Loretta Sanchez

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Gus Castellanos, creator, executive producer, and host of ``This Week in Garden Grove,'' a TV news show that is in my district of Garden Grove, California. In 1985, Gus began working at Channel 3, a local TV station, when city officials decided to start a local cable show. When no one volunteered for the project, Gus happily stepped up to the task. Learning the ins and outs of running a cable news show, Gus quickly crafted a program that would highlight the achievements of the people and city of Garden Grove. In the 10 years the show has been running, Gus has endeared himself to thousands in our community as nearly half the city tunes in each week to his show. I want to congratulate everyone involved on the 10th anniversary of ``This Week in Garden Grove.'' But I especially want to thank Gus, who has always been a friend and who has shown that one person can take the initiative to create something that makes an incredibly positive contribution to a community.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to the St. Joseph Ballet Company from Santa Ana, California, which was honored last night for being one of 18 organizations across the United States and Mexico to receive the 2003 Coming Up Taller Award. This award recognizes outstanding community arts and humanities programs for their work with the underserved youth and for providing them with learning opportunities and a way to serve our communities. I am very proud that one of the recipients of this prestigious award comes from my district, because St. Joseph is more than just a dance program. They have been teaching children about dance, self-discipline, and the importance of academic excellence for over 20 years. They give children a sense of accomplishment. They help motivate them in all aspects of life, and they seek to provide children with an education that goes beyond the standard core curriculum. I am very pleased that because of their hard work they have been nationally recognized with this wonderful award.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, October 21, 2003, I was unavoidably detained due to a prior obligation. I request that the Congressional Record reflect that had I been present and voting, I would have voted as follows: rollcall no. 566: ``no'' (on H. Res. 407); rollcall no. 567: ``yes'' (on the Obey motion to instruct conferees); and rollcall no. 568: ``yes'' (on H.J. Res. 73).

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my outrage over the government of Vietnam's recent crackdown on the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam. I just concluded a telephone conversation with the Venerable Thich Tue Sy, a senior monk in that church, who was just sentenced to 2 years of administrative detention for exercising the basic right of freedom of religion, as were six of his colleagues. Earlier this month, the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam held a meeting to discuss church affairs, to elect new leadership, and to verify the Vietnamese Prime Minister's promise of a new era of respect and understanding for religious freedom. In stark contrast to the promise of respect and understanding, Vietnamese authorities disrupted the meeting, intimidated and ultimately arrested the UBCV leadership. The Venerable Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do, both of whom have been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize, are once again under house arrest. These actions are unconscionable. Today, I will introduce a resolution regarding the courageous leadership of the UBCV and the urgent need for religious reform in Vietnam.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the California Missions Preservation Act of 2003, H.R. 1446. This important bill would grant funding to restore and repair the twenty-one California missions and their artifacts by providing a grant program under the authority of the Secretary of the Interior with a matching fund requirement for the California Missions Foundation. As a California native, I cherish these beautiful missions, which represent our past, our history and our founding. It is important to preserve these monuments and museums as they serve as part of our cultural heritage. Near my district in California is one of these missions, San Juan Capistrano, which served as the birthplace of Orange County. Founded more than 200 years ago on 10 acres of beautiful gardens and fountains, San Juan Capistrano served as a community for Spanish Padres and Indians. It was a thriving center for agriculture, education and religion. Today, the mission's visitors can see Native American, Spanish, Mexican and European heritage in the mission's architecture and artifacts. Every year, millions of visitors and school children come to these missions to learn about California and our history. Indeed they are living classrooms of our past. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, not only for the sake of preserving California's history, but for our nation's history as well.