Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), 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, I will close.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the 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. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to my colleague and friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, simply to reiterate what we are about today, we are extending unemployment benefits for 13 weeks throughout the Nation and for 26 weeks in the States that are classified as high-unemployment States. We have also provided previously $8 billion to the individual States for use in their individual unemployment programs, and almost $6 billion of those $8 billion that the Federal Government has provided to the States are still available to the States for use for their unemployment programs. It is important to realize what we are talking about today with this legislation; this is not theory. We have legislation before us, we are bringing to the floor legislation to help 2.5 million unemployed people in this country. And we think that is an important piece of legislation, and we think that it should be passed. And that is why we seek to bring it forward with this rule. And that is why we urge support for this rule and then for the subsequent underlying legislation, to get that aid, that continued aid to 2.5 million people in this country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate and make clear that the legislation before us that we are bringing to the floor with this rule will provide for a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits in the Nation, and the legislation once again provides a total of 26 weeks of benefits to those in designated high-unemployment States. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 248 is a closed rule, providing for the consideration of H.R. 2185, an extension of the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Program. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule also provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. This is a fair rule and one that will expedite the debate of this important extension so that we can provide needed economic security to the unemployed. H.R. 2185 will provide for a 13-week extension of benefits for the unemployed. This legislation once again provides a total of 26 weeks of benefits to those in designated ``high unemployment'' States. The extension of benefits under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Program is set to have expired at the end of this month. I am pleased to bring this rule to the floor as this House responds to those who are without work. With passage of this bill, we ensure there is no break in essential benefits to families across the country. H.R. 2185 provides over $7 billion in extended Federal unemployment benefits in addition to the $16 billion that this Congress has previously approved for both State and Federal unemployment. With the original legislation in March of 2002 and the first extension in January of this year, Congress has succeeded in assuring those families in need will have the funds precisely to put food on the table and pay for child care so that they can focus on becoming employed once again. In fact, this extension will help 2.5 million people in addition to the 5 million that have been helped through previous extensions. I would like to highlight the previous work by this body to not only provide Federal unemployment benefits but also $8 billion to the individual States for use in their individual unemployment programs. I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Thomas) for his leadership and the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Dunn) for sponsoring this important legislation. H.R. 2185 is important legislation, important to the continued economic health of families in all of the 50 States. Mr. Speaker, hopefully this should be a bipartisan effort to provide benefits to the unemployed, and this rule allows this Chamber to consider it and consider it today. Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, 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 myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today we are extending the unemployment benefits for 2\1/2\ million Americans, and in doing so this Congress is appropriating $7 billion for that purpose. Again, it is 2\1/2\ million Americans who are unemployed that this legislation will help. That is in addition to the $16 billion that we have appropriated before for that purpose. This is important legislation. It is to help people who need help, and I feel proud to have brought forward this rule. I urge support for the rule and that then we get to the underlying legislation and that we pass the underlying legislation to get extended unemployment benefits to 2\1/2\ million people in this country.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

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

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 249 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my colleague and friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for purposes of debate only. (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks, and include extraneous material.)

