Mario Diaz-Balart

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I will now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise also in support of House Resolution 72, recognizing the incredible work and the accomplishments of Mr. Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center, the Tropical Protection Center, again, of the National Hurricane Center, which is located in Miami, Florida. He has recently retired. I want to also commend my colleague from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) for introducing this timely and very good resolution. As a Floridian, I am keenly aware, Mr. Speaker, of the wrath that Mother Nature can throw our way when she is so inclined to do so, especially when it comes to hurricanes. We all recall that, for example, in a time of just 2 years, 2 short years, Florida had eight hurricanes that actually hit and made landfall on the State of Florida. Mr. Mayfield has worked and strived to improve the warning lead times, to increase the understanding of the track of where the hurricanes are going, and also particularly the intensity of those hurricanes. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that always struck me was that, as these storms were coming our way, coming towards the United States, Director Mayfield would actually personally get on the phone. This was not something that was required by his job. He would pick up the phone and call Governors and call mayors and tell them, Hey, this is a real storm. It is coming your way. Get ready. I don't see that you are ready enough. Get ready. And he would make sure that those governments were prepared and evacuating the people that they needed to evacuate to make sure that the people were safe. He and his staff have helped protect the lives and the property of millions of people in our country and even of other countries, countries throughout the Caribbean. He is the epitome of a dedicated public servant, Mr. Speaker. He has received many awards, including in 2005 he received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service from President George W. Bush. After more than 30 years of distinguished service to weather forecasting and hurricane forecasting, Mr. Max Mayfield retired in January of 2007. I know that the residents of south Florida and of the entire country and all the Caribbean will miss his calm, clear voice when those hurricanes are threatening our shores. His retirement marks the end of an exceptional career, and his successors at the National Hurricane Center will clearly have very large shoes to fill as Max and his wife Linda now prepare to spend a little bit of time, hopefully a lot of time, with their families, because, again, Max has been on call 24/7, and we are used to seeing him on TV, and one always wondered does that man ever sleep? The answer is, Mr. Speaker, that when there was a storm coming, no, he and his staff did not sleep. Well, now he is going to be spend a little more time with his wife Linda and his family. I know that my colleagues will join this Congress in wishing both him and his wife and his family all the best. We know they will enjoy their time together. But on a personal note I just want to say, Max, thank you for a life well lived. Thank you for a job well done. Millions of people are grateful for your sacrifice, for your hard work. We are indebted to you. Thank you, my friend. Enjoy your retirement. But we will miss you. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I just want to also thank the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), for putting this on the top of his agenda, at the top of his priorities. It is an important issue, and I want to thank him for doing that. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and so I would yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

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

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007, that was introduced by our colleague Mr. Gordon, who is obviously the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, along with ranking member Mr. Hall, Mr. Calvert, and also Mr. Wu. I want to especially thank Congressman Calvert for his steadfast leadership on this issue for such a long time. He has really been the voice on this issue in Congress for a long time, and has worked with everybody on both sides of the aisle on this legislation. As Mr. Gordon said, he stated just a while ago, this legislation is very similar to the legislation that passed the Science Committee and the House in the 109th Congress. Mr. Speaker, it passed by a voice vote then. This one also, though, addressed changes made by the Senate in that bill that passed the Congress before. Over the past decade this issue, the spread of methamphetamine, has been plaguing really everyplace around the country. It has been killing individuals, destroying families, devastating communities in every conceivable part of our country in areas that you would not think that this could happen, in residential areas. It is a huge, huge problem. We also have to deal with the harmful residue that this horrible substance leaves behind in homes. Those substances cause harm to human beings and to their health for years to come. This legislation focuses on the cleanup of the former meth labs. H.R. 365 addresses the significant contamination associated with these labs and would provide voluntary guidelines to clean up the former labs. And, again, as I said a little while ago, these meth labs are present all over the United States in residential areas, in places that one would never think this could happen. Currently, Mr. Speaker, there are no national guidelines or regulations on how to clean up and remediate a residential meth lab for reoccupation of people. States and localities are struggling to protect the public and also the law enforcement officers and the first responders, and they are trying to find a solution that is practical also for the property owners. Many of the ingredients used in the manufacture of this product are highly dangerous and toxic, and are believed to damage the skin, the eyes and the lungs of even people who move into a house where there used to be a lab. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hopefully the passage of this legislation and the Senate sending it to the desk of the President for his signature. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

