Tom Udall

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a key legislator in the reauthorization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and also key in appropriations for this program.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, S. 293, like H.R. 695 passed by the House on August 2, 1999, would direct the Secretary of Interior to convey approximately 20 acres of real property and improvements at an abandoned and surplus ranger station administrative site in San Juan County, New Mexico, to San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. The Forest Service has determined that the Old Jicarilla Site, as the site is known, is of no further use because the Forest Service moved its operations to a new administrative facility in Bloomfield, New Mexico, several years ago. In fact, the site has been unoccupied for several years. With over one-third of the land in New Mexico under Federal ownership, it is often difficult for local communities to find appropriate sites for educational and recreational purposes. This bipartisan legislation will overcome this hurdle by conveying surplus Federal lands to San Juan College. The college would pay for all lands to be conveyed in accordance with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and would use the site for educational and recreational purposes. In the event that the land ceased to be used for such purposes, it would revert to the United States. According to Dr. James C. Henderson, president of San Juan College, ``San Juan College has grown to be the fourth largest college in New Mexico. The college serves the people of the northwest quadrant of the State in numerous ways, by providing business and industrial training, life-long learning opportunities, and various academic and technical degree programs.'' The transfer of the Old Jicarilla Site to San Juan College would allow the college to better serve the surrounding community by offering new programs that meet the needs of that community. In addition, the facilities would be available to other civic organizations, such as the Scouts and the Boys and Girls Club. This legislation creates a situation in which the Federal Government, the State of New Mexico, the people of San Juan County, and, most importantly, the students and faculty of San Juan College, all benefit. I would like to thank Dr. Henderson, Ms. Marjorie Black, his executive assistant, and the staff of San Juan College, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management for their hard work directed towards making this transfer a reality. In addition, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson) for her work, as well as my New Mexico colleagues in the Senate, Senator Bingaman, and, in particular, Senator Domenici for beginning this effort in the last Congress and continuing his efforts again in this Congress. I thank Members for their consideration in this matter. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak of an issue of critical importance: the young people of our nation. In a recent essay competition I held in the 3rd district of New Mexico, students shared the following comments: ``It is extremely sad wondering if we are safe when we go to school everyday. Teenage violence is soon going to be a bigger concern than college preparation for teens if something is not done about the issue soon.''--Liz Gonzales, senior, Santa Fe High School. ``Most kids need the adults in power to continue to tell us that we can do it and we can be more, because through knowledge there is power to make your dreams come true.''--Erin D. Muffoletto, 9th grade, Mesa Vista High. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to tell the young people of my district and of the nation that we hear them. They are asking for help and we are listening. On October 19th and 20th Sierra Anne Blue from Kirtland and Erin Muffoletto from South Ojo Caliente will come to Washington, D.C. to participate in the national Voices Against Violence Conference. These dedicated young people will meet with their peers, federal law enforcement and education officials, and many others to help develop solutions to problems related to youth violence. In addition, I have selected Matthew Garcia from Springer, Amanda Lynn Chavez from Bernalillo, Domnic Biava from Gallup, Liz Gonzales from Santa Fe, Christopher Morris from Navajo, Randy Maestas from Mora, Twana Seschille from Crownpoint, and Deema Rashad from Gallup, to represent their schools on my Student Education Forum in New Mexico. These students will work throughout the school year to explore solutions to problems that plague our schools. Youth violence is an issue we are all responsible for solving. The Voices Against Violence Conference and the Student Education Forum are two ways to start this process. To all of the students of New Mexico and the nation, know that I am listening, know that we are listening, know that your voices are being heard.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for the Veterans' Millenium Health Care Act, a bill which I have cosponsored. As we enter the dawn of a new millenium, we are faced with a nation of aging veterans. These men and women, who protected our national security, now need us to ensure their long-term health care security. This bill quite literally changes the face of the current VA hospital system. Under this Act, veterans' health care will shift from one where veterans must go to a designated center to one that will become more accessible to veterans through outpatient clinics, long-term care and community care centers. This is the prescription for medical care that northern New Mexico veterans have been waiting for. With only one major VA center in New Mexico, hundreds of miles from where my constituents live, veterans are dependent on the limited care provided by rural health care centers. This bill will ensure these rural health care clinics have the resources available to give our veterans the full medical treatment they require. This is a commonsense bill that provides veterans in rural communities the same type of treatment that veterans in other communities already receive and I urge my colleagues to pass it immediately.