Linda Sánchez

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. I want to recognize and congratulate one of my most distinguished constituents from the 39th Congressional District, Mr. Amador ``Cal'' Calleros. I commend him for his invaluable contribution to his family, to his company--Southern California Gas, to the Whittier community, and to the Los Angeles area. On January 15, 2005, Mr. Calleros retired from the Southern California Gas Company after 34 years of outstanding service. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, Mr. Calleros grew up as the oldest of three children, providing a shining example to his sisters. His father Sirilo, who was born in Springfield, IL, and his mother Helen, who was born in Riverside, CA, met in Los Angeles. Mr. Calleros, who was raised by his hard-working father and loving mother, also spent time with his grandmother Maria and his step grandfather Prieto. In 1965, Mr. Calleros graduated from Montebello High School, where he excelled as the star catcher on the baseball team. After high school, Mr. Calleros attended Los Angeles Trade Tech for a short time before he decided to enlist in the military, where he pursued a special interest in the communications branch of the Army. The war in Vietnam was escalating and Mr. Calleros wanted to serve his country. He was stationed in Strasbourg, Germany, for 2 years from 1966 to 1968, where he awaited the call to the Far East. Though he never was asked to serve in Vietnam, Mr. Calleros suffered the loss of countless friends from East Los Angeles who were killed in the Vietnam War. Upon his return, Mr. Calleros helped bring comfort to these families during their time of grief. In 1970, which proved to be a milestone year for Mr. Calleros, he met and married his wife, Esther, and began his career at the Southern California Gas Company. In 1972, Amador and Esther moved from Monterey Park to Whittier, and still live in the same house. Amador has been a devoted husband to Esther, a supportive father of two sons, and a loving grandfather of one. Though committed to his work, he has always put family first, and this commitment has helped to create a strong family and nurtured immediate and extended family members. Having lived in Whittier for over 30 years, Mr. Calleros has volunteered his time at Lambert Little League, Gunn Park (now called Adventure Park), California High School, and St. Gregory the Great Parish. His greatest passion is coaching baseball. Through coaching, Mr. Calleros has provided instruction, mentoring, and guidance to hundreds, if not thousands of youth from Whittier, La Mirada, and other surrounding areas of the 39th Congressional District. Professionally, Mr. Calleros distinguished himself within the Southern California Gas Company. He began his career as a field technician with his shiny, white Gas Company pick-up truck. Having excelled as a technician, he moved on to become a meter-reader, a field service representative, a measurement analyst, and eventually a measurement technologies expert. The latter two jobs were completed as a member of the management team. It was rare for someone who started out in meter reading to ascend to management, but Mr. Calleros did, paving the way for others to do the same. He continually gave his coworkers inspiration and valuable leadership, which enabled them to succeed. Mr. Calleros has generously offered support to his family, his baseball players, his neighbors, his colleagues, and his friends. He has dedicated his entire professional career to one organization to which he remained loyal. I am pleased to commend and thank him for his excellent work and look forward to many more years of his service to the community.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 11 expressing profound sorrow on the occasion of the death of the Honorable Robert T. Matsui. I am saddened by the loss of a great man and wonderful colleague in Bob Matsui. He was a person dedicated to others, not just in his remarkable public service, but also in his warm and embracing character. His passing is a loss to the people of his district, California, and all Americans who benefited from his wisdom in Congress for the past 26 years. Most of all, my heart goes out to his family. His wife, Doris, his son, Brian, his daughter-in-law, Amy, and, of course, his granddaughter, Anna, were the most important things in the world to him, and I only hope that their grief can be tempered by the knowledge of his constant and unwavering love for them. While it will be difficult for Californians, and all of Bob's colleagues in Washington to accept this tragic loss, I think we owe it to him to remember all of the positive things that Bob stood for. He was the first Japanese-American elected to the Sacramento City Council and one of the first Japanese-Americans to serve in the U.S. Congress. These are remarkable feats for any American, but are simply astounding coming from Bob Matsui, who was forced into an internment camp, along with his family, when he was only six months old. But Bob would never hold a grudge against the country that had done him and so many other Japanese-Americans wrong. He was too great a man, and he had too big a heart. He continued to strive for what was right for decades, using his energy to improve those systems that so many Americans rely on. He was as committed to Social Security and protecting older Americans as he was to upholding the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party, creating a strong future for the next generations. Bob Matsui was a terrific mentor and a terrific friend to me. While our time together was cut too short, he provided an excellent role model of how to stay true to your beliefs even in the face of adversity. Today I join all Californians and Americans in mourning Congressman Robert Matsui. Serving with him in this body will always be one of the great honors of my career.