E2310 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 12, 1998 request but simply the authority to access the TRIBUTE TO PETE TIRRI 1997 and 1998 at the War Memorial funds already granted to the agency. There and Arlington National Cemetery. was bipartisan and widespread support for HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my ut- H.R. 1240 to be included in the FY'99 Treas- OF NEW JERSEY most appreciation to General , Colo- ury, Postal Service, and General Government nel Wangyee Vang, Cherzong Vang, Ching IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Appropriations bill at the urging of the Amer- Bee Vang, Ying Vang, Song Ge Kue, Philip ican Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Thursday, November 12, 1998 Smith, Grant McClure and Dr. Jane Hamilton- Association of Administrative Law Judges and Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to Merritt of the Lao Veterans of America and the the Federal Association of Administrative Law call to your attention Pete Tirri, President of Lao Family Community organization for help- Judges. The House Judiciary Committee in- the Paterson Education Association (PEA). ing to organize these historic ceremonies cluded H.R. 1240 as an amendment to H.R. Pete is being recognized this evening for his which received national media attention. I 1252, the Judicial Reform Bill of 1998. Despite 25 years of service to the PEA. would also like to include in the RECORD the all of this support, ALJs will be the only federal Pete was born and raised in Paterson, New following important article from the Washing- employees in their hearing offices to not re- Jersey. He attended the local public school ton Times about these events, as well as the ceive a 3.6 percent COLA, as hearing office system, graduating from School #12 in 1960 ongoing patriotic efforts of elderly Hmong clerks, secretaries and staff attorneys all bene- and from Central High School in 1964. combat veterans to become American citizens. fit from the annual COLA and increase in their Upon graduating from Central, Pete at- [From the Washington Times, May 15, 1998] retirement as well. tended Paterson State College, now known as HMONG ARMY VETERANS ASK FOR U.S. CITI- This disparity between ALJs and other fed- William Paterson University, and graduated in ZENSHIP—WANT TO TAKE EXAM WITH INTER- eral employees has not gone unnoticed by the 1968 with a degree in Social Studies. In 1974, PRETERS’ HELP Administration and the Office of Personnel he graduated from William Paterson College (By Ben Barber) Management (OPM). OPM commented on with a Master's degree in Teaching and 1980, Thousands of Hmong veterans of the CIA’s H.R. 1240, when it was included in the Civil he received a Master's degree in Education Service Subcommittee draft, stating that OPM secret army in from 1960 to 1975 assem- with certification in Administration and Super- bled in camouflage uniforms at the Vietnam supports a COLA for ALJs but at the discre- vision. Veterans Memorial yesterday to mark their tion of the President, who would determine the Pete's service to the Paterson Education flight from and to ask for U.S. amount, giving ALJs equal treatment with fed- Association began in October 1973, as a citizenship. eral employees in the Senior Executive Serv- member of the negotiating team. He has also ‘‘We fought in Laos so that young Amer- ice (SES). I support this result in the assur- been involved in the New Jersey Education ican soldiers would not have to fight in the ance that ALJs receive their well-deserved Association (NJEA), having served on the Del- mountains,’’ said Gen. Vang Pao, leader of COLAs. Unlike ALJs, the SES this year will egate Assembly (DA) or an alternate DA the one-time secret Hmong army. most likely receive a COLA at the President's member throughout his career and as Chair of ‘‘Members of Congress: These former sol- diers who escaped death at the hands of the discretion. Unfortunately, OPM's proposed the Urban education Committee. statutory change for ALJ fair treatment was Lao communists and stand here in from of us Pete served also as the NJEA legislative today appeal for your assistance’’ in becom- not received until the eve of the FY'99 Treas- contact for the late State Senator, and Mayor ing U.S. citizens. ury, Postal Service & General Government of Paterson, Frank X. Graves. Currently he is Thousands of aging soldiers dressed in Appropriations markup. chairing the Working Conditions of the NJEA camouflage and hundreds of Hmong women Mr. Speaker, I am including for the