Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas). Perhaps he has a copy of the stealth bill.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) has knowledge, has personal knowledge of a number of the items that he is pushing and that he is proposing, and some of which I very much agree with. I have no doubt. What I am saying when I say stealth legislation is that we do not have a copy, and it was filed 20 minutes ago. That is what I am saying. That cannot be denied. So the reality of the matter is that we are debating here with regard to large figures and significant pieces of legislation which are included in a bill that has just been filed. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) for a point he wants to make.

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

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to urge adoption of the rule and remind my colleagues that this is a vote on the minimum wage. It is a vote on the previous question and then the vote on the rule, but they are votes on the minimum wage.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham). (Mr. CUNNINGHAM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant). (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley), 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. Speaker, House Resolution 663 is a closed rule providing for the consideration of S. 2485 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in planning and constructing a Regional Heritage Center in Calais, Maine. The rule also provides for the adoption of a concurrent resolution directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make certain corrections in the enrollment of the bill, H.R. 2614, to amend the Small Business Investment Act to make improvements to the certified development company, House Report 106- 1016. I want to make it clear that we are considering S. 2485. The text of the report that the Committee on Rules filed to accompany this resolution incorrectly states in the summary of the resolution that the resolution provides for the consideration of H. 2485 when in fact it was meant to state that the rule provides for the consideration of S. 2485. The rule provides 1 hour of debate in the House divided equally between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources. Further, the rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill and provides for one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Finally, the rule provides that a concurrent resolution directing the Clerk to make certain corrections to the enrollment of H.R. 2614 is adopted. Mr. Speaker, in essence what this two-part rule will accomplish is the following: the first part provides for the consideration of S. 2485, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to work with Federal, State, and local agencies, historical societies and not-for-profit organizations to facilitate the development of a Regional Heritage Center in downtown Calais, Maine, before the 400th anniversary of the settlement of the Saint Croix Islands. Saint Croix Island is located in the Saint Croix River, which forms the boundary between Canada and the United States and the State of Maine. Now, in 1604 and 1605, Pierre Dugua Sieur de Mons, with his company, established a French settlement on the island predating the English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Saint Croix Island International Historic Site is administered by the National Park Service, preserving the site as a monument to the beginning of the United States and of Canada. S. 2485 directs the Secretary of the Interior to work with Federal, State and local agencies, historical societies and nonprofits to provide assistance in planning, constructing and operating a Regional Heritage Center in downtown Calais. The bill authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements, the appropriation of $2 million for design and construction of the facility, and such sums as are necessary to maintain and operate interpretive exhibits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing S. 2485 would cost $2 million over the next 3 fiscal years. Additional annual expenses to help operate and maintain the center once it is completed in 2004 would not be significant. The bill was introduced by Senators Collins and Snowe of Maine on April 27, 2000, and passed the Senate by unanimous consent on October 5. The second part of the rule dealing with the tax bill's enrollment and the minimum wage, is necessary because the Democratic leadership would not grant unanimous consent for the House to make this correction, which in essence helps to preserve the minimum wage. When drafting H.R. 5538, the portion of the tax relief bill providing for increases in the minimum wage, there was an error which could have the unintended result of eliminating the minimum wage for a 6-month period. As a supporter of the minimum wage, I find it very difficult to believe but nevertheless recognize that the leadership on the other side of the aisle is playing politics with this issue. By opposing a unanimous consent request to make this technical yet critically important correction, the minority leadership is creating another roadblock to increasing the minimum wage and is actually serving in this situation to eliminate the minimum wage. The rule, Mr. Speaker, self-executes the adoption of a concurrent resolution which otherwise would not be privileged to make this technical correction so that the minimum wage will continue to exist while orderly increases in that wage take place from $5.15 an hour to $5.65 and then to $6.15 beginning January of 2002. So let no one be confused. The vote on the previous question and the vote on the rule is a vote on the minimum wage. I would like to repeat that, Mr. Speaker, if I may. The vote on the previous question and the vote on the rule is a vote on the minimum wage. I strongly support this rule and urge my colleagues to support it as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the remaining time on each side.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 663 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have, at this point, no other speakers. We may have another. Mr. Speaker, I was shown a copy of the previous question amendment that the minority is proposing. They propose to strike H.R. 5543, which is the Medicare giveback bill, which by the way is supported by all providers. Now, the handout that the other side has given their Members talks about HMOs and HMOs and HMOs. No, no, no. All providers support the increase in Medicare which we have achieved, and this legislation provides for $31.5 billion over 5 years. Now they want to substitute it with a bill that we are still waiting for. We have not even seen a copy. So I have learned a lot in my 8 years here, but I have to admit this is one of the most amazing things I have seen, coming to the floor and opposing legislation in the context of a technical correction with which we are seeking to keep the minimum wage on the books, and in the context of opposing that technical correction, seeking to strike legislation that provides for over $30 billion for providers for Medicare, and not even having shown us, the other side of the aisle, a copy of the legislation. Well, I never cease to learn in this process. But that is what the other side, our friends on the other side of the aisle, are proposing to do at this time. So it is amazing. Mr. Speaker, what we are doing, and I want to reiterate, what we are doing is a technical correction to make sure that the minimum wage stays on the books. And so opposing the rule at this point, and opposing the previous question, I reiterate, is opposing what we are seeking to do today, which is to make sure that the minimum wage stays on the books. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan), the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee that has produced this legislation; and again I want to commend him for his hard work on it.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 647 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), 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. House Resolution 647 provides for the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 4811, the Foreign Operations appropriations bill for fiscal year 2001. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration and provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from Alabama (Chairman Callahan), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the ranking member, for their hard work. I share the view expressed by the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Callahan) that this is a good bill; and as he stated last night in the Committee on Rules, the funding is too high for some, too low for others. It strikes an appropriate balance. The bill contains $14.897 billion in funding, slightly below the President's request of $15.13 and includes an appropriation of $5 billion to reduce the public debt. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the bill appropriates $1.9 billion for military financing for Israel, as well as $840 million for economic assistance to Israel. I also believe it is very important that we are increasing the child survival and disease program fund and providing $435 million for heavily indebted poor countries. Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased that we are increasing funding for the agency for international development by $300 million over the prior fiscal year, bringing next year's funding to $3.08 billion. I support this rule. The underlying legislation is very important. Obviously, much work has gone into this legislation. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), chairman of the full committee, and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan), chairman of the subcommittee, as well as the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the ranking member, for their hard work on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to adopt both the rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scarborough).