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

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

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I too want to add my words to my colleagues from Florida. I happen to represent the southern part of Florida, but I can tell you it is a great day for all of Florida and we have good reason to be proud of these fine men who have shown the country that Florida is not only football territory but also just a great athletic territory with great universities in our great State. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support free trade with free nations. I can not in good conscience support free trade with a totalitarian regime like Vietnam which imprisons political dissidents, suppresses religious freedom and violates even the most basic of human rights. I will continue to strongly advocate for an Andean Free Trade Agreement, and I will continue to voice my support for free trade with the impoverished nation of Haiti, which desperately needs the economic opportunities the United States can provide. Although I would have eagerly voted to extend the trade agreements with Andean nations and Haiti, I am very disappointed that the Vietnam trade agreement was attached to this vote. Economic opportunities with the United States should be with nations who uphold some basic human rights.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation for departing members of the Florida Congressional Delegation. I am especially saddened that I will not see Clay Shaw walking these halls or voting on this esteemed Floor next year. He is a class act, a true public servant who always demonstrated grace and decency. He has been a great mentor to me, and I can only hope that I can serve in Congress with the same honor Clay Shaw did for 26 years. I know he will now have more time for his wonderful wife and his lovely family, but I also know that I will miss him dearly. Mike Bilirakis has earned his retirement from public service and I wish him well. Proverbs states that ``A wise son maketh a glad father,'' and Mike Bilirakis should be a very glad dad. I had the great pleasure of serving with his son Gus in the Florida State Legislature, and I look forward to working with him again in the 110th Congress. No one can doubt that Katherine Harris loves Florida. Her family roots run deep in the Sunshine State, and no one is more proud of our great State than her. I am honored to have served with her both in the Florida Statehouse and in this distinguished Chamber. I wish her all the best.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in appreciation of the works and accomplishments of Dr. Max Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL. Mr. Mayfield has played a key role in hurricane forecasting and has helped protect the lives and property of millions of people in the United States. Since taking the helm of the National Hurricane Center in 2000, Director Mayfield has overseen a team of hurricane forecasters, specialists, and technical personnel at the center's headquarters in Miami. Mr. Mayfield strives to improve the warning lead times and increase the center's understanding of the tracks and intensity of hurricanes. As dangerous storms approached our Nation's coastal shores, Director Mayfield personally contacted governors and state officials stressing the importance of preparation and timely evacuation. He has spent countless hours providing warnings and valuable information to all those Americans located in the potential path of a hurricane. Mr. Mayfield and his wife, Linda, celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary over the weekend of October 21, 2005. What was initially supposed to be a weekend get-away in Duck Key, just south of Miami, turned into another working weekend for Mr. Mayfield. Once again, a Category 3 hurricane, Wilma, was headed towards South Florida and Mr. Mayfield provided calm and clear hurricane forecasting. Just a few days after the landfall of Hurricane Wilma, on October 27th, President Bush received a tour of the important hurricane facility and thanked Mr. Mayfield for his notable service to our Nation. After more than 30 years of distinguished service to weather and hurricane forecasting, Mr. Mayfield will be retiring in January 2007. I know that the residents of South Florida will miss his calm and clear voice as approaching hurricanes threaten our coast. His pending retirement will mark the end of an exceptional career, and finding a worthy successor will undoubtedly be a difficult endeavor. South Florida and our country are grateful for Mr. Mayfield's dedication in preparing and assisting the people of our community. Through his guidance and skilled predictions, Director Mayfield and his staff closely watched the path of countless hurricanes. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Director Max Mayfield's numerous accomplishments and his dedication to weather forecasting. The citizens of South Florida and the United States as a whole have benefited from this man's service, and we owe him our gratitude. As Mr. Mayfield and his wife prepare to spend more time with their families and enjoy retirement, I know that my colleagues will join me in wishing them well.