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 2004, Marco Antonio Firebaugh, the Assembly Majority Floor Leader for the State of California, will term-out of the Assembly after six distinguished years of public service. Assembly Member Firebaugh was born on October 13, 1966, in Baja California, Mexico. He made California his permanent residence in 1970. In 1990, Assembly Member Firebaugh earned his Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He subsequently earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 1997. Assembly Member Firebaugh was first elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 50th Assembly District in November 1998. He easily won re-election and was sworn into office on December 2, 2002, to serve his third term. As Assembly Majority Floor Leader, Firebaugh has been responsible for all matters that are relevant to the order of business on the Assembly floor. Furthermore, he has served as one of the chief negotiators for Assembly Democrats. In 2002, Assembly Member Firebaugh was elected Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and thus was responsible for developing the annual Caucus' Agenda for California's Working Families. He has focused on providing resources to schools, increasing access to health care and affordable housing, and championing immigrant rights. His legislative tenure has been highlighted with far-reaching accomplishments in numerous policy areas. Assembly Member Firebaugh's effort to ensure that California high school students have the opportunity to pursue a college education, regardless of their immigration status, illustrates his strong commitment to the people he represents. As Chairman of the Select Committee on California-Mexico Affairs, Assembly Member Firebaugh has done extensive work in establishing a strong working relationship between California and Mexico. Through his committee work, he has launched creative initiatives to establish a Sister-State partnership with Jalisco, a key state in Mexico. He has also led efforts to reform money transmission services and disclosures to protect consumers in California. Throughout his career, Assembly Member Firebaugh has continuously demonstrated his dedication to his profession, community and family. An avid art enthusiast, Assembly Member Firebaugh continues to seek out resources and facilities to further enable the creativity of the community to flourish. As a family man, he enjoys spending quality time with his son Nicolas and attending his daughter Ariana's soccer games. From one public servant to another, I praise Assembly Member Marco Antonio Firebaugh for his service and dedication to the community.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall votes Nos. 473, 474, and 475. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``Aye'' on rollcall No. 473, the motion instructs conferees on H.R. 4200 to adopt the bipartisan Senate-passed provisions on hate crimes, ``aye'' on rollcall No. 474, the motion to close portions of the Department of Defense Conference Report, and ``aye'' on rollcall No. 475 for S. 2363, to revise and extend the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly today to congratulate Food Finders, a Long Beach community non-profit that is dedicated to providing food for the impoverished and hungry people in our region. Food Finders' specific mission is to offer an enhanced quality of life to those in need through a food rescue program. Volunteers collect and distribute food, along with other essential items, to missions, hospices, homeless shelters, treatment centers, senior centers and children's homes in both Los Angeles and Orange County, at no cost to the recipients. Food Finders provides approximately 42,000 meals a day through its services. Food Finders is recognized in the City of Long Beach and throughout the region as a leading community-based organization. They are the link between donors, service agencies, and the people in need. Food Finders has inspired hundreds of merchants to donate food, which they then deliver free of charge to service agencies. This makes it possible for the agencies to run more effectively and therefore feed more people. Food Finders is also a referral source for individuals, directing them to where they can receive help. Ninety-nine percent of food never comes through Food Finders' door. Volunteers pick up and deliver about 20,000 pounds of food to recipient agencies each day. The majority of Food Finders' efforts are spent on facilitating connections between donors and recipients. They operate 200 established delivery routes that are managed by 325 volunteers. Food Finders was started in April of 1989 by Arlene Mercer, and was at one time operated out of her home. Food Finders has since grown from delivering 251,000 pounds of food in 1990 to delivering approximately 7,000,000 pounds of food in 2003. Throughout its existence, Food Finders has delivered over 30 million pounds of wholesome food. This is equal to approximately 35,000 meals per day, or over 11,000 people who receive three meals a day because of the dedication of Food Finders in improving their quality of life. I look forward to working with Food Finders in the future for the betterment of our community.