Mario Diaz-Balart

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, again there is a huge difference between our budget and this budget by the CBC, the prestigious Members of the Democratic Congress. They increase taxes on the American people by almost $1 trillion over 5 years while cutting defense spending in a time of war. To put it in perspective one more time, let us look at this. Look at all the countries south of Mexico, and excluding Florida, all the Caribbean, all of Central and South America. Their revenues, their expenditures over 1 year are smaller than the tax increases that this amendment proposes to impose on the hardworking American people over the next 5 years. That is the reality. The bottom line is if you believe in massive tax increases large enough to fund the expenditures of all the countries in Latin America, if you believe in that, you would support this amendment. If you believe that the American people are paying enough taxes, that we have got to use it more efficiently, and that we should not cut defense spending in a time of war, I would then urge my colleagues to respectfully oppose this well-intentioned but devastating amendment to the American taxpayer and to the American economy.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how many speakers the sponsor of the amendment has lined up still?

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. At this time, we will reserve and thank you.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I am trying to see, Mr. Chairman, if we can work out to give the sponsor a little bit more time. So with the indulgence of the Chair, I just want to make sure, I believe we have 4\1/2\ minutes on this side?

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, first and foremost, I want to thank the members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Putting together a budget is not an easy task. It takes a lot of work, a lot of time; so I want to thank them for doing that and for proposing what I think is a piece of legislation that really dramatically shows the differences between the two sides. Compared to the committee budget, this substitute increases taxes by $96.6 billion in fiscal year 2007 alone, and it increases taxes also on the American people by $516.9 billion in the next 5 years. Now, I know that when you deal with numbers of this scope, it is hard for people, those of us here sometimes and people back home, to really kind of grasp what that is, put that in perspective. So I wanted to try to put what those numbers, those tax increases on the American people that this amendment proposes, what they really are like. The tax increase proposal for fiscal year 2007, again $96.6 billion, proposed by this amendment, and I have a board here that has a picture of the State of Florida, the State that I am honored to represent, and they just had a legislative session in the State of Florida. The tax increases in this amendment are larger than the entire budget of the entire State of Florida. Now, keep in mind what we are talking about. The State of Florida, the fourth most populous State in the entire country, which funds from their budget schools and housing projects and every road in the State and environmental protection, including Everglades restoration, and law enforcement and prosecutors and health care and the court system and the public defenders and the judges, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So if you get the entire budget of the entire State of Florida, it is smaller than the tax increases that this amendment proposes just in 1 year. Just in 1 year. I think that kind of puts it in perspective. But that is not all, because if you look at the tax increases proposed for the 5-year program that this amendment proposes, which is a tax increase on the hard-working American people of $516.9 billion, and I have another board, that tax increase is larger than 1 year's expenditure of Argentina, the Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Libya, Pakistan, Panama, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan combined. So some people say we are spending too much money on foreign aid. No. The tax increases in this amendment over 5 years are larger than what these countries spend in 1 year for all their expenditures combined. I think that puts it in perspective. But we can go further. We can go further. Let us put the entire Western Hemisphere, this amendment is asking the taxpayers of the United States in 5 years to pay in new increased taxes more than the entire expenditures of the governments of the entire Western Hemisphere combined. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Brazil, Argentina, Panama, Belize, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, Paraguay, and all the Caribbean. If you funded their expenditures for 1 year, it is still not as large as the tax increase that this amendment imposes on the American people for the next 5 years. But some people may say, Well, I do not know a lot about those countries, maybe they are just not that large. They are. But maybe they are not that large. So let me see, what is the biggest economic superpower that we hear about all the time? Let us pick China, Communist China. We know what a huge superpower it is. We know that it is an incredible monster of an economy. Let us look at what their expenditures are in 1 year, and let us compare it to the tax increases that this amendment proposes to impose on the American people in increased taxes over the next 5 years. The expenditures of China for 1 year, $424.3 billion, and yet this tax increase on the hard-working American people over 5 years is larger than that expenditure of China. But also throw on top of that the entire budget of the State of Florida, and you still have about $20 billion of wiggle room to play with. It is important to realize that there is a huge difference between these two bills. Under the budget, the following tax relief under this proposed amendment would obviously expire: the $1,000 child tax credit that all families benefit from; the 10 percent bracket, which the entire middle class benefits from; the repeal of the estate tax, which obviously would kill small businesses by that tax increase. And the worst part, though, is not only does it increase taxes to an incredible degree, it also then cuts expenditures. For example, there is no provision for supplemental funding for the combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq or even for natural disasters; so it increases dramatically taxes, but does not fund our war effort. At the same time, it cuts defense spending by $6.6 billion in budget authority and another $4.6 billion in outlays. Again, it asks to do that at a time when our men and women in uniform are in harm's way. Again, I want to thank the sponsors because it is a dramatic difference, but for all those reasons I would obviously urge a ``no'' vote. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, first I yield myself 15 seconds to clarify something. The gentleman just said that only the wealthy would pay. Here is a board that I showed. There aren't enough wealthy people in the United States to pay this amount of new taxes, and if they can't pay for it, who is going to pay for it? The American people are going to pay for it. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds. We keep hearing from the gentlemen on the other side that they only want to raise taxes on those making over $200,000. Well, the numbers just don't add up. In order to raise the amount of taxes they are talking about, which is, again, larger than the budgets for 1 year for just about all the countries in the Western Hemisphere, they would have to let all the tax cuts expire, including the child tax credit, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and they would still have to find another $63 billion in tax increases for everybody else as well. So that is what the numbers are. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds. Again, I just want to repeat that this amendment is such a huge tax increase that they would have to increase the child tax credit; the 10 percent bracket; the marriage penalty relief would go away, that tax cut; the education tax relief would disappear under their proposal; the pension reforms would disappear under their proposal; the AMT relief would disappear under their proposal; and they would even increase the death tax. Yes, even taxation with no respiration takes place in this amendment. It is a huge tax increase. And they cut defense while doing all those things. The numbers are there. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell).

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, what I would like to do, in an abundance of fairness, is cede 1\1/2\ minutes to the sponsors of the amendment with the huge tax increases on all the American people.