Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to thank my friend, the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) for the time. Mr. Speaker, last night, the majority on the Rules Committee passed a rule that in an extreme fashion limits debate on our national energy policy. The rule only allows for debate on 23 amendments to H.R. 3221, out of 106 amendments sought to be debated by Members of both parties in this House. And out of those 23 amendments made in order, only five are Republican amendments. What is even more unfortunate is that in the same rule they completely shut out both Republicans and Democrats from offering any amendments to H.R. 2776. Between the two bills, Mr. Speaker, a total of 94 amendments were prohibited from being considered by this House. And to add insult to injury, the majority also denied the minority the opportunity to offer a substitute. Mr. Speaker, I would like to refresh the majority of a campaign promise they made. The distinguished Speaker said, ``Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full and fair debate, consisting of a full amendment process that grants the minority a right to offer its alternatives, including a substitute.'' They promised openness. They promised bipartisanship. Some openness. Some bipartisanship. Mr. Speaker, everyone in this body, I firmly believe, seeks to leave our children and grandchildren a better world in which to live. This great Nation has made great strides in protecting human health and the environment, but clearly we can do more. From 2001 to 2006, Republican-led Congresses invested nearly $12 billion to develop cleaner, cheaper and more reliable domestic renewable energy sources. This includes sources such as cellulosic ethanol, hybrid electric vehicle technologies, hydrogen fuel cell technologies, wind and solar energy, clean coal and advanced nuclear technologies. But we must always keep in mind that alternative fuels will not eliminate the need for traditional energy sources, and, without additional supply, the tight market conditions that have put pressure on prices are going to persist. Mr. Speaker, that is something that I must say our friends on the other side of the aisle seem to not grasp. Ignoring this lesson will result in our continued dependence on foreign supplies, using U.S. dollars to line the pockets of thugs and dictators like Chavez in Venezuela as he spreads anti-American propaganda and actions throughout this hemisphere and the world. I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, by inclusion of the production tax credit in H.R. 2776. That PTC provides a tax credit for electricity produced from renewable energy facilities. Sources such as wind, solar and biomass are included under the tax credit. Since its enactment in 1992, the credit has encouraged the development of thousands of megawatts of clean, renewable electric generation facilities. Florida, for example, Mr. Speaker, is home to Florida Power & Light, owner and operator of two of the largest solar projects in the world and the Nation's largest wind energy company. Because of the long-term commitment to renewable energies by this Congress, companies like FPL have made significant, needed investments to advance non-emitting forms of energy, and that is the kind of work that we must continue. Now, the majority, Mr. Speaker, promised that it would run the House in an open and bipartisan manner. If this is an open and bipartisan process, I would hate to see a closed one. Later today I fear the majority will break precedent again and come to the floor to close the open amendment process on the Department of Defense appropriations bill as well. Mr. Speaker, this has been a difficult week for both sides of the aisle, but moving forward with restrictive rules such as this on important issues only makes matters worse. It is most unwise, as well as unfortunate. This rule is unnecessarily unfair and should be soundly defeated. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time it is my privilege to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. McCrery).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues in a responsible manner, realizing the historic importance of what has transpired this week, to defeat the previous question, allow this wrong to be righted, to defeat the previous question and defeat also this unfair rule. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus). (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield 1 minute to the distinguished ranking member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking Members to defeat the previous question so that I may amend the rule to provide for the adoption of H. Res. 622, a resolution introduced by Mr. Blunt to correct the injustice done to all Members of this House on August 2, 2007. As my colleagues know, the majority engaged in a manipulation of the vote on the motion to recommit the Agriculture appropriations bill to reverse the outcome. If we defeat the previous question, the resolution will direct the Clerk to retrieve the Agriculture appropriations bill from the Senate, add in the amendments that should have been included in the bill, and return the bill to the Senate. While we took the important step yesterday to establish a select committee to investigate the reasons why this injustice occurred, the Agriculture appropriations bill will continue through the legislative process well before the select committee's final report is complete; meaning that we must act now to correct this injustice. I ask my colleagues to support me in defeating the previous question and righting this wrong. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the amendment be printed just prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, the agricultural issue in this amendment is really a subterfuge, because if we read, for example, the spokesman of U.S. Agribusiness, Mr. Radlow, he states that in the 5 years that we have been selling products to Cuba, the political hurdles have never hurt. We know how to deal with third-party banks. People use the hurdles as an excuse for not getting a contract. It is legal to sell agricultural products to the Castro regime since the year 2000. But as the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) pointed out, ever since 2001 and the attacks of 2001, we have been making sure that U.S. financial institutions, to the greatest extent we can achieve it, are protected from state sponsors of terrorism. And as a matter of fact, the regulation being discussed today was requested by U.S. financial institutions. So let's not get confused. This amendment would allow a state sponsor of terrorism on the list of state sponsors of terrorism U.S. bank accounts and visas for their agents, over a dozen of which have been convicted in recent years alone of spying against United States interests. So let's vote down resoundingly this amendment.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to recall the tragic anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. On July 20, 1974, Turkey brutally attacked the Republic of Cyprus. To my deep regret, the shameful legacy of this despicable act remains. To this day, Turkish troops illegally occupy Cyprus, splitting the island into two areas, and continuing the oppression of the people of Cyprus which has remained since that infamous day. Reminiscent of the infamous Berlin Wall, Cyprus has remained divided by ``the green line,'' a 113-mile barbed-wire fence that has run across the island for the past 33-years. Despite pressure from the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, Cyprus remains one of the most militarized areas in the world. Although Cyprus remains divided, there is reason for optimism that the nation will one day be made whole. In late April of 2004, the people of Cyprus went to the polls to vote on a plan of reunification. Unfortunately, this reunification proposal was rushed, allegedly to coincide with the ascension of Cyprus into the European Union. Because of many legitimate concerns, including security, and in a demonstration of great courage and independence, approximately 75 percent of Greek Cypriots opposed the plan. However, this rushed and unfortunate effort must not, and will not, be the end of attempts to reunify the island. A lasting and equitable solution for the people of Cyprus, and the goal of a united Cyprus, is too important to abandon. I firmly support the efforts begun with the bicommunal agreement reached at the meeting of July 8, 2006. The framework of July 8 established guiding principles to accomplish the goal reunifying the two halves of Cyprus within a bizonal, bicommunal federation. I urge both parties to proceed with establishing working groups so that there can be movement forward in implementing these principles. The remarkable achievement of the July 8 agreement gives me great reason to be hopeful that a solution is near. Yet so long as Cyprus remains divided, we have great work ahead of us. I remain committed to achieving a solution to this problem so that we never have to gather again to commemorate an anniversary of this condemnable invasion. Madam Speaker, I pray that this will be the last year of a divided Cyprus. It is my fervent hope that, 33 years after Cyprus was torn asunder, all Cypriots can be reunited, living in peace and freedom forever.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about Carlos Manuel Hernandez Reyes, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Carlos Manuel Hernandez Reyes is a member of the John Paul II Peace and Justice Movement and a member of the Pedro Luis Boitel Civic Resistance Movement, an organization named for a legendary, heroic Cuban political figure who died in a hunger strike in 1972. The primary objective of the movement is to urge the Cuban tyranny to grant amnesty to all prisoners of conscience and to abolish ``political'' crimes in totalitarian Cuba. Because of Mr. Hernandez Reyes' steadfast belief in human liberty and his dream of freedom for the people of Cuba, who have for too long been enslaved by the nightmare that is the totalitarian regime, he has been a constant target of the tyranny's repressive machinery. Because of his belief in inalienable rights and his dream that the people of Cuba deserve freedom and democracy, Mr. Hernandez Reyes was arrested by state security thugs on March 15, 2007 on grotesque charges of ``disrespect,'' which amounted to nothing more than refusing to live out the