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young).

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham).

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his courtesy. I think we have had a very interesting debate. I want to reiterate that the underlying legislation is extremely important; the foreign aid legislation. The rule is fair, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I thought it was interesting that we heard, during the debate, criticism of the budget process by our friends on the other side of the aisle, a budget process that was created when they were in the majority. Now they criticize it. We heard that we spend too much money, and yet they say that a number of their priorities are not met; that they need more money. They have said that we have taken too long, and yet then we hear that they would be comfortable if they had more time. So, obviously, that is the essence of debate: Honest disagreement. I again want to commend the chairman, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan), for what I consider a very good work product and to reiterate what we heard from the chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young). It is time to pass this legislation and move on to the other two appropriations conference reports that we need to pass as well. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the resolution as well as the conference report, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I wish to echo the sentiments of the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Shaw, about the FIU Southeast Environmental Research Center and reinforce the important contributions that the Center has made in the area of monitoring assessments in the Everglades. I would encourage the Corps of Engineers to explore ways to collaborate with FIU-SERC and utilize the Center's expertise in monitoring assessments. SERC has extensive expertise in Everglades restoration and can provide research and monitoring, technical assistance and infrastructure to support the Corps. FIU-SERC can also serve to coordinate technology transfer and apply the techniques and methodologies learned from CERP to other sustainable ecosystems.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote 540, H.R. 4541, the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, I was in my district on official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

