Loretta Sanchez

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, Today I rise to honor Chongge Vang and Debbie Barba for their leadership and dedication to the Asian community of Orange County. Debbie, a third generation Japanese-American, worked her way up from telephone operator to Vice President of Local Operations for Pacific Bell. During her tenure, she provided a wonderful example to others in our community by returning to school and working to obtain her undergraduate degree from the University of Redlands. Chongge Vang fled Laos in the late 1970's after fighting alongside the American CIA in a secret war. Since his arrival in Orange County, he has helped countless members of the Hmong community to become U.S. citizens and receive health care and other social-service support. A modest man, Vang considers himself more of a helper than a leader. He stated that he became a leader only because others did not answer the call. The Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics organization has recognized these two leaders. I would like to personally thank them for their hard work and the positive example they set for others in my district.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the tireless efforts of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, and the numerous local law enforcement agencies who contributed to a prompt arrest last week in one of the largest manhunts in Orange County's history. Tragically, 5-year-old Samantha Runnion's body was found last Tuesday, a day after she was abducted from her apartment complex. Four minutes after Samantha's kidnapping was reported, an Orange County Sheriff'S Deputy was right there on the scene. A county-wide alert was sounded within 10 minutes, and the Child Abduction Regional Emergency Signal went out within the hour, allowing local radio stations to broadcast a description of the kidnapper. When Samantha's body was found, 400 FBI and Orange County investigators responded to the scene, collecting physical evidence and following up on over 2,000 tips they received from the public. This investigation led to the arrest of a key suspect in Samantha's murder just 4 days after she was reported missing. The Orange County Sheriff's Department remains dedicated to this investigation until a conviction in this case. Law enforcement and the local community in Orange County have delivered a strong message in this case: Samantha's death and other such horrendous crimes will not be tolerated in our community.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of practitioners of Falun Gong. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a peaceful spiritual discipline that is rooted in Chinese culture and based on beliefs in truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and it is now practiced in over 50 countries in the world. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999. Since 1999, over 400 practitioners in mainland China have been killed and thousands have been forced into labor and concentration camps, mental institutions and reeducation centers. Yesterday's debate of House Concurrent Resolution 188 was a step in the right direction, but I urge my colleagues to show their support to Falun Gong practitioners visiting Washington, D.C. this week. Let us show them that religious persecution will not be tolerated in this country, or any other country of the world.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to rule IX, I hereby notify the House of my intention to offer a resolution as a question of the privileges of the House. The text of my resolution is identical to the resolution reported by the Ethics Committee and reads as follows. In the matter of James A. Traficant, Jr., resolved that pursuant to article 1, section 5, clause 2 of the United States Constitution, Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., be, and he hereby is, expelled from the House of Representatives.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise as a strong supporter and as a cosponsor of House Joint Resolution 101, which disapproves the extension of the Jackson-Vanik waiver authority for Vietnam. We have already heard a couple of comments about human rights issues and how in Vietnam they have not improved, and that is true. We have also heard about our missing in action and the fact that we have had more problems recently in trying to get facts and remains out of Vietnam. This discussion today about the Jackson-Vanik waiver is really about immigration and family reunification and visas between countries. What we basically say is if Vietnam is doing a good job in helping us to reunify our families, to send families over to Vietnam and vice versa, if they are cooperating with us in a good way, to have that happen, then we waive Jackson-Vanik and we give them some special trade provisions like letters of credit, the workings of OPEC, some programs through the Department of Agriculture. The fact of the matter is that Vietnam is not doing a good job to help us with immigration, with visas, with family visits. How do I know that? I represent the largest group of Vietnamese outside of Vietnam in the world. So about 65 percent of immigration visas, family visits with respect to Vietnam in this country, those requests go through my office, my office in Garden Grove, California. We know what it is like to have to deal with that government. We know that when people here who are now U.S. citizens go to Vietnam to visit their families, that they are asking for additional moneys, that they cannot get their visas to come, that their families cannot get their exit visas. A country where, on a normal basis, on an annual basis, a person would maybe feel like they make $300 or $400 a year, when they ask somebody for an exit visa and they tell them it costs $2,000 in order to get it, well, how are they supposed to do that? How are we supposed to do that? If we approve for a family member to come to the United States, but they cannot get their exit visa because the government of Vietnam says, oh, we need $2,000 from that person, then they are not helping with reunifying these families, and that is what this waiver is about. If they are doing a good job on that, we are going to