angel island is known as ellis island of the west. over a 30-year period, 1910 to 1940, angel island processed one million immigrants from around the world, with the majority coming from asia. today the angel island immigration station contributes greatly to our understanding of our nation's rich and complex immigration history by hosting more than 50,000 people, including 30,000 school children every single year. but because of their deterioration, many of the historic buildings are in danger of collapsing and in desperate need of repair. that's why along with speaker pelosi requested $1 million to rehabilitate the old angel island immigration hospital that can be used among other things as a museum to tell the story of imgation from asia to the united states. now, i doubt very much that anyone would come to this floor to strike funding for ellis island and argue that its preservation was wasteful government spending. but at the heart of the matter, angel island is just as important for those who crossed through its gates as ellis is

angel island immigration station is located in california state park on angel island in san francisco bay. it was an active entry station to the united states from 1910 until 1940 and after 1940 it was -- used by the u.s. military until california state parks assumed ownership in 1963. the earmark in question carves out $1 million for the rehabilitation of the immigration station's hospital. according to the angel island immigration station foundation, the hospital restoration is expected to cost $16 million total and they are currently conducting a fundraising campaign to raise that money. now angel island has already been the recipient of federal earmarks in 2008 and in the omnibus in 2009, receiving $1.1 -- $1.250,000 million. this would add another $1 million making the total to $3.375 million. now, madam chair, the nation ran up a record level debt last year, $455 billion. we're set to eclipse that deficit by nearly four times and nearly $2 trillion this year. and follow it up with another $1 trillion-plus deficits every single year from now through 2010. and although angel islan