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this is a very straightforward amendment. It would simply strike the ``Global War on Terrorism'' segment of section 1301, hence prohibiting the Secretary of Defense the ability to carry out military construction projects in excess of $1.5 million outside Iraq without the prior notification to Congress. This emergency supplemental was not intended to broadly fund the global war on terrorism, but to finance emergency defense and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I am deeply concerned with section 1301 of the bill which grants the Secretary of Defense broad authority to carry out up to $500 million in military construction projects outside the United States without the prior approval of Congress. The supplemental appropriations bill we are discussing today is not intended to be a slush fund for the Secretary of Defense. And if my amendment is approved, the Secretary of Defense would still, would still be able to use the new temporary authority to make temporary constructions in Iraq for up to $500 million. The Secretary would also maintain his ability to use the operations and maintenance budget to construct temporary military installations overseas with a cost of up to $1.5 million. Let us keep in mind that these are supposed to be temporary structures, according to the bill, ``the minimum necessary to meet the temporary operational requirements.'' It is my understanding that most of the construction projects we are talking about cost $250,000 or less. So $1.5 million is more than a generous ceiling for projects without congressional approval. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to support responsible congressional oversight over our military construction spending overseas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would just remind my colleague that the first $60 billion we spent on this has been unaccounted for. In fact, we had the Department of Defense before us, and even one of the chairmen from appropriations said he could not tell us where all that $60 billion, or even some of it really, had been spent. So we are really talking here about reasonable oversight and accountability, especially notice alone. Notice. That merely gives Congress the prerogative to maintain oversight while funds are being executed. To say that field commanders should not be accountable runs contrary to common sense and historic practice. Can opponents cite one example of how a notice provision cost lives or undermined a mission? The answer is no. This is about accountability. And the Secretary of Defense still has other funds available, other abilities. We are talking about temporary structures, most of which are under $250,000. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Once again, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to support responsible congressional oversight on our military construction spending overseas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Tyler Matthew Pinchot, a 23-year veteran of the Buena Park Police Department. Tyler was raised in my district in the city of Garden Grove and he was a graduate of Golden West College's police program in 1979. He was the only Buena Park police officer to win the Officer of the Year Award two years in a row in 1991 and 1992. When not on duty protecting citizens, he volunteered his time for his community. He was a Special Weapons and Tactics team member, station house Santa Claus and a tactical officer at Fullerton College's police reserve academy. Sadly, on June 13 Tyler was trying to catch up to a traffic violator when a car struck his motorcycle. He later died as a result of his injuries. Tyler was a great citizen. He was a man who devoted himself to his community. His hard work and dedication will serve as an inspiration to others.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Unfortunately, domestic violence continues to be a major threat facing women of all ages. The most conservative estimate indicated that each year 2 to 4 million women are battered or beaten, and nearly 200,000 of these cases are serious enough to require hospitalization or emergency room use. While there are many support groups and organizations dedicated to helping people of domestic violence, there are still those who would seek to undercut these services. Recently, a lawsuit was filed by the National Coalition of Free Men who claimed that 10 shelters in Southern California provided services to abused and battered women and were engaging in unlawful sex discrimination because they did not accept men at their shelters. The California Women's Law Center and the law firm of O'Melveny & Meyers represented a majority of these shelters, pro bono, and successfully argued that this lawsuit had no merit. While it is important to provide services for all abused and battered persons, it is equally important that these services not be denied to those who need it the most, women and children who are the most vulnerable to these attacks.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me the time. I rise today to voice my concern over the President's $87 billion supplemental request and the failure to plan for postconflict peacekeeping and reconstruction in Iraq. In short, the administration has failed the American people here at home and the brave men and women who are serving overseas. In the months leading up to the war, we were repeatedly told that this war would be swift; that the loss of American life would be minimal; and that the costs of the war would not impose a burden on the American taxpayer because Iraq had sufficient reserve to finance its own reconstruction. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said, There is a lot of money to pay for this that that does not have to come from U.S. taxpayers. We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon. Now, we are faced with the chilling reality that the opposite is true. Over 320 Americans lives have been lost, and guerrilla war has escalated because the administration failed to admit the scope of the challenge we have on our hands, and of course, costs are skyrocketing. If we approve this supplemental, the United States cost of war to date will reach $141 billion. Some say it could reach $237 billion, some $418 billion, but the most glaring truth is that we cannot afford to lose and that our window to win the peace is quickly shutting. We not only have a moral obligation to help rebuild Iraq, but it is in our best national interest to facilitate the transition to a stable democratic and economically self-sufficient Iraq. We should have had a plan in place 6 months ago. We should have had a clear exit strategy. We should have had coalition partners lined up and ready to go. We should have prepared our troops for the tasks we are now asking them to face, and now we have to make up for lost time. Our first priority should be to get our troops the resources they need to complete their missions swiftly, transfer power to Iraqis and return home.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