give these extra things to help with the trade. Trade with Vietnam is important. We approved it. I did not vote for it, but we approved it as a country over a year ago, and I believe that as we work with Vietnam and as we have more business going on that, hopefully human rights might get better in Vietnam. They have not so far. It has gotten worse, we can take a look at the State Department records, and if we are interested in what is going on with the whole issue of human rights, just this afternoon at 3 p.m., a Human Rights Caucus will hold a hearing on the conditions in Vietnam with respect to human rights. They have not gotten any better. The reality is that even one of the people who submitted written information to us for this hearing this afternoon was arrested just last week, probably for having spoken up and sent us information about what is going on in that country. We have not heard from him. We cannot find him. This is what happens. There is no freedom of the press in Vietnam. There is no collective bargaining when a person is working. They cannot assemble. They cannot even assemble for church purposes to do a procession through town to talk about things. They are not allowed to do that. There is no freedom and human rights in Vietnam, and we need to stop that and that is what we will discuss this afternoon. Today, in this Chamber for my colleagues, this vote is about whether they are helping us to bring families together and they are not. They are not doing a good job. So I would ask my colleagues, please vote for this resolution. It is time we stood up and we asked for more. This is about families. This is about mothers and fathers who have been here for 10 or 15 years and want their children who are still in Vietnam.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about corporate accountability, and the simple idea that for every action, there is a consequence. Recent scandals are part of a bigger problem. Some CEOs and other corporate leaders are acting irresponsibly, hurting investors, jeopardizing my communities and all of America's pensions and retirement security. These business people need to be held accountable. This administration sent the wrong message, signing into law an irresponsible tax package that gave millions of dollars to the largest corporations. Democrats support legislation that would require honest accounting, independent investment advice, sensible regulation, and criminal penalties for those guilty of corporate wrongdoing. We need to put our priorities in order: education, Social Security, the environment, prescription drugs. These things should come before corporate giveaways.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Benny Hernandez, a man who lived life to the fullest and touched the lives of many in Orange County and southern California. Benny began his career as a social worker, but teaching was where his heart was. Benny was always fighting to keep kids in school. He helped to inspire young children from the beginning of their educational careers through the program ``Kinder-Caminata.'' Through this program, thousands of kindergarteners throughout Orange County were exposed to college campuses, instilling in them a desire to work for a college degree. A modest man, Benny once said that he won his election for the Anaheim City School Board on $8.13 and a prayer, referring to the money he used to buy wire to hang his election signs. He won because of all of the students he inspired who, in turn, went out door to door to get him elected. In fact, my husband, on seeing such a scene, referred to him as ``Benny and the Jets.'' On Thursday, July 11, Benny lost a hard-fought battle against brain cancer; and although he was taken away from us at an early age, he will certainly not be forgotten. God bless you, Benny.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Santa Ana Kiwanis Club for its efforts to curb illiteracy in my district. The Kiwanis Club has donated $5,000 to the Orange County Board of Education to finance the printing of 20,000 bilingual booklets that encourage parents to read to their children. The aim of the booklets is to increase the listening and the verbal vocabularies of children, both of which help to improve reading abilities. I am thankful that my parents took the time to read with me while I was growing up. Their dedication to my education helped me to improve my reading ability and to get good grades in school. My parents knew that success in the classroom and in life depended on a grasp of basic life skills like reading, and I commend the Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana for their efforts to improve literacy among the children of Santa Ana.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank my ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), who has been doing such a great job, for yielding to me. I am going to miss him at the end of this year. Mr. Speaker, I am a businesswoman, and I am really alarmed and saddened about what is going on, not just on Wall Street and in American business in particular, but how it is affecting us in our own hometowns, the confidence of people investing in the market. As a former person in the financial markets, I am just dismayed at how this is affecting what I think is really a great institution and something that really marks our country apart from others, and that is the whole idea of American business. I know what it feels like to start a business, to find dollars, to grow the business, to make it a corporation, to hand that company over to professional management when it is time as an entrepreneur to get out and seek for more. I know what it feels like to see my product on the grocery shelves when I go shopping. I know how excited I get when I first see my ads on national television about the product or the service I am doing. I think that is a great thing. I think that is what marks America as such a different society than any historically or any currently. But there are always these excesses, and these questions and these demands, these questions that pop up: Why should corporations pay taxes? I always have to sit back and think, corporations should be happy to have the type of system that we have in the