Mario Diaz-Balart

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1580. I am pleased that this bill has been introduced and happy that our country will continue to be on the forefront of technology policy. The goals, frankly, of this bill are commendable as we struggle to limit the pollution and amount of waste that is being sent to our landfills. Obviously, there are a lot of issues to consider when we address disposal, recycling and the reuse of electronic equipment. First, we must consider what technologies are appropriate for reuse and recycling. Obviously, another consideration is the proper disposal of hazardous waste that accompanies electronics. And, finally, we must balance the costs and the benefits of the regulatory issues when you're dealing with export economies. Now, with each technological advance and each model replacement, we face the question of disposal of those older products. This is a very complex situation which creates a vast array of opinions on possible solutions to the problems. Now, dealing with this problem is not insurmountable. With the right type of research and development, we can institute new ways of tracking, of sorting, recycling and reusing electronics, and by making them less hazardous from the design stage, from the beginning, before they're even being built, allow them to do less harm when we dispose of them later on in life. So I think this legislation is a move in the right direction to address these concerns. Through the committee process, Mr. Speaker, we've learned that there are a number of companies, many of them actually, that seek new uses for these products which obviously then reduces the number of them that end up in landfills. And I'm grateful to the chairman for introducing this legislation and also for holding hearings on this subject matter. So, again, lots of times we hear that legislation gets to the floor without going through the normal order, regular order. In this case, not only has that taken place, but the chairman has had hearings on it, and I think it's important. Now, again, I endorse the concept behind this bill, and I believe Congress should be encouraging better designs for electronic devices, to increase their life span and, obviously, to make them easier to recycle. But there are a few aspects of this bill that still I have some concerns with. One such concern comes from an amendment offered in committee requiring that the EPA publish the results of research and development projects authorized by this bill on its Web site. And of course that sounds like something we should all support, and we should. But here's the concern, that the copyright protections of the research published on the Web site may not be preserved. We should ensure that this is addressed prior to the bill finally being enacted into law. And I look forward to continuing to work with the chairman. Additionally, it was unclear from the bill's language whether, if there's more than one for-profit entity included in a consortium whether the total contribution from all for-profit entities is to be at least 10 percent, or if each for-profit member is to contribute at least 10 percent. It's not clear. So I appreciate the efforts of the chairman to clarify this in report language, and I hope that he would be willing to modify the legislative language itself, if necessary, to ensure that these issues are addressed. And, again, the chairman, I know, also has the same concerns because he's addressed it. But I think we need to address it a little bit further. I believe this bill takes steps towards addressing a very important issue. And I hope that this bill, as it moves forward, will continue to be tweaked a little bit to make sure that it's even better. So, again, I hope that we can get the best possible bill, the best possible legislation out of this. I commend the chairman. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the remaining part of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. At this time then, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 957, and I yield myself as much time as I might consume. I also urge my colleagues to support this bill, H.R. 957, the Green Energy Education Act of 2009, introduced by my distinguished colleague, Mr. McCaul of Texas. This is a good piece of legislation that, by the way, passed in the 110th Congress, but the Senate did not take it up before adjournment. Simply put, this measure encourages the Department of Energy to work with the National Science Foundation to help develop the next generation of engineers and architects to work effectively together to produce buildings that incorporate the latest in energy-efficient technologies. Oftentimes, energy-efficient buildings are not being constructed, not because building professionals don't want to do it or think it's a bad idea, but primarily because they just don't even know or are not aware of all of the technology that's available, so this measure is intended to close that gap. I also want to commend Mr. McCaul for his fine work on this very important bill. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield as much time as he might consume to the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I do want to just yield myself 30 seconds. I also want to thank the chairman of the committee. The chairman of the committee is always willing to work with all members of his committee to make sure that he gets the finest legislation possible. He goes through the regular process, something that, unfortunately, is not done as much as it should be. So, again, I would just like to take these seconds to thank the chairman of the committee for working with all of his committee and for always being open. His door is always open. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would yield back the remaining part of our time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chairwoman, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for his hard work. I want to just throw some facts out there. This budget spends too much, it taxes too much and it borrows way too much. The debt held by the public under this budget will double in 5\1/2\ years--double in 5\1/2\ years. It triples in a little over 10 years. The kind of red ink that this budget proposes for our children and our grandchildren is more under this presidency than under the presidencies between George Washington and George W. Bush combined. Again, it increases taxes on all the American people. On January 1, 2011, the income tax rates go up. That is a tax increase. On January 1, 2011, as Mr. Ryan said, the capital gains rates go up. And as he repeated, that is also a tax increase. On January 1, 2011, the dividends tax rate goes up. That is a huge tax increase. On January 1, 2010, the AMT will go up to 26 million Americans who are now not paying it. This imposes a national energy tax, a new tax, a tax increase when you turn on the lights, when you pump your gas, if you use gas to cook, if you use it for industry, on all energy consumption in this country. That is what we are facing. This puts our country on the road to insolvency. So I commend the gentleman from Virginia and his colleagues for putting together this amendment. But this is not where this country needs to go. Let's not forget who pays the bills, our children and our grandchildren. Let's not do this to them. Let's leave them a brighter future, a stronger America. For those reasons, because this does not do that, because this burdens them like never before, I respectfully request a ``no'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chair, I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from the State of Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I would like to now recognize the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) for 3 minutes.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I'd like to yield myself 30 seconds. I just want to mention that the relationship the gentleman mentioned with Germany and France--how ironic that those two countries are now lecturing the United States because the United States is spending too much. I never thought I'd live to see that happen. With that, Madam Chairwoman, if I may, I'd like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I now yield 2 minutes to a member of the Budget Committee, the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I'd like to yield myself 1 minute. First and foremost, I want to thank the CBC for putting together a budget. It's a difficult task. We know how much work it takes. So we thank them for their efforts. I want to thank them for proposing a substitute budget that really highlights the dramatic differences between the two sides--the priority differences. If you loved the tax increases and the spending binge and the soaring deficits and the unprecedented debt that the underlying budget brings you, you will fall in love with this budget as well. This is the Democratic budget on steroids--even more spending, even more tax increases, and even more deficits. As economic conditions continue to deteriorate for 2009, this budget immediately increases taxes for small businesses and for individuals that are set to expire in 2011. Just like the Democrat's budget, this substitute increases taxes by $1.5 trillion, with a T--make sure we don't get confused here--over the next 10 years. Just like the Democrat's budget, this substitute budget increases spending by $18.3 trillion, with a T, over just the next 5 years. And just like the Democrat's budget, this substitution also increases the national debt to $17 trillion by 2014. Again, unprecedented levels of spending of taxes. I urge a defeat of this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chair, I now at this time recognize for 3 minutes a gentleman who comes with years of leadership experience in the California legislature, the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield back the remaining part of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chairwoman, we thought we had another person. He is not here. I believe we get to close, is that correct?

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chairwoman, I would like to yield myself 2 minutes. Madam Chairwoman, one of the things that we need to be aware of is that when we keep hearing about more spending, more spending, more spending, more spending, more spending, all that spending is being paid for how? Well, it is very simple, by either huge tax increases, and that is why this budget has the largest tax increases in the history of this country, tax increases that we have never seen before, and unprecedented levels of debt, of borrowing. What does that mean, government borrowing? Let me tell you what that means, Madam Chairwoman. It is basically like identity theft. The Federal Government is now in the process, if this were to become law, of taking, of stealing our children's and our grandchildren's credit cards and running them up at unprecedented levels. And yes, those credit cards are going to have to be paid back with interest. And that is what we are about to do at unprecedented levels. So when we keep hearing about all these great things that government is going to be doing, just remember, it is on the credit card of our children and our grandchildren. This is a country that always, always by tradition worked hard to make sure that future generations were better off. We are about to embark on a road that this country has never been on before, leaving our children and our grandchildren with the largest debt, the largest debt that anybody has ever seen, has ever left for future generations. That is totally unacceptable. I reserve.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chairwoman, we might have one but maybe not. We are definitely getting to the bottom here, the bottom of the list I should say.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I reserve at this time, Madam Chairwoman.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chairwoman, I would like to now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Chairwoman, I would like to yield myself 1 minute. Again, I just want to emphasize that we keep hearing criticism of the previous administration for spending too much. And yet this bill makes that spending look like child's play. It makes that debt look like child's play. It makes that deficit look like child's play. And so you cannot on one side, like this bill does, criticize a previous administration for spending too much, for putting us in too much debt, and then do much more of the same, much more to an unprecedented level like this country has never seen, never seen such large tax increases, never seen such large debt, has never seen such large deficits as this bill would put on the American people. Again, facts are stubborn things. With that, I reserve.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. May I inquire from the Chair how much time remains on both sides?

