Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to realize the longer we take discussing this rule, the longer it will be until we can get to the seventh appropriation bill, the seventh appropriation bill, which we want to pass tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McInnis] of the Committee on Rules.

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 465 provides for the consideration in the House of a concurrent resolution providing for the adjournment of the House and Senate for the Independence Day district work period. All points of order are waived against the resolution and its consideration. Because of the many open rules that have been granted by this Congress' Rules Committee--60 percent have been open or modified open-- which have led to many vigorous but lengthy debates and amending processes on the floor, the House has not yet been able to complete action on all of the appropriations bills and reconciliation legislation. Therefore, while adjournment resolutions are usually privileged, a rule is needed to waive the point of order that could be raised against the Fourth of July district work period resolution on the grounds that it violates sections 309 and 310(f) of the Budget Act. These sections prohibit the House of Representatives from adjourning for more than 3 days in July unless the House has completed action on all appropriations bills and any required reconciliation legislation. In addition, it should be noted that adjournment resolutions are not debatable, and upon adoption of this rule, the House proceeds to a vote on the adjournment resolution itself without further debate. Mr. Speaker, the House has completed as many of the appropriations bills as possible, and we are over halfway there. The House has approved the appropriations measures for military construction, foreign operations, Agriculture, Defense, Interior, and VA-HUD and tonight, we will work on the transportations bill, and the remaining appropriations and reconciliation measures are to be considered in a timely matter after next week. We have certainly made progress with the administration during this year's appropriations cycle over last year's process, and I am confident that the House will continue to make appropriate spending decisions after the Independence Day district work period. Independence Day is a time to be back in our districts, celebrating the birth of this great Nation, and listening to what our constituents have to say about the issues that are important to them. The Congress has very important spending decisions to make, with limited funds, and time spent in our districts listening to the priorities of our constituents will be very worthwhile. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I feel that it is totally reasonable that the House return to our districts for the Independence Day work period, to reflect together with our constituents on the principles put forth by our Founding Fathers in 1776 that form the basis of our limited, representative Government. I urge adoption of the resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 465 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have before us House Resolution 465. We next week will be able to reflect together with our constituents on how to move forward in the perfection, the implementation of the principles put forth by our Founding Fathers over 200 years ago that form the basis of our limited representative government, and we are ready this evening to get to work on another appropriations bill. 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. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as I listened with wonder to the other side, I thought it was the water for a while, but no, Mr. Speaker, it is the political calendar. And what marvelous, weird things the political calendar can do. Not once over the last 6 years did they finish their appropriations bills, and we always gave them unanimous consent. Now at least the distinguished former chairman of the Rules Committee, the distinguished ranking member said, ``Well, we thought that they would be different.'' The reality of the matter is we are different because we are balancing the budget. At least we expected them to be in one way similar to how we were, and, that is, in essential courtesy. But they did not grant us unanimous consent. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Mica].

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am reminded that in one of his essays, George Orwell wrote that ``Hypocrisy is the British vice.'' Our distinguished friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts, seems to adamantly wish to replicate that trait in this House. I went back just three Congresses, Mr. Speaker, three Congresses, 6 years, in reviewing the record on this issue of the Fourth of July break. Not once, not once during those 6 years, not once were all 13 appropriations bills passed at the time of the July recess. Mr. Speaker, do Members know how many times we, when we were in the minority, failed to grant the majority unanimous consent on this issue? Not once. So I maintain that George Orwell's trait, when he referred to it as a British trait is being replicated at this point at this time in this House. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon].

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we want to get back to work. We never, when we were in the minority, took up an hour on this procedural motion. Obviously, they have the procedural right to do this if they so wish, and they are doing it. It is a shame because we want to get to work on the seven appropriations bill which we have to ready for consideration in the House, the transportation appropriations bill. But not all Members on the other side of the aisle want to refuse to go to work. As a matter of fact, I would like to recognize for a couple of minutes at this point the distinguished gentleman from the other side of the aisle but who wants to go to work, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant], for 2 minutes.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], chairman of the Appropriations Committee. (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. DIAZ-BALART asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material.)