United States. They should be happy that we have infrastructure; that we have railways, freeways; that we have ports, that we have the Internet; that we have banking; and that we train employees by sending them to universities, and that we pay for that with government funds. They should be happy that we have information systems. If we go to do business in another country somewhere in the world, we do not necessarily have that. I remember doing business in Mexico, and every afternoon at 2 or 3 p.m. the electricity would shut off, and we were dead for a couple of hours' worth of business time. We should be happy as corporations that we have this type of infrastructure. We should understand that we need to pay for that. We should be paying for it. They do in other countries. They have to put in their own road in other countries. They have to put in their own sewer system in other countries. Here we are doing it as a people to keep American business going, to keep these jobs. But what happens with these corporations that want to do off-shore, that would take them off Stanley brands? We do not want to pay taxes here, let us make it a foreign corporation, tell everybody we are still American made but we do not want to pay taxes. Why do these corporations not want to pay their fair share? My father used to say we do not get something for nothing. Everything in the long run costs. I took a look these last 3 or 4 years at this market, every business going up, well, every business that did not have a product, their stock going up and up and up and everybody getting in and people telling me at cocktail parties, ``You are stupid for not having your money in there, Sanchez.'' And there I stayed with these companies that had a product. I could see it. I could feel it. I could eat it. And I understand the pressures on those managers. Everybody else was getting money, everybody was getting bonuses, their stock options were going up, and these people making a real product, they were not seeing these increases. But to fake increases in one's own company in order to compensate oneself, that is also wrong. I mean two wrongs do not make a right. We do not get something for nothing. And auditors, my God, what happened? I mean I was trusting them as an investor, that they were telling me the numbers of what was going on in the company. I have never believed in all these off balance-sheet transactions and loans and things that only had to be footnoted and one had to do 14 different inquiries until they got the information on what kind of deal was going on behind what. And, yes, things get more complicated and financing comes from all around the world and people take different pieces and corporations buy each other and everything going on, but we need to get back to the basics. We need good rules. That is a part of Congress. We need good rules. We need to set good rules. We need real regulatory agencies, and we need to fund them so that they are doing the work. We need to anticipate conflict of interest, and we need to ensure a way to stop that from happening, and we need to make examples of the bad guys. Mr. President, I call on you, make examples of these bad guys.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Ed Mezeul for 45 years of service as a top-selling Fuller Brush man. Ed proudly served our Nation as a gunner on a ship patrolling the Atlantic coast during World War II, damaging his eardrums in the process. He could have collected disability, but instead, he wore hearing aids and has worked 6 days a week since the 1950s. At the ripe young age of 55, he moved his family out to Orange County, California, to start a new life, and his hard work and dedication earned him a spot on the Fuller Brush Company's top sellers list each and every month. At a time when the troubles of large companies like Enron and WorldCom are causing American workers to feel insecure about their futures, it is refreshing to hear stories like Ed's that remind us of a time when employees dedicated their entire working careers to companies that were loyal to them also.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend Pastor Bob Orr and the congregation of the First Baptist Church in Santa Ana for their proud display of patriotism on July 7, this past Sunday. During their second annual picnic and barbecue to honor those who served in the military, those in attendance could be seen clutching their Bibles as they sang patriotic songs like the Battle Hymn of the Republic under eight United States flags that once had lain on the coffins of veterans of war. What a wonderful display of national pride, Americans from different races and different cultures coming together at a church to celebrate the lives of those who fought to defend our country's freedom. The congregation of First Baptist has demonstrated to all Americans that regardless of religious beliefs, we are all united under one flag, representing one Nation under God, indivisible.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this sham bill that is particularly harmful to senior women, the heart and the soul of our families. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to the Republican prescription drug bill, H.R. 4954. This bill, while unfair to millions of seniors, is particularly harmful to women. Women make up a large portion of consumers purchasing prescription drugs. For this reason alone, women's health care needs must be considered as we debate prescription drug proposals. And unfortunately, I am hard-pressed to find many of my women colleagues who were consulted as this bill was drafted. It is no surprise, therefore, that this GOP bill ignores health problems unique to women. At least one-third of Medicare beneficiaries, many of them women, do not have coverage for drugs--and others are forced to create a patchwork of coverage that simply doesn't get the job done. Too often, women and seniors are left choosing between food and medicine. Thanks to Medicare, millions of women have dignity and security in their retirement years. Millions of women have avoided poverty and lived better lives. But today, with all of the incredible medical advances coupled with the rising cost of prescription drugs, it's vital that the country pull together to pass a meaningful Medicare prescription drug plan for all women--and all senior citizens.