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly today to congratulate the Long Beach Community Hispanic Association, a Long Beach community non-profit better known as Centro CHA, for their valuable service to the community. Formed in 1992, Centro CHA's mission is to provide enhanced quality of life to Hispanic/Latino youth, families, and neighborhoods in the City of Long Beach through health and educational programs, social and economic enrichment, cultural arts, and after school programs. Centro CHA is recognized in the City of Long Beach as a leading Hispanic/Latino grassroots community-based organization. Centro CHA serves as an advocate in efforts to reduce the gaps in services to low- income, underserved Hispanic/Latino youth, families, and neighborhoods. The City of Long Beach is now the second largest city in California, with a population of nearly 458,000 new immigrants creating significant changes in ethnic distribution and a considerable increase in diversity. According to the 2000 United States Census, the Hispanic/ Latino population represents almost 40 percent of the city's total population. Centro CHA connects the public with vital linkages and resources to access healthcare, civic leadership, and educational institutions. Through cultural community forums, collaboration, and civic leadership, Centro CHA helps local service providers to connect these services to the Hispanic/Latino community. To make the public more aware of the community's activism, Centro CHA created an annual award. The Nuestra Imagen Award recognizes local individuals and companies for their contributions to local Hispanic/Latino communities. The award is in its eighth year, and it has grown to be one of the most widely attended non-profit awards dinners in Los Angeles County. The awards ceremony coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as Mexican Independence Day, and celebrates ``the exceptional achievements of outstanding individuals and corporations, all of whom foster the development of children, families and communities in the Greater Long Beach area.'' I look forward to working with Centro CHA in the future for the betterment of our community.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 4885.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, let us celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit in America by recognizing a deserving and generous member of the community--Mr. Dudley DeZonia, who has successfully been at the helm for 30 years as President of Royal Truck Body. Businesses like Royal Truck Body are the backbone of this country and they are an enduring symbol of the American Dream. The approximately 23 million businesses of the size and scale of companies like ROYAL in the United States employ more than half of the country's private work force, create three of every four new jobs, and generate most of America's innovations. For example, 30 years ago in my district, Mr. DeZonia had a dream to lead a truck body business in the City of Paramount. California. His long-term vision for Royal Truck Body was and still is to deliver top- quality products at competitive prices, which has enabled the ``ROYAL'' trademark to become the recognized leader and largest service body company in the Western United States. Royal Truck Body has a 5,000-square-foot design studio and 145,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space. ROYAL pushes this space even further with an additional 40,000 sq. ft. at its satellite locations in Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas, Texas; and Sacramento, California. Royal Truck Body has had a continuing pattern of growth since its inception, and its growth recently has been at an ever-accelerating pace. In 1995, ROYAL became a bailment pool company for Chevrolet; in 1997, it became a converter pool company for both Ford and GMC; and in 2000, it added Dodge. ROYAL has also been a member of the National Truck Equipment Association since 1978. Royal Truck Body has grown from producing four truck bodies per day to more than 35 bodies per day. ROYAL earned its ISO 9001 certification in 1999, which made it the first body manufacturer in the United States to achieve this goal. From 2001 to 2003, ROYAL was awarded General Motors Specialty Vehicle Sales Leader Award in the United States. Also, in 2002, Ford presented ROYAL with the Top Volume Pool Account Award and the Ford's Directors Award for top volume of F-Series chassis cabs. Mr. DeZonia is a business success story, and he continues to make many contributions to the local community. He consistently donates to the local Paramount Education Partnership and to seniors at Paramount High School for college scholarships. ROYAL prides itself in its employees' successes because its employees are its family. Today, let us honor Mr. Dudley DeZonia. By celebrating Mr. Dudley DeZonia's successes, we celebrate American enterprise. Mr. DeZonia is keeping the American Dream alive and well for future generations.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly today to congratulate the city of Lakewood for being named Sports Illustrated magazine's ``Sportstown'' for the State of California. This prestigious award recognizes the city in California with the best community sports programs. And since California is Sports Illustrated's No. I state, that means Lakewood is the number one sports town in the entire country. Sports and outdoor living are part of the fabric of life in this wonderful city, which I represent, in the 39th District of California. Every year, Mr. Speaker, more than 13,000 Lakewood citizens participate in sports leagues or volunteer as coaches or referees. Kids of all ages in Lakewood play sports in one of the many city-sponsored leagues. The city's leagues are free of charge so all kids in the city can participate, and learn the values of teamwork and sportsmanship while they are having fun and making friends. The grownups in Lakewood also join in adult basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball leagues. And if you live in Lakewood and sports leagues aren't your cup of tea you can go to one of the 10 public parks, two public swimming pools, or two public Community Centers and get some exercise or just have a good time. This prestigious award recognizing Lakewood's community sports programs comes during the same year that Lakewood is celebrating its 50th anniversary. So, to the people of the City of Lakewood I say, ``Congratulations for being the best sports city in America, and Happy 50th Anniversary!''

