José Serrano

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report, and, in particular, of the final agreements on the programs of the Commerce, Justice, and State Departments, the Judiciary, and the related agencies under our Subcommittee's jurisdiction. This has been a difficult process, Mr. Speaker, with more perils than Pauline, but at each step of the way the Commerce-Justice bill has been improved, first under the capable leadership of our Chairman, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and finally in negotiations with the Administration. I must repeat what others have already said, that the Committee and Subcommittee chairmen and ranking Democrats, our staff, and the President's staff have worked long and hard, day and night, weekday and weekend, to get us to this point. And don't forget that the staffs often stay hours longer when members go home. We owe the staff an enormous debt of gratitude. Mr. Speaker, Chairman Rogers has explained our part of this package, but I will just note that there is more money for COPS, for SBA, for NOAA, for various civil and employment rights activities, and that most of the President's funding priorities have been addressed. Of special importance, in my view, is that the resources and authority are provided to let the U.S. pay a substantial portion of the arrears due the UN. This avoids loss of our vote in the UN General Assembly and enhances our leverage over both UN policies and activities in the world and the management of the UN itself. But the price for this victory may be the lives and health of women all over the world. This is very troubling. We were not able to include a Hate Crimes provision, but I hope this issue can be taken up in the next session. Mr. Speaker, the procedure used to create this wrap-up bill was most unusual, and while I know there are very positive provisions in the bigger package, there are also sins of both omission and commission that have been discovered. But I wonder what sins may still be hidden from view since few have had the chance to read it through. For my part, however, I believe that our work has mostly been well done and I intend to support the conference report.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Carlos Beltran, an outstanding Puerto Rican athlete and a very successful baseball player. On November 10, 1999, Carlos was selected as the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Carlos previously was honored as the league's top rookie by Baseball America, the Sporting News, and Baseball Digest. Born in Manati, P.R., Carlos turned in Rookie of the Year numbers, hitting at a .293 clip with 112 runs scored, 22 home runs and 108 RBIs. He became the first American League rookie to collect 100 RBIs in a season since Mark McGwire in 1987 (118) and the first big league rookie with 100 RBIs since Los Angeles' Mike Piazza in 1993 (112). Mr. Speaker, Carlos was the Royals' 2nd-round pick in the 1995 June Free Agent Draft. He has never played a game at the Triple-A level, as he made the jump from Double-A Wichita to Kansas City in September of last season. The 22-year-old was second in the American League with 663 at-bats, tied for third with 16 outfield assists and was seventh with 194 hits. He led A.L. rookies in runs, hits, home runs, RBIs, multi-hit games (54), total bases (301), stolen bases (27) and on-base percentage (.337). Carlos Beltran established numerous Royals rookie records in 1999, as he produced one of the best all-around seasons of any player in club history with 22 homers, 27 stolen bases, 108 RBIs, 112 runs and 16 outfield assists. Through his dedication, discipline, and success in baseball, Mr. Beltran serves as a role model for millions of youngsters in the United States and Puerto Rico who dream of succeeding, like him, in the world of baseball. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Carlos Beltran for his contributions and dedication to baseball, as well as for serving as a role model for the youth of Puerto Rico and the U.S.A.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Eula D. Nelson Fleet, an outstanding individual who has dedicated her life to public service and education and to wish her a happy retirement. Born in Apalachicola, Florida, Mrs. Fleet moved to New York City in 1943. In 1956, with her husband and four children, she moved to Patterson Houses in the Bronx, where they have lived ever since. Mr. Speaker, in 1957, when her first child started school at P.S. 18, Eula Fleet started her long involvement with our educational system and was elected treasurer of the school's PTA. From 1970 to 1973 she served as Vice President, then President of the PTA at J.H.S. 149; from 1973 to 1979 she was an Educational Assistant at the Development Learning Program at P.S. 5; from 1979 to 1980 she was an Educational Assistant at the Development Learning Program at P.S. 156; from 1980 to 1981 she was an Educational Assistant in Early Childhood at P.S. 30; in 1982 she was an Educational Assistant at P.S. 124; and in 1983 she was named Assistant to the Director at the Milbrook Senior Citizen Center. Mrs. Fleet has also been very involved with the community. From January 1970 until July 1999 when she retired, she served at Community Board #1 in several capacities: Chair of the Education Committee, Treasurer, Health Committee, and Chair of the Housing Committee. She also served in Upward Bound Program at Fordham University, as Assistant Treasurer of the Mott Haven Center Community Advisory Board, and on the Joint Advisory Board of Eastside Settlement House. Mrs. Fleet was married to the famous jazz guitar player William A. Fleet, Sr., who passed away in April 1994. She has four children, William, Evelyn, James, and Francis, and four grandchildren, James, Jr., Jawann, Jayanna, and Michelle. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Eula D. Nelson Fleet for her achievements in education and her enduring commitment to the community, and in wishing her a happy retirement.