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

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter) for bringing this bill to the floor, and I rise in support of the bill offered by the gentleman from New Hampshire, H.R. 2755, which would authorize the President to posthumously promote the late William ``Billy'' Mitchell, United States Army, to the rank of major general. General Billy Mitchell was often called the Nation's air power visionary. He was an outspoken advocate of the importance of strategic air power and its vital role in our Nation's military strategy. Many consider him to be the father of today's United States Air Force. He was born in 1879 to Wisconsin Senator Colonel John Lendrum and his wife, Harriet Becker, in Nice, France. And he left college before graduating to enlist in the First Wisconsin Infantry for the Spanish- American War. He rose rapidly through the ranks and received a field commission in the Signal Corps, and in 1912 he became the youngest member of the General Staff. It was there that he became interested in aviation, which was at the time assigned to the Signal Corps. Although Billy Mitchell was 38 years old when he learned to fly by taking private flying lessons, he accomplished much during World War I. For example, he was the first American airman to fly over enemy lines. He was the first American officer under enemy fire, and he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, the French Legion of Honor, and commanded the largest aerial armada in history. He commanded all American combat units in France and was elevated to the rank of brigadier general. By the early 1920s, General Mitchell began to advocate the creation of the Air Force to be independent of the Army. This was essential, he said, because aircraft would one day cripple the Navy and render battleships obsolete. When his colleagues dismissed this concept, he proved his point at Chesapeake Bay in 1921 by test-bombing and sinking several captured battleships. In 1925, General Mitchell's relationships with his superiors deteriorated even further, and he was reduced in rank to colonel. It was the tragic crash of the Shenandoah, a Navy gas-filled air ship which killed 14 Navy crewmembers, which led General Mitchell to issue his famous statement. General Mitchell accused senior leaders in the Army and Navy of incompetence and, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) said, ``almost treasonable administration of the national defense.'' Mitchell was court-martialed, found guilty of insubordination and suspended from active duty without pay for 5 years. Instead, General Mitchell elected to resign, and he retired to a farm near Middleburg, Virginia. But from his retirement, he continued to promote air power and its importance and warned of the dangers posed by other nations, particularly Japan. Nearly 20 years before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, General Mitchell expressed concerns of a possible attack by foreign aircraft against the Philippines and against the Hawaiian Islands. However, he would not live to see his predictions come true in 1941. Tragically, Billy Mitchell died in New York City on February 19, 1936. It was not until after his untimely death that the Army-Air Force in World War II adopted his ideas and plans. Ten years after his death, Congress awarded Billy Mitchell the Congressional Medal of Honor. Twenty years later, many Americans would learn more about the life of General Mitchell in the 1956 film ``The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell.'' Decades later, General Mitchell's thoughts and principles on air power continue to guide us all in the air strategy of the United States Air Force, and so it is fitting that we recognize the enormous achievements of General William Mitchell and promote him to major general. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill and to provide General Mitchell with the recognition that he deserves. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Tyler Matthew Pinchot, a 23-year-veteran of the Buena Park Police Department. Tyler was raised in my district in the city of Garden Grove and he was a graduate of Golden West College's police program in 1979. He was the only Buena Park police officer to win the Officer of the Year Award two years in a row in 1991 and 1992. When not on duty protecting citizens, he volunteered his time for his community. He was a Special Weapons and Tactics team member, station house Santa Claus and a tactical officer at Fullerton College's police reserve academy. Sadly, on June 13 Tyler was trying to catch up to a traffic violator when a car struck his motorcycle. He later died as a result of his injuries. Tyler was a great citizen. He was a man who devoted himself to his community. His hard work and dedication will serve as inspiration to others.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month and to honor all of the contributions of the Latino community in the United States. Right now, the Latino community is the largest minority group in America, with over 37 million people. We continue to become more powerful and a more dominant force in the United States. In fact, this year, we will have a purchasing power within the Latino community reaching almost $600 billion. Marketers and advertisers, CEOs and companies are realizing that we are a target for consuming, and we are becoming the fastest growing consumer sector in this Nation. Our increasing power and influence in this country cannot be ignored. So this week, so many Latino groups are in town preparing an agenda for the future, and a good Hispanic agenda is a good agenda for America.