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Aung San Suu Kyi, prisoner of conscience, peaceful pro-democracy activist, and leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. In 1989 during a pro-democracy uprising, Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest. Despite the fact that her party won the election of 1990, the Burmese junta neglected to acknowledge their victory. Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 13 of the last 19 years under house arrest and the junta continues to extend her sentence on a yearly basis. There have been several undertakings to urge her release and just last week, the United Nations condemned her detention, calling it a violation of Burma's own laws. Aside from being the recognized leader of her party and a worldwide symbol for peace, freedom and democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi was the recipient of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990, given by the European Union, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. As we celebrate Women's History Month, I ask that you to join me in calling for the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and honoring the courage and conviction with which she lives her life.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Baseline mumbo jumbo, as Mr. Ryan just said. How appropriate, Madam Chairwoman, because tonight is April Fool's Day. How appropriate that we be considering this Democratic budget tonight. But, unfortunately, this is real. This is no joke. This is no laughing matter. This budget raises taxes on all of our families, our small businesses, and on all Americans. And it puts our economy on a path towards insolvency by borrowing trillions and trillions of dollars more. This budget, as we've already heard, is really the President's budget, Madam Chairwoman. And this President has promised--he had promised a new era of transparency, honesty, and accountability. Let me tell you, those who supported him--and even those who did not--were optimistic that that part, at least, would be true. Let me quote from the President's budget document, ``Too often in the past several years budgets tricks were used to make the government's books seem stronger than they actually were.'' He continues on, saying, ``We should not tolerate these kinds of tricks when it comes to accounting for the public's tax dollars.'' I think we all agree on that. But, unfortunately, as we have just seen, this budget is full of those same old tricks and gimmicks. It's full of the usual tired tactics, the same old business-as-usual, that mentality that's typical here in Washington. Unfortunately, this is not the change that the American people expect. No, it isn't. This budget employs an arsenal of gimmicks to mask an unsustainable explosion of more spending, more deficits, and greater debt than this country has ever, ever seen, inherited and not. Now it also raises taxes by $1.5 trillion--with a T--trillion dollars, burdening American families and small businesses, the principal job creators of our country, costing American jobs. Yes, it would also increase the national debt to $17.1 trillion in just 5 years--the highest level ever in the history of this country. Now compared to what the President has inherited, this is child's play. We can do better. We must do better for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and our future.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Celia Cruz, an icon of Latin culture and Cuban music. Despite her passing in 2003, Celia's contributions continue to shape music and inspire others. She lives on as one of the most successful Cuban performers of the 20th century. Known around the world as the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz dedicated her life to music and the arts. Her 50 year career included 70 albums, countless gold and platinum records, hundreds of awards from prestigious institutions worldwide and three Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards. Born in Havana, Cuba, she enrolled in the National Music Conservatory at a young age and studied musical theory, voice and piano. In the 1950s she joined the legendary group La Sonora Matancera and wrote many songs that have come to define Afrocuban music. In 1960 she left Cuba in search of freedom and in 1961 came to the U.S. By then she was recognized worldwide and the Salsa phenomenon soon spread across the U.S. and Europe. In 1987, Celia Cruz was given a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and years later Miami's famed ``Calle Ocho'' was named ``Celia Cruz Way.'' Among other honors, including Lifetime Achievement Awards, Celia was invited to the White House in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and awarded the National Medal of the Arts, the highest honor our country bestows upon an artist. Most recently, her life and work were featured in Azucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz, an exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in D.C. Celia Cruz is remembered for many things, including her distinct voice and unique style, but her trademark remains the popular word she often chanted: Azucar, Spanish for sugar. Celia added sugar, spice and Latin flare to everything she did in life and never failed to surprise her audience. Despite her many professional accomplishments, many consider her marriage to lifelong partner and husband, Pedro Knight, her biggest success. Celia Cruz's death on July 16, 2003 brought to an end a life filled with a love for art, culture and music, but her legacy lives on each time her music is played. She has undoubtedly left a footprint on Latin music and her influence will forever be felt through the work of artists around the world. As we celebrate Women's History Month, I ask you to join me in honoring the life, work and music of Celia Cruz, our Queen of Salsa, so that her legacy may live on for generations to come.