regime's mandated propaganda. For his supposed ``crime'' Mr. Hernandez Reyes was maliciously ``sentenced'' to one year in the totalitarian gulag. I remind my colleagues that, under the Cuban totalitarian regime, any freedom of expression or effort to display truth or opinion that is not in step with the regime's mandated lies, is met with swift and violent repression. Upon his ``sentencing'' Mr. Hernandez Reyes was moved by mule to the Tres Veredas concentration camp in Guantanamo, Cuba. Madam Speaker, Tres Veredas is an infernal dungeon where men are herded and treated as animals, with little if any contact with the outside world, the camp being a three to four hour walk from the nearest town and almost only reachable by mule. Madam Speaker, Mr. Hernandez Reyes languishes in an unventilated, dank, and rancid smelling room without water, electricity, or sunlight. Recently, Mr. Hernandez Reyes was able to communicate to human rights activist Francisco Hernandez Gomez that there was a rampant outbreak of diarrhea among the prisoners. No one bothered to investigate the source of their illness or make the minimal effort of transporting prisoners to a hospital or clinic for diagnosis. Instead they were ``treated'' by a nurse at the facility itself without access even to electricity. Madam Speaker, this is only one episode of the criminally abhorrent injustices continually carried out on countless innocent Cubans just 90 miles from our shores. And yet, though the tyranny has attempted to destroy Mr. Hernandez Reyes, he will never cease in his commitment to freedom for Cuba. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate release of Carlos Manuel Hernandez Reyes and all prisoners of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the distinguished colleagues who have participated in this debate. Obviously this is a very, very important piece of legislation that is being brought forth today. We have concerns with regard to the process, not in the creation of the legislation itself but in the way in which it has been brought forth to the floor and the rule that brings the legislation to the floor and establishes the terms of debate for the legislation. I think it has been a good debate. I think we've been able to express certainly our concern with the process, as well as in the case of most Members that I have certainly heard on this debate, the evident awareness of the importance of the underlying legislation and the issue dealt with by the underlying legislation. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Georgia did offer this amendment in committee, and it was rejected. What he wanted was to be able to present it before the full House. And he was pointing out that the promise that had been made by the majority was that there would be more openness during the consideration of legislation such as this. And that's what the gentleman from Georgia was trying to point out. At this time, Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished leader on this issue and many others, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my friend, the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor) for the time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, the Housing Choice Voucher Program, more commonly known as section 8, helps provide housing assistance to around 2 million low- income families and individuals each year. The program began in 1974, primarily as a project-based rental assistance program. By the next decade, it had become evident that the project-based model was too costly and concentrated families in high poverty areas, thereby making it harder to break the cycle of poverty. In 1983, Congress stopped providing project-based section 8 contracts and created vouchers as a replacement. The voucher program allows families with a voucher to find and lease a unit in the private sector, instead of being limited to certain section 8 housing complexes. Recipients pay a portion of their rent, based on their income, while the voucher covers the remaining portion of the rent. In 1998, the program consumed 42 percent of HUD's annual budget. By 2005, it had grown to over 62 percent of HUD's budget. If the growth in the program is not addressed and reformed, we could face a situation where deserving low-income families would be unable to receive any assistance. The underlying bill makes a number of improvements to the section 8 program to reform and simplify regulations of local public housing agencies, while preserving essential tenant protection. H.R. 1851 aims to simplify rent calculation and inspection requirements for section 8 vouchers, project-based assistance and public housing, and to promote self sufficiency on the part of assisted families through work incentives and home ownership opportunities. This bill can make good changes to the section 8 voucher program. The funding allocation formula included in the bill codifies the formula change made in the continuing resolution, February 2007. It uses the public housing agencies' vouchers costs and utilization rates from the last 12 months, instead of the 2004 numbers for a quarter of that year. Under current law, HUD is required to recapture the amount in excess of each public housing agency's reserve