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, June 25, I was unavoidably detained due to a prior obligation at the American Federation of State, Municipal, and County Employees' (AFSME) National Labor Convention. I request that the Congressional Record reflect that had I been present and voting, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 253, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 254, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 255, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 256, and ``yes'' on rollcall No. 257.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, June 24, I was unavoidably detained due to a prior obligation at the American Federation of State, Municipal, and County Employees' (AFSME) National Labor Convention. I request that the Congressional Record reflect that had I been present and voting, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 249, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 250, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 251, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 252.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, for months now, as I have gone home, I have listened to my seniors. They continue to talk about the high cost of drugs. About 6 months ago, I began to receive early-morning phone calls from my 77-year-old dad. That is when I know things have really gotten out of hand. He continues to tell me that every place he goes, to the senior center, to the little food banks that he goes to to help out and volunteer, et cetera, that everybody is out of food and, worse, they are paying all their money for drugs, for prescription medication that they need. Every week he tells me a new story about somebody that he knows and how they have to choose between their rent or their doctors' visits or their prescription drugs, and how some people are taking their dose of drugs and halving them or taking one quarter of what they are supposed to take in order to make it last for the month. Many seniors on fixed incomes have been forced to cut back on basic needs and others have chosen to travel to other countries because the prices are lower. It is shameful that we have not done something about this, and we must work together to do it right. We must do it for all of our seniors.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Colonel Bank is a very interesting guy. He will be 100, as I said, in November. I want to reiterate that he is still alive and kicking and doing a great job for us. I will remind Members that until his 75th birthday, he ran several miles a day. In fact, when he had his troops, sometimes he had an ambulance follow them during their workouts because some of the new young recruits did not know how difficult it was going to be in those units. Even today, he rides a stationary bike four days a week. He lives in Orange County, California; and we are very proud of him, as we are of all our Special Forces from over the years. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 364, introduced by the gentleman from Orange County, California (Mr. Cox) which recognizes the 50th anniversary of the United States Army Special Forces. The United States Army Special Forces was created on June 20, 1952, when the original 10th with Special Forces Group commanded by Colonel Aaron Bank was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. From this a permanent force of unconventional soldiers serving in small-scale conflicts behind enemy lines was formed. The success of this group, to be known as the Green Berets, acted as a catalyst for the creation of similar special operations units within our Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Colonel Aaron Bank, an OSS operative who remained in the military after the war, worked tirelessly to convince the Army to adopt its own conventional guerilla-style force. Bank and Volckmann convinced the Army chiefs that there were areas in the world not susceptible to conventional warfare, but that would make ideal targets for the unconventional harassment and guerilla fighting. Special operations as envisioned by Bank were a force multiplier where you had a small number of soldiers who could sow a disproportionately large amount of trouble for the enemy. Confusion would reign among enemy ranks, and the objectives would be accomplished with an extreme economy of manpower. It was a bold idea, one that went against the grain of traditional concepts. In the spring of 1952, Bank went to Fort Bragg to choose a suitable location for a psychological warfare/Special Forces center. He then went about assembling a group of soldiers who would serve as the foundation of the new unit. Bank did not want raw recruits. He wanted the best troops in the Army, and he got them. They were a group of men who were looking for new challenges to conquer. They were all volunteers willing to work behind enemy lines in civilian clothes if necessary. And that last item was of no small matter. If caught operating in civilian clothes, a soldier was no longer protected by the Geneva Convention and would more than likely be shot on site if captured. These first volunteers were extremely brave, and they did not worry about these risks, and after months of intense preparation, Bank's unit was finally activated on June 19 of 1952 at Fort Bragg. It was designated the 10th Special Forces Group, with Bank as the commander, and on the day of activation, the total strength of the group was 10 soldiers: Bank, 1 warrant officer, and 8 enlisted men. That was soon to change, however. Bank began training his troops in the most advanced techniques of unconventional warfare, and as defined by the Army, the main mission of Bank's unit was to infiltrate by land, sea, or air deep into enemy-occupied territory and organize the resistance/guerilla potential to conduct Special Forces operations with an emphasis on guerilla warfare. But there were also secondary missions. They included deep- penetration raids, intelligence missions and counterinsurgency operations. It was a tall order, one which demanded a commitment to professionalism