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, a video reached my office this week that shows scenes of meetings between senior U.S. military officers, including the head of the U.S. Atlantic Command, General Sheehan, and Cuban dictator Castro's senior general, Perez-Perez. The video reflects a private coziness of the Clinton administration with the Castro regime, not-so-subtle reassurances by the administration that the United States would not stand on the Cuban people's side if the Cuban armed forces sought to liberate Cuba from Castro. The tape also reflects, in all its sickening ignominy, the immorality of the Clinton administration's policy of forcefully repatriating Cuban refugees. I believe that a number of things that the video shows merit serious congressional inquiry, and if the U.S. military officers involved do not voluntarily meet with Members of Congress to explain themselves, as we have requested, they should be compelled to do so.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Pursuant to House Resolution 465, I send to the desk a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 192) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, last week I finished reading a biography of a Father Maximillian Kolbe, now Saint Maximillian Kolbe. He died at Auschwitz. Pope John Paul has called him the patron saint of our century. In that biography, I learned the name of the company that in August of 1942 was given the contract to build 4 vast crematoria with gas chambers at Auschwitz. The name of the company was Topf and Sohne. The other company that I learned about, I.G. Farbenindustrie, shared in the profits with the Nazis from the slave labor in the concentration camps. I wonder if Hitler had not invaded Poland, maybe even afterwards if we had been willing to sit down and reach a peace agreement with him, whether we would not be having tonight's discussion perhaps each year with regard to MFN with the so-called Third Reich. Could we have stopped the construction of the crematoriums had there been engagement? Coexistence with Hitler? Probably not. But would it have been better for an American company to construct the crematoriums than a German company or a French company or a Canadian company? I do not believe so, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that each situation has its peculiarities in each nation that we deal with. I recognize that China is geographically distanced to the United States and economically very powerful. But I cannot and I will not vote to continue a normal economic relationship with that government that our colleague, Mr. Wolf, has so eloquently described, as well as Mr. Solomon, that government of opprobrium.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday at church I mentioned to some ladies before mass began that a dear colleague in Congress was gravely ill and that it seemed that he would soon leave us. I knew not then that Bill Emerson had passed away the day before, on Saturday. I told those ladies at church that our colleague was a very special man, a very, very good man, who always uplifted our spirits even if by exchanging just a few passing words on the floor of this House. Mr. Speaker, what a privilege it was to have been able to work with Bill Emerson. I know that we all pray for him in the firm belief that he is now in paradise and I am truly thankful for the opportunity to have know him.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS], created by Congress over a hundred years ago--March 3, 1891--has been charged with the responsibility of providing services under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which among other things includes providing assistance to individuals seeking naturalization-- the process by which eligible immigrants become U.S. citizens. Therefore, INS is appropriately involved in the citizenship process as an integral part and I believe that Commissioner Meissner has made significant progress in reducing the extensive processing backlogs for prospective new citizens as interest in naturalization has increased substantially during her term as commissioner. Although I cannot speak for other portions of the country, in Miami INS has done a commendable job of moving applicants through the citizenship process expeditiously. As a part critic of INS's failure to process applications on a timely basis, I have been encouraged by the important headway INS has made in reducing the average time for completing an application. Naturalization applications have severely outpaced the capacity of INS--from just over 200,000 in 1983 to over a million in 1955, and thousands of applications had been accumulating in Miami with a mere 22 personnel to process them. To respond to this unacceptable situation, using its own fee revenue, INS has added 158 naturalization personnel to the Miami District staff this year to handle the steadily increasing volume of citizenship applications. In the first half of this year, thanks to the additional staffing provided by Commissioner Meissner, the Miami district has been able to complete close to 30,000 N-400 applications--the standard naturalization form--which is over 1,000 more than the Miami district completed in the entire year for 1995. I have been pleased with this progress and commend Commissioner Meissner's hard work to ensure that naturalization is given the priority it merits. Through its Citizenship USA project, INS is meeting on a monthly basis in Miami with local organizations to improve community outreach. Groups such as One Nation, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. [CLINIC], Dade County Schools and the Hispanic Coalition have worked with volunteers and local officials to help the INS facilitate its citizenship activities. To be eligible for citizenship, an immigrant must be a legal permanent resident for at least 5 years--three if married to a U.S. citizen--exhibit good moral character and understanding of constitutional principles, demonstrate a knowledge of U.S. history/ civics and basis English--unless exempted for age or disability--and must pay an application fee of $95 which funds the INS process of examining each case. Thus, naturalization is not an automatic step for every immigrant, and those individuals who have gone to the trouble and effort of playing by the rules and have demonstrated their dedication and desire to be a U.S. citizen deserve the opportunity to be processed on a timely, efficient basis by INS. Although there have been enormous backlogs in the past, I believe that Commissioner Meissner is taking important steps toward helping immigrants naturalize and take full advantage of citizenship in these great United States.