Loretta Sanchez

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, on September 3, the Vietnamese police arrested blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh. This arrest followed an earlier arrest of two other Vietnamese bloggers. Fortunately, Quynh was released on Sunday. However, there was one condition for her release, and that was that she had to stop blogging. In order to be released from jail, she had to give up her freedom of expression, and I believe this is unlawful and is absolutely unacceptable. The Vietnamese Government continues to deny their people's fundamental rights, and this must be stopped. Vietnamese citizens have the right to advocate their views whether it's on the Internet or in public protest. For that reason, I have introduced House Resolution 672, calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release these imprisoned bloggers and to respect Internet freedom. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor House Resolution 672.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins on September 15 and runs through October 15. During this time we will celebrate the culture of people who trace our roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, and their contributions to American life. The achievements of the Hispanic community in America have positively affected so many aspects of our society. For example, there are now over 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses in America. Of these businesses, over 29,000 generate over $1 million worth of revenues every year. Hispanics in America are also succeeding in a wide variety of challenging fields. There are currently over 79,000 Hispanic executives, almost 51,000 Hispanic physicians and surgeons, almost 49,000 Hispanic post-secondary teachers, and over 38,000 Hispanic lawyers. And lastly, let us not forget that there are over 1.1 million Hispanic veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the U.S. and World Education Act which I will be introducing today. My bill addresses the critical need to raise student achievement levels in the national education arena which is vital in order to compete in a world that is rapidly changing. My bill will raise the international education competence and literacy levels of elementary and secondary students. My bill will also create an international education research repository which will greatly enhance the international education curriculum taught in our schools as well as teaching methods. I firmly believe that our schools today do not focus enough on preparing our youth to interact and to communicate with other countries and cultures. And given the current economic crisis, future generations must be equipped with a skill set that will help them to excel academically and contribute to our Nation's economic recovery. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the U.S. and World Education Act.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the number of bloggers and democracy activists who have been imprisoned in Vietnam for distributing their peaceful views over the Internet. The Government of Vietnam continues to restrict websites and blogs that promote democracy, human rights, and speak against the actions of the government. It has become evident over the past several months that the human rights situation in Vietnam continues to deteriorate. Today, I will be introducing a house resolution calling on the Government of Vietnam to not only release imprisoned bloggers but to also respect the people's right to internet freedom. This resolution urges the Vietnamese government to support the right of citizens to access websites of their choosing, and to repeal statutes like Circular 07 and Article 88 which restrict the internet in Vietnam. It is time for the Government of Vietnam to become a responsible member of the international community and to respect an individual's freedom of speech, press and political association.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the significance of health care reform for our country and to emphasize the importance of keeping the real VIPs, the people, involved in the process. Health care reform is evolving rapidly, and I want to ensure that the people back home have real input into what is going on here in Washington, DC. Earlier this year, I set up a Health Care Advisory Committee, which I meet with every month and which my staff deals with on a daily basis. Members of the advisory committee not only receive the news that's happening here on Capitol Hill with respect to health care, but they actually give us their input of what they're hearing and what they want to see in a health care reform bill. Their expert opinions are so valued in our ability to try to decide what to do here. And next week I will hold a town hall meeting where people back home can come and actually give us their ideas and listen to what is going on here with the development of health care reform. I encourage all of my colleagues to go home and to hold these types of meetings and to listen to what the people really want.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today extremely frustrated and concerned over the continued arrest of pro- democracy dissidents inside Vietnam. The Government of Vietnam continues to persecute journalists, bloggers, and other individuals who simply speak out against human rights abuses in the country of Vietnam. Yesterday I learned that Mr. Nguyen Tien Trung, another young and prominent dissident, was arrested by the Government of Vietnam. Mr. Trung is the leader of the Movement Democratic Youth, a group that mobilizes young people to demand change in the political regime in Vietnam. The recent arrests of lawyer Le Cong Dinh and Nguyen Tien further demonstrate Vietnam's continuing disregard for basic civil, political, and religious liberties. I urge my colleagues to speak out on behalf of these brave men and women who are now imprisoned in Vietnam. Please join me in urging the Department of State to place Vietnam back on the Countries of Particular Concern list.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, today I come to the floor to honor an individual who has sacrificed over 42 years of his life for this great Nation. Brigadier General James P. Combs has proudly and gallantly served his country on foreign soil in the countries of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He was appointed Commander of our Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California, on November 1, 2005. General Combs retired from Federal service on October 1, 2007, at which time Governor Schwarzenegger assigned him in a State active duty position to remain as the base commander. On July 4, 2009, in just a little over a week, General Combs will retire from the United States Armed Forces. And on behalf of those who have had the honor to serve with him and a grateful Nation, I commend him on his numerous accomplishments, his outstanding leadership, and his incredible military career. Brigadier General James P. Combs will always remain a soldier's soldier and a true American hero.