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my great concern over the Bush administration's continued failure to broker an alliance with the international community and to win the peace in Iraq. Week after week administration officials have continued to reiterate that heightened international involvement is forthcoming. During his address on September 8, President Bush stated that we are committed to expanding international cooperation and reconstruction and security for Iraq. But week after week, it is American taxpayers who are shouldering the financial burden of our military engagement, and it is American servicemen and women who are paying with their lives. Since the war began on March 20, 456 service members have been killed, both in combat and noncombat operations, and more than 2,400 have been wounded, many of them very seriously. But we know now that this cannot be sustained. Just last week the Congressional Budget Office released a report that stated the Army lacks sufficient active duty forces to maintain the current 150,000 troop strength in Iraq beyond next spring. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we internationalize the Iraqi campaign by presenting a viable U.N. resolution. Every passing week means billions of dollars and more American lives.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend, Mr. John C. Sperry. John is retiring from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 324 after 30 years of dedicated service. He is the second most senior International Vice President in the UFCW. When President Arthur Berland retired in 1973, Local 324 had 12,000 members with wages at $187.30 per week. John C. Sperry was elected by the Executive Board to succeed Berland. I was a member of Local 324 myself, and was employed at the SavOn drug store in Anaheim--scooping ice cream. I was a very good ice cream scooper, and was thrilled to be a member of the UFCW. John started as a Box Boy (now called ``Courtesy Clerk'') at age 15. He worked part-time at a Safeway Market. He than worked as a Box Boy and Produce and Food Clerk at Alpha Beta, A&P, Shopping Bag and Hiram's--the latter being subsequently bought by the Lucky supermarket chain. He was hired on May 4, 1959 as a Union Organizer, and then elected (the practice at the time) as Union Representative. He was confirmed as President of Local 324 in 1975, and has been re-elected unanimously 10times since then--quite a record of longevity and leadership. John has served as the acknowledged leader and official spokesperson of the UFCW in Southern California for 28 years. He has served for decades on the food industry's Joint Labor Management (JLM) Committee, is one of two rank-and-file officials in the National JLM, and was for 20 years Chairman of Food Benefits Trust and Secretary of the Pension Fund. With John as the spokesperson and chief negotiator for all Southern California UFCW Locals, wages have gone from under $200 per week when he became President to the current $716 for Clerks and $767.20 for Meat Cutters. In addition there have been vast increases in Health and Welfare and Pension benefits; establishment of weekly hour guarantees; establishment of the Defined Contribution Plan; creation of the ``Golden 85 (full retirement benefits for active participants with 30 full-time credited service years at age 55); establishment of the Housing and Educational Fund; and combining of the Food and Meat Agreements to increase the Union's bargaining Power. John was the force behind the UFCW work stoppage of 1978 that resulted in significant increases in wages, night premiums, health benefits and pensions for union members. From its earliest years, Local 324 has participated in many community activities, with the goal of improving the quality of life of all those who live in Southern California. Under President Sperry, the Union Local has earned a reputation as one of the most general philanthropic organizations in the state for its consistent financial support of worthy causes. With some 24,000 members, UFCW Local 324 is the eighth largest Union Local in the UFCW. No other sister Local in the United States or Canada enjoys a better or more strictly enforced collective bargaining agreement, a statement that has been true primarily as a result of the leadership of John C. Sperry. We will all miss John, but know that he will continue to be of counsel to not only Local 324 but also the national union. I will miss him as my union president, and count him not only as a leader, but a valued friend and advisor.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my great concern over the direction the Bush administration is leading our country. Simply put, we are spread too thin on every front. As a whole, our military is dangerously overextended. Just yesterday, our National Guard and Reservists were informed that their tours in Iraq have now been extended to 1 year, months longer than many initially anticipated. Deficits are at a record high, homeland security spending is grossly inadequate, and the true cost of our military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan is becoming more apparent every day. Just this past week, President Bush requested an additional $87 billion from Congress, an emergency spending request not seen since the early months of World War II. On top of all this, on top of all this, President Bush is still demanding that Congress make his expiring tax cuts permanent, a measure that will cost over $1.1 trillion through 2013. Mr. President, where are we going to get this money from?