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would simply point out that this is an open rule that we are bringing to the floor, and no limitations on debate nor on amendments. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I reiterate our strong commitment on this side of the aisle to a strong defense, and reiterate the fact that this is an open rule not closing debate in any way nor prohibiting amendments in any way. 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. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this open rule as well as the underlying bill, the Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 1997. It would be shortsighted and reckless to underestimate the national security dangers that face the United States. Yes, the Soviet Union collapsed, but Russia remains engaged in serious internal debates that will decide its future course of behavior in the world community. China, as the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] recently stated, is acquiring wealth at an extraordinary rate. Some project that it may even surpass the United States in gross domestic product in the next century, and with wealth inevitably comes vast military power. If we take specific examples, for example, Mr. Speaker, North Korea, though the Clinton administration is providing massive amounts of oil and technical assistance to North Korea, that regime remains an enemy of the United States. The regime in Iran is a deadly enemy of the United States as well, with enormous oil reserves. And there remain many other enemies of this great Nation throughout the world. Many would love to see the United States on its knees, our youth destroyed by drugs, our economy shattered by debt. Here in this hemisphere the regime in Havana is one such enemy of the American people. In 1982, four senior aides to the Cuban dictator were indicted, Mr. Speaker, for drug smuggling in the United States. The U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida has ready another indictment, this time of 15 high-ranking officials in the Castro government, including Castro's brother, Raul, for trafficking cocaine into the United States. For unexplained and unsatisfactory reasons the administration has refused to authorize the issuance of that indictment. We, in Congress, passed a tough sanctions law 3 months ago against the Cuban regime. Some of our trading partners, irresponsibly, have criticized us for doing so. Last week the Organization of American States came out against our sanction against Castro. It is very interesting that at that time the brother of the Secretary General of the OAS, Mr. Gaviria, was being held captive by Communist terrorists in Colombia. Mr. Gaviria was very happy last week after the OAS criticized our sanction of Castro, known as the Helms-Burton law. Mr. Gaviria also asked Castro at that time to get his brother freed. Again, his brother, at that time, was being held by Communist terrorists in Colombia. Yesterday, the Communist terrorists freed Gaviria's brother and all the terrorists flew to Havana, where they arrived, weapons and all, and were given sanctuary by Castro. Mr. Speaker, Congress has the obligation to find out what the terms of the deal between Gaviria and the Castro government that got Castro to first request and then obtain the release of Gaviria's brother and to accept the kidnappers into Cuba. So I call upon this Congress, through our Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and its distinguished chairman, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton], to summons the OAS Secretary General in order to ask him the following questions. And if there is a jurisdictional problem with a summons, then demand, request, or ask, because we have a right to know, being the country that most pays for the OAS, to know the answers to the following questions. In addition to looking into the terms of the deal between the OAS Secretary General and Castro to get Gaviria's brother freed, we need to know, first, what relation was there between the action of the OAS in Panama last week against the Helms-Burton law and the release of the Secretary General's brother at Castro's request this week? Second, does Gaviria support the impunity and protection given to his brother's kidnappers by the Castro government; in other words, of the terrorists who were received and given sanctuary yesterday in Cuba? Third, can Gaviria act impartially as the OAS Secretary General after having made a deal with his brother's kidnappers and with Castro for his brother's freedom? We must investigate the relationship between Latin American governments who attack our Helms-Burton law and guerrillas and kidnapers controlled by Castro who blackmail those governments. They key question is, in fact, who is the leader in this hemisphere? Who is the boss, Castro and his guerrillas? Can Castro also kidnap in the United States? Is that next, Mr. Speaker? If so, will the United States also acknowledge his authority over all the hemisphere's terrorists? America has plenty of enemies, Mr. Speaker, and this hemisphere is obviously suffering a crisis of leadership. In Congress, we can, at least, provide the means for the protection of the American people from all possible threats to their security. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, military strength and the ability to project military power are closely connected to economic influence and, consequently, to the opportunity for solid economic development and its accompanying jobs and protection of a strong middle class. For many reasons and, for the most important reason of all, because security is Government's main responsibility, we need a strong national defense and this bill is a necessary ingredient in a strong posture for the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my distinguished friend, the gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan].