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I missed rollcall vote No. 347. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, excellent point, and I am going to have to leave you gentlemen now, but I just wanted to commend both of you for your excellent work in trying to bring issues to light that impact young adults in America, and I think this topic is so very timely, and I urge you to continue your great work on the issue.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Allegedly.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I would join my colleagues a little more often if they were not up here so late at night. I know that the gentleman has already talked about a number of issues that particularly impact young people in this country. I know that I was here when we talked about the tuition increases and the rising costs of student loans, the increasingly bleak job market for recent graduates. I know that the gentleman talked about the voter suppression issue, and tonight I want to talk a little bit about the men and women who are putting their lives on the line in Iraq and in many places around the globe to protect our country. Mr. Speaker, we are rapidly coming up to the 4th of July, our Independence Day; and I think it is timely to thank the men and women who sacrifice themselves on behalf of our country. An interesting statistic that I ran across is that 70 percent of the people serving in Iraq are ages 18 to 30, and that is obviously a big group of young Americans. Unfortunately, while people talk a lot about patriotism and about supporting our troops, unfortunately, what we are seeing under the current Bush administration is that many of the support mechanisms for these men and women, once they come home, are being dismantled. So instead of talking and giving just lip service to how we should be supporting our troops, we should be passing legislation that stops the cuts that the President has proposed, especially cuts to VA health care. It was not too long ago that I visited, and I have been there on several occasions, Walter Reed Medical Center, which is where the wounded soldiers come after they are stabilized from the theater in Iraq; and I had an opportunity to talk with many young men in the amputee ward, some as young as 19, 20, 21, 22, who are going to need ongoing health care for their injuries. They are going to need job retraining because the jobs that they are going back to they cannot hold anymore. And, unfortunately, what we have seen this government do is cut benefits to VA programs, especially the health care programs, at a time when out of the other side of their mouth, they are saying we need to support our troops. So I find that there is a level of hypocrisy in what the Bush administration says and actually what they are doing. I tell people all the time, the measure of our patriotism is not just about rah, rah, and cheering the troops while they are in war, in theater; but it is how do we treat those same men and women once they come home and they need us. Unfortunately, we are seeing that this administration is bent on cuts to VA services. Veterans who have fought some of their toughest battles for this country on foreign soil then come back to fight the bureaucracy of the VA health care system and face ever-increasing delays to be seen by doctors, closing of facilities and consolidation, which means that they have to travel many, many more miles just to go and get the basic services that they are entitled to. I just want to note, before I engage my two other colleagues here this evening in discussion, that even VA Secretary Anthony Principi publicly acknowledged that he tried in vain to secure more funding from this administration. So what kind of priorities does this administration have if they cannot meet the funding request of the VA Secretary who was hand-picked by President Bush? Mr. Principi is someone the President picked, but he is also a veteran. So he could not keep quiet about how egregiously low the funding level is for the VA administration. So I think it is timely that young people know that we are asking them to make a great sacrifice in risking their health and their lives overseas; they are being divided from their families and, again, they are coming back to an administration that is saying they support the troops when, in fact, the services and the follow-up care that they are going to need is being cut while they are away. I do not know what my colleagues think about that, but I yield.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to mention one thing in the hearing, you talk about the testimony in the Committee on Armed Services. It just further illustrates how unfair of a burden we really are delegating to, again, these young men and women who are going overseas with the best of intentions. They want to serve their country well. They want to do the right thing. They are doing their job under very difficult circumstances and to the best of their abilities. But their leadership at the top is failing them. It is making the situation such that they are going to have to stay for longer and longer periods of time. They will have to endure worsening conditions and continuing instability. And these are folks that are proud Americans that want to serve this country. And, again, their leadership from our President is failing them. I just think it is such a tragedy because we are asking these young people to take the brunt of the