Ciro Rodriguez

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the consideration of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have no objection to this consideration of this measure.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to consideration of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to consideration of this measure. This bill, S. 211, authorizes a single new National Heritage Area in New Mexico. Over the course of this Congress, however, a number of Heritage Area proposals have moved forward, but unfortunately, few have actually been enacted into law. Therefore, consideration of Senate bill 211 provides an opportunity to combine several of these proposals. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the consideration of this measure.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have no objections to consideration of this particular measure. Mr. Speaker, this bill is about the importance of the lands of the Native American. It is about protecting the rights of Indian parents to pass on the land that they received from their parents on to their children, where the value is not only commercial but also spiritual. For these reasons, we have to get it right on this particular piece of legislation. We must ensure Indian lands stay in Indian hands and in the trust they believe in. Congress has made several previous attempts to address the administration and management of the Indian allotments, and each endeavor has produced mixed results. We have had parts of two such attempts deemed unconstitutional, and the latest fix is under threat of being the cause of thousands of acres of land coming out of trust status if implemented as the administration plans. This would be a devastating policy throughout Indian country. We are acting together to keep this from happening. We are pleased that this has occurred and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2004. Let me first of all take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), our chairman, for his activities in this area end his support of this particular piece of legislation. The bill, as reported, includes provisions from the bill I introduced, H.R. 3849, the Military Sexual Trauma Counseling Act of 2004, to permanently extend the VA authority to provide counseling and treatment for women and men who have experienced sexual trauma during their service in the military. Current authority for the program expires at the end of this year, and it is critical we pass this particular piece of legislation today. Since the military's sexual trauma program was authorized, the VA has embraced the challenge of developing unique resources to serve both women and men who have suffered such abuses during their military service. An overwhelming demand has been demonstrated for the sexual trauma program, with thousands of veterans, in addition to Reservists and National Guardsmen taking advantage of the resources available to them. As the number of women serving in the military will continue to grow, the need for this program is sadly more evident. According to the VA report, more than half, 55 percent, of all women in the VA patient population said they had experienced sexual harassment while in the military and almost one quarter claimed to have been sexually assaulted. Although the military is moving to address some of the longstanding problems it has had in managing sexism of all kinds in its increasingly integrated Armed Services workforce, we cannot expect the problem to disappear overnight. Already we hear media reports that more than 100 troops returning from both Iraq and Afghanistan have stated that they were raped during their service. The VA's sexual trauma counseling programs are designed to create a secure and sensitive environment in which both women and men who serve in the military can deal with the emotional burdens of being a victim of sexual abuse. I am pleased that we are on the road to ensuring that these programs will be here for current and future veterans. Mr. Speaker, I am also supportive of the provisions to increase the funding levels available for the homeless grant and per diem programs from the $75 million to the $99 million for 2005. We still have a very long way to go in meeting the Congress' goal to eliminate chronic homelessness by 2011, but this bill definitely takes us in the right direction. Again, I wish to thank my friend, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for his cooperation in including the authority for the military's sexual trauma program in this particular piece of legislation as well as Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Evans for their support. Mr. Speaker, let me also indicate, in terms of the data for the homelessness, the VA estimates that more than 299,321 veterans are homeless on any given night, and more than half a million experience homelessness over the course of a year. Roughly 25 percent of the homeless people out there are veterans. Additionally, 45 percent of the homeless veterans that are out there do suffer from mental health disorders. And in order to solve these chronic homelessness problems, we must provide comprehensive care for veterans, including housing, job training, and mental health care.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this time to thank my colleague here for his leadership on this particular piece of legislation. I also thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) on his efforts as well as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans). Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4658, the Servicemembers Legal Protection Act. Although this legislation is a great measure and I urge its passage, I regret that it no longer has a provision introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and myself to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in delivering a comprehensive maternity care benefit to women veterans. Women comprise an increasing portion of our armed services and will soon make up 20 percent of our active duty forces. With that being said, we must continue to bring women veterans into the veterans health care system. VA medical centers do not deliver maternity care except in cases of emergency. Yet VA's contractors are reluctant to accept contracts if payment for infants' care is uncompensated, particularly if there is a risk for an adverse birth outcome. Ensuring at least partial payment for the infant's care would have allowed the VA to contract more easily for this routine care provided to women veterans and allow them to receive the care they deserve. As I mentioned earlier, I am disappointed that the provision on women's comprehensive care is not in the final bill. However, I trust that the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) will continue to work with us in a bipartisan manner in order to ensure that we eventually bring passage. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill as it contains many important legal and financial protections for our military men and women and their families. Mr. Speaker, in closing let me just say that we do have and we are expecting to have a larger number of women participating. If those veteran women are expecting, we are going to have difficulties unless we also take care of not only the veteran herself but also the child that she might be bearing.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, we are incredibly blessed in this country to have a group of veterans service organizations looking out for the best interest of our veterans. For the last 105 years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars have been making a difference in the lives of those who have given so much to this country, our veterans and their families. Through their foundation, the VFW supports programs that promote citizenship education and volunteerism and facilitate aid for veterans and their families in need of both medical, rehabilitative, educational and employment services. Additionally, their members and those of the VFW Auxiliary volunteer countless hours at our veterans and military hospitals. During this time of increased military deployments, it is so important to have a network of veterans our injured soldiers and families can turn to for help and assistance. Throughout my 7 years in Congress, I have been fortunate to meet with VFW members in Washington as well as in my district on a regular basis as they advocate for increased veterans funding, services for homeless veterans, better education benefits for our veterans and many other issues. They have an incredible history. I would like to take this opportunity not only to thank them for all they do for our veterans but also to congratulate them on their 105th anniversary.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) personally for allowing me the opportunity to say a few words and for his hard work on this particular piece of legislation. In addition, I would like to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), as well as the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), for their efforts. I also want to take the opportunity to thank the Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) and Jessica Lewis of his staff, who worked on this issue and helped make it happen. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 818, a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Falcon International Dam. Like all large scale dams, the Falcon International Dam is an architectural wonder, a man-made barrier of cement and steel reining in the power of the most precious natural resources, our water. What makes this particular dam special, though, is its location right on the Texas-Mexico border down in Zapata, Texas. Its construction was part of an international plan to improve not only flood control, but also water conservation, and provide hydroelectric power for the benefit of communities living on both sides of the border. It serves as a representation of the unique relationship that Mexico and the United States hold. The particular dam provides electricity that helps the entire southern part of Texas, from Laredo in Webb County, to Hidalgo to Brownsville in all that area. While controversies surrounding the decision to build the dam existed, many families lost their land and five townships were submerged under the reservoir. The Falcon International Dam is part of a vibrant history. On October 15, 1953, construction on the dam neared completion. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines of Mexico met at the center to dedicate it to the well-being of the residents of both countries. The dam itself was completed on April 8, 1954, and the Falcon Power Plant generated power for commercial use for the first time on October 11, 1954. For 50 years, Falcon International Dam has served as an important source of water and power for irrigation and household use in this region, and its beautiful 60-mile-long reservoir known as the Falcon Lake is known as one of the best fishing lakes in Texas and supports an emerging recreational tourism industry. Yet maintaining and operating an international dam does not come without problems. As a shared resource governed by international treaty, events over the past decade have underscored the need for a better binational water management plan. Persistent and severe drought conditions put strain on both Texas's and Mexico's water resources. For South Texas, the struggle has even been harder because of Mexico's decision to withhold water from the U.S. Many of you have heard me speak before on the issue of the Mexican water debt, which peaked at 1.7 million acre feet. Farmers were unable to plan adequately for their planting seasons. The fluctuating reservoir levels on the Falcon Dam disturbed the delicate ecosystem and spawning season for the fish stock. The economic impact on South Texas agricultural economy was estimated at over $1 billion and 30,000 jobs. In a perfect world, the two countries would work closely together to manage water storage and release so that neither side would be disproportionately hurt during these