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, the Budget Committee chairman today, we have heard it, has mentioned a number of times something that is captured in this budget, reducing waste, fraud and abuse. Now, our friends from the Democratic side also have a consistent theme, spend more money regardless if a lot of it is wasted. But you see, Mr. Chairman, billions of dollars are lost each year to waste, fraud and abuse in the Federal Government. Not only does waste, fraud and abuse steal from the American taxpayers, Mr. Chairman, it also burdens those who rely on the government for their services. Unfortunately, our friends on the other side of the aisle, they are consistent in, again, spend more money, without measuring efficiency or effectiveness of the programs. It is evident, obviously, that some on the far left measure success of government programs by the level of spending, not on results. Again, just spend more of the taxpayers' money, no matter what. We cannot excuse programs that, through waste, fraud and abuse, are cheating the taxpayers out of billions of dollars of their hard-earned money. We owe it to the people that sent us here to Washington to ensure that their hard-earned tax dollars are protected through good oversight, performance evaluations and sensible funding decisions. While the far left is endlessly attempting to increase taxes without any form of accountability and spend more money, I urge you to support the Republican budget that helps make our government programs more efficient, reducing waste, fraud and abuse, while funding our Nation's priorities.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Gabriel and Sara Matos, for their dedication to citizen activism and crime prevention. Mr. and Mrs. Matos have been dedicated to preventing crime and protecting their community for many years, and have worked to encourage and spread citizen activism through their efforts. On September 30, 2005, Mr. and Mrs. Matos were recognized for their dedication as recipients of the Citizens Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County's top award, the ``Miami-Dade County Citizens' Crime Watch Chairperson of the Year.'' Their hard work through this organization has protected the community by allowing them to work closely with law enforcement and politicians on zoning and crime issues. The couple have been leaders of the Concerned Citizens of West Dade, Inc. since they created it nearly fifteen years ago. They were instrumental in the adoption of an anti-graffiti ordinance, and as chairpersons of their neighborhood crime watch, have helped to keep their neighborhood safe, as well as motivating other neighborhoods in their community to set up Crime Watch groups. I congratulate Gabriel and Sara Matos, and on behalf of the residents of Miami-Dade County, I thank them for their dedication to their community.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this week House Republicans highlighted their commitment to sound fiscal policy and protecting the hard-earned income of the American taxpayer by passing the Deficit Reduction Act. This legislation finds almost $40 billion in savings through programmatic reforms to mandatory spending. Along with my Republican colleagues, I supported this vital legislation because it ensures that Federal programs are more efficient for the beneficiaries that rely upon them, while safeguarding taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, the radical left wing could not even support this modest step towards making government more efficient. It seems that raising taxes and recklessly spending is the only fiscal policy they will support. I applaud the Leadership of the House and Senate for bringing this legislation to the floor and greatly appreciate the President's support and commitment to fiscal responsibility and reducing the deficit.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, due to issues I had to attend to at home, I was unable to be here for the majority of this legislative week and was unable to vote on important legislation on the floor of the House. Had I been here and able to vote, I would have cast the following votes: Rollcall vote No. 623--Yes, rollcall vote No. 624--No, rollcall vote No. 625--Yes, rollcall vote No. 626--No, rollcall vote No. 627--Yes, rollcall vote No. 628--Yes, rollcall vote No. 629--Yes, rollcall vote No. 630--Yes, rollcall vote No. 631--Yes, rollcall vote No. 632--Yes, rollcall vote No. 633--Yes, rollcall vote No. 634--No, rollcall vote No. 635--Yes, rollcall vote No. 636--Yes, rollcall vote No. 637--Yes, rollcall vote No. 638--Yes, rollcall vote No. 639--No, rollcall vote No. 640--No, rollcall vote No. 641--Yes, rollcall vote No. 642--Yes, rollcall vote No. 643--No, rollcall vote No. 644--Yes, rollcall vote No. 645--Yes, rollcall vote No. 646--Yes, rollcall vote No. 647--Yes, rollcall vote No. 648--Yes, rollcall vote No. 649--Yes, rollcall vote No. 650--Yes, rollcall vote No. 651--Yes, rollcall vote No. 652--No, rollcall vote No. 653--No, rollcall vote No. 654--Yes, rollcall vote No. 655--Yes, rollcall vote No. 656--No, rollcall vote No. 657--Yes, rollcall vote No. 658--No, rollcall vote No. 659--No, rollcall vote No. 660--No, rollcall vote No. 661--No.