risk. And when they come back stateside and, hopefully, they come back safely, the way that this administration is thanking them for taking that risk is unbelievable. I want to talk about one brief issue before I have to run, and that is called concurrent receipt. We like to call it the veterans tax or the disabled veterans tax. And what that is is people who have served in the military who have earned a military pension and they are injured in combat and they are receiving disability pay, they have their pension payment deducted by whatever amount they are receiving in disability. So they are not receiving their disability payment and their pension payment as they should. Because they are meant to do two different things: Disability payments are meant to compensate and help people who have been injured and suffered disabilities from fighting. A pension was meant to give them a cushion for retirement. They are actually deducting the disability payment from the pension payment so the person gets one amount of money when they should actually be getting both concurrently; and I know that there are Democrats in this body who have been fighting like hell, and pardon my French, to try to eliminate this disabled veterans tax, and we have met full on resistance from the other side of the aisle and the Bush administration. I think that doing that to veterans who, again, have sacrificed much, have been honored for their work on the battlefield, is just a hypocrisy, and it is like slamming the door in their face after they have taken the brunt of the risk; and, again, it is a failure of leadership, things like the GI bill that were intended to help veterans come back and reestablish their lives by helping them fund a college education. Today is actually the 60th anniversary of the GI bill. We have seen the GI bill pretty much gutted to what it initially was so that even with the GI bill help, many kids coming back from theater having served overseas in combat just do not have the kind of benefits they do to pick up their lives and move on with a college education and try to move into other fields. Again, I just think it is shameful that this administration is failing our young people in such a way.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, a person greatly deserving of recognition from my community is Shane K. Thever, an inspiring leader in the South Asian Community and a real advocate for political change among the Asian population. He is not one to stand idly by and let others be the ones to speak out. He has and continues to be a pioneer in his proactive involvement for the improvement of the practice of law, minority business development, and the furtherance of social causes He was recently recognized by the California State Assembly for his outstanding achievements in community leadership, and the lasting impression he has made on those with whom he has been associated. Among his achievements, he has an outstanding academic record from UCLA, and his first contribution to his community upon receiving his law degree was in providing Legal Aid Services to those most in need throughout the Los Angeles area. He has since established a distinguished private practice in health care and employment law. In recognition of his strong leadership, President Bill Clinton nominated Shan to serve as the Assistant Director of the Minority Business Development Agency under Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown. In addition to his Federal service, Mr. Thever has been an activist at the State level as well, serving on California's medical board and adjudicating disciplinary cases against physicians, as well as chairing the legislative advisory committee for workers' compensation in 1986. At the local level, Shan Thever served as the Mayor's appointee to the Los Angeles Airport Advisory Committee, which was charged with advising the Airport Commission and the Los Angeles City Council. He was Treasurer of the Municipal Improvement Corporation for Los Angeles, which was responsible for floating the City of Los Angeles bonds and, in 1989, he served on California Attorney General John Van de Kamp's Asian Advisory Council to recommend hate crime legislation. Among his many other achievements, Shan Thever has served as a member of the UCLA Law Alumni Board of Directors, Steering Committee of the California Minority Counsel Program, Ethnic Advisory Group of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, California State Bar Board of Governors, and Minority Relations Committee, appointed by the State Bar Board of Governors, as well as the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles. With great respect I commend Shan Thever for showing extraordinary leadership and inspiring others in the South Asian community to become proactive in their neighborhoods, churches, local organizations, the legal field and in government. He encourages everyone to get involved and make a difference. For his outstanding work, I would also like to congratulate Mr. Thever on his selection by the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California as the recipient of the Trailblazer Award. His fine example will lead many others to follow and become an instrumental force for change for the South Asian community.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to state that I incorrectly voted ``no'' on H.R. 4567, the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. I intended to vote ``yes.''