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

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford), a friend with whom I have strong disagreement on this issue but he is a friend.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 617 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley), 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. Speaker, House Resolution 617 is a rule providing for the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 4461, the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2001. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and its consideration. The rule provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to support this rule, which provides for the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 4461, the agriculture appropriations bill. I believe the conference report represents a good overall package. It provides important funds desperately needed by America's farmers. For instance, the bill includes $3.5 billion in emergency disaster relief funds for farmers. Just last week, I was able to tour severely flooded areas in my district with FEMA Director Witt and saw the extent of the over $200 million worth of crop losses just in agricultural South Florida due to the heavy rains. The devastation underscored to me how critically important disaster assistance can be to our farmers. The main bill is a good product from an agricultural perspective. It provides $80 billion in mandatory and discretionary spending while setting aside $5 billion to reduce the public debt. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that portions of the Hunger Relief Act are included. As an original cosponsor of that important legislation to help poor families, children and the elderly have adequate access to hunger assistance programs, I believe that the legislation takes an important step in the right direction by including it in the conference report. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank several of my colleagues for their tireless efforts in helping negotiate a carefully crafted compromise on the issue of sanctions: the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young), the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson), the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) worked throughout the process with me, and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), my dear friend, to achieve a fair compromise. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply grateful to the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the majority leader, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Delay), the majority whip, for their support, as well as the Senate majority leader and Senator Mack. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank some of the staff who contributed to these successful negotiations, especially Scott Palmer, Julianne Carter, Nancy Dorn, Steve Vermillion, Ylem Poblette, and Steve Rademaker. The compromise authorizes sales of United States agricultural commodities to the Cuban regime; but without American financing, it also makes clear that the President cannot expand travel categories and accompanying revenues to totalitarian Cuba beyond the existing ones. In other words, the primary objective of the Cuban dictatorship that the United States taxpayers subsidize the regime, in effect taking the place of the former Soviet Union, is not permitted. Nor can the Cuban dictatorship dump its agricultural products on the United States market, to the serious detriment of American farmers. That dumping, by the way, Mr. Speaker, is another fundamental goal of the Cuban regime. At the same time, the Cuban dictatorship after this legislation will no longer have the excuse with regard to the great food shortages that it has created for the Cuban people while foreign tourists and the regime's hierarchy have access to all the luxuries that dollars can buy. It will no longer have the excuse of a legal inability to purchase American agricultural products. Mr. Speaker, so while United States farmers look at new markets under this legislation, especially in other countries dealt with by the agreement, key pressure and leverage are maintained for a democratic transition in Cuba. The agreement takes note of the floor votes regarding Cuba policy by the House and Senate in the recent past: the votes regarding agricultural sales to Cuba; the differing votes in the House and Senate with regard to travel, the Senate having voted against U.S. unrestricted travel to Communist Cuba, and the strong vote against totally dismantling the U.S. embargo on the Cuban dictatorship by this House on July 20 of this year. The essential framework of the United States policy toward Cuba that sanctions will be maintained until the political prisoners are freed, labor unions and the press are legalized, and free elections are agreed to, is left in place in this legislation. Mr. Speaker, we need not even look to the myriad lessons of history, though we certainly could, for proof of the wisdom of that policy. As we speak today, sanctions are being lifted against Yugoslavia, including travel restrictions, because, and only after, the dictatorship there held elections and agreed to recognize the winner of those elections. Sooner or later, but mark my words, inevitably, freedom will come to the long-suffering island of Cuba as well, and the free men and women of the free and democratic republic of Cuba will wish to do business with those who choose to stand alongside them for freedom and did not collaborate with the totalitarian dictatorship. I hope the House and Senate will pass this legislation to help our farmers. All eyes will then be on the Clinton-Gore administration. Will the President sign this conference report to help American farmers despite the opposition of the Castro dictatorship? I certainly hope that he does. Mr. Speaker, I will let the appropriators speak to the other issues included in the conference report, but I do wish to strongly urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.