RECORD and is a member of the Executive Board of wearing traditional colored dresses, jewelry the proposed text of OPM's draft legislation to the Passaic County Education Association and headcoverings, spread out in a neat for- ensure fair treatment for ALJs. My colleague (PCEA). mation on the grass of the Mall. on the bill, Mr. GILMAN, and I pledge to work From 1980 to 1986, Pete served on the ‘‘America has been good to us—four of my children have good jobs, another is in col- with the Administration and OPM to enact this Pequannock Board of Education and is cur- lege, and one is in high school,’’ said former suggested change for ALJs in the 106th Con- rently serving on the New Jersey State Board Capt. Lapien Sphabmixay, 64, from Char- gress. We regret that it was unable to be re- of Examiners, a position to which he has been lotte, N.C. solved this year but the attached proposal is reappointed to several times. Philip Smith, executive director of the Lao a good start to correcting this inequity. Text of Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our col- Veterans of America, said 4,000 Hmong- OPM proposal follows: leagues, Pete's family and friends, and the Americans arrived in Washington yesterday State of new Jersey in paying tribute to Pete for the second annual celebration of the PAY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES Tirri's 25 years of outstanding and invaluable start of the Hmong exodus across the Sec. . Section 5372(b) of title 5, United service to the Paterson Education Association. River into Thailand. States Code, is amended— From 1975 until about 1988, some 300,000 f Hmong fled Laos after its takeover by Lao- (1) in paragraph (1) by striking the second tian communists, with the help of then- sentence and inserting the following: RECOGNITION AND CITIZENSHIP North Vietnamese troops. FOR HMONG-AMERICAN VETERANS ‘‘Within level AL–3, there shall be 6 rates About 25,000 of the came to the of basic pay, designated as AL–3, rates A and largely collected in Fres- through F, respectively. The rate of basic no, Calif., and St. Paul, Minn. pay for AL–3, rate A, may not be less than 65 HON. DANA ROHRABACHER Last year was the first time since the war percent of the rate of basic pay for level IV OF CALIFORNIA that the Hmong veterans had assembled. of the Executive Schedule, and the rate of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Then, as yesterday, members of Congress and basic pay for AL–1 may not exceed the rate former CIA officers honored the sacrifices of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Thursday, November 12, 1998 the Laotian hill tribe made during the war. Schedule.’’. Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, it is im- The Hmong continued yesterday to call for (2) in paragraph (3)(A) by striking ‘‘upon’’ portant to note that the years of the 105th passage of a bill to allow the refugees to take each place it appears and inserting in each Congress have been historic for the Hmong U.S. citizenship exams with the help of inter- such place ‘‘at the beginning of the next pay and . For the first time in their long preters, since many of the aging fighters and period following’’; and history, the Hmong and Lao people have re- their spouses still have not mastered (3) by adding at the end the following new ceived long overdue national recognition from English. paragraph: the and American offi- In Laos, most Hmong did not attend school ‘‘Subject to paragraph (1), effective at the cials for their pivotal efforts in fighting for free- and could not read Hmong or Lao. Fifty- beginning of the first applicable pay period dom and helping to defend U.S. national secu- seven members of Congress have co-spon- sored a bill to grant the Hmong exemptions commencing on or after the first day of the rity interests during the Southeast Asian con- month in which an adjustment takes effect from the English language exam. under section 5303 in the rates of basic pay flict. I was honored to play a role, along with The Hmong also observed a memorial to under the General Schedule, each rate of many bipartisan Congressional colleagues, to victims of a Laotian offensive against basic pay for administrative law judges shall honor these courageous veterans and speak Hmong fighters and villages around Phu Bia be adjusted by an amount determined by the at both of the two Lao Veterans of American mountain, where many had retreated after President to be appropriate.’’. National Recognition Day ceremonies held in the 1975 communist takeover of the country.