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, since President Bush took office, 2.2 million Americans have lost their jobs. Americans are suffering through the longest unemployment period in 20 years and the most dismal job picture in almost 40 years. And what is the Republican leadership doing about it? Having the House vote on tired proposals for job-training vouchers that do not actually create jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work. Unemployed Americans need jobs and benefits immediately so that they can provide for their families. They do not need training vouchers for jobs that do no exist. Democrats have offered proposals that will create real solutions for Americans. We have proposed a highway bill that would create 1.8 million good-paying jobs more than the Republican bill. Democrats have also proposed enacting tax bills that will keep manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. and end incentives for shipping jobs overseas. Americans also need Congress to extend tax cuts for the middle class, such as a child tax credit, without adding to the deficit. These are real solutions that create new jobs for out-of-work Americans and keep existing jobs at home. We should be voting to pass these meaningful solutions to unemployment in this country and not wasting our time on gimmicks.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, envision this: an undocumented immigrant or a legal permanent resident or even a U.S. citizen suffers severe abdominal pain and finds himself in the emergency room of a nearby hospital. The first order of business for the emergency physician, nurse, or whoever is attending the patient is not to ask them where it hurts and do a physical exam to see if their life is in imminent danger, but to ask their immigration status and get a sworn statement to that effect. If that patient at that particular moment cannot prove their legal status, that same doctor must make the choice not to provide care to this person, or they must at least report them to the immigration officials before providing lifesaving treatment. I ask you, what kind of choice is that? What happens if that same immigrant decides not to seek care because of the potential consequences and what could become a burst appendix leads to infection, more expensive care or possibly even death? There is no humanity in the choice you are asking health care workers to make in this circumstance. They are no longer healers, but immigration law enforcers. What is even more appalling is that the Republican leadership chooses to pursue this course of action to deal with this country's immigration problem rather than look at the comprehensive immigration reform measures that have been introduced in the House. If the Republicans are serious about reforming immigration, then take a look at the bill the Democrats introduced which would bring a sense of order and reason to the influx of immigrants into this country. Let us not jeopardize our entire public health system in this misguided attempt to bring down health care costs and deport undocumented workers. This bill is an affront to our health care professionals and to the immigrant community in this country which would no longer be able to get care without presenting their green card first. I urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I just want to make this one observation: When I was young I played sports and inevitably was plagued with injuries from time to time, and my mother once told me something, and I hate to admit when my mother was right, but she was so right.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mom, here goes. She said, ``You do not feel it now because you are young. You have energy, you are strong, you recover quickly and you think you are indestructible. But when you get older, these injuries are going to come back to haunt you.'' I do not particularly consider myself very old, but it is true. As somebody in my thirties, my soccer ankle that I broke three different times playing bothers me. For young people who do not have access to health care, who do not have access to treatments and medicines that can help prevent a minor injury from becoming a severe injury down the road, or prevent a mild form of a disease or an illness from becoming something full-blown, the sole thing standing between them and some kind of chronic illness or really devastating health problem is early access to preventive medicine and early access to medicine and to therapies that are going to help them. Again, it is kind of hard to think when you are 18 years old that you are going to be old and sick and frail one day, but if you do not have access to health care and you cannot get a head start and make sure that you get yearly visits so that you are checked out for any potential conditions, that is a potential that is a very real potential down the line. So, for young folks, again, I cannot stress this enough. I think sometimes we think, well, we are young, we are just starting out, we do not have the dream job that we are hoping for, but I am working full- time to put myself through school or working full-time right now and have no health care benefits or very minimal health care benefits. You deserve better. Again, you need to exercise your voice and make sure that you are getting better.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. It is really great to be here. We are also joined by another colleague of ours, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis). Just to catch the tail end of your conversation, I wanted to say that there seems to be something wrong when people are advocating that young people get involved in politics and express their opinions and vote, and you have 18- to 35-year-olds who want to do just that and then the rules are set up in such a way that make it nearly impossible for them to participate. There is something wrong with a democracy that does not embrace making it easier for folks to participate in the political process and exercise their right to be heard. Not to get off topic, but one of the things that I wanted to talk about a little bit this evening is a subject that is troubling not just for students, for a lot of young adults all across America, folks that may have graduated from college and been out in the workforce for several years, but that is the need for access to health care. I can remember myself when I was at UCLA law school right after I graduated, there was this intense pressure to find a job, and I had this fear during the period when I was studying for my bar exam, I had this fear because I was not covered by any health insurance, this