limits, funds that are left over after the renewal of vouchers. If the PHA does not use all the money that the government has authorized, then the government reallocates those funds to another PHA the following year. The community that I'm honored to represent has lost millions of dollars to other public housing agencies under the change in law made by this Congress. The current funding formula neglects the coverage costs of litigation issues or weather damage, of living facilities which were financed by the excess funds. The manager's amendment, Mr. Speaker, which will be debated later today, will allow public housing agencies to retain, to keep 12.5 percent of their reserve funds during the first year of the formula change. After the transition, PHAs will remain with 5 percent of their reserve funds in a given year. The manager's amendment aims to somewhat compensate for losses faced by public housing agencies such as those in my community. I commend the Financial Services Committee, its chairman and ranking member, and all of its members, for working in a bipartisan manner to make improvements to the section 8 program. I look forward to the committee's continued efforts to improve the program, and to addressing the concerns I have mentioned with the funding formula. Mr. Speaker, unlike the bipartisan nature with which and under which the Financial Services Committee has worked this bill, the majority in the Rules Committee failed to live up to that same standard. There were 23 amendments submitted to the Rules Committee for consideration. The majority on the Rules Committee made only six amendments in order. Yes, half of them, a whopping three, were Republican amendments, but there were 12 Republican amendments that had been submitted. During consideration of this rule, the minority made attempts to make several other Republican amendments in order, but the majority blocked each amendment by party line vote. That's quite a contrast to how the Financial Services Committee has worked. My colleague on the Rules Committee from Texas, Mr. Sessions, also offered an amendment to the rule that would have made this an open rule, Mr. Speaker. The majority on the Rules Committee blocked our efforts for an open rule. This is contrary to how the majority promised to run the House of Representatives, and it is most unfortunate. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I would simply reiterate that this clarifying regulation by OFAC stems from concerns and requests of U.S. financial institutions that were concerned because of a pattern they were noticing of delays in payment. So this regulation is precisely to carry out the legislation and implement the legislation of the year 2000 as, again, is a consequence and pursuant to the request of U.S. financial institutions that sought protection, and through clarification. So with that in mind, I oppose the amendment by the gentleman from Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I would inquire of the chairman as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I would ask my friend from Kansas if he has any further speakers.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman and colleagues, this OFAC, Office of Foreign Assets Control, regulation clarifying the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, this regulation that the amendment before us seeks to prohibit enforcement of, stemmed from requests by U.S. financial institutions that were becoming concerned by the increasingly slow rate of payment for agricultural sales by the Cuban regime. The financial institutions requested OFAC to clarify the legislative intent of cash in advance, which is in the law, in order to protect the interests of those financial institutions on their claims. The Cuban regime's entity in charge of agricultural purchases has an abysmal record of not paying its creditors and has been known to extort or seek to extort agricultural associations in order to increase the regime's lobbying pressure in favor of the unconditional lifting of sanctions, which is sought by the regime. The regime promises more agriculture purchases if agriculture interests lobby Congress for what the regime seeks, an end to sanctions. In effect, the opening of mass U.S. tourism and trade finance. Currently, Mr. Chairman, the Cuban regime's foreign debt represents close to 800 percent of its GDP, and it is ranked by international credit agencies as the second worst, if not the worst, credit risk in the world. Countries throughout the world are taking extreme measures to obtain restitution for billions of dollars they are owed, which the Cuban regime refuses to pay. In one example, a 15,000-ton Cuban regime-owned ship was held in the port of Conakry in Guinea, while a Canadian company armed with legal judgments pursued partial payment for the Cuban Government's defaulted debt. And those are the types of actions, Mr. Chairman, that U.S. companies and ultimately U.S. taxpayers would inevitably have to resort to if Congress were to authorize credit for sales to the Cuban regime. The Congress, Mr. Chairman, must not allow the American taxpayer to become another victim of the Cuban regime's nonpayment to its creditors. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.