and excellence perhaps unparalleled in our American military history. But Bank's men were up to that challenge, and by 1958 the basic operational unit of Special Forces had emerged as a 12-man team known as the detachment, or the ``A-team.'' Each member of the A- detachment, two officers, two operations and intelligence sergeants, two weapons sergeants, two communications sergeants, two medics, and two engineers, were trained in unconventional warfare and cross-trained in each other's specialties, and they spoke, each of them, at least one foreign language. This composition allowed each detachment to operate if necessary in two six-man teams or basically split the A-team. On November 23, Colonel Bank will be 100 years old, and throughout his life he has demonstrated unwavering loyalty and willingness to take on the most dangerous assignments to achieve the goal of his mission. During World War II, he served at the Office of Strategic Services. Under that capacity, he was called on to organize a team of German- speaking Americans and French soldiers to dress and train as German SS soldiers with the mission to assassinate Hitler. Although the mission was terminated on the eve of its deployment, Colonel Bank and his soldiers risked certain death by agreeing to serve on this incredibly dangerous mission. He was the commander of the 107th Airborne Infantry Regimental Combat Team during the Korean War. He has a rich past. He is respected by many military and world leaders. And even recently, leaders of the Special Forces contacted Colonel Bank for his advice on military strategy. In 1997, I spoke and kicked off the Operation Bank to Bank, the Walk Across America, which brought the retired members of the Special Forces Association who started in Newport Beach, California, to walk across America covering eight States and 2,640 miles honoring the Green Berets and raising money for a Special Forces museum. It was my pleasure on that day when I met Colonel Aaron Bank. Today it is my pleasure to call him the Father of the Special Forces on the 50th anniversary of his contribution to our Nation's efforts to preserve democracy and freedom. Given their contribution to the war on terrorism, it is even more appropriate that we honor the tens of thousands Special Forces alum and the more than 8,000 men and women currently serving as Special Forces soldiers in defense of America. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of title IX of the education amendments of 1972. In passing title IX, Congress intended to give girls and women opportunities equal to those offered to boys and men in education programs that receive Federal taxpayer dollars. Today we enjoy a greater amount of freedom from our counterparts from 30 years ago. Yet with all the advances that have been made toward gender equity, many barriers still remain. For example, according to a report of the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, just 21 percent of all full professors at colleges and universities are women. For every new dollar going into athletics at the Division I and Division II levels, male sports receive 65 cents of the dollar while girls or women sports receive only 35 cents. In addition, sex segregation persists in career education, with more than 90 percent of girls clustered in training programs for the traditionally female fields of health, teaching, graphic arts, and office technology. We must continue to support title IX.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to invite my colleagues to join me in celebrating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The theme of this year's celebration is unity and freedom, which is an appropriate reminder that America is strong when people of all cultures and backgrounds unite. Asian Americans have proudly contributed to America's culture, its physical landscape, and to its defense. Along the way, Asian Americans have had to endure many hardships, including the unnecessary internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II and the exclusion of Chinese immigrants beginning in 1882. The lessons we learned then and the challenges we now face show us that in order to maintain the freedoms we enjoy today, we must unite as a country and face our challenges together as a Nation. As the proud representative of the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam, I salute my constituents and all Asian/Pacific Islander Americans during the month of May for their contributions and achievements that have helped to make America strong.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Boyer Graduate School of Education as it continues its efforts to obtain accreditation by accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The School, which offers a Doctor of Education program, was founded in 1999 and relocated to California's 46th Congressional District in 2001. The mission of the Boyer Graduate School of Education is to offer distance learning educational opportunities at a reasonable cost to qualified English-speaking applicants throughout the world. The school has a particular focus on adults, employed on a full-time basis, and for those whose place of residence, travel requirements, or finances are constraining factors. The mission of the institution is accomplished through a course of instruction presented on a directed independent study basis supplemented by short-term focused seminars leading to a Doctor of Education degree. While material and instruction are presented primarily through indirect methodology, program content and academic standards are consistent with, and comparable to, regionally accredited resident programs in the same discipline at the same degree level. The institution acts to fulfill the purposes of the Doctor of Education Program through appropriate coursework, coupled with continuing direction, evaluation of student progress, and regular assessment of student learning outcomes, by qualified faculty. Recognizing the importance of accreditation to the credibility of the institution, I urge the accrediting bodies to review the Boyer Graduate School of Education, its faculty, and curriculum in an objective and timely manner.