May 14, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4021 stand, especially those heroes from CELEBRATING FUNNY CIDE’S RUN ate and the Texas House, I know the south Texas: Kino Flores, Jim Solis, (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given value that the 53 Texas Democrats who Rene Oliveira, Aaron Pena, Miguel permission to address the House for 1 are in Ardmore, Oklahoma, today place Wise, Ryan Guillen and Juan Escobar. minute.) on the proud tradition of placing prin- We support them. Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ciple above partisanship. When the Re- applaud the accomplishments of a man publican leader of the Texas House f from my hometown in Marion County, agreed to the political handiwork of Florida, the Sixth Congressional Dis- the majority leader of the U.S. House, ARMED FORCES DAY trict, because Tony Everard has been he abandoned a tradition that has (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked training horses in Marion County for served Texas well. and was given permission to address over 35 years. When Texas House Republicans drew the House for 1 minute and to revise He purchased a remarkable horse, a a redistricting map without public and extend his remarks.) gelding, in 2001 in Saratoga, New York, hearings, behind closed doors, a map Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. This and he trained it, but on May 3, this handed to them by Washington, they weekend is Armed Forces Day, and are horse became champion at the pinnacle trampled on a tradition in Texas, and not our men and women in uniform of horse racing, the Kentucky Derby. they trampled on bipartisanship, which doing a great job. His horse, Funny Cide, beat the odds has always been the hallmark of the I hear all this talk about the Texas with a stunning victory over favored Texas Legislature. Legislature. We have got a lot of de- Empire Maker and Peace Rules before In Texas, the name Texan has always serters down there, the guys that are more than 140,000 people at Churchill meant more than Democrat or Repub- afraid to stand and fight like our Downs, and none could be cheering lican. The Texas Democrats from my armed services do. louder than Tony and Beth, who named area, Jim McReynolds, Chuck Hopson, Fox TV said, and I thought it was the champion gelding. Dan Ellis and Joe Deshotel, were de- pretty good, and I paraphrase, they Funny Cide became the fourth Derby nied the right to protect the interests said, Are you not a Texas legislator? winner since 1997 to emerge from the of rural east Texas. They were shut out The guy answered yes. He said, Well, Marion County breeding and training of the process, and they joined in what are you doing in Ardmore, Okla- industry. I am proud of the long-stand- breaking a quorum, a regular feature of homa? The legislature meets in Austin, ing heritage of horse training in my American politics, practiced by none Texas. district. Tony and his wife Beth de- other than Abraham Lincoln as a mem- It is a shame that we cannot have serve many accolades for their work ber of the Illinois Legislature in 1840 formal debate in our capital in Texas. with Funny Cide and many champions when he had to do so when he was Thank God we did not have those to come. under the heavy hand of the majority. Democrats at the Alamo. God bless f All Texans who believe in fair play them. owe a debt of gratitude to our Texas PENSION REFORM LEGISLATION legislators who have said to Wash- f (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali- ington today, Do not mess with Texas. fornia asked and was given permission f TEXANS STANDING UP FOR to address the House for 1 minute.) PRINCIPLE Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali- IS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION fornia. Mr. Speaker, today the House UNPATRIOTIC? (Mr. GONZALEZ asked and was given will debate H.R. 1000, the Pension Secu- permission to address the House for 1 rity Act, and the bill has an appro- (Mr. BELL asked and was given per- minute and to revise and extend his re- priate number because it will make mission to address the House for 1 marks.) employees 1,000 times worse off than minute.) Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I had they are today. Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I find it ap- some prepared remarks, but in re- We need real pension reform that palling that the majority leader of this sponse to my colleague’s remarks protects the pensions of all the workers body can in one breath suggest that about these 53 individuals not being at and gives more protections to employ- our Texas heroes, the 53 men and the Alamo, I would say this. They are ees with 401(k) accounts. Real pension women of conviction currently in Ard- exhibiting the same type of courage reform must include independent in- more, Oklahoma, are unpatriotic and and bravery that the defenders of the vestment advice for 401(k) investors, in the next breath suggest the Federal Alamo exhibited on that eventful day. the ability to diversify company- authorities be brought in to force them They are standing up for principle. matched stocks within a year, and a to pass someone’s own political agenda, They are saying our voices will be voice for employees on pension boards. because what the gentleman from heard. Real pension reform must also in- Texas (Mr. DELAY) suggested yesterday We are duly elected representatives clude language that would require com- is unpatriotic is actually an impressive of equal status with every member of panies that are converting to cash bal- example of the very fabric that holds the majority party in that Texas Legis- ance plans to ensure that older workers this Nation together. It is everything lature, and what the gentleman from receive the same amount of benefits our fathers and grandfathers have Texas (Mr. DELAY) has attempted to do they would have received under their fought and died for in two great wars. is export a corrupt and unfair system existing defined benefit plan. Mr. Speaker, is freedom of expression that in which we engage in this House As the President has said, what is unpatriotic? Is the freedom to take a floor to the Texas floor, and we have 53 good for the captain is good for the stand against recklessness unpatriotic? brave and courageous Democrats that crew. The bill as it is currently written Mr. Speaker, when Rosa Parks refused are saying, no, we will not allow the allows executives to sell off their stock to sit in the back of the bus, was that gentleman to export that kind of divi- while the ship is sinking, while the unpatriotic? The willingness to take a sive political game into our House of workers see their retirement savings stand for what is right is what defines Representatives. disappear. America. So I applaud and I commend these in- I urge my colleagues to vote against I would like to applaud my Demo- dividuals, and it is time that someone the pension insecurity act. cratic colleagues in the Texas House would say something. After all, the from Houston for having the courage to f gentleman from Texas (Mr. DELAY) has stand up to the gentleman from Texas’ indicated that Democrats are irrele- PRINCIPLE ABOVE PARTISANSHIP (Mr. DELAY) political agenda: Garnett vant. Each one of us in this Chamber (Mr. TURNER of Texas asked and Coleman, Rick Noriega, Jessica Farrar, represents the same number of people. was given permission to address the Scott Hochberg, Joe Deshotel, Kevin Since when is anyone irrelevant in the House for 1 minute.) Bailey, Harold Dutton, Joe Moreno and Texas House of Representatives or the Mr. TURNER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Senfronia Thompson. They are heroes, United States Congress? as a former member of the Texas Sen- and the people of Texas are with them. VerDate Jan 31 2003 03:50 May 15, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K14MY7.013 H14PT1.