fear that if I did not get a job quickly after taking the bar, that I was pretty much going to be on my own where health care was concerned. I was fortunate in that when I graduated from law school, I graduated in a somewhat healthy economy and there were quite a number of employment opportunities that presented themselves. But today students are not so lucky. They are graduating from universities and the job market is very dismal for them. Not only does that mean that they are going to have to struggle without having an income after they graduate and the thought of student loans on top of it, but chances are they probably will not be covered by any type of health care. As we rapidly approach the months of May and June, a lot of college students are going to be graduating and finding themselves in the situation that I have just described. I know of one particular instance in which a female college student recently shared a story with me regarding her personal hardship where health care was concerned. She is about to graduate from college in California and just received a scare by testing positive for an ovarian cyst. She does not know where to turn. She does not have any idea where she is going to get the money to pay for the necessary procedures; and if this situation is not bad enough because she is a student, currently some of the things are covered by student health, but imagine if she had just graduated and were covered by no health insurance whatsoever, she might not even be aware of the situation that she is in because she might not have gone to the doctor to be tested. I am sure she is not alone in that situation. I do not know what it is about young people, and to young people that may be watching this, I say you absolutely have a right to affordable and accessible health care. Do not think because you are young that that is one of the dues that you have to pay. You absolutely should have access to affordable health care. Do not sell yourself short and do not demand anything less. Do not think that because you are young, the government can ignore you. You have an opportunity. You have a voice. Exercise it. You have an opportunity to try to shape the policy that this Nation abides by. Be vocal about that. We have seen the number of people who are uninsured in this country continue to rise. That is just not the people that are uninsured, but there are many people who are underinsured, which means they have very superficial health care benefits; they are not really meaningful, they have high premiums, they have high deductibles. That means that people have just one more worry as they are starting out and embarking on what should be the rest of their lives and a positive experience. Four years ago, the President promised us action on health care but every year since then, more and more Americans have lost their health insurance. It is particularly dramatic in young people. Young adults comprise a disproportionately large share of the Nation's uninsured. Despite only representing 15 percent of the population, young adults account for 30 percent of those who go without health care in our country. It is a shame that an industrialized, modern society, supposedly the greatest country in the world, cannot find a way to make sure that every person in this country has access to health care. Those of you who are listening, all of us here on the floor tonight that are talking about these issues that impact young folks, we are fighting like crazy to try to make sure that big HMOs and pharmaceutical companies are not the ones that are receiving the benefits of the health care policy that we pass in this House. We are urging that 12 million young adults who currently find themselves without access to health care, to get involved politically, talk to your Representatives, let them know how critical this issue is for you.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for all of his leadership. Today, I am proud to join him and to join Asian Pacific Americans in commemorating the 27th anniversary of APA Heritage Month. This month allows us to recognize the tremendous contributions the Asian Pacific American community has made to our State and to our Nation. It is fitting, then, to remind others of important APA legislation. For instance, H.R. 677, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act, which would provide U.S. veterans benefits to World War II veterans of the organized military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts who fought for the U.S. and its allies. These veterans deserve to be recognized for the service they provided to our Nation in a time of need. It is also a good time to bring attention to H.R. 333, which would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize grants for higher education institutions serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. This important bill would open doors for many underserved APA communities. I am extremely proud my home State of California has the largest Asian American population of any State in America, and I am also extremely proud to represent a region of Los Angeles County that includes many members of the Asian Pacific American community. The diversity represented by the different APA communities of our region is a source of strength in our local economy, our culture, and the education we can provide our children. Asian Pacific Americans are contributing to every aspect of American life, from business and government to sports, science, research and the arts. I am proud that the political landscape in my district reflects this diversity. I want to take two seconds to recognize two important female city councilwomen in my district from the APA community: Laura Lee, of the City of Cerritos, and Michiko Oyama, of the Hawaiian Gardens City Council. They are pioneers in California's 39th District. They are smart, tough, compassionate leaders and great role models for all Americans. As we recognize the many contributions of the Asian Pacific American community during this month, let us also celebrate where the APA community is going and the future impact it will have on our country. I urge all Americans to remember their important contributions to our country not only today but every day. The Asian Pacific American community, like the many diverse immigrant communities in this country, makes our country richer and stronger, and to them I am grateful.