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize William Howard Taft University for providing quality distance education programs to adults and professionals for over 25 years. The University, which offers graduate degree programs in law and business, was founded by its current president, David L. Boyd, in Fountain Valley. The school relocated to Santa Ana in 1995. The mission and purpose of William Howard Taft University is to offer unique and innovative distance learning educational programs at a reasonable cost to qualified applicants, with a particular focus on those who are mature adults, employed on a full-time basis, or for whom place of residence, travel requirements, or finances are constraining factors. The University is committed to providing a quality education responsive to the needs of society, now and into the future. Valuing the rich variety of cultures, races, ages, religions and ethnic backgrounds in the world today, the University seeks students from all regions of the United States, and English-speaking students from around the world. The University's first degree program was the Juris Doctor Program that was first offered through its School of Law in 1984. Since July, 1987 more of its graduates have passed the California Bar Examination on the first attempt than any other distance education law school. Its Graduate School of Business was established in 1987 and presently offers three Master of Business Administration Programs emphasizing entrepreneurship, health care administration, and professional practice management. The MBA-PPM (Professional Practice Management) is believed to be the first program of its kind in the country. The School also offers a Master of Science in Taxation Program to certified public accountants and other tax professionals. In 1994 and 1999 the University's efforts in developing quality education programs were rewarded with the receipt of full institutional approval for a period of five years by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Full institutional approval is the highest status awarded by the State of California and the five-year approval period is the maximum permissible under California law. Recently the University became eligible to seek accreditation by a national accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. Recognizing the importance of accreditation to the credibility of the University, I urge the accrediting body to review William Howard Taft University in an objective and timely manner.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Social Security. Since the Social Security Act became law in 1935, it has reduced poverty among our seniors and allowed generations of retirees to live with dignity and with independence. So could there be a better reason not to spend Social Security on anything other than Social Security? Well, my Republican colleagues have produced a budget that spends hundreds of billions of dollars from the Social Security fund on other programs. Democrats want to strengthen and to preserve Social Security. American families work hard and they pay into that system, and they should be able to count on Social Security when they retire. That is why privatization is clearly the wrong approach. It forces benefit cuts, it increases the risk, and it removes the guarantee that Social Security will be there when we need it, when we retire. Do not be fooled. Democrats believe that working families have earned a secure retirement. We want to strengthen and protect Social Security, not spend it on other programs or on tax cuts to the wealthiest.

Ms. SANCHEZ

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my support for the Bob Stump Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. I want to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for the job they have done on this, and everybody on the committee. We did have a good discussion last week with this bill. This bill will help solders and their families put more money in their pockets by reducing the average amount of housing expenses paid by service members from the current 11.3 percent to 7\1/2\ percent in fiscal year 2003. Now, that might not mean much to us, but to people who are forced to move every few years, it is a very important issue, this issue of the cost of housing for them. So that puts us on the track to eliminate some of this heavy burden for our families that have men and women in uniform. The bill, for the first time, fully funds Concurrent Receipt, and establishes a program through which military retirees will receive increasing compensation. And by the year 2007, retirees who are 60 percent or more disabled will receive their full retirement pay and their disability. This is something that our military retirees desperately need. Unfortunately, this bill also contains provisions that undermine some of our basic commitments to our Nation, including to try to reduce the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The bill gives credence to the fact that the United States should develop nuclear weapons capable of destroying hard and buried targets and use nuclear-tipped missiles to intercept nuclear warheads. I do not need to remind anyone that nuclear weapons have only been used twice in the history of warfare, and the United States has not designed or built a new nuclear weapon since the Cold War. Mutually Assured Destruction, or MAD, is a policy relic of the Cold War; and it should not be resurrected. It should not be resurrected by us. Furthermore, this bill furthers the development of national missile defense with little congressional oversight. We may need a missile defense; but we need a structured one, one where we as a Congress look at it and take full responsibility for what is happening with its development. No bill is perfect. This one has a lack of acknowledgment by the Department of Defense to the members of our Committee on Resources with respect to environmental issues, and this is very shortsighted. Aside from that, I will be voting for the recommit and for this bill.

Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, today I offer an amendment about freedom, safety, and choice. Members of the Armed Forces are entitled to a quality of life equal to that of the Nation they are pledged to defend.