Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Jose Enrique Santana Carreira, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Santana Carreira is the national coordinator of the Democratic Party November 30 and a member of the pro-democracy opposition. Unfortunately, those who believe in truth are targeted by the tyrant's machinery of repression. According to an article for the Information Bridge Cuba Miami, on February 28, 2002, Mr. Santana Carreira was arrested for simply participating in a civic activity at the Catholic Church of the Passionists. More than 2 years later, in a sham trial, Mr. Santana Carreira was sentenced to 4 years in the totalitarian gulag. In a letter to his mother that was translated and published at punteinfocubamiami.org, Mr. Santana Carreira describes the horrible conditions in the gulag to his mother: For my mother: With lots of love is that I write you this missive which I know is going to hurt you, but it is hurting me already, since they have beaten me and I could not get up . . . they have beaten me with no Humanity whatsoever. . . . My dearest mother, I am resolved to take this until the maximum consequences if they already have beaten me, this will not stop, the only thing that I want is for all to know of the abuses that we are being subjected to and to receive the necessary support from all the people so that all these abuses end and all the World learns about the cruelties committed against those who fight peacefully with their reason and their right. . . . Take care my viejita, I am very ill, suffering with all this, but I am willing to die for the reason that assists me in this our pacific fight. I love you a lot. Jose Enrique Santana Carreiras Mr. Santana Carreras represents the very best of the Cuban people: No matter how intense the beatings, no matter how remorseless the repression, no matter how inhumane the conditions, he will never relent in his belief that the men and women of Cuba should be and will be free. Mr. Speaker, it is as inconceivable as it is unacceptable that, in the 21st century and only 90 miles from our shore, brave men and women are locked in grotesque dungeons because they believe that all people have basic human rights. It is a profound embarrassment for mankind that the world stands by in silence and acquiescence while political prisoners are systematically tortured because of their belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Jose Enrique Santana Carreira and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank each and every distinguished Member of the House who has spoken this morning on this legislation. Obviously, this is, appropriately so, a tremendous amount, really a consensus, which is pleasing to see support for what we are doing as a Congress and as a government, as a Nation in this legislation. I want to take one final moment, if I may, to explain a point that I made in response to a question to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) when I said that it is my belief that the Government of Venezuela is a dictatorship. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak a second or a minute to explain why. Democracy, in order for it to exist, requires two fundamental pillars or legitimacies; the legitimacy of origin, which is obtained through free and fair elections, and the Government of Venezuela was elected. So it obviously had the legitimacy of origin. But then I believe that for a government to be democratic, it has to have another form of legitimacy, which is legitimacy in its conduct in the process of governing. And if a government, even if democratically elected, represses the opposition, persecutes the opposition, represses the press, for example the free press, in my view, it loses that other legitimacy which is required, the legitimacy of conduct for a democracy to be a democracy. Mr. Speaker, so I am convinced that the Government of Venezuela has lost its democratic legitimacy, and it is not a democracy. So I appreciate the opportunity to explain why I believe, as I stated before, that it is at this moment a dictatorship. I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) for his extraordinary work once again in bringing forward this legislation. He is one of the people that I greatly admire in this House. I urge all of our colleagues to support what we are doing, the very important step we are taking for our foreign policy interests and great humanitarian causes today in this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to a great leader in this House, the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we are also concerned about Colombia, and we are concerned about increased assistance from the terrorist network throughout the world, the Iranians, Chavez in Venezuela, Castro's Cuba. We are concerned about their support for the narcoterrorists in Colombia, and that is why it is so important to provide assistance to the democratically elected government of Colombia.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 532 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am saying that it is a dictatorship. It is a dictatorship, a dictatorship that supports the regime in Iran publicly; a dictatorship, the regime in Caracas. The first foreign head of State to visit Saddam Hussein while Saddam Hussein was in power after the Gulf War of the 1990s was the President of Venezuela. So, yes, I am concerned about the President of Venezuela's links to terrorism and his assistance to the FARC guerillas in Colombia. One of the reasons why we continue to help and assist the democratically elected government of Colombia, elected by an overwhelming majority of the Colombian people, is because they face multiple challenges. That is one of the reasons why, in a bipartisan fashion, this Congress continues to help the democratically elected government.