droughts. Economic losses would be shared, and, in the end, this is a fair way to allocate shared resources. Unfortunately, this is not the way the situation has played out over time. While recent rains have allowed Mexico to release a portion of the water to the U.S., we must work to improve water conservation and development for the future and avoid these things occurring and happening. As I think about the needs of the communities living on the Falcon International Dam, I strongly believe we must evaluate how best to allocate our resources so it would be fair to all. In order to do so, we must first renew our binational spirit. I fear relations with our neighbors have become strained on many levels, from immigration, to water, to the war in Iraq. It is with this in mind that I introduced H. Res. 818. What better way to look to the future than to celebrate past accomplishments? Mr. Speaker, I ask Members of this great House for support on this important resolution to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Falcon International Dam, and recommit itself to the binational efforts and spirit in which the Falcon International Dam was constructed.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, President Bush has had only one policy in the last 4 years and that is the fiscally irresponsible tax cuts to the wealthiest people in this country. Today, an additional 5.2 million Americans are uninsured, and the family share of health care premiums has risen by over $1,000 in 4 years, a 57 percent increase. In addition, prior to George Bush, we had, for the first time in 12 years, brought down the number of uninsured. Now we find ourselves with 45 million Americans that are uninsured. Family USA just reported the fact that at any given time there are over 80 million Americans without access to insurance during a period of their life. So we find ourselves in a situation where this administration has failed to keep up with the CHIP program, the program that responds to the needs of our children that are uninsured, of working Americans that are out there paying their taxes, working hard, but finding themselves without access to health care. This country can do better. We can do better. We have the best health care system in the world. Let us do better.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, let me just rise and talk about how I on the other side am concerned about our situation now. We are concerned. The census reported just this month in August, 36 million Americans living in poverty, more than ever in recorded history. Forty-five million without access to health insurance. And we are saying we have a good program? This is the most powerful country in the world. Yet we find a large number that still reside in poverty. At the same time we are choosing to cut back in education. We are choosing to say no, when the administration shook hands on Leave No Child Behind. That Republican compassionate conservatism is self-proclaimed compassionate conservatism because it is not one for allowing young people an opportunity to be able to further their education, to make sure they do not go onto welfare. During the last 4 years, we have lost more jobs than ever recorded. Those jobs that we have gained have been jobs that have paid much less than the ones that we have lost. So the reality is that we have had an opportunity to make some things happen, and they failed to do that.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me, first of all, take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) for his efforts in this particular piece of legislation, and I want to thank him personally for his work in the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; as well as the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the subcommittee chairman, for his work and his diligence and outreach to my side. I also want to take this opportunity to also thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for his work. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4768, the Veterans Health Programs and Facilities Enhancement Act of 2004. For the last 5 years, Mr. Speaker, the VA construction has essentially been nonexistent in large part to allow the completion of the CARES initiative. As the Members well know, the CARES initiative was an effort by the President to go out and look at facilities' utilizations, and so the fact is that we have not had an opportunity to improve on a lot of the facilities that are out there, and I am really pleased that this piece of legislation we have been able to bring forth. For the last 5 years, the VA health-care system has struggled to provide services with infrastructure that is in sore need of repair and upgrade. H.R. 4768 will help the VA to develop and improve its properties, and under this bill, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs will have the authority to transfer unneeded properties and to retain the proceeds from those transfers. In place of the Nursing Home Revolving Fund, the bill establishes a Capital Asset Fund, allowing the proceeds from the property transfers to be used for financing the cost of those transfers. The bill also authorizes $10 million to be appropriated to the Capital Asset Fund where it can be used for these purposes. Sixteen new major leases are authorized in this bill, including leases that I would like to mention in South Texas, where the gentleman from Texas' (Mr. Ortiz) district has had a lack of services in the Corpus Christi area. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), in the Harlingen area, and as well some services in the South Texas area, in San Antonio and others. So I am real pleased to have seen those areas, that even the CARES proposal that identified some areas of disparity that exists in terms of services for veterans. Because many of the VA's important historic buildings are poorly maintained and are falling apart, I am also pleased that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded that the VA should also use the capital asset fund to preserve historic properties. It is the committee's intent for VA to provide a series of reports to address its large inventory of historic assets. In addition to the VA's construction, H.R. 4768 will include funds for four emergency preparedness centers we authorized in November of 2004. These centers will enhance medical preparedness for the VA and for the Nation. It is clear to me that as the Nation's largest health care provider, the VA has an important role to play in providing for attack or natural disasters. I have fought for funds to address the initiative costs of these centers, and I am pleased that the provisions are included. This legislation would also extend the VA's authority to provide care to veterans participating in long-term care pilot programs. These programs were previously authorized in the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act, and are set to expire in December of 2005. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of the legislation, and I hope Members will support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for the bill, but I just had some concerns with the dialogue on the House floor. We service about 4.7 million veterans in this country. There are 25 million veterans out there, and our veterans are reaching that age where we really need to reach out to them. So we do have a long way to go. But I am real pleased to have this bill before us. Mr. Speaker, I would like for the record to show that the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) wanted to be here to comment on this important bill, in which he has played a very important role and strategic role, but at the present time he is at the Committee on Armed Services meeting on the 9/11 legislation that is there before him. He does, however, intend to make comments available for the record. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me briefly just mention I am real pleased that in the piece of legislation, in 2002 we had passed the wordings for the emergency preparedness centers. One of the beauties of the VA is the fourth mission, and that is to respond to health care needs in case of emergencies, in case this country is ever hit, such as what happened on 9/11. It is one of the few systems that we have nationwide to respond. We drafted legislation to establish four emergency preparedness centers, and I am real pleased the effort is there in this piece of legislation to try to make that happen and create that. This is definitely an area where we really need to beef up on. I am hoping that the appropriators look at this seriously. I know that the discussions in the past have been that this should be a homeland security issue. The bottom line is that homeland security does not have access to health care, VA does, and emergency preparedness centers could provide that care. So I think this is the appropriate area where we could respond through this legislation. Let me just add once again on the CARES process, the CARES process also came up with some real good data that I think we also need to be concerned about, and this legislation begins to address some of those, but there are still some gaps there, and that is where it showed the disparities throughout the country. Depending on where the veteran resides, depending on where he lives, determines basically the types of services that he gets or does not get, and that is one of the proposals and one of the recommendations that the CARES process has. But one of the negative things that I would like to mention is that in the process of having this CARES and going throughout the country, I know the VA put out a letter asking the staff not to solicit, not to educate veterans about services. The letter even indicated that even where there were gaps and where utilization of facilities were not being utilized, not to bring in more additional veterans, to the point that the Vietnam Veterans of America got fed up with it and decided to file a lawsuit against the VA. So I was very pleased to see that, and we need to continue to move forward. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4231, as amended, the Department of Veterans Affairs Nursing Recruitment and Retention Act of 2004. This act has a variety of innovative approaches designed to assist the VA in managing its nursing workforce. The VA nurses are significantly older, on average, than nurses in other sectors; and more than one-third of the VA nursing staffs would be eligible for retirement in the next 5 years. Those are substantial figures. In the meantime, fewer students are training for careers in nursing care, while the need for those professions is growing. This will make the VA effort to retain and recruit nurses critical in ensuring that it is able to maintain high-quality and accessible services. This bill contains provisions to address the projected nursing shortage, including a pilot project to examine the effectiveness of new recruiting techniques and, in addition, new flexible work schedules that may be attractive to nurses with young children or those who are interested in full-time employment with seasonable breaks. State veterans homes, an important partner to our veterans health system, may also offer new educational opportunities to their nurses. I want to take this time, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) and thank him and acknowledge the leadership of the chairman of our Subcommittee on Health, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), in his efforts. I want to thank him and his staff in drafting this piece of legislation and working with me and us and all of us together to consider improvements to this particular bill. I also once again want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Ranking Member Evans), who continues to be at this present time in the Committee on Armed Services as we speak. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner), my friend and fellow colleague, a member of the committee who has been a staunch supporter of veterans.