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to congratulate the Team of the Decade and the sports franchise of the century, the Yankees. Mr. Speaker, for the 25th time in their glorious history, the New York Yankees are the World Champions. On Wednesday, October 27, the Bombers proved once again why they are the most successful franchise in the history of sports. As the Representative from the 16th Congressional District in the Bronx, home of the Yankees, I congratulate George Steinbrenner, Manager Joe Torre, and the whole Yankee team on a job well done. Mr. Speaker, the Yankees overcame a lot of personal hardship to reach their collective goal. They played as a team and they won as a team. Today the Bronx is celebrating, New York is celebrating, and all across our country Americans realize that the best baseball is still being played in the Bronx. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to and congratulating the Team of the Decade and the sports franchise of the century, the New York Yankees. Go Yankees.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with joy and pride that I rise to pay tribute to Aquinas Housing Corporation (AHC) which celebrated its 18th anniversary of providing services to the community on Wednesday, November 3, 1999, at the Marina Del Rey restaurant to families in need. Aquinas Housing Corporation was founded in 1981 by a group of volunteers who understood the need to provide quality transitional housing services to families in need. Mr. Speaker, over the past 18 years, Aquinas Housing Corporation has sponsored and developed the rehabilitation of 35 buildings, 990 residential units, 104 cooperatives, and 115 two-and three-family homes. By the year 2000, AHC plans to renovate 10 more buildings with 160 additional units for a total of 1,152 decent and affordable rental housing units that were nonexistent prior to AHC's creation. Along with housing development, AHC provides a full range of social services to the residents of its buildings and community at large. Services offered include an adult job readiness program, a computer learning center, a clothing bank, case management, tenant organizing, neighborhood improvement projects, classes in English as a second language, parenting skills, senior services, a home-based child care resource and referral center, a tree maintenance program, and activities and field trips for youth and seniors. It is a privilege for me to represent the 16th district of New York where Aquinas Housing Corporation is located, and I am delighted by its success. I have witnessed first-hand the exemplary work they are doing for our community and I am deeply impressed. I applaud the commitment and the efforts of Aquinas Housing Corporation's staff in the assistance they provide to the elderly, and low- and moderate-income families, as well as, in facilitating educational opportunities for our talented youth. I would like to especially compliment this year's honorees, St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School, St. Barnabas Hospital, and the Bank Street College of Education Center for Family Support, for their leadership in improving the quality of life in our community. Mr. Speaker, St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School, an institution which provides quality and caring instruction to the younger members of the community, will receive the Community Education Award, St. Barnabas Hospital, which offers a wide range of services at both their main facility and their numerous satellites throughout the borough, will receive the Community Health Services Award, and the Bank Street College of Education Center for Family Support will receive the Community Family Support Award. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Aquinas Housing Corporation and its staff and in wishing them continued success.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ambassador Victor Marrero, an outstanding individual who on October 1 was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to fill a vacancy on the federal bench in New York's Southern District. Ambassador Marrero was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New York City with his parents when he was 10. He graduated from New York University (B.A. cum laude, with Honors in History, Phi Beta Kappa). He received his law degree from the Yale Law School, where he was elected Editor of the Yale Law Journal. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Sheffield (U.K.) School of Law and has taught as a Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale and Columbia Law Schools. Mr. Speaker, before his confirmation to the bench, Ambassador Marrero served as the Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States. His achievements during his tenure at the OAS are impressive. Among his proposals that have been adopted are the restructuring of the General Assembly in order to streamline the number of days and make it more efficient and effective, reform to eliminate duplication and waste through a new Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development, and creation of the Center for the Study of Justice in the Americas. Through Attorney General Janet Reno he has pledged $1,000,000 for the Center, to promote research on legal matters, train personnel, exchange information, and provide technical support on the reform processes of judicial systems in the Americas. Mr. Speaker, before this posting, Ambassador Marrero served since 1993 as the United States Representative on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. He brought to his diplomatic posts extensive experience in private law practice and business in New York as well as public service in federal, state and city government. Prior to his service at the United Nations, Ambassador Marrero practiced law in New York City. As a partner in the Manhattan law firm of Brown and Wood, he specialized in real estate, land use, development and environmental law. During the Carter Administration, Ambassador Marrero was Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Previously he had been Commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the Vice Chairman of the New York State Housing Finance Agency. Before joining state government, he served as Chairman of the City Planning Commission of New York City. Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Marrero has served as Director or Trustee for numerous civic education, charitable and professional organizations, as well as the Mayor of New York's Management Advisory Committee and Commission on the homeless, and the Yale University Urban Advisory Committee. Ambassador Marrero is married to Veronica M. White. They have two children, Andrew and Robert. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ambassador Victor Marrero for his accomplishments as the Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States and in wishing him success as a Federal Judge in Manhattan.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon), a great member of the committee. (Mr. DIXON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) for his response. We still have to look, of course, at the losses associated with Hurricanes Floyd and Irene. I, unfortunately, note that there is a new hurricane, Jose. He is not on the floor today, but he would be creating problems that we will have to deal with. Now, one area where we have improved dramatically and which I am very proud of is the Legal Services Corporation. It was initially underfunded at only $141 million, and as in past years the House amendment raised that to $250 million, and the conferees agreed to set it at the higher $300 million level, which is equal to the fiscal year 1999 level. I would have preferred to provide more, such as the President's request, which was $340 million; but this is an improvement, a significant one, over the House-passed bill. The conference agreement continues to underfund the COPS program and therein lies perhaps the most difficult part of this bill. This is a program that is a good program. This is a program that needs to be improved and to grow, and I think it is important that especially in the area of universal hiring that this bill be improved. Perhaps we will have that opportunity, as I said, before the Yankees win the World Series. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while slated to receive more than $340 million above the House-passed level, is still $200 million below the President's request for important initiatives to protect our ocean resources and to help us better understand and predict weather and climate changes. The State Department numbers have been increased over the House- passed level; and I think that this is, while still below some of the levels that were presented before, it is still something to note and something that we can be supportive of. There are, unfortunately, some troubling issues that still remain and issues that could have been dealt with and were not, specifically the issue of hate crimes. We believe that on this bill we could have easily included the language that dealt with the issue of hate crimes legislation. We should not waste time trying to figure out the intricacies of where this language belongs. We should only deal with the fact that this is one of the most pressing issues in our country and that we have to address it properly. I really think we missed our opportunity on this bill and hopefully this House will somehow deal with this. As I have said, Mr. Speaker, there are problems with the bill but I did rise today and will continue to rise in favor of this conference report. One of the reasons, as I said before, is my relationship to the chairman, his support of many of the requests that I made and the hope that as this process keeps going along we can, in fact, take care of those items that we did not take care of. So with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I will ask for a positive, a yes vote, on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentleman. Just to cover my tracks, let me say that if other Members on his side were as courteous as he is, we could have a better working relationship, also, as parties. Let me just close, Mr. Speaker, by saying from everything I am reading in today's papers and hearing on radio, the leaders in this House will get together with the White House this weekend, and as I said and I will say it for the third time, before the Yankees win the World Series, this will be in place. Mr. Speaker, I hope that they listen to the fact that we tried to give them a better bill than left this House and when they make it better, they at least turn to the gentleman from Kentucky and say, ``Well, it wasn't all in vain.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Speaker, as my ranking member the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) said, I find myself in a unique and somewhat, if not very much, uncomfortable situation in that I support this conference report and my ranking member, who I respect very much, does not. I suspect when the vote is taken, it will get pretty lonely in this seat right here, as most Members of my party will probably not support this conference report. But I would like to take a few minutes to explain a couple of reasons why I do that. First of all, I do it honestly and sincerely because I believe that the negotiations that I was involved in and my staff were involved in made this bill a much better bill than the bill that left the House. I do it with the full understanding, as I said before, that there are still problems with the bill and some are very serious. But I also do it for another reason and a reason that very few people, if ever, mention on the House floor when it comes to discussing a bill; and that is my desire to continue to create a working atmosphere both for myself, for the subcommittee that I participate in, and perhaps for this House that goes back to a time when the bitterness was not here the way it is these days and when people could work together. We live in a society where sometimes people from different parts of this country and from different backgrounds find it very hard to get along with each other. Perhaps if they were to be a reporter writing about the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentleman from the Bronx, New York (Mr. Serrano), previously from Puerto Rico, one could say there is a fine example of two people that would have a hard time working together. It turns out to be just the opposite, that we have worked together to try to make a better bill is a fact. That we have accomplished some things is a fact. That we still disagree on some very serious points is a fact. That I believe that the philosophy between his party and mine are totally different and that I believe ours is correct and his is not, that is a fact. But to me the idea of establishing this relationship and working to make life for people in this country better on a daily basis is important for me enough to stand here in support of a conference report today that may not be supported by many on my side. But I do it, and I repeat it again, with the hope and thought that it is part of a larger picture. But I know some will say, oh, what a naive ranking member to think that if we are nice to people and work with them they will respond. Well, sometimes it works. Sometimes if we respond properly, people respond to us.