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Norman and Irma Braman's 50th wedding anniversary, two individuals of Miami who have dedicated their lives to philanthropic ideals which send ripples throughout our great Nation. Mr. and Mrs. Braman have been dedicated to promoting the State of Israel and remembering the Holocaust to ensure that such tragedies never occur again and to beating the disease of breast cancer, of which too many women and families suffer. In 1995, they established the Braman Family Foundation and in 2002 gave a gift of $5 million to the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami to establish the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute. With this establishment, they raise awareness of the importance of early detection and encourage regular self-examinations. The couple have been leaders in the establishment of the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial, where Mr. Braman is an original founder and previous president of the Board of Trustees. He has served as president and campaign chair of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Mrs. Braman has provided tremendous leadership to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and has participated in numerous missions to Israel. It is a privilege and an honor for me to call the Bramans my friends, and on behalf of the residents of Miami, I thank them for their dedication to our community and our country.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of LCpl Rene Martinez, who was killed in action fighting enemy forces in Iraq on September 24, and extend my deepest condolences to his family for their loss. You have this Nation's most sincere appreciation for your son. As a U.S. Marine, LCpl Martinez represented the best our Nation has to offer. He served with great distinction in the 2nd Marine Division. According to a spokesman for his unit he was a ``well decorated Marine for his age'' having earned medals for combat action, overseas deployment and global terrorism service. The U.S. Marine Corps motto is semper fidelis--``ever faithful.'' LCpl Rene Martinez exemplified this commitment. He was faithful to God, country, family and the Corps. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for this great Nation so that his family and country could live in freedom. All that we hold dear only exists thanks to our military and marines like Rene Martinez. His selfless service to his country and community is a model for all of us to emulate. As President Ronald Reagan once said, ``Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.'' LCpl Rene Martinez made a difference in this world. And his country will forever be grateful.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thought the chairman was going to speak about Florida when he spoke about the most beautiful place in the country. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5450 introduced by Chairman Ehlers, who has done a great deal in bringing this bill forward. I think we all know what this bill does: establishes under law NOAA, within the Department of Commerce, and provides a leadership structure and an organization for NOAA and establishes, obviously, NOAA's mission and functions. I represent and live, am blessed to live and represent a peninsula, an area that is greatly affected by weather, whether it is in the oceans or whether it is by storms. NOAA, as we all know, includes many important agencies, including the National Weather Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service and also the National Hurricane Center. All of those areas are of great interest to the citizens of the State of Florida, and impact, their work impacts the economy and citizens of Florida. South Floridians consistently rely on NOAA and on the National Hurricane Center for information, particularly, again, during this time of the year. Year after year the hurricane center has served as a trusted voice during a storm and maintains a continuous watch on the weather around the world. It issues warnings and watches and forecasts and analyzes the weather to make sure that it can stay in front of the technology so that it continuously does a better job in forecasting storms. Very few agencies around the country can say that their work is indispensable in actually saving lives, and the weather center is one of those. There are so many oceanic and academic and environmental groups that have expressed support for this legislation. I want to thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward. I want to thank him for his effort. I urge all of my colleagues to support this fine piece of legislation.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for bringing up those important points. The ports are such a huge part of our economy and the steps that have been taken to strengthen our ports But there is so much more that has been done, the funding for the first responders in homeland security. Through a variety of programs, these are amazing programs. Over $30 billion in Federal funding has been allocated for the first responders since 2001. The U.S. PATRIOT Act of 2001, which was reauthorized recently, which is obviously a key tool in preventing another domestic terrorist attack. By the way, that was a bill that was reauthorized, and 156 House Democrats voted to oppose the reauthorization of that essential tool to fight terrorism here, so the terrorism doesn't hit us here specifically. So much more. The Homeland Security Act of 2002, which established the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an executive department of the U.S., and tasked that department with preventing domestic terrorist attacks. That was opposed by 120 House Democrats who voted no against the creation of that department to protect the homeland against domestic terrorist attacks. Thank God, thank God, the majority prevailed and that took place. The SAFE Port Act the Congressman just mentioned. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which made important reforms in the intelligence community, including the creation of the Director of National Intelligence to coordinate and oversee all intelligence-related gathering. A huge issue that this Congress got done, which is why we are a little safer. Project BioShield, which delivered $5.6 billion, with a B, to enhance research and development and procurement and the use of biomedical countermeasures to keep us safer. There are so many other issues that we have done, which is why America is safer now than it was before 9/11, despite the fact that many of those key pieces of legislation, the Democrats opposed them every single step of the way. They always opposed them. But we have to do more, such things as emergency communications, which we have to do better at. The reason we have to do more, Mr. Speaker, is because the terrorists, they are not this little rag-tag group of people. They are organized. They are funded. They are out there. As a matter of fact, I understand there is a number of them meeting, state sponsors of terrorism, that are meeting really close to our shores here off the United States. To give us an idea of who they are and what they are doing and how we have to be vigilant, I would like to now recognize the vice chairman of the House Rules Committee, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Florida. He mentioned how America had been attacked so many times with impunity, and yet some in this country still do not understand that we are at war. But listen to what our enemy is saying. Bin Laden calls the war against terrorism in Iraq the Third World War, and yet some in our country still refuse to admit that we are at war. And he talks about how in Iraq the whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries, the Islamic nation on the one hand and the United States and its allies on the other. And he goes on to say, Mr. bin Laden does, it is either victory and glory or misery and humiliation. What is hard for me to believe, though, is that Members of this body and of the Senate, and I think it is very important to be respectful of this institution, but there is a Member of the Senate who said that it would be unrealistic, if not downright foolish, in other words, you would be a fool, to believe that we can claim victory in the war on terrorism and a more secure world, that you would be a fool, according to this prestigious, recognized Democratic leader, if Saddam Hussein is still in power. You would be a fool is what Mr. Biden said. And yet now how is it possible I would never say that those who said that and now have changed their minds are fools. But that is what Mr. Biden said. You would have to be a fool to believe that Saddam Hussein could have stayed in power and we could have been victorious in the war on terrorism. And I have a hard time believing how they don't unite with the President of the United States to support our troops on the field while we are at war. Mr. Speaker, I will now yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. If I may, I would like to, because I think the gentleman from Tennessee brings up some really, really important points, I guess that some of the fine men and women on the Democratic Party side believe that if we just went away, if the United States just left the Middle East, I assume that would be stop supporting Israel, I don't know. But if we just pulled back from the Middle East as some have said, some have said we should pull back to Japan, to Okinawa, which, by the way, in military terms for the Navy is farther away than the Navy yards here in Virginia. So in other words if we left there, if we were just good, if we just behaved, that these terrorists would leave us alone, that they would go away. I mentioned a little while ago a list of attacks against America that were way before 9/11, way before we were in Iraq. But I guess some just believed naively that if we just left Iraq, just left Afghanistan, that everything would be hunky dory Yet, I think it is important to kind of listen to what our enemy is saying. When you have Hezbollah leader Nasrallah saying, ``Death to America,'' and let me quote him, regardless, this is a quote, regardless of how the world has changed after 9/11, after the 11th of September, death to America will remain a reverberating and powerful slogan. Death to America. I guess some believe that he doesn't really mean it, that if we just, I don't know, retracted from the world that they would go away, bin Laden, who, by the way, very cleverly, started a media campaign to try to divide our country, very effectively, I might add. Let me quote you about that, by the way, what bin Laden said. He said, al Qaeda intends to launch a, quote, media campaign to create a wedge between the American people and their government. He also said that the media campaign, and I am quoting him now, aimed at creating pressure from the American people on the American Government to stop their campaign. There are some that, I guess, because they are naive, are doing exactly, exactly what our enemy says that has to happen in order to defeat the United States, in order to defeat the United States. Let us be very clear that the terrorists' aim, the aim of the terrorists is total destruction of the United States of our way of life and everything that we believe in. It is not because we may have been in Iraq; it is not because we support Israel. All those things, obviously, upset them. But let me quote Osama bin Laden again, where he says, quote, the war is for you or for us to win, talking about the West. If we win, if we win it, it means your defeat and disgrace forever. That is how they think. So I don't understand how, when there was such a consensus, how everybody understood that, how the terrorists continue to do the same thing, how to kill