000 election demonstrated, and many jurisdictions fail to comply with them. To combat voter disenfranchisement, election reform must include poll worker training and a voter bill of rights that empowers voters through pro-active steps, including the use of sample ballots, that educate them about their rights and voting process. Voters have a right to know that if they are standing in line to vote before polls close, they can't be turned away; that they cannot be asked for more than one form of identification; and that they have the right to a provisional ballot. Currently, H.R. 3295 does not significantly address these important issues. While it provides funds for new voting equipment, poll worker training and voter education, H.R. 3295 would allow jurisdictions to continue disenfranchising voters by using abysmally inaccurate voting machines and by poorly administering elections. Based on these reasons, I hope my colleague will join me in voting against final passage of H.R. 3295.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1291, the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001. I commend and thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the distinguished chairman of the committee, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), our ranking member, for their hard work in bringing this measure before us today. I want to especially acknowledge and thank the cooperation of the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), my good friend and the Subcommittee on Benefits chairman, for his work on the benefits legislation which has been included in this bill. As an original cosponsor and strong supporter of many of the provisions included in this bill, I am pleased that we are moving forward to provide improved education, compensation, readjustment, housing and other benefits to our Nation's veterans and to their families. As a beneficiary of the VA's educational benefits, I support the provisions to increase the educational benefits that have been provided under the Montgomery GI Bill and Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Act. Now is certainly the time to be considering ways of improving the benefits that our country offers to our brave men and women who place their lives on the line in the defense of its Nation, its citizens and its ideals. It seems only fair to me that our veterans should have every opportunity to return home and enjoy improved educational advantages. I view the Montgomery GI bill as one of the most important programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since 1944, our government has provided education benefits to veterans in order to advance military recruitment and to assist in the veteran's readjustment to civilian life. These programs have been very effective. Although these increases are still not adequate to fully cover the cost of higher education in today's education market, they are a good step in the right direction. I also want to highlight the provisions that will address the need of our Gulf War veterans who are suffering from a variety of signs and symptoms of poorly-defined medical conditions. The compromise bill will allow Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue symptoms and other chronic multisymptom systems to be compensated as of March 1, 2001. According to the most recent report of the Institute of Medicine, military personnel who served in the Gulf War have had a significantly higher risk of suffering one or more of a set of symptoms that include fatigue, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, pains in muscles, and joints and rashes. Congress had intended that Gulf War veterans be compensated for these symptom-based chronic illnesses. This bill assures now that they will be. As a Vietnam veteran, I know that Agent Orange was used extensively in Vietnam. I am pleased that the bill provides for presumptions of exposure to Agent Orange for veterans who served in Vietnam. I also support the provision to presume service connection for veterans suffering from respiratory without regard to the length of time in which those cancers developed, and for diabetes. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1291. It is a good bill and I urge all Members to support it.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2716, the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001. I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from New Jersey; and our ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois, for responding in a bipartisan fashion to the needs of our Nation's homeless veterans. I fully support the bill's goal of ending chronic homelessness among our Nation's veterans within a decade. I am pleased to see that the bill requires dedicated employees at Veterans Administration regional offices to serve large numbers of our homeless veterans. It is difficult enough for veterans who are not coping with the hardships of homelessness to navigate through the VA bureaucracy. Our homeless veterans often need special assistance. This bill will provide it. Madam Speaker, I would like to direct my remarks today to the great need of some of our most severely disabled and mentally ill homeless veterans. This bill contains a number of provisions to address the special needs of chronically mentally ill homeless veterans. It encourages the VA to make grants targeted to the chronically mentally ill. It requires access to mental health services and substance abuse treatment at VA health care facilities. These veterans clearly need more intensive services in order to achieve stable housing and maximum independence, even if employability is not a realistic goal. As a Vietnam veteran myself, I know that during that time a number of individuals were accepted into military service who would not have been accepted for service under normal criteria. Some of these veterans were further traumatized by their military experience and have suffered ever since with severe mental health and substance abuse problems. Those veterans who became homeless as a result of these problems deserve our support. To ensure that mentally ill veterans do not become homeless, I support expansion of programs to provide mental health services to our veterans. As the number of community-based outpatient clinics has increased, I continue to hear of inadequate access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment services. Veterans who are seriously mentally ill need access to health care and to treatment just as those who have other serious illnesses. Ensuring a plan for mental health treatment available through each VA primary care clinic will provide the access needed by our veterans. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this effort to address the longstanding problem of chronic homelessness among those who have served our Nation proudly. I urge all Members to support this bill, H.R. 2716.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time under these very difficult circumstances, but I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 281. Mr. Speaker, I did not know Mike Spann. I never had the privilege or honor of meeting him. But I have had the opportunity and the privilege and honor of meeting many in the Central Intelligence Agency, field agents like Mike, all doing their work in a very difficult and dangerous environment. I would venture to say tonight that if Mike were able to join us, he would say something along the lines of, ``Just doing my job, sir.'' That has been my experience in meeting men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency. The fact that his neighbors and friends never knew that he was working for the CIA is a testament to the fact that Mike, like thousands of other CIA employees all around the world, are defending this Nation, its citizens and its freedoms with no expectation of thanks, with no expectation of recognition. We are here this evening under very difficult and sad circumstances, but we are here as grateful Americans honoring an American hero, the 79th that will be honored on that wall of honor. To Shannon and to his mom and dad and all the family and especially the children, we are all extremely proud of the true American hero that Mike was. And we are all mindful that the things that we have, the freedoms that we enjoy, are there for us because of people like Mike. God has blessed us with Mike. We hope that God blesses his family, and we hope that you know how grateful we as Members of Congress are for having had Mike Spann as a member of the Central Intelligence Agency. A grateful Nation joins all of you in grieving.