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 532 is a traditional standard rule for consideration of the conference report for the fiscal year 2006 Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today appropriates almost $21 billion. It is an increase of about actually over $1 billion for operations across the globe. The bill is fiscally sound. It has grown at a small, very small rate, while at the same time I think it is responsive to the needs, not only the national security interests or the foreign policy interests of the United States, but also it is responsive to the needs of millions plagued by disease and famine and disaster throughout the world. H.R. 3057, for example, Mr. Speaker, bolsters the President's Millennium Challenge Corporation to nearly $1.8 billion. It is about a quarter of a billion more than last year. This is an expansion of assistance meant to help bring really economic security and the rule of law to some of the world's poorest countries by insisting on American aid going to countries where there is transparency for the aid that we send, not corruption. It is an important initiative. The Millennium Challenge provides assistance through a competitive selection process to developing nations that are genuinely in the path of political and economic reforms in three areas: ruling justly, in other words, treating their people decently; investing in people; and fostering economic freedom. Economic development genuinely succeeds when it is linked to free market economic and democratic principles and policies and where governments are committed to implementing reform measures when they are needed to achieve such goals. Two years ago in the State of the Union address, President Bush announced the President's emergency plan for AIDS relief. It is the largest international health initiative in history initiated by a single government to address one disease. This legislation shows Congress's continued support to the fight against HIV/AIDS. It includes $2.8 billion, an increase of over $600 million over last year to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS, as well as tuberculosis and malaria. The resolve of this Congress to help all those across the globe to fight this disease is strong and serious, as is the commitment of the President of the United States. In addition to funding, the Federal Government enlists the expertise of agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, which assures that the medicines we send to the areas most affected by this horrible pandemic are safe and effective to help those with HIV/AIDS. In other foreign assistance, H.R. 3057 funds the Andean Counterdrug Initiative at the President's request, $735 million, $9 million more than in 2005. Economic growth in the area since the start of Plan Colombia, for example, is proof that the assistance that we have provided Colombia has made a difference in that country. I visited Colombia in April of last year. It was a great honor for me to do so. I have tens of thousands of distinguished constituents, very hard-working, honorable people from Colombia. It was a pleasure to visit that country and to witness, Mr. Speaker, the extraordinary progress that the Colombian Government and the Colombian people have made against the narcoterrorists. They constantly reiterate, they did so during my visit and they have done so since and I know they have done so to countless colleagues in this House, they reiterate their gratitude to this Congress for the important assistance that the American people, the taxpayers of this country, through their Congress have provided them and continue to do so in their fight against narcoterrorism. Now, we must not take progress in the Andean region for granted. If the United States turns its back on the region, a scenario may very well ensue that would require greater U.S. investment at a time when we have significant responsibilities worldwide. The underlying legislation provides also $2.5 billion for military and economic assistance to Israel. We have to continue to ensure that our friends and allies remain secure; and, of course, we have no better friend, no better ally than Israel. We are committed to doing everything we can to see that Israel is safe and secure within its borders as it continues to move in this very difficult era toward the achievement of a lasting peace with all of its neighbors. The conference report funds the President's request to fund the foreign military financing for Egypt at $1.3 billion. It provides almost half a billion dollars for economic assistance to Egypt, including assistance set to help with political reform programs and education assistance. Of course, that is a very, very important initiative that this country has been involved in for decades now. I would like to thank Chairman Lewis, who has worked very hard again, and Chairman Kolbe for their extraordinary leadership in moving this bill forward for our consideration today. I obviously support the conference report. I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation, the conference report. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, we have certification language. We do not condone in any way terrorism from any source in Colombia. We have consistently had safeguards in our legislation to make sure that our assistance is not used by terrorists of any sort in Colombia, but I think that we have to keep our eye on the ball here, and that is that there is a democratically elected government challenged by narcoterrorists, heavily funded because of their trade in narcotics, their narcotrafficking, and that that government, that democratically elected government, is a friend of this country and merits our continued support. So I am honestly very pleased that, in a bipartisan fashion, this Congress continues to support the democratically elected government of Colombia; and that is one of the great foreign policy initiatives, bipartisan foreign policy initiatives, by the way, that this country is engaged in, which is very connected to the security of this country in addition to the foreign policy objectives of this country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the Rules Committee. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr Speaker, I rise today to speak about Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodriguez, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Reyes Rodriguez is an opposition activist and independent librarian in totalitarian Cuba. His life is dedicated to the proposition that the men and women of Cuba must be free: free to learn, free to worship, free to elect their leaders, free to enjoy their inalienable human rights. Independent librarians in Cuba, such as the one operated by Mr. Reyes Rodriguez, provide the indispensable service of circulating truth at a time when the tyrannical regime provides only propaganda. These heroic librarians often circulate the great works of anti-totalitarian literature, including the important writings of Vaclav Havel and Dr. Martin Luther King. Literature is a great danger to totalitarian regimes: books often provide the truth that tyrants seek to hide. Unfortunately, In March 2003, as part of Castro's condemnable crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy activists, Mr. Reyes Rodriguez was arrested. In a sham trial, he was sentenced to 25 years in the totalitarian gulag. Amnesty International reports that he is suffering from serious medical concerns in the gulag. According to the U.S. Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2003: In early August, officers of the Ministry of the Interior threatened to arrest the wife of prisoner Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodriguez if she continued to receive activists who visited her to express sympathy for the jailing of her husband. Police told Isel de las Mercedes Acosta Obregon that they would try her for violating the Law to Protect National Independence and the Economy (Law 88) (see Section 2.a.) if she did not cease ``counterrevolutionary activities.'' Mr. Reyes Rodriguez has also been named an honorary member of Sydney PEN, an organization of writers devoted to emphasizing the role of literature in the development of mutual understanding and world culture; to fighting for freedom of expression; and to acting as a powerful voice on behalf of writers harassed, imprisoned and sometimes killed for their views. Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear, Mr. Reyes Rodriguez is languishing in an infernal gulag because he believes in freedom, truth, democracy, and human rights. His family is being constantly threatened because of these ``dangerous'' beliefs. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodriguez and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero is a courageous pro-democracy activist and president of the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Independence Movement. His pro-democracy activities have helped the world to learn the facts about the nightmare that is the Castro regime. Unfortunately, those who believe in truth are targeted by the tyrant's machinery of repression. On March 19, 2003, as part of Castro's condemnable crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy activists, Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero was arrested. In a sham trial, he was sentenced to 12 years in the totalitarian gulag. Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero is currently languishing in the abhorrent gulag because of his belief in liberty for the Cuban people. According to CubaNet, Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero's family has been harassed and threatened by the dictatorship's thugs. His wife, Marlene Gonzalez, said that she had been threatened by the dictatorship's organized mobs and that her neighbors have been warned not to let their children play with her daughter Melisa. Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero is an excellent example of the heroism of the Cuban people. No matter how intense the repression, no matter how horrifically brutal the consequences of a dignified struggle for liberty, no matter how often their families are harassed and threatened, the totalitarian gulags are full of men and women of all backgrounds and ages who represent the best of the Cuban nation. Mr. Speaker, it is as inconceivable as it is unacceptable that, in the 21st Century and only 90 miles from our shore, brave men and women are locked in dungeons because they believe that all people have basic human rights. It is a profound embarrassment for mankind that the world stands by in silence and acquiescence while political prisoners are systematically tortured because of their belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Zapata Tamayo is a member of the Alternative Republican Movement as well as a member of the National Civic Resistance Committee. Because of his belief in freedom and democracy, Mr. Zapata Tamayo has been a constant target of the tyrant's machinery of repression. According to Amnesty International, he was detained and harassed by the dictatorship's thugs on July 3, 2002 and October 28, 2002. In November 2002, after taking part in a workshop on human rights in the central Havana park, he and eight other dictatorship opponents were arrested again. He was also arrested and thrown into the totalitarian gulag in December 2002. Mr. Zapata Tamayo, knowing full well the heinous repression that awaited him if he continued to advocate for freedom for the people of Cuba, never wavered in his convictions. Unfortunately, on May 20, 2003, he was arrested again for taking part in a hunger strike to demand the release of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. According to Information Bridge Cuba-Miami, in a sham trial, Mr. Zapata Tamayo was sentenced to 3 years in the totalitarian gulag for the supposed crimes of ``public disorder, disobedience and resisting authority.'' Brave men and women like Mr. Zapata Tamayo represent the best of mankind. He and other pro-democracy activists languish in abhorrent dungeons, defy the dictator's machinery of repression and, despite every threat and obstacle, relentlessly demand liberty for the people of Cuba. Because of their unwavering dedication and the hard work and commitment of countless other patriots, Cuba will be free again. Mr. Speaker, it is categorically unacceptable that, while the world stands by in silence and acquiescence, Mr. Zapata Tamayo languishes in a grotesque gulag because of his belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We cannot permit the brutal treatment by a demented and murderous tyrant of a man like Mr. Zapato Tamayo for simply supporting freedom for his people. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Orlando Zapato Tamayo and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).