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding me this time. This motion to recommit is about worker safety, DOE accountability, environmental protection and public health and safety. It is not about the military side of this bill. I support the military pay raises, pensions and all the other good provisions in the bill. But I have two comments; one on the process. The process how we got these secrecy and semiautonomous agency provisions is outrageous. There was no conference, there was no consultation, these provisions were invented in the dark of night, no hearings, the public excluded. This is not how we ought to be legislating. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Number two, the predecessor agency to the DOE had an abysmal record on worker safety and environmental protection. If we adopt these provisions on autonomy, we are headed back to the old days of violations of worker safety, worker rights, environmental degradation and destruction. Vote ``yes'' on the Dingell motion to recommit.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today we have the opportunity to put democracy back in the hands of the people. Increasingly, the power of the special interests and big money have had their sway in the Congress. Now is the time to let the people's voices be heard. By passing the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill, we will be striking a blow for Democratic principles. Shays-Meehan will restore confidence in our democratic system. It will inject new integrity into the process and it will assure us a more responsive and vibrant democracy. Last year, a large bipartisan majority passed Shays-Meehan. We must have the courage to do the same this year. I urge my colleagues, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, to vote for passage of meaningful campaign finance reform.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, this is an issue of campaign finance reform. It is not a Democratic issue. It is not a Republican issue. It is a bipartisan problem that requires a bipartisan solution. I would ask all of us to look at it in that way Democrats, Republicans, Independent, and see that we do the right thing for America.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Ganske). (Mr. GANSKE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the Whitfield amendment to the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill. This amendment is a poison pill that ruins the integrity of campaign finance reform and breaks apart the coalition of support for Shays-Meehan. Under this amendment, annual individual contribution limits for Federal elections would triple from $25,000 to $75,000, increasing the influence the wealthiest individuals have on congressional campaigns. When only one-quarter of 1 percent of the American people contribute in excess of $200 to federal campaigns, raising the contribution limits moves reform in exactly the wrong direction. We need to encourage smaller contributions below $200, not mandate and encourage larger and larger sums. Last year's coalition that passed Shays-Meehan proved that there is a strong support for campaign finance reform legislation. Today we have the opportunity to once again do the right thing for the American people. A vote for the Whitfield amendment is a poison pill that campaign finance reformers and the American public cannot swallow. A vote to increase the influence of hard working American families is a vote ``no'' on this amendment and a vote for final passage of Shays-Meehan. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders).

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, as a former local draft board member, I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my colleague from California. The most important decision Congress and the President can make is to send our young men and women to war. An all- volunteer military sometimes makes it easier for the President to use the military forces liberally. The draft and Selective Service ensure that we should only go to war when it is of vital concern to our national security. At a time when our military services are failing to meet recruiting and retention goals, it is foolhardy and risky to eliminate the Selective Service System--a proven means of providing personnel to the Armed Forces during times of emergency. The men and women of our all- volunteer armed forces have performed superbly since its inception. The all-volunteer force is a strong force, but it is also a fragile force. It relies on recruiting and retaining quality people. Our armed forces have been reduced to the point where the military struggles to meet all the commitments we place on it. It should be noted that during the recent air war in Kosovo, the Air Force announced a ``stop loss'' policy, which suspended normal separations and retirements for men and women in critical career fields. Thankfully we did not have a ground war in Kosovo or another crisis of similar proportion at the same time. But if we did, I am sure that the Army and Marine Corps would likely have been forced to institute their own ``stop loss'' policies resulting in the possibility of sending soldiers and Marines with expired enlistment contracts into harms way. The all-volunteer force has not been tested during a conflict with mass casualties. Would young men and women continue to volunteer in the numbers required for the armed forces if the war in Kosovo produced significant casualties? What if the peacekeeping force suffers significant casualties? Hopefully they will continue to volunteer, but the Selective Service System is our nation's insurance policy for our national defense. Some people may say that the Selective Service System is obsolete and may not provide the type of individuals required for our hi-tech armed forces. But the Selective Service System provides a means to draft people with critical skills--such as doctors, nurses and other health care personnel, and in the future individuals such as computer technicians may be needed by our military to combat cyber-warfare. Providing for a strong national defense is one of Congress' most important responsibilities. The Selective Service System is part of our national defense strategy and I strongly urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Cunningham amendment.