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me first of all take this opportunity to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for his efforts on this particular piece of legislation, and one of the beauties of this particular piece of legislation also is that it sets a trend. There is no doubt that in this country, and just like the VA's having difficulty with nurses, the entire country is having difficulty in getting nurses. In addition to that, in the area of health professions, there will be a need for us to look at doctors. I know that we have a large number of slots in the area of doctors in the VA that have also not been filled. For some reason, this country has not produced the number of doctors that we need. We continue to produce 12,000 to 15,000 and bring in about 5,000 from abroad each year. In fact, right prior to 9/11, we brought in some 300,000 professionals from abroad, of which, in that category, was a little less than 5,000 doctors. So we need to really begin to look, especially in the health profession and how it impacts the VA and these other areas, both these specialties, as well as physicians and the other health professionals that are needed. So, once again, I want to thank everyone. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Guam for yielding me this time, and I am honored to rise to support Senate bill 2052, the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Act. This bill is the Senate version of the legislation I introduced, recognizing the historical and cultural heritage of what has become known as the Camino Real de los Tejas. The Camino Real de los Tejas is a series of trails extending from the Rio Grande through San Antonio, and ending in Louisiana, covering nearly 2,600 miles in all. For more than 150 years, these trail systems served as critical trade routes, post roads, cattle trails and military highways. These roads were also, prior to the Spanish, were the trails the Native Americans utilized for almost 500 years. The history of the United States is often taught as the western migration and the settlements of this continent. That history is, of course, central to our national experience. But there is another history that deserves our attention and recognition. That history is the south-to-north migration of the Spanish, the Native Americans, and the peoples of Mexico and Latin America. The Spanish and the Mexican exploration and development of Texas followed these patterns from the late 1600s to the time of Texas independence in 1836. Even today, that pattern continues as people from Latin America trade with the United States, visit our country, and migrate here seeking new lives. The Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail will give us the tools to remember that critical history and will provide local communities and organizations with the opportunity to develop cultural tourism in cooperation with the National Park Service. The Camino Real de los Tejas trail system was an important commercial and cultural trade corridor that helped define the history of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I first introduced the legislation to establish El Camino de los Tejas Trail in 1998. During these past 6 years, I and my staff have worked closely with local community leaders and other Members of Congress to craft a bill that would recognize the history of the trail while absolutely protecting the private property rights. I am proud this legislation enjoys bipartisan support in both the Senate and House. I want to recognize the support and the work of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, the senior Senator from Texas, who introduced this companion bill earlier this year and successfully negotiated its passage in the Senate. I want to personally thank her, because without her efforts, we would not be where we are at now. I also want to thank the staff who worked on this bill in the committee and in our personal offices, including Laura Marquez of my office, and I especially want to thank my chief of staff, Jeff Mendelsohn, who has spearheaded our efforts to pass this bill during the past 6 years. His focus and dedication to the project has made today's passage possible. I also want to thank Al Notzon, back home in San Antonio, who has worked and gotten some 30 or 40 letters from cities and counties and a multitude of individuals throughout the State of Texas and Louisiana to come forth. The beauty of this piece of legislation is that it allows us to get a good recognition of our history. One important thing I would like to mention, Mr. Speaker, is that during the War of 1812, whether you know it or not, through this trail came 10,000 head of cattle. If it had not been for those Mexican cows coming through there, no telling what would have happened in 1812. But we were able to pull it off in that war, and that is one of the little tidbits of history that is there regarding this trail and which was so significant to the making of this country.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ

Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the gathering of the National Hispanic Contractors Association at their 2nd Annual Conference entitled ``Framing the Future: Diversity Builds the American Dream''. The Conference will take place on September 23rd and 24th, 2004 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With more than 150,000 Hispanic contractors in our nation, the Association will host many of them during this conference. One of the panel discussions will focus on safety in the workforce. The rate of workplace injuries for Hispanics is disproportionately high. Hispanic workers, who comprise 12 percent of the U.S. labor force, experienced 15 percent of the fatal occupational injuries in 2003. Eight hundred forty Hispanic workers died from workplace injuries in 2003. I commend the USHCA for discussing this important subject. The U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing the support necessary for the advancement, advocacy, and economic growth, and full participation of Hispanic-owned businesses in all areas of contracting and procurement contracts.