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers on this side of the aisle. There is great consensus on our side of the aisle in favor of the rule and the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow morning approximately 60 members of this House, including the Speaker, will be sending a letter to the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament, the entity that designates the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, to nominate Leonel Morejon Almagro, the National Delegate of the Concilio Cubano, the Cuban Council, an umbrella of over 140 pro-democracy groups in Cuba, for the Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Morejon Almagro is at this time a political prisoner at the State security prison at Villa Marista in Havana. Mr. Morejon Almagro is a 31-year-old attorney who was dismissed from his position as a lawyer because of his defense of numerous political prisoners in court. In 1986 he founded NaturPaz, Nature Peace, a peaceful environmental group that was prohibited by the Cuban dictatorship. Shortly after its founding, NaturPaz supported a ban on all nuclear weapons testing in the world. In 1991 he was detained by Cuban State Security for organizing a peaceful demonstration in front of the UNESCO office in Havana to protest the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the environmental destruction that it caused. In 1986 and 1987, Mr. Morejon Almagro, at great personal risk, taught ecology and pacifism to students in school and criticized Cuban involvement in the Angolan and Ethiopian conflicts. He played a decisive role this year in the formation of Concilio Cubano, as I stated, a coalition of over 140 peaceful pro-democracy organizations in Cuba. And he was elected a National Delegate of Concilio Cubano on February 10, 1996. He was arrested 5 days later, charged with resisting authority, and sentenced to 6 months in prison. He began a hunger strike after his arrest and his mother told independent journalists in Cuba that she feared for his life and believed that he was being subjected to psychiatric torture, including electroshocks. Upon appealing his sentence, Mr. Morejon Almagro was resentenced to 15 months instead of 6 months imprisonment. He has been declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. The National Vice-Delegates of Concilio Cubano also remain in prison to this day, Lazaro Gonzalez and Mercedes Parada Antunez, the latter in a hospital. The regime stated that she would be subjected to surgery and has not specified what it has meant by that. Just as Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese dissident leader, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, and before that, Desmond Tutu in 1984 and Lech Walesa in 1983 and Andrei Sakharov in 1975 and Martin Luther King in 1964, Mr. Morejon Almagro at this time deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. He represents, Mr. Speaker, an entire new generation of Cubans which is fighting from within the totalitarian nation to achieve freedom and the reestablishment of democracy. That is why Castro fears Leonel so much. By awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, not only would the great work of Mr. Morejon Almagro be duly recognized, in this way hopefully contributing to his physical protection at this extraordinarily difficult time of political imprisonment, but also the important work of the entire internal opposition in Cuba would be honored. The importance of all who risk their lives by being members of Concilio Cubano as well as the rest of the internal opposition and the independent journalists in Cuba would all be recognized by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Leonel Morejon Almagro. With regard to the independent press, Mr. Speaker, just a few days ago, perhaps the most well known independent journalist in Cuba, Rafael Solana, was put on an airplane and expelled, sent to Madrid where he very reluctantly arrived, vowing to continue his work and of course to return as soon as Cuba is free. Olance Nogreras, another well-known independent journalist, was picked up just hours ago by State Security. The repression is intensifying in an extraordinary manner within Cuba. We must fight and with this nomination of Leonel Morejon Almagro for the Nobel Peace Prize, we are fighting against the great conspiracy of silence that exists in the international community against the Cuban tragedy, Mr. Speaker. This conspiracy of silence will be grasped in all its magnitude only when Castro is history and all the political prisons are opened. The true story of the Cuban tragedy is really not being focused upon. Humberto Real, a Cuban patriot, has been sentenced to death by the dictatorship in the last weeks but the Cuban people continue to struggle. That is why I am proud of my colleagues who joined me in signing this letter today in nomination of Mr. Morejon Almagro for the Nobel Peace Prize, and of course our struggle will continue because it is very just and necessary.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for yielding. The vote on the limitation of the minimum wage, the $500,000 cap, that is an amendment that is made in order. So we get the vote on the minimum wage, up or down, and if our colleagues do not want to limit, vote for the limiting amendment, they vote ``no'' on the amendment. Do my colleagues have it clear now?