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 695 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey approximately twenty acres of real property and improvements at an abandoned and surplus ranger station administrative site in San Juan County, New Mexico to San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. The Forest Service has determined that the ``Old Jicarilla Site,'' as the site is known, is of no further use because the Forest Service moved its operations to a new administrative facility in Bloomfield, New Mexico several years ago. In fact, the site has been unoccupied for several years. The College would pay for all lands to be conveyed in accordance with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and would use the site for educational and recreational purposes. In the event that the land ceases to be used for such purposes, they would revert to the United States. According to Dr. James C. Henderson, President of San Juan College, ``San Juan College has grown to be the fourth largest college in New Mexico. The college serves the people of the Northwest quadrant of the state in numerous ways [by] providing business and industrial training, life-long learning opportunities, and various academic and technical degree programs.'' The transfer of the ``Old Jicarilla Site'' to San Juan College to better serve the surrounding community by offering new programs that meet the needs of that community. In addition, the facilities would be available to other civic organizations such as the Scouts and the Boys and Girls Club. This legislation creates a situation in which the federal government, the State of New Mexico, the people of San Juan County, and most importantly, the students and faculty of San Juan College all benefit. I would like to thank Dr. Henderson, Ms. Marjorie Black, Executive Assistant to the President, and the Staff of San Juan College, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management for their hard work directed towards making this transfer a reality. In addition, I would like to thank Representative Wilson for her support as well as my New Mexico colleagues in the Senate; Senator Bingaman, and in particular, Senator Domenici for beginning this effort in the last Congress and for continuing his efforts again this Congress.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, as I travel around my Congressional District, the people of Northern New Mexico make it very clear what they expect from Congress. Whether I am in Santa Fe or Farmington, Espanola or Clovis, my constituents tell me that they want Congress to protect Social Security and Medicare, to strengthen education, to expand access to health care, and to fight for our veterans. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I rise today against the irresponsible tax proposal offered by the majority, and in support of the Democratic substitute. The trillion dollar risky Republican tax plan benefits the wealthy while jeopardizing everything my constituents have asked us to fight for. Mr. Speaker, the majority's proposal is based on risky economic assumptions, that we just don't know to be true. If the current budget projections are wrong, this proposal will send us back to the days of exploding deficits, high inflation rates, and uncertainty over the future of Social Security and Medicare. My party has offered a proposal to save Social Security and Medicare, and offer targeted tax cuts to those families that need it the most. Mr. Speaker, Northern New Mexico families want this Congress to pass a budget that protects Social Security, Medicare, education and health care. Northern New Mexico families want and deserve tax relief--but it should be done in an honest and responsible manner. The Democratic substitute does that, Mr. Speaker, through targeted tax credits and giving support to local communities in the areas of education, health care, and economic development. I urge my colleagues to vote with me to protect the interests of hard working American families and support the Democratic substitute.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the Religious Liberty Protection Act. Religious freedom is the foundation on which our nation was built. Every American, be they Catholic or Protestant, Jewish or Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh or of any other faith community, has the Constitutional right to practice their religious tradition without fear of government intervention or retribution. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, as we've heard throughout this debate, too many people of faith in this country, particularly those in religious minorities, often find themselves facing rigid government policies that burden their religious practices. This bill, Mr. Speaker, would prevent government restrictions against religious practices, unless there is a compelling government interest, and that policy is the least restrictive method of achieving that interest. It is an important step, Mr. Speaker, to protect and strengthen those religious liberties for which our forefathers sacrificed so much to give us. Now I understand, Mr. Speaker, that there are those who are concerned that this legislation would allow for some to hide behind the cloak of religious freedom in order to legally discriminate against others. Mr. Speaker, I too share this concern. There is the danger that this legislation might be construed by some courts to elevate religious claims above other civil rights. While we can be reassured by some recent court rulings that show government has a compelling interest in preventing racial or gender discrimination, there are other groups that do not have this same type of Constitutional protection. It is incumbent upon us, Mr. Speaker, to take all steps necessary to make sure that we do not permit religiously motivated conduct to ``trump'' other civil rights claims. We should take steps to strengthen the civil rights of all individuals, with special attention to those populations that are at particular risk of discrimination. I am disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that the House failed to pass the amendment introduced by Mr. Nadler of New York. I believe that this amendment would have addressed the concerns that many have voiced. I urge my colleagues, therefore, to support future measures in this body to protect the civil rights of those minority segments of our population that do not enjoy Constitutional protection. And I urge our colleagues in the other body to further clarify and resolve these issues as the legislation moves through the Senate.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, first of all I would like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) for the bipartisanship they have shown in crafting this piece of legislation. All of our committees and subcommittees, I think, would be a lot better off if we worked in the bipartisan way that they have demonstrated in their subcommittee. I applaud them also on maintaining the moratorium on the patents. But I rise here today, one, to disagree with the gentleman from Texas, because the law is clear and the law should be interpreted the way it is. And so I rise in strong support of the Rahall-Shays-Inslee amendment, because I think it sends a strong message to the Senate to stop loading up appropriations bills with antienvironmental riders. Why is the Senate attempting to legislate in this way? Why do we here in this body attempt substantive legislation in appropriations bills? The simple answer is, these kinds of proposals could not survive in the normal legislative process. They could not survive in the light of day. This, plain and simple, is a giveaway. If we want to reform the 1872 mining law, let us do it in our committees. This body in 1993 passed with a large bipartisan majority an 1872 mining law reform bill. There were hearings. We heard from all interested parties. We addressed this issue in a thoughtful and substantive way. The other body is doing just the opposite with this antienvironmental rider. There is no bill. Interested parties have not been given an opportunity to testify. This issue has not been considered in a thoughtful, substantive way. Plain and simple, this is a special interest provision to help one mining company. Now, an amendment I think is always known for its supporters and this amendment is supported by over 70 taxpayer and environmental organizations, including the Taxpayers for Common Sense, the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club. A vote for this amendment is a vote for responsible legislating. A vote for this amendment is a vote for protecting the environment. A vote for this amendment is a vote to leave future generations with a cleaner, better world. Vote ``yes'' on Rahall-Shays-Inslee.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I congratulate the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and thank him for all the hard work he has done on the Committee on this bill, and I really appreciate very much the time and attention the gentleman has given to this. I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson) for her leadership and hard work on this bill. I can tell the Members, I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. Route 66 began in the early 1920s as a vision, a paved highway that would link the great American heartland with the Pacific Ocean. Starting in Chicago, Route 66 winds its way through eight States, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, before ending at Santa Monica, California. At a time when most roads were unpaved, not to mention unpassable in inclement weather conditions, Route 66 stretched 2,400 miles and was one of the country's first paved interstate highways. In New Mexico, Route 66 wound its way through the towns of Tucumcari, which is located in my district, Santa Rosa, Albuquerque, Grants, and Gallup, which is also in my district. Also during the early 1920s, the automobile was gaining in popularity. Prompted by lower prices as a result of Henry Ford's innovative assembly line manufacturing, the automobile was in reach of many Americans. Farmers and ranchers no longer lived in isolation for long periods of time, as they could now drive to town and still tend to their fields and animals all in the same day. Workers in urban areas could now live outside the cities and commute to work. American life was changing, and Route 66 chronicled these changes. Michael Wallace wrote a book called ``Route 66, the Mother Road,'' and I would recommend to any of the Members or any of the public this book. It is an excellent history of Route 66. He wrote in the book, ``Route 66 was the road of dreamers and ramblers, drifters and writers, the road of John Steinbeck, Woody Guthrie, and Jack Kerouac. A ribbon of American highway that transported the Oklahomans driven from their land as storms of dust swept across their farms to the promise of California. It was also the highway of commerce--of automated ice cream stands and old `no-tell' motels, salty truck stops, and the neon alure.'' H.R. 66 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance to preserve or restore historic sites along the route; to cooperate with public and private entities in developing local preservation plans; to develop a technical assistance program in the preservation of Route 66; to coordinate a program of historic research, curation, and preservation; to make available cost-share grants; and to provide information about existing cost-share opportunities. Route 66 started out as a vision. Today it is a fond memory, an important piece of Americana that should be preserved for current and future generations. This legislation will enable the preservation of this historic landmark, and will also provide a lift to the economies of every community along its route. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a couple of additional points. First of all, on the point of bipartisanship, the reason that we have reached this point in terms of legislation and having it here on the floor is the Democrats and Republicans have signed onto this bill, Democrats and Republicans have worked in the subcommittee, in the full Committee on Resources, to make sure that this bill was fully heard. I think this bill is a good example of how the Congress should work in a bipartisan way to bring forward legislation that we all agree on and that we can move forward with. So I would like to thank all sides for doing that. Secondly, this legislation is very important to business owners. I just wanted to pick one example, because there is a wonderful man in New Mexico by the name of Armand Ortega. He grew up with my father over in a small little town called Saint John's, Arizona, which is near the Arizona-New Mexico border. Mr. Ortega owns a wonderful place along Route 66 called the El Rancho Hotel, and that hotel used to be a hotel where movie stars would come and stay. As a result of that, he has captured on that idea, and he has on each of the doors on his hotel the name of the movie stars. Ronald Reagan, many others are listed on the doors of that motel. Now, as a result of this bill, this business owner, Mr. Ortega, will be able to apply for a grant, will be able to restore and make sure that the El Rancho Hotel is a place that is there for future Americans to see and it will be there for a future part of our history for all to observe. In concluding here, I would just like to thank all of the Members of the Committee on Resources that have worked so hard on this, especially on the Democratic side. The gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo), our ranking member, has done a great deal to see that this legislation has come to the point it has today. We have had other hard-working staff members on the Committee on Resources' side, Rick Healy, Dave Watkins, and also my staff member Bob Scruggs.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today, I along with Congresswoman McCarthy and Congressman Moore and other cosponsors introduce a bill that will put at least one Federal prosecutor in every State to focus upon prosecuting gun crimes. There is no question that our nation is facing a growing scourge of gun violence that is holding an increasing number of our communities under siege. Crimes committed with firearms are among the most heinous, and should be prosecuted as quickly and forcefully as possible. While the federal government has, in the past, approached the problem of gun violence by passing new federal laws and putting more cops on the beat, there is nothing that can be done to attack the problem if our prosecutors do not have the resources they need to enforce these existing laws. Simply put, we must give them the resources they need to fully enforce existing gun laws. That is why we have introduced the Gun Crime Prosecution Act of 1999. This legislation will give every United States Attorney for each judicial district an additional Assistant US Attorney position whose sole purpose would be the prosecution of crimes committed with a firearm. Specifically, each new prosecutor position would give priority to violent crimes and crimes committed by felons. By committing a full- time position within each US Attorney's office to prosecuting gun crimes, we will be giving our prosecutors the tools they need to enforce the laws that already exist in statute. We hope you will join us in this effort by signing on to the Gun Crime Prosecution Act of 1999, and giving our prosecutors the help they need to make our communities safer. The National Fraternal Order of Police endorses this bill. The National President, Mr. Gilbert Gallegos, states that this bill ``addresses a key component of crime control which has been overlooked in much of the debate about new firearms law--the need to provide the resources to prosecute offenders.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill. Fraternal Order of Police, National Legislative Program, Washington, DC, 27 May 1999 Hon. Tom Udall, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Udall, I am writing on behalf of the 277,000 members of the National Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our strong support of legislation you intend to introduce in the House of Representatives today. The bill provides for an additional prosecutor in each U.S. Attorney's office who will devote his or her time exclusively to the prosecution of firearms crimes. Your legislation addresses a key component of crime control which has been overlooked in much of the debate about new firearms law--the need to provide the resources to prosecute offenders. We believe that a more vigorous prosecution of the laws already on the books will dramatically impact violent crime in our nation, and we further believe that this legislation will put our most dangerous criminals--those who use guns--behind bars. I salute your leadership on this issue and want to thank you for reaching out to the Fraternal Order of Police on this issue. If there is anything we can do to help move this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco through my Washington office. Sincerely, Gilbert G. Gallegos, National President.