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend my fellow Democratic colleagues for their commitment to reforming the health care system with the goal of reducing costs and improving access to quality health care for all Americans. Health care premiums are increasing at an alarming rate; in fact, in the last 10 years, they have doubled. Currently, over $1,000 of the average American family's annual health care premium goes to support uninsured Americans, and still we have over 46 million Americans who don't have access to health care, and 20 percent of them are children. I believe that we must work creatively to build on the best of what works in the current system while fostering competition among private plans and providing patients with quality choices. We can and we must ensure that all Americans have affordable and quality health care. And I urge all of my colleagues to work together towards this goal.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 498) honoring and congratulating the U.S. Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 498, honoring and congratulating the United States Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. As the chairwoman of the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee for Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, I have been fortunate enough to visit the border several times to see firsthand the good work of the Border Patrol. I have seen it, not just on the southern border with Mexico, but also that with Canada. These dedicated men and women patrol America's borders, often in harsh climates, in isolated conditions, under dangerous conditions, in order to keep our Nation secure. Representatives of Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol, and its agents have also testified many, many times before our committee about the challenges they face, particularly the Border Patrol's rapid growth and its evolving mission in recent years. I don't know if a lot of you remember, but just a few years back, our Border Patrol was only 450 people. Today it numbers almost 19,000, and it's on track to grow to 20,000 agents by the end of next year. When it was founded, the Border Patrol's sole mission was to prevent persons and contraband from entering our country illegally. But, in particular, in the wake of the attacks of September 11 of 2001, the Border Patrol is also charged, it is our front line, with stopping terrorists and their weapons from entering our country. In the early days of the Border Patrol, agents patrolled our borders without the benefit of modern technology. But today they have sensors, cameras, in addition to their traditional ``sign-cutting'' or their tracking skills, which they still use in some of the mountainous areas, especially out there in the Arizona and California desert. And through all these changes, the Border Patrol and its agents have maintained a steadfast commitment to serving our Nation. I commend the Border Patrol and all the agents who have served honorably under the Patrol's proud 85-year history. It is certainly fitting that the House of Representatives is marking this anniversary today with this resolution. And finally, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Teague, the gentleman from New Mexico, for offering this fine resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to give it their support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to my good friend, Mr. Silvestre Reyes from the great State of Texas who, by the way, has probably over 30 years of experience in the Border Patrol Agency.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman 30 more seconds.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman who authored this particular resolution, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Teague).

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Indiana, my ranking member on the subcommittee that oversees all of the border issues for America. He's been a strong advocate for the Border Patrol as well as for all of the agencies, really, that sit within our jurisdiction. And so I thank him for taking the time tonight to be down here and helping to work on this bill. You know, the Border Patrol just doesn't work at the southern and the northern border. As was mentioned, we'll see them in Puerto Rico and some other areas, and also we send them to other countries to train people as to the whole issue of border patrol and how to take a look at what's coming in. In fact, in Iraq we've sent several to help to set up some of the border patrol issues out there in that country. So we have a large group of men and women who come to work every single day, love America, and work very hard on behalf of the American people. And for this reason, Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support House Resolution 498, honoring and congratulating the Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary, and I urge the rest of my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I recently learned of a situation concerning a constituent of mine, Randy Collins, whose ex- wife abducted their son and went to Japan. The last time Randy Collins saw his son, Keisuke Christian Collins, was on June 15, 2008. According to the United States State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas Citizens Services, the United States has received notices of 73 cases of parental abductions involving 104 children just for the country of Japan. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the severity of this situation and how it affects so many American lives. Once taken to Japan, American parents are unable to see their children because parental visitation rights are not recognized, they are not protected by Japan, and abduction by one parent is not considered a crime. As an ally of the United States, I urge the Government of Japan to sign the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and respect the rights of our American parents.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, I continue to be concerned about the human rights condition in Vietnam. Despite their membership in the World Trade Organization and being granted permanent normal trade relation status, Vietnam continues to deny their citizens their fundamental human rights and political liberties. The Government of Vietnam continues to restrict Internet access and goes as far as to imprison those who would use the Internet to challenge the Communist Party. The United States must be a leading advocate for human rights. And we must make it clear to governments like those of Vietnam that it is unacceptable to deny people their basic human rights. I hope, especially under this new administration, that Congress will be able to work together and to recommit itself to fighting for the rights of the Vietnamese people. This weekend, our Orange County delegation will have the honor of welcoming the United States Ambassador to Vietnam to our community. And the delegation looks forward to continuing to work with the Department of State to make human rights a priority.