Americans, but because of the efforts of this President and this Congress, they have not been able to do so here, and the terrorists continue to say what they are going to do. How is it possible that some refused to listen, like I guess happened in the 1930s, when some refused to listen to Winston Churchill when he said there is an evil out there, the Nazis. They are not going to go away, we have to confront them. So I kind of pose that as a question to my colleague from Tennessee, because I don't get it, I don't get it. How much clearer can the actions and the words of the terrorists be before some of our men and women get it, understand it. Realize that we are not the bad guys, we are the good guys. It is the terrorists that we are fighting, and they are not going to stop, they are not going to go away if we just send our troops to Okinawa and Japan and pretend that they no longer exist. I mean, I don't get it.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Look, it is clear who our enemy is. It is clear that they have been there before Iraq, before the liberation of Iraq. Before Afghanistan, they were in Iraq. They have killed Americans for a generation. They are not going to go away if we just wish them to go away. But luckily we have had some great success. Is there a reason why there has not been an attack on American soil? To talk a little bit about that, I would like to recognize a person who I greatly admire from the great State of New Jersey, but Mr. Garrett has been a leader, particularly on cutting government waste, on fighting for the little guy for small business. I would like to recognize him. Maybe he could tell us a little bit about why we are succeeding, why we haven't had an attack. What is it that we have done that is working. With that, I would like to yield to Mr. Garrett.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we have seen these past few days events to remember the tragic incidents of September 11. And, frankly, when we were reliving that tragic day, among the many things that crossed my mind was the realization that thousands of Americans died. Thousands of Americans died in their place of work for the simple sin, their only crime being that they were free people who live in a free country. They were people who love freedom, and their only crime was that that morning, like every other morning, they went to work so that they could help their family, they could feed their children, they could pay their bills, and they could continue to live and prosper in freedom. Mr. Speaker, 9/11 was not the only attack against America. It was the largest attack, the terrorists' most successful attack against America, but by no means was it the only attack or the first attack against America. The problem, Mr. Speaker, however, was that America did not realize until that horrendous wake-up call of 9/11 that there were a number of radicals around this world who had already for a generation declared war. They had declared war against the United States and our allies for the simple reason that we live in freedom, that we cherish freedom, that women can work and live in freedom and have equal rights to men. For those reasons, there is a group of people who declared war against the United States. Not only did they declare it verbally, as they did, but they did so in actions. And again, we just didn't wake up to that realization. When President Jimmy Carter withdrew the United States' support from the Shah of Iran, in essence facilitating and allowing the Ayatollah Khomeini to take power in Iran, he didn't realize the type of enemy we were dealing with. More recently, in February of 1993 when the first bombing of the World Trade Center took place killing six people, the United States didn't realize who the enemy was, and we didn't fight back. But the killers persisted in trying to kill Americans. In October of 1993, in Somalia 18 valuable, decent brave American soldiers were killed. Osama bin Laden later personally claimed credit for organizing the Somalia fighters. We didn't fight. On the contrary, we withdrew immediately from Somalia. I will quote what bin Laden said about our withdrawal. He said, ``America exited, dragging its tail in failure, defeat and ruin. Caring for nothing, America left faster than anyone expected.'' Again, we didn't fight. In June 1996, a truck bombing in the Khobar Towers barracks in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 Americans and we did nothing. We did not fight back. But the killers were not content. They kept trying to kill Americans. And then in August 1998, the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya where 224 people were killed, including many Americans, we didn't fight back. We did nothing. In December 1999, the plot to bomb the Millennium celebrations in Seattle that was foiled when custom agents arrested an Algerian person smuggling explosives into the United States. The killers continued to persist, and we were not fighting back. And then of course the tragic bombing of the USS Cole in the port of Yemen where U.S. 17 sailors were killed, and we did not fight back. But the killers were not satisfied and they continued to persist. And then of course we got the big wake-up call, September 11, 2001, the destruction of the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon where a total of 2,992 Americans were murdered on that horrendous day. Finally, America woke up to the realization that there had been a war declared on our country and our way of life and it was time that we fought back, that we started bringing justice to those terrorists wherever they may be so we would not have to fight them here on our streets, so we would not have to deal with another September 11 or another World Trade Center explosion like the first time or another attempt on the celebrations like those in Seattle. America started fighting