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of Committee on Rules for yielding time to me. I was listening to this debate. I had to come down because of this, I did not think that it was on the same rule that we worked on in the Committee on Rules that this debate was on. Apparently there is just a tremendous misconception or purposeful falsehoods being thrown by the other side. I do not really know if some may really believe what they are saying. Let us be clear as to what this rule permits. It permits an upon-or- down vote on an amendment that would be introduced by the gentleman from California [Mr. Riggs] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Quinn] to raise the minimum wage from $4.25 an hour to $5.15 an hour. That is a fact, cannot be denied. The Democrats time after time after time again on procedural motions, they propose nongermane amendments or on questions on the previous question, motions to move the previous question, and they say that they are votes on the minimum wage, when they are not votes on the minimum wage many times. This is a vote on an increase in the minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.15. I want all my friends on the other side who are going to vote no on this rule to know that, when they vote no on this rule, they will be voting against the minimum wage. None of these falsehoods that are being thrown over now can cover that fact. If my colleagues vote against this rule, the Democrats, even though they have presented all those nongermane motions before to say that they want to support the minimum wage, even though when they had the majority they did not propose the minimum wage, and when they had the Presidency and the majority they did not propose an increase in the minimum wage, today despite the fact that our leadership opposes an increase in the minimum wage, they are permitting an up or down vote on it. So I just want my colleagues to know, despite all these speeches we have heard here which I thought were on another bill and on another rule, what they will be voting on, and they cannot hide it anymore, they cannot hide it. I want it to be clear.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the staff, students, and faculty advisors who comprise Youth Crime Watch of Dade County, a program of Citizens' Crime Watch of Dade County, for their continuing meritorious service and assistance in improving the quality of life within Dade County. In an era when violence in our Nation's schools is mounting, and the public has come to perceive many young people as apathetic, Youth Crime Watch of Dade County provides a shining example of the best in America's youth. In my community alone, students at schools such as Hialeah Senior, American Senior, Hialeah Middle, Henry H. Filer Middle, and Palm Springs Middle have worked through their Youth Crime Watch of Dade County programs to set up student patrols which have significantly reduced crime in their schools; educated their student bodies on how to anonymously report crimes; collected canned goods, toys, and clothing for needy families; visited orphanages and nursing homes; hosted students from other countries such as Japan and the Bahamas; and worked to alleviate the physical and emotional suffering of the Cuban children who had to endure the camps in Guantanamo. These young leaders undertake these activities not for class credit or special recognition, but simply to satisfy their desire to help others. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take a moment to recognize the School Board of Dade County, FL, for their unwavering support of the Youth Crime Watch of Dade County program. They have shown great wisdom and foresight in ensuring that this much-needed program continues to reach tens of thousands of students every year. All of these people--staff, students, and advisors--truly exemplify the ideal of community service. As a Nation, we must be proud to have such individuals in our society. I for one am privileged that so many of them reside in my community.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on House Oversight, I call up a privileged resolution (H. Res. 417) providing amounts for the expenses of the Select Subcommittee on the United States Role in Iranian Arms Transfers to Croatia and Bosnia of the Committee on International Relations in the second session of the One Hundred Fourth Congress, and ask for its immediate consideration.