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are seeing a very clear difference in philosophy and opinion on the floor of the House today between the parties. It was said before by one of our friends on the other side of the aisle that when we cut taxes, when we reduce the burden of taxation on the American people, that that is an imposition. That was the word. We impose this. Congress, it was said, will impose a tax cut on the American people. We believe that when we relieve the tax burden on the American people, that that is not an imposition on the American people. We believe it is their money in the first place, and we are relieving the tax burden on the American people. We are imposing less taxes from Washington. So it is an interesting difference of opinion, and I think it is a fundamental difference of opinion. I think the American people are seeing it today. What we believe is that we should return as much as we can of the people's money to the people, and that they are best suited and know best how to spend their own money. So it is a fundamental difference. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Yes, there is no doubt about that. But what I was pointing to was that the argument was made that the incentive to invest in the stock market is reduced by virtue of the fact that that tax cut, that tax incentive, is sunsetted. What I am saying is it is people who oppose the tax cut, from whatever party, and the argument was made against the effectiveness of the tax cut with regard to the dividends part by my distinguished colleague who is a Democrat. I was pointing out that I think it is inconsistent to want to have it both ways and then to say it sunsets, so it is not effective. I thought there was an inconsistency there, and some incoherence.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. But the gentleman is right, there are Republicans in the other body that are responsible for reducing the effectiveness of what we are talking about. But what we strongly believe and what we want to do, and we are doing it to the best of our ability, is to reduce the tax burden on the American people. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost) pointed out previously that the debt burden may be increased. We want to reduce the debt burden by incentivizing economic growth which will not only create jobs now, but also lessen the debt burden in the future. That is what I was pointing out with regard to the point on the effectiveness of the dividend part. If you are against the tax cut, but then say it sunsets, so it is not effective, I thought that was an incoherent argument.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I am not sure if it is. What we are doing with this rule is making possible for us to have that debate today, and obviously the people who have been involved in the negotiations will explain the details of what they ultimately end up with. We are trying to have that debate today, and that is why we have this rule. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I will not yield. I did not interrupt the gentleman. Again, to get us back to what we are bringing to the floor today, and to remind colleagues on what they will in fact be voting on today, it is the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003. We have brought this forward. We have brought it forward with a rule that permits all amendments that may be proposed by any Member to be brought forward and to be debated. Again, we did not know what, if any, opposition would exist with regard to this bill, and we will soon see, but I think it is important, as I said, Mr. Speaker, to remind Members what we are, in fact, here voting on today and what we are not voting on today, even though there are many issues obviously of importance that could be debated, because freedom is the essence of this House, and obviously any Member can talk about any issue under the sun.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Under the rules of the House, the majority has the obligation of setting the agenda. I think part and parcel of not only the rules obviously of the House but of democracy is to let the minority speak about whatever the minority wants to speak about. We have seen an example of that today. In case somebody has been paying attention to this discussion, I think it is important to remind us of what the bill before us is, the bill that the Committee on Rules has brought to the floor today, and, that is, the reauthorization of the National Transportation Safety Board. The National Transportation Safety Board is a very important agency. It carries out really a fundamental mission with regard to airline safety and investigation of accidents, studies and reports with regard to increasing the safety of transportation. That is what is before us. Obviously, we would never attempt to stop the minority from speaking about anything. But what we are here today on is the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act. The issue chosen today, for example, that we learned today was chosen by the minority to speak on is an important issue. Unemployment benefits have not expired. Many of us on this side of the aisle, in the majority, have not only supported unemployment benefits but continue to do so, and they have not expired.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 229 is an open rule, providing for the consideration of H.R. 1527, the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2003. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Obviously, this is a fair rule. It is a totally open rule, one that provides ample opportunity to debate this important reauthorization before us today. Last year, the House passed essentially the same bill by suspension, but the other body failed to consider the legislation. The House then must again act this year to ensure that the NTSB has the funding necessary to carry out its important tasks. The NTSB was established in 1967 as an independent agency with the task of investigating transportation accidents, conducting transportation safety studies, issuing recommendations, aiding victims' families after disasters, and promoting general transportation safety. Since 1967, NTSB has investigated over 114,000 aviation accidents. The NTSB's constant participation in transportation safety, evidenced through 12,000 recommendations to regulators, operators and users of transportation systems, has made them the government leader in crash investigation. I think what is even more impressive is that 82 percent of their recommendations have actually been adopted by these regulatory and transportation bodies. This bill will increase the effectiveness of the board by authorizing funding through fiscal year 2006 at levels necessary to carry out their investigative mission both here and at aviation disasters abroad. The bill requires that the Department of Transportation issue an annual report on the progress and adaptation of the board's safety recommendations. It is crucial that the Department of Transportation and that this Congress work to ensure that all recommendations are being met by the public. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the bill requires that the NTSB turn over their involvement in an aviation disaster to the FBI in the case of an intentional criminal act. This action would be taken by the Attorney General in consultation with the chairman of the NTSB. I think it is very important that in the event of any criminal aviation disaster, such as the one experienced during 9/11, 2001, the rescue of survivors obviously remain a first priority, but the apprehension of those involved commence immediately. H.R. 1527 is a good bill, important to the continued transportation safety of the Nation, in not only responding to accidents but taking steps, through recommendations, to prevent further tragedies. The underlying legislation was reported favorably out of committee by voice vote. I would like to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) for his extraordinary leadership on this issue, as well as his ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). Mr. Speaker, this important bill recognizes, by reauthorizing essential funding to the board, the importance of this activity charged with investigating tragedies and promoting transportation safety. This has been a bipartisan effort throughout the consideration of the bill, from consideration in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to this very obviously fair rule reported out of the Committee on Rules, which continues, I think, this constructive debate by allowing all amendments in order under the rule. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support both this important underlying legislation as well as the rule before us to bring it to the floor. 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 the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes 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, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 229 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Congressional Record and that all Members and former Members who spoke during the recess have the privilege of revising and extending their remarks.