back finally because we found out that these killers are not going to stop if we don't fight because that is what we always did. We didn't fight back. In many cases we withdrew. Did that appease them? No. It emboldened them, like bin Laden said. After that then, after September 11, this President and this Congress decided to fight back and decided to remove the Taliban from power. Our brave men and women in uniform have done an incredible job under the most difficult circumstances and removed the Taliban and that which was a state sponsor of terrorism is no longer a state sponsor of terrorism, and there is a struggling democracy that is gaining ground and taking root in that land where al Qaeda used that land to plan the horrible events of 9/11. Also on a bipartisan vote of this House and the Senate there was a vote to basically remove a state sponsor of terrorism and a threat that was Saddam Hussein. Let me read a quote from December 16, 1998 about why Saddam Hussein was dangerous and what the bipartisan attitude here in Congress was. ``The hard fact is that as long as Saddam remains in power he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, and the security of the world. The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government, a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people.'' That was not President Bush that I quoted, that was President Bill Clinton that I quoted when he mentioned the only way was to remove Saddam Hussein. Let me read another quote on how Congress and the country was united against international terrorism. ``Saddam Hussein in effect has thumbed his nose at the world community, and I think the President is approaching this in the right fashion.'' That is Senator Reid, the now- minority leader in the Senate. Let me give another quote about how the country felt in a bipartisan, unified, united front against international terrorism and against that state sponsor of terrorism that was Saddam Hussein. ``I can support the President. I can support an action against Saddam Hussein because I think it is in the long-term interest of our national security.'' That is a quote from NBC Meet the Press, Senator Hillary Clinton. There was bipartisan support because there was a realization that Saddam Hussein was so dangerous. One last quote, Mr. Speaker. This is I think a very powerful quote. ``It would be unrealistic, if not downright foolish, to believe we can claim victory on the war on terrorism and a more secure world if Saddam Hussein is still in power 5 years from now.'' That sounds like I plagiarized President Bush; but no, that was by Senator Joe Biden in February of 2002 Again, as Senator Joe Biden said, and I think it is worthwhile reading that quote again. He mentions that we cannot claim victory, in his words, he says, ``the war on terrorism and a more secure world if Saddam Hussein is still in power.'' Joe Biden understood that Saddam Hussein, a state sponsor of terrorism, the leader of that terrorism, had to go for our national security and for the fight, as he said, against international terrorism. It saddens me to see now how the very same people who I just read their quotes who were so united, who so supported this country's efforts in the fight against terrorism, including in the fight against Saddam Hussein, recognizing that he was a major state sponsor of terrorism, where Senator Biden says we cannot win or claim victory. And I will quote him again. ``It is unrealistic, if not downright foolish, to believe that we can claim victory on the war on terrorism and a more secure world if Saddam Hussein is still in power.'' Yes, that was the consensus. So what happened? I keep hearing now the country is divided. But the President has not changed his tune. The President agrees with what these fine Members of Congress from the other party said and believed and were sure of because they were right then. The United States is the source of good for the entire world. For all of the oppressed people, we are the source of good and the source of light, the beacon of light for the entire world. When you had a regime like the Taliban or a regime like Saddam Hussein, it was a threat to our national security, as Senator Clinton said and as Senator Biden said and as Senator Reid said. But all of a sudden, when things get a little bit more difficult, then all of a sudden, oh, everything they said, everything they believed in, year after year, is thrown out the window because it is election season, because it is an election year. The reality, Mr. Speaker, is that we are at war. The reality is that we have people, men and women in uniform, in harm's way doing an incredible job. The reality is we are winning the war against terrorism, against these evil thugs who murder, have murdered and would like to continue murdering Americans if they could. I would like to talk about some of the many accomplishments, which is why we have not had another attack on U.S. soil despite the attempts of the terrorists because of what this Congress did under the leadership, the Republican leadership and the leadership of the President. But before I go into more detail, I would like to yield to a man who is a leader on the fight for human rights anywhere around the world where human rights are violated, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp). It is a privilege to have you here, sir.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART of Florida

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