Mr. DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as I am sure you are aware, this week kicks-off the enrollment period for the newest benefit available to Medicare recipients, the Prescription Drug Benefit Plan. This benefit allows seniors to continue to purchase their prescriptions, but at a major cost savings. For those seniors currently without drug coverage, or looking for better coverage, this option will be a welcome help in addressing their rising pharmaceutical costs. Extra help will be available for those who need it, and a choice of plans will be available for seniors to pick the one that best meets their needs. The new plans will cover both brand name and generic drugs at participating pharmacies. I encourage all Medicare recipients to take time to learn about the new benefit, talk it over with family and friends, and consider how it can help them pay for their prescription drug needs. Beginning January 1, 2006, Medicare eligible seniors will be able to begin benefiting from the optional drug benefit program in which they will receive prescription drugs at a 75 percent discount. Once they spend $3,600 annually, they will save 95 percent on all drug costs. Economically needy seniors will be eligible for additional assistance. Medicaid recipients will begin to receive drugs through Medicare. Medicare recipients should review available drug plans as soon as possible. With a broad selection of plans available, seniors are encouraged to review and pick a plan that best suits their needs. In order to assist seniors make this important decision, Medicare has created a call line and website. Seniors should feel free to contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or www.medicare.gov in order to aid them in making the best possible choice. Another great new feature of the Medicare Modernization Act, which included the Prescription Drug Benefit, is the new preventative services offered to all Medicare recipients. Medicare now covers a free initial physical exam for all new beneficiaries. Beneficiaries are also encouraged to partake in the free glaucoma, breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer screening, as well as cholesterol, blood lipid, diabetes, and osteoporosis screenings. The preventative screenings and new disease management programs are a way for seniors to be proactive in their healthcare, so as to maintain a high quality of life throughout retirement. The Prescription Drug Benefit and the preventative services program are important steps in realizing the government's 40-year-old promise to make quality health care available to every eligible senior in the United States. I am proud to have voted for the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003, and am proud of the cost savings it will provide for all Seniors.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have heard a lot of screaming from the Democrats from the extreme left saying that they are mad, and even some personal insults tonight which is, frankly, unfortunate. I think it is because Democrats, I guess they think if they say it loud enough and scream loud enough, they can hide and drown out the facts. Mr. Speaker, we have heard tonight, they loudly scream against the high deficit, and then they do not want to do anything to reduce the deficit. Right here we heard leaders of the Democratic Party loudly criticizing tax cuts. Those are horrible. But let me quietly quote what they said just 2 days ago about some tax cuts. Let me quote, for example, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) about a $10 billion tax cut over 5 years offered just 2 days ago. He said: I ask that the amendment be passed by unanimous consent. So 2 days ago he liked that tax cut. But wait, there is more. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), who we heard a little while ago screaming to try to drown out the facts, said 2 nights ago about tax cuts: Mr. Chairman, I do not think anyone is going to oppose this cut, like the other ones. Mr. Speaker, they cannot speak from both sides of their mouths.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today Congress will debate the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which includes over $50 billion in mandatory savings. Thanks to the Republican majority in Congress, Mr. Speaker, we have today the opportunity to reduce the size of the deficit, protect the American taxpayer, lessen the burden on future generations, and also fund the priorities of the American people. Now, there are two reasons why the extreme left will not support this historic legislation. As a matter of fact, they will and they already have, like Chicken Little, claim that the sky is falling, the sky is falling. The reason that they will not support it is because tax increases and irresponsible spending are nowhere to be found in this bill. In fact, this legislation reduces spending and has no tax increases whatsoever, something that the left cannot deal with. A vote, Mr. Speaker, in favor of this legislation is a vote against the left-wing economic agenda of tax increases and reckless spending, and for the American people.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month and pay special tribute to the extraordinary contributions of Hispanics towards our great nation. Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on September 15th, commemorates the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries-- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile both declared their independence in the month of September. This anniversary celebrates the day these countries declared their independence from Spanish colonial rule, and continues to represent the shared heritage of all Hispanics in our hemisphere. This month-long commemoration allows us to celebrate the diversity within the Hispanic community in the United States. America's cultural diversity has always been one of our nation's greatest strengths. Although Hispanics share a common language, their history is rooted throughout the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula. Hispanics represent a mixture of several ethnic backgrounds, including European, American Indian, and African. Throughout our history, Hispanic Americans have contributed to the greatness of America. From the earliest settlers in the New World to the most recent arrivals seeking greater opportunities and freedoms, Hispanics continue to add to America's unique culture. According to the Census Bureau, in 2002, there were 37.4 million Hispanics residing in the U.S., representing 13.3 percent of the total population. More than 2.7 million Hispanics reside in my home State of Florida, and comprise almost 17 percent of the population. As a relatively young and rapidly growing population, Hispanics are poised to make their mark on our nation for generations to come. Through their hard work, commitment to faith and close-knit families, Hispanics have the potential to have a significant impact on society. Furthermore, beyond this data, the reality is that Hispanics are an integral part of America's social fabric. More than one in eight people in the U.S. are of Hispanic origin. During this month-long celebration, we recognize the millions of Hispanic Americans who value a strong commitment to family, hard work, and community. In various aspects of society, from the world of sports, music, and literature and to the entrepreneurial sector, Hispanics continue to live and pursue the American dream. As legislators, we must continue to work for the advancement of initiatives that support and provide opportunity for all. During Hispanic Heritage Month, I urge all of my colleagues to join with our fellow citizens in celebrating this rich and diverse culture, and I encourage all Americans to recognize the significant role Hispanics play in creating and building this great country.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to just first commend the two individuals who have brought this resolution forward, two individuals who have a history of fighting for human rights around the world. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for his leadership. Once again, those who are oppressed can always count on the gentleman from Arkansas, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), a person who is, again, a hero to so many around the world, particularly to those who cannot speak up, cannot speak out, like we are able to do here. I thank him for his leadership. It is a privilege to serve with him. A lot has been said about why this resolution is needed. My colleague from Florida just mentioned the response that the European Union has had to this latest crackdown. A deplorable response, a response which is the definition of appeasement, if there ever was one. It is wonderful to see, though, Mr. Speaker, that this Congress, once again, stands up with those who are seeking freedom, but who do not have it. This Congress once again is saying, no, we are not going to stay silent, we are going to speak up for those who cannot speak up, we are going to speak up for those who are in prison. We do not forget that just 90 miles away from the shores of the United States there is a dictatorship, a tyranny that is not only corrupt, that is not only on the list of terrorist nations, those nations that sponsor terrorism, that is not only a dictatorship who sponsors narco trafficking, which also is a dictatorship who practices apartheid against its own people, and who murders not only its own people, but also has over the years murdered numerous Americans. We recall, we recall as one of the many examples that I can talk about today, when that dictatorship shot down two American airplanes. So how appropriate then that this Congress, this symbol of freedom around the world is, once again, speaking out for those who cannot, is once again remembering those who are being tortured in prison and, I think, also shows that once again, yes, this is the beacon of freedom. We understand that others are suffering. We do not forget. And, we know that one day the Cuban people will be able to speak up, though they are not able to do it right now, they will be able to speak for themselves, because they will not be imprisoned forever.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I have been listening to this debate, and one of the things that was said today is that we should not accept letters from even freedom fighters, heroes who are suffering under Castro's oppression. If we should not listen to them, maybe we should listen to what the dictator himself has said about amendments such as this in the past. When an amendment such as this passed a couple years ago, he said, ``The House of Representatives voted with determination and courage for amendments that bring glory to that institution. We should always be grateful for that gesture.'' That is the dictator himself, grateful for amendments like this. Should we be on the side of the Cuban people or should we be taking actions that the dictator himself calls glorious? I think that is something that clearly this body needs to take in consideration.