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to pick up on something the gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon) said in support of the conference report. He did say he was unhappy and perhaps questioned the way that the census was being funded, but he emphasized the fact that the important aspect was that the census was being fully funded. And I have to tell my colleagues that for the many people that I deal with on the House floor on a daily basis, that is a very important issue. I personally have a great deal to look forward to in this census. I represent the most undercounted district in the Nation. My district was undercounted by a very large number of people in terms of what we thought we should have, not to mention what I consider the hidden undercount, which is people that have a difficult time just coming forward and allowing themselves to be counted. So I have the undercount, and then there is that other problem. To me, the census is crucial. And to the city and the county that I represent, the Bronx, New York, a census count is perhaps at the center of how we look at our future and what we can do to better our condition. Of particular importance for me is the idea of being able to spend dollars on a census that will go beyond certain limits imposed in the past to reach out to people, such as advertising in languages other than English. This is very important to me, to be able to reach people and to send a message out that not only is it a constitutional mandate for us to conduct it, but perhaps it is a constitutional responsibility for them to participate in it. So I cannot emphasize enough the importance to me of the fact that after a very difficult time in the past, we were able to reach agreement in a proper way on the census issue. So I cannot say enough as to how important that is and how important that is, in my opinion, for my community, for my State, and for the future of this country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, today we take up the conference report of H.R. 2670, the bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary and several related agencies. Mr. Speaker, this year I jumped from not being a member of the subcommittee at all to the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee. Learning this large and challenging bill practically from scratch has made this an interesting and educational year, but it has been made much easier by our chairman, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), who has graciously shared his considerable expertise and made necessary allowances for the new guy on the block. Working with the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) has been a great personal pleasure for me, and I thank him for his support and understanding. I must also mention our very professional and able staff, some of whom we always see on the floor during the debate and others who are back in our offices. They have worked long and hard, including just about every night and weekend since conferees were appointed, to bring this conference report to the floor. The chairman has explained the conference report so I will just add a few words. First, while there are still problems and concerns with certain provisions, the conference report is much better than the bill that passed the House in August. I think that is an important thing to note. So I repeat it. There are still concerns with the content of this bill, but this is a much better bill than the one that passed the House in August. If what I hear on radio this morning is correct and the President and the leadership of this House will take care of this problem this weekend, then this bill, I suspect, will get much better way before the Yankees win the World Series. Additional resources were provided to the conferees and the result is much closer to the President's request in many areas. The conference agreement provides $1.5 billion over the House-passed level and $3.6 billion over the Senate-passed level. Like the House-passed bill, the conference report provides the Census Bureau with the resources it needs to do both the 2000 census and the necessary quality checks on it. This, Mr. Speaker, is a tremendous accomplishment and probably at the center of my support for this bill. Like the House-passed bill, the conference report includes funding for U.N. arrears, but unfortunately it continues to restrict the State Department's ability to actually pay the U.N. dues, and I am very concerned that this will cost us our vote in the General Assembly. Along with the vote, we may lose any leverage we would hope to exercise over U.N. management and budget reforms. The conference agreement, like the Senate-passed bill, provides resources to begin implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, but one troubling provision waives the Endangered Species Act for the State of Alaska. This is an issue on which I have had many visits from Members and they should know the efforts that have been made on this issue. The House-passed cut to SBA's salaries and expenses is largely restored, although partially subject to reprogramming procedures. If I may depart from my text, if I could get the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman, to answer a question, and I am departing from my text just to ask the chairman, I understand that he might be willing to entertain reprogramming requests from SBA, something which is of great interest to me, to the agency obviously, and to our side of the aisle.