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as a proud husband and father, I value family above all else and strongly support the traditional family: the union of a man and a woman. This union is the cornerstone of our society, and plays a vital and unique role in our children's lives and in our communities. Today, we considered H.J. Res. 88, The Marriage Protection Amendment. This legislation seeks to alter the United States Constitution--the bedrock of democracy and the basis of our Republic for 217 years--to define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. The U.S. Constitution embodies the federalist principles this country was founded on and should be held to the highest standard. It should only be altered in the most extreme circumstances. I believe opening this document to allow such a narrow definition could lead to unintended consequences in the near and far future. Our commitment to federalist principles and to this great Republic must supersede all debates of the day. Furthermore, I strongly believe that one of the most important powers reserved to the States as a result of the 10th Amendment is the act of regulating marriage and family law. This right of States to self- determination has protected and sustained our Republic for more than 200 years. While serving in the Florida Senate in 1997, I voted to support a statute stating that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. This statute became State law and was in response to action taken by the U.S. Congress to ensure the right of the States to define marriage. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, which was subsequently signed into law. DOMA provides each State the discretion to determine whether to recognize a same-sex marriage license issued by another State. I strongly support DOMA because it protects the right of States to self-determination. On July 22, 2004, I supported the Protection of Marriage Act which would have permitted States to reject same-sex marriages from other States without interference by Federal courts. Since the passage of DOMA, 45 states, such as Florida, have banned gay marriage by statute or in their Constitutions, and numerous court decisions have upheld these laws. Where judicial activism has threatened traditional marriage, the people have acted to protect it, such as in the State of Massachusetts, where a ballot initiative is being circulated to overturn a court ruling allowing for same-sex marriage. Moreover, it is my belief that the U.S. Supreme Court will ensure that States' rights and the institution of traditional marriage are upheld. Additionally, as a result of past Supreme Court decisions, exemptions have been made to the ``Full Faith and Credit Clause'' that apply to DOMA. If the Supreme Court, at any point in the future, did attempt to redefine marriage as something other than the union between one man and one woman, I want to be clear that I would determine it an extreme circumstance and would at that time advocate a Constitutional Amendment. Congress must be diligent in its efforts not to overstep and impede on more than two centuries of a successful Republic without absolute necessity. I strongly believe that marriage should only be the union between one man and one woman, but I do not believe that the threshold for constitutional change has been reached.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am excited to be here supporting the reimplementation of the Voting Rights Act. Let me give a little bit of recent history. You have heard a lot about past history. In the State where I am from, in Florida, redistricting was always a way that was used to discriminate against minorities and to stop minorities from the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. We all know that there is a substantial African American population in Florida and a substantial Hispanic American population in Florida, and yet, and I do not want to sound partisan, but the reality is that one party controlled the State legislature for 122 years. During that entire time, not once did they deem it necessary or important to create one African American congressional district, one district for African Americans so they could elect a candidate of their choice. Finally, in redistricting before the 1992 elections, after a lot of haggling, and I was involved in that redistricting and other Members who were then in the State legislature who are now in Congress were also involved, finally the then-majority party, the Democratic Party, finally saw the wisdom to create one district where African Americans could elect a candidate of their choice for Congress and one district only where Hispanic Americans could elect a candidate of their choice. We had to sue the State of Florida. We had to go to Federal court to get more districts where Hispanics and African Americans could elect candidates of their choice, and because of the Voting Rights Act and because some of us sued the majority party in those days, which was the Democrats, the courts agreed and created districts where three African American Members of Congress were elected, serving in this wonderful body. One of them is leading the effort on that side of the aisle for the implementation of this Voting Rights Act again, and two districts where Hispanic Americans could elect candidates of their choice. We are not talking ancient history. We are talking the need is still there today. It is there. The need is still there today in Florida, as a matter of fact. We saw recently a group, mostly from outside of Florida, spending millions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in Florida trying to get something on the ballot. A group that supports multimember districts for the State of Florida, which have been proven to be discriminatory. The threat is still there. The need is still there. That is why I am so grateful to Chairman Sensenbrenner for his leadership on this issue not only now, but also in the past. I thank Mr. Sensenbrenner. It is a privilege to be here. I think it is an historic day because we have the opportunity to extend this important act for many, many years. It is right for the country, not only for minorities, but for democracy and for the entire country.