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

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, after hearing more prophecies of pessimism, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the author of the legislation.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my dear friend from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 481 is a structured rule that provides for the consideration of H.R. 3893. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule also provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, in the last 24 years, our refinery capacity has dropped from almost 19 million barrels a day to less than 17 million barrels a day. Now, this has happened at the same time that our gross domestic product has quadrupled. In other words, because of the sustained growth of our economy and the fact that we have not built a new refinery in almost 30 years, the United States is now forced to import over 4 million barrels a day in refined products, and that is when our refineries are running at full capacity. I thought it was impacting when I learned this fact that I have just relayed. We have not built a single refinery in the country during the time period that our gross domestic product has quadrupled. I think if there has ever been an example of a great superpower really sitting on its laurels, it is pointed out by this example. We have to take steps, as we are with this legislation that we bring to the floor today, to maintain the necessary infrastructure to continue being the most successful economy in the world. Now, any change in our refinery capacity can cause supply constraints and price spikes, especially, for example, in the gulf coast, where we have almost 50 percent of our refinery capacity. That is what happened when we had the two natural disasters in the last weeks, hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They hit the gulf coast, causing gasoline prices to rise significantly. On August 25, Hurricane Katrina began her path of destruction. The eye of that hurricane passed right by my district. It was fortunately then only a category 1 hurricane, but it hit us in South Florida; and then of course, as we all know, it went into the Gulf of Mexico and became a monster storm. That storm then headed towards Louisiana and then the Mississippi gulf coast as a category 4, almost category 5, storm. Once that storm passed, we awoke to the greatest natural disaster that the United States has ever faced. The Mississippi gulf coast was decimated by that deadly combination of the powerful winds and the storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina. In Louisiana, the storm surge submerged a large portion of the southeastern part of the State, toppling over the levees that protected the area, including the city of New Orleans. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, several refineries were shut down, accounting for about 11 percent of the total United States refinery capacity. As of the beginning of October, four oil refineries remain closed. Now, those refineries provide almost a million barrels a day, almost 5 percent of our refining capacity; and even at this time it is still not known when those four refineries will be able to reopen. A month later, we had Hurricane Rita hit the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast with 120-mile-an-hour winds, causing widespread damage and flooding. In anticipation of the storm, several oil refineries in the warning area, constituting over 4 million barrels a day in refining capacity, were shut down. Some of those refineries were able to restart, but as of the first of October, nine refineries with the capacity to refine over 2 million barrels a day, about an eighth of our capacity, remain shut down. Now combine that with the four refineries closed because of Hurricane Katrina, approximately 18 percent of the refining capacity in the United States is off line. Pipelines from the gulf to the Midwest and East Coast have also been affected by the hurricanes. The Colonial and Plantation pipelines serving the whole East Coast with refined products resumed operation not long after Hurricane Katrina. However, they were shut down again by the subsequent hurricane, Hurricane Rita, and are still not working at full capacity. In order to prevent the sharp price increases we have seen after the hurricanes, we have to make sure that we do everything possible so that refineries, new refineries, are built. And if another hurricane or a terrorist attack were to hit our refineries, we will still have the capacity to produce enough gasoline for the needs of our economy; that must be our goal. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3893, I am so pleased to see the author, the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) here who has done a tremendous job. He has done a tremendous amount of hard work in a very difficult area. This is an area that you cannot alleviate, much less solve, this problem overnight. It requires the kind of hard work, dedication, seriousness, that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) has demonstrated day in and day out. We are seeing it in legislation that we are bringing to the floor today. Now, this bill, H.R. 3893, will remove some of the obstacles that have prevented the construction of new refineries. The underlying legislation streamlines the cumbersome environmental and energy provisions that affect construction of facilities such as refineries and oil pipelines. Bringing new refineries online will alleviate our reliance on foreign sources of refined products, will allow us to have enough refinery capacity to meet the needs of our growing economy, while providing a backup if any of our refineries are shut down in the future. Now, to help conserve gasoline, the legislation also directs the Secretary of Energy to establish and carry out programs to encourage the use of carpooling and van pooling. After the hurricanes, we saw reports of unscrupulous business practices engaged in in some instances. The bill addresses unfair or deceptive acts or practices of any person selling crude oil or gasoline or diesel fuel or home heating oil at a price that constitutes price gouging. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3893, as I stated before, required a tremendous amount of hard work. It was introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton), reported out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 29. It is a good bill. I think it is very important to our energy needs, to the health of our economy and to the national security of this country. So again I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton). I know the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) has worked extraordinarily hard, as he has for decades in this House on so many important issues. I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that House Resolution 481 be considered as amended by striking the number 3983 in each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof the number 3893.