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate a day that represents the importance of freedom, liberty and determination for the people of Mexico and for Mexican Americans. On May 5, 1862, untrained, out-numbered and out-gunned Mexican forces determined to protect their land, successfully defended the town of Puebla against the French. Against overwhelming odds, they managed to drive back the French Army, achieving a total victory over soldiers that were deemed the best trained and equipped in the world. For Mexico, this days represents a symbol of unity and patriotism. In this country, Cinco de Mayo is also a celebration of the rich cultural heritage Mexican-Americans and all Latinos have brought to the United States. Unfortunately, Latinos do not have much to celebrate this year. This past month the Latino unemployment rate has remained an alarmingly high 7.4 percent. This is 28 percent higher than when President Bush took office and it is significantly higher than the national average. This administration's misguided policies continue to create economic uncertainty for all working families. Do not be fooled by the Marachis and pinatas at the White House today. This pomp and circumstance gives no relief to the 1.4 million unemployed Latinos.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, if I could add a couple of things on to that, not only are the banking institutions trying to change the law to move away from a fixed rate to a variable rate, they are also trying to pass along the costs of generating these loans, more of the costs, on to students. Right now when students trying to take out students loans, they are responsible for their loan generation fees which end up being about $500 on average. So that is a further burden that is added to the students. Now they are trying to pass more of those costs on to the students. And, sadly, if we think about this in the long term, banks get these loans guaranteed by the Federal Government. That is our tax dollars. And every time somebody defaults on a student loan, it is the taxpayers who are coming to the rescue to pick it up. The banks have very little risk for these loans, and yet they want to make the interest rates fluid so that they can generate more profit, all the while fully knowing that if the loan becomes unbearable for a student to pay back and they default, they do not have to worry about it because the taxpayers step in and pay the bill. I just think that is wrong fundamentally to put that burden back on the taxpayers when we should be trying to move in the other direction to make these loans affordable for students so that they do not default so that the payback rate increases, which, again, is more sound for the economy and again saves taxpayers money in the long run. So with that, I will yield back to the gentleman and allow him to continue on the discussion on higher education this evening.

Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I am here this evening to talk about an issue that is very near and dear to my heart and that is the need for access to higher education. A long time ago, a college education was reserved for the well-to-do, not something that an ordinary citizen could readily achieve. But over time, that changed and now a college education is no longer a privilege of just a few but a necessity to achieve any kind of job security in our very fluid economy. But, sadly, just as a college education has become an absolutely crucial component of obtaining a good job, the Bush administration is making it harder and harder to access and afford a college education. As a 30-something Member of Congress, and I will admit to the gentleman from Florida I am in my 30s, I am here to speak on behalf of young people who are struggling to achieve the American dream of a decent college education. Rather than burdening today's young people with overwhelming debt, there are several things that we can do to help. We need to slow down the tuition hikes and encourage States to maintain their commitment to higher education. And we should double the Pell grant award and make it available year round. Finally, we should implement Senator John Kerry's idea for $50 billion in tax credits to help Americans afford all 4 years of college. The typical loan debt has nearly doubled over the past 10 years for the average student, with 64 percent of students needing to borrow money to finance their college education. I too struggled to make college and law school a reality. As it turned out, all seven children in my family were fortunate enough to obtain a college degree. But we all did it with the assistance of Federal grants and Federal loans, loans, I might add, that I will be paying off until I am in my 60s. Despite the fact that we came from immigrant parents who did not speak much of the language when they first got here and were of limited economic means, all seven of my brothers and sisters and I graduated from a college institution. Most amazingly, however, my mother returned to school after the youngest of her seven children started kindergarten and she went to night school to earn her 2-year degree and later transferred to a 4-year institution and graduated from college in her late 40s to become a bilingual education teacher. That is how strongly she believed in a quality education and in showing and demonstrating to us that education was truly the key to the American dream in this country. I find that the current atmosphere that works against students who are trying to finance their way through school is really something that undermines many of the American values that we hold dear. Overwhelming debt can force students to take on jobs to try to work their way through school to the detriment of their education, or in some instances students forgo college all together assuming that the expensive and exorbitant tuition hikes are far out of their reach. In the past year alone, tuition has increased an average of 14 percent at 2- and 4-year public institutions, and it has increased 6 percent at 4-year private schools. That is just in 1 year. That is not even counting the fact that the cost of living keeps rising and things like rent and food and books go up as well. In response, President Bush has ignored the tuition problem, cut or frozen student aid, and levied higher taxes onto students. If we do not have an education President, then we definitely need to have an education Congress. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to break with their President and fight for education support for our young people. Let us send the President legislation making education more affordable and more accessible to all, and let us dare him to sign it. The bottom line is that the leadership in Congress needs to stop talking about education and actually do something about it. I again thank the gentleman from Florida for allowing me to speak this evening.