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, 2003, we continue to have loss of life of our brave service men and women in Iraq at a rate of one per day. Just look at the figures--491 wounded and 93 killed. We've lost 7 soldiers in the last week alone. Why? Because the administration failed to adequately plan for post- war peacekeeping in Iraq. And experts are beginning to warn that the window for postwar success is closing. We need to make a decision--and we need to do it quickly--about increasing the end strength of our military. Two days ago, the Pentagon announced that our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan should expect one- year deployments. We are walking a very fine line on having enough troops to support our missions around the globe, especially Iraq and Afghanistan. Asking our troops to stay for longer and longer tours is not the answer. Our troops are stretched thin, and we must start talking about doing everything in our power to win and sustain the peace.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to the St. Joseph Ballet Company in Santa Ana, California, for receiving the 2003 Coming Up Taller award. The Coming Up Taller award recognizes programs that involve students in the arts and humanities. The St. Joseph Ballet Company offers 42 dance classes every week, provides one on one tutoring with students at the University of California, Irvine and along with assistance in the college admission and financial aid process. St. Joseph is more than just a dance program. They have been teaching children about dance, self-discipline, and the importance of academic excellence for over 20 years. Children are given a sense of accomplishment, motivation in all aspects of life and an education that goes beyond standard core curriculum. In these difficult economic times for education, I am pleased that there are still programs like St. Joseph's Ballet that provide invaluable tools to prepare our children for the future.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Margaret Elder, a teacher at Anaheim High School for being selected as one of 32 teachers tapped for Disney's annual American Teacher Awards. The 32 selected teachers are chosen from a field of over 185,000 from across the nation. Award winners are selected for their innovative approaches to teaching that are above and beyond the standard school curriculum. In these tough economic times, as teachers work with limited resources and many programs in our schools being hurt by budget cuts and lack of proper funding, it is particularly inspiring to have teachers like Ms. Elder in our schools. It is my privilege to congratulate her on this accomplishment. Our educational system and our teachers are our most important asset and we must support them: Not just for our children, but for our future.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me this time. For months now we have heard statements from politicians on both sides of the aisle arguing about what works best for Head Start. I have been listening here all night, and I have been hearing you talk about children who are in households in poverty. I think most of you do not know about that, or households where no English is spoken or households where parents have no education, where parents do not know how to access the education system, or with children who have a speech and hearing problem. Or imagine somebody who sits in a home like that and has all of that and then you can imagine what I looked like 40 years ago. See, I know about these kids, because I am one of those kids. It hurts to hear you talk about how we are not successful, or how we are losers. But we are very successful. We have had a lot of successes with Head Start. All you have to do is ask us. You do not have to imagine it. We write to you about it all the time. Let us keep Head Start the way it is.

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to discuss how the School Readiness Act will adversely affect minority children. What we are talking about here is Head Start. Of the 900,000 children in Head Start, 300,000 are Hispanic. This is something very near and dear to my heart. I am a former Head Start child. The Republicans argue that the School Readiness Act will not allow States to supplant Federal funding, but, in fact, CRS, the Congressional Research Service, indicates that that is just the case. Why should we care? I will tell my colleagues that every kindergarten, first grade and second grade teacher in my district that I have visited in every school, and I have gone to all of them, has told me that the number one thing that the Federal Government can do at the education level is to fund Head Start, to give our children the ability to start even at the starting line of education. So why, why would the Republicans take a program that is working and try to change it, to put more barriers in front of our minority children?