Mr. SERRANO

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

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just be very brief; I have no speakers. I just wanted to tell the gentleman from Kentucky, if he wants to compare me to Picasso, I do not have a problem with that. But to suggest that when we try to deal with the expenditures of government, and I might say just to be clear that the chairman and I are going through a process right now where we do not agree on how we are spending some dollars; that is the nature of our system. But that does not mean that I would try to impede his ability to do his job by having a motion like this one or that he would try to do the same with me. To suggest that somehow we are going to raid the Social Security system, I think we did that when we tried to tell the American people that the only thing they should get is a tax break and that nothing else mattered. That is the real danger. I do not think paying for the FBI, I do not think paying for the Immigration Department is necessarily creating that kind of a problem; and I have no further speakers. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), chairman of the subcommittee.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is interesting to note that in anticipation of this debate, the House and Senate conferees took a break to be able to come here and speak about this issue. So from the onset, it should be noted that the work of the conferees is not being done at this moment because we have to be here to be dealing with what, in all due respect to the gentleman, I consider a waste of time. The fact of life is that there is a process, a process where the House passes a bill and the Senate passes a bill and under our system we sit down to work it out. The gentleman does what he considers a good job at singling out some items that, if we look at any budget, could be for some people questionable items. But this is the Commerce, Justice, State, Federal Judiciary, Census Bureau, INS, FCC, FTC, NOAA, this is a bill that encompasses so much, that to single out some items that he may think are not proper and then try to in fact instruct the conferees to go out and destroy the bill is totally improper. It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, that I rise in strong opposition to the motion to instruct conferees on the Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary appropriations bill. This is, as I said, a waste of time. Conferees are unable to meet because we have to be on the floor. On the motion, I would be interested in knowing what programs of, say, the Justice Department the gentleman from Oklahoma considers nonessential. For that matter, how would the gentleman from Oklahoma define ``nonessential''? I expect his definition would not agree with mine or with that of the administration. Does nonessential mean unauthorized? Much of the Justice Department is unauthorized. Does nonessential mean mostly salaries and expenses of Federal employees? The FBI is mostly salaries and expenses. The second item in the motion suggests that the gentleman from Oklahoma thinks U.S. engagement with the world is of little importance. I wonder that after the Senate's failure to ratify the comprehensive test ban treaty last week, the gentleman also wishes to put the House on record as also favoring withdrawal from world leadership and refusal to meet our membership obligations to the various international organizations. On the third point, it has been clear from the beginning that the allocations within which the House and Senate wrote their bills were too low and, therefore, unacceptable to many Democrats and certainly to the President. If Republicans are truly interested in getting the appropriations bills passed, they will have to compromise with the Senate and the White House. That is a fact. Doing as the gentleman suggests moves us in the opposite direction. I would remind the gentleman that while he has strong views on spending restraint, which I respect, and while this motion may actually pass because it is not binding so it is basically free, the votes are not there to pass bills that look the way he wants them to look. I urge my colleagues not to support this motion and to have a fuller understanding of what this whole process is about. I would urge the gentleman to take a closer look at the various departments and agencies and the significance of this whole bill rather than to single out something which he feels is not proper and therefore should destroy a whole bill and a whole process. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Univision Communication's WXTV/Channel 41 for its continuing service to the Latino community in New York. In addition to its popular news program, ``Noticias 41'', today the station will launch New York's first early morning Spanish-language newscast, from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute and wishing continued success to Univision Communication's WXTV/Channel 41. The following article, which appeared in the October 4 New York Daily News, discusses Univision and Channel 41 in more detail. New York Univision Affiliate Launches Morning Spanish-Language Newscast At the Spanish-speaking Otero home in midtown Manhattan, David Otero doesn't have to think twice when asked about the family's favorite TV station. ``Channel 41--it's out of sight,'' said the bilingual 27- year-old. ``My mother likes the novelas and I like the comedies.'' So do tens of thousands of Hispanic New Yorkers who have made Univision Communication's WXTV/Channel 41 the metro area's No. 1 Spanish-language station, drawing in about 122,625 households--more than four times that of its main rival, Telemundo's WNJU/Channel 47. Today, the Univision station will try to grab even more of the TV viewing audience when it launches New York's first early morning Spanish-language newscast, a 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. version of its popular news program, ``Noticias 41.'' Hosted by Spanish broadcasting veterans Adhemar Montagne and Arly Alfaro, the show is aimed at drawing away Spanish speakers who now get their wake-up calls from English- language stations WCBS/Channel 2, WNBC/Channel 4, WNYW/ Channel 5 and WABC/Channel 7. The expansion of Univision's local news--which recently won two Emmy awards, a first for Spanish-language TV--comes in the middle of a hot streak at Channel 41, founded 31 years ago. In an additional sign of its growing prominence, the station has several times in the past week surpassed WWOR/ Channel 9, with programs like ``Noticias 41'' hosted by veteran Rafael Pineda outdrawing sitcom ``Sister, Sister,'' and novelas ``Soadoras'' overtaking ``In the House.'' Even Channel 2 took a recent beating from Univision when network newscast ``Noticiero Univision''--from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.--overtook ``The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.'' Channel 41's strides mirror the rise of New York's Latino community. The fastest-growing minority group in the region, which includes the city and its surrounding suburbs, Hispanics account for about 18 percent of the population, numbering 3.4 million. ``New York continues to be the historic point of entry,'' said Carey Davis, general manager of Hispanic radio stations WSKQ/97.9 FM and WPAT/93.1 FM. As Channel 41 has stolen market share, its Los Angeles- based parent has prospered as well. Under Chairman Jerry Perenchio--a former Hollywood talent agent who represented Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor before joining the network in 1992--the company's ratings growth has made it the nation's fastest-growing TV network. A tough-minded manager, Perenchio refuses to allow any Univision executives to speak to the press, once even fining an employee who defied him. Perenchio and other Channel 41 executives refused Daily News requests for interviews. While it has been widely reported that Perenchio doesn't even speak Spanish, he secured the long-term rights to some of the most popular programming in Latin America, generated by entertainment powerhouses Televisa of Mexico and Venezuela's Venevision, both of which own a stake in Univision. As a result, the network gets a steady dose of novelas, the extremely popular soap-operalike miniseries that Channel 41 airs in prime time, starting with novelas for teens and racier ones as the night goes on. One current hit is ``Camila,'' the story of a young woman in a small town whose husband leaves her behind for a job in the big city, where he's seduced by his boss' daughter. ``/[Novelas are] a way of life in Puerto Rico,'' said Millie Almodovar-Colon, a media buyer at Siboney USA, a Spanish advertising agency that represents Colgate-Palmolive and Denny's. ``My grandma watched them and my mom watched them,'' she added. Univision's program monopoly puts Telemundo's Channel 47 at a big disdvantage, acknowledged that station's general manager, Luis Roldan. ``The novelas guarantee the minds, hearts and souls of the viewers,'' he said. ``We can't buy that programming.'' Last year, Telemundo, owned by Sony and AT&T's Liberty Media, tried to strike back, taking old shows like ``Charlie's Angels'' and reshooting them with a Hispanic cast. ``It bombed,'' Almodovar-Colon said. While Channel 41 is the leader, Roldan is determined to narrow the gap. Telemundo has been pouring money into new programming recently, and Roldan said he is banking on new shows like ``Father Albert,'' a talk show hosted by a priest. Even more important, Channel 47 secured the rights to broadcast Yankees, Mets and Knicks games in Spanish. While Univision is making ratings strides, it remains a laggard when it comes to total advertising dollars. Last year, the station took in $50 million, abut one-sixth the sales of Channel 4. That's because advertisers have historically poured fewer dollars into reaching Spanish-speakers even though their numbers are rising. ``It's racism and ignorance,'' Almodovar-Colon contended. But she added that the tide has been changing for Spanish- language media as the explosive rise of entertainers like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony draws attention to the city's Hispanic population. Latino culture is becoming ``the hottest thing around,'' Almodovar-Colon said.