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2200, the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act, and I would like to engage the honorable Member from Mississippi, the chairman, Mr. Thompson, in a colloquy regarding the Transportation Worker Identity Credential, or TWIC as it is known here in the Congress. During the full committee markup, I offered an amendment addressing several important issues within the TWIC program, and I was pleased that my amendment was passed unanimously. A key provision in my amendment requires that the Secretary of Homeland Security work with owners and operators of facilities and vessels to develop procedures which allow those who are waiting for their TWIC card to have access to secure and restricted areas, as long as they are escorted. This also applies to those who are waiting for a reissuance of an existing card. Without clear collaboration between DHS and port officials, individuals waiting for their TWIC card have been unable to work. Some workers have waited up to 15 months to receive their TWIC card. And the goal of my amendment is to ensure that these workers are still able to support themselves and their families. Many people have been negatively affected by TSA's delays in issuing the TWIC. For example, there's the case of a longshoreman in the Port of Seattle who applied for a TWIC on October 25, 2008, more than 4 months before he was required to do so at his port. And unfortunately, the gentleman was unable to work for several weeks since it took 4 months for TSA to come back to him and to ask for a copy of his birth certificate. You see, he had been born on a military base abroad, and I understand that the gentleman had to drain his savings account to support his family while he waited for his TWIC, and thus, this is unacceptable. I hope this legislation becomes law soon, and in the meantime, we must act immediately to ensure that our port workers are able to work and support their families. I want to thank Chairman Thompson for his support on this issue.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Today, I rise to recognize May 17 through May 23 as National Small Business Week. Small businesses are a critical part of our economy. In fact, over 60 percent of all jobs are created by small businesses in our Nation. And, in addition, as a result of the current crisis, we have seen an increasing number of people wanting to start their own businesses or beginning to create their own business. For example, a recent poll showed that 37 percent of Americans are either running their own business or they're about to create their own business. I believe that innovation and growth in the small business sector is one of the key parts of what they contribute to our economic recovery. To help encourage that recovery, I'm committed to making sure that the Federal Government offers assistance and support to small businesses throughout our Nation. I'm pleased that today the House will consider H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009. It will provide critical training services to entrepreneurs across our Nation.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, as the sponsor of H. Res. 438 I rise in support of this bipartisan resolution expressing support for recognizing the month of September as National Child Awareness Month. My colleague from California, Congressman Ken Calvert and I were pleased to introduce H. Res. 438 because it will raise awareness of children's charities and youth-serving organizations across the United States. This resolution recognizes that these organizations' efforts on behalf of children and youth are critical contributions to the future of our nation. As we know, September is traditionally back-to-school month, a time when families focus on preparing children for the coming school year. In addition to academic preparation, it is also a time when the American public should be focused on the physical, social and economic well-being of our nation's children. It is my hope that H. Res. 438 will encourage more individuals to volunteer for or contribute to causes that help our children. An enhanced awareness of children's charities and youth-serving organizations, made possible by this resolution, will assist these organizations' efforts to encourage volunteers to become involved in the lives of the most disadvantaged children in our communities across the country. I am confident that National Child Awareness Month will serve as a banner that will unite charitable organizations of diverse missions, size, geography and scope to focus on a common goal--improving the lives of our nation's youth. Many non-profit youth-serving organizations and charities across the country have expressed their strong support for the recognition of September as National Child Awareness Month. I am hopeful that president Obama will share my enthusiasm and issue a Presidential Proclamation to designate September as National Child Awareness Month. With his support, both public and private programs across the nation will be acknowledged for their contributions to ensuring our children's well-being. In the meantime, I would like to thank my colleagues for their unanimous support for the adoption of H. Res. 438--National Child Awareness Month as it will serve to bring the nation's focus back to the one resource that guarantees our future success--our children. I yield back my time, Madam Speaker.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. As a cosponsor of H. Res. 435, which celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I would like to first thank Congressman Honda for leading the Democratic Caucus in recognizing the important contributions the Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community has made to our nation. As Representative of the 47th Congressional District of California, I have the honor of representing one of the most diverse communities in the United States. I have witnessed firsthand the rich culture and contributions the APIA community bring to my district in Orange County, CA. In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans become leaders in academia, arts, government, the military, and the private sector. They contribute to all aspects of American life, and in doing so they enrich the lives of all Americans and make this country stronger. I especially commend President Obama for his leadership in reaching out to the Asian and Pacific Islander American community. This year marks a special occasion, as it is the first time the Presidential Branch has appointed a record number of Asian-Americans to the Cabinet, including the Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu; Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke; and Secretary of Veterans Affair, Eric Shinseki. Their hard-work and sacrifice have made a significant impact on America and opened doors for future generations of Asian Pacific Americans. Although it is imperative to recognize the achievements of the APIA community, it is also important for us to focus on the challenges they face, including affordable housing, racial profiling, and health care issues. Another issue the APIA community faces is the perception that all members of this community are thriving economically. In reality, not all Asian Pacific Islander Americans have access to a quality education and many continue to face tremendous language barriers. The APIA community has made sacrifices for our country and contributed to the growth and prosperity of this nation. I look forward to celebrating APIA month and continuing to work with APIA leaders to overcome the ongoing challenges that face all our communities. Together, we can make the American dream a reality for all Americans.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to announce that at 9:13 a.m. this morning I became an aunt. Linda Sanchez, one of our colleagues, of course, my sister, and her husband, Jim Sullivan, gave birth to a baby boy, 7 pounds, 14.6 ounces; and his name is Joaquin Esteban. And I would just add that both mother and child are doing great. I just spoke to my mom, who's in town; so we're pretty excited. Thank you.