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a young and successful entrepreneur from my congressional district, Mr. Jose Aguiar. Through his dedication, discipline, and success in small business, Mr. Aguiar can serve as a role model for millions of youngsters in the United States who dream of succeeding, like him, in the world of business. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute and wishing continued success to Mr. Jose Aguiar. The following article, which appeared in the October 4, New York Daily News, describes Mr. Aguiar's career in more detail.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of America's greatest boxing promoters, Mr. Don King. Born on August 20, 1931, and raised in the Cleveland housing projects by his mother Hattie, Don beat the odds to become a very successful promoter. His shocking hair style, infectious smile, booming laugh, inimitable vocabulary and his catch phrase ``Only in America!'' have made Don King universally recognizable. King's career as a promoter spans three decades and includes more than 500 world championship fights, but it began with a plea to help save a Cleveland hospital. Facing a severe shortage of funds, Forest City Hospital was prepared to shut down. King knew the hospital was vital to poor and working class people. He sought out heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and asked him to support a benefit to raise money for the hospital. The two men hit it off and the hospital was saved. Mr. Speaker, Don's promotions have entertained billions around the globe. His life has been devoted to staging the best in world championship boxing, as well as giving back to the people. Don King promotes events that have given the sports and entertainment world some of their most thrilling and memorable moments and have advanced the careers of many African-American and Puerto Rican fighters. In 1974 King promoted one of history's biggest fights in the former Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). Dubbed ``The Rumble in the Jungle,'' the fight featured Muhammad Ali against George Foreman. The first major black promoter, King controlled the heavyweight title from 1978-90 while Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson were champions. He regained control of the heavyweight title in 1994 with wins by Oliver McCall (WBC) and Bruce Seldon (WBA). Other fighters he promoted include Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez and of course the new WBC welterweight champion, Mr. Felix ``Tito'' Trinidad. King's tireless and continuous philanthropic efforts are rarely chronicled, but as he says, ``if you do something just to get noticed, then it is not a truly charitable gesture.'' He established the Don King Foundation, and through it has donated millions of dollars to worthy causes and organizations. As a reminder of the economic hardship he endured growing up, King has gone into neighborhoods every holiday season and personally handed out turkeys to needy families. Don's ``Turkey Tour'' has given away hundreds of thousands of turkey dinners over the years in cities across the country during the holiday season. Inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, King was the only boxing promoter named to Sports Illustrated's list of the ``40 Most Influential Sports Figures of the Past 40 Years.'' The New York Times published a list that included Don King among 100 African-Americans who have helped shape this country's history during the last century. The honors and awards he has been given are almost beyond counting. Don King is married to Henrietta and they have two sons, Carl and Eric, a daughter, Debbie, and five grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to America's greatest boxing promoter, Mr. Don King.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Felix ``Tito'' Trinidad, an outstanding Puerto Rican athlete, and a very successful boxer. On Saturday, September 18, 1999, in the dramatic end to the welterweight showdown nicknamed the ``Fight of the Millennium,'' Trinidad scored with his punishing right hand and won by a majority decision, taking the WBC title from a very talented and worthy opponent, Mr. Oscar De La Hoya. The result was a joyful outpouring in Puerto Rico and in my Bronx Congressional district. Mr. Speaker, on Monday government workers in Puerto Rico were given the day off to welcome Trinidad, and entire families turned out, with many children kept from school to celebrate. Pounding his heart with this fist, Trinidad stood atop a white truck wearing a floppy hat that read in English ``Peace for Vieques.'' The success added the WBC welterweight title to the IBF crown Trinidad already holds. Trinidad has now won 36 consecutive professional fights. He has held a world title since 1993, making him the longest-serving currently active world boxing champion. Through his dedication, discipline, and success in boxing, Mr. Trinidad has served as a role model for millions of youngsters in the United States and Puerto Rico who dream of succeeding, like him, in the world of sports. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Felix ``Tito'' Trinidad for his contributions and dedication to boxing, as well as for serving as a role model for the youth of Puerto Rico and America.