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman is very kind, and I thank her for yielding to me. I too want to join the many who have expressed their gratitude for what she is doing here tonight. But really more importantly, if I may, I want to thank her for her incredible, passionate leadership particularly on fighting waste, fraud, and abuse that is, unfortunately, still rampant in the Federal budget. She has been such a champion, and it has been a privilege for me to learn from her, see how she does it, and she has been extremely effective. So it is truly just wonderful to see how she works, and it is wonderful that she is giving this Special Order to speak about issues that are important to the United States of America. I was listening to the honorable gentlewoman from North Carolina, and she was talking about things that have happened in this Chamber. One of the things that is important is to highlight that it is not only legislation that we have passed here, but it is legislation, not for the sake of passing legislation, it is legislation that has had real, concrete, positive results for the American people. Let us look at some of the results; more than just the legislation, but the results of that legislation. Look at, for example, the growth in the GDP, the gross domestic product. This is after 9/11. This is after the Internet bubble burst. This is after the recession that President Bush inherited when he first got elected. Despite all that, because of legislation that the President led on and that this Congress passed, the GDP, the growth of the economy, has been spectacular. Mr. Speaker, we have had 14 consecutive quarters of real growth in the economy, a 3.5 rate in the first quarter of this year, a 3.5 percent increase in the GDP. Again, 14 consecutive quarters of real growth, despite what this Congress and our President found itself dealing with after 9/11. Look at payroll employment. It rose by 2.2 million jobs during 2004; 2.2 million jobs that would be unemployed if it was not for the policies of this Congress, of this majority, and of the President of the United States. Mr. Speaker, 3.5 million jobs over the past 24 months. Ask those hard-working Americans who now have jobs if the policies that this Congress has pursued and passed have not worked for them. They have worked for them, and we are grateful for the President's leadership. I think we have to always remind ourselves that with a little bit of help, with a few Democrats, but with the leadership of the Speaker of the House and the Majority party, great things have happened for our country, for our working men and women in our great country. Look at, again, the fact that unemployment today, right now, is lower than it was, than the average of the 1970s, the decade of the 1980s and, yes, even lower than the decade of the 1990s. Hard to believe that that is possible, after 9/11, after the scandals on Wall Street, after the bubble-burst of the Internet. Again, that is because of the leadership of our President and because of the leadership of this House. The homeownership rate is at record levels. More people own homes than ever in the history of our country and, by the way, if we look at minority homeownership also, that is at record levels. Now, we have more to do. We have more to do, still, and we are working hard to do even more. All of us are concerned about the deficit. We have to reduce the size of the deficit. We know that the President has said, and he has pledged to cut the deficit in half over the next five years. The budget that this House passed does just that in a responsible fashion. It gets a handle on the deficit. It is going to reduce the deficit in half. We do that by controlling spending. Hey, folks, this is not rocket science. If you are spending too much money, that is why you have a deficit, hey, what do you do? Spend less. Not rocket science. Well, that is what we are doing. But let me tell my colleagues what our friends in the Democratic Party have proposed as their solution to control the deficit. We hear them here on the Floor of the House continuously, and even in the Senate, talking about, oh, the deficit is too high. But then, what do they propose? They propose billions and billions and billions of dollars in additional spending, which would go directly to increase the size of the deficit. They have done so publicly. They have done so with an amendment in the Committee on the Budget on which I have the honor of serving and also here on the Floor of the House. They cannot have it both ways. They cannot be concerned about the deficit and then propose billions and billions of dollars of additional spending in the Federal budget, spending of Federal dollars. The President, by the way, has done a great job in looking for programs that are not working. I do not think again it takes a rocket scientist to understand that there are Federal programs that frankly are just not doing that well, that are just wasting the taxpayers' money. Once again, I have to repeat what I said in the beginning. I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for her efforts, particularly in trying to fight waste in the Federal Government. The President has also done a great job. He has created this assessment tool called PART. What he has done is he has gone through every single area of the Federal budget, the Federal Government looking for things that can be reduced or eliminated because they are not needed, not doing a good job, because there are other programs that are better and less expensive. He has proposed eliminating a number of programs and to shift that money to programs that do work. We also have to be very proud of the job that the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations is doing, the honorable gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis). He has actually cut an incredible amount of those duplicative, those programs that do not work, that are proven money-wasters, and has shifted those funds to programs that do work. I think, again, we are doing some good things. We do get every once in a while, a few, a couple, one or two, sometimes three or four, and sometimes many more, Democrats who come on board and help us with these efforts. But, unfortunately, most of the heavy lifting to cut waste, to reduce the deficit, to cut taxes, to incentivize the economy has been done with no help from the opposition party. But, fortunately, we have been able to pass those issues, and that is why the economy is doing as well as it is doing, and that is why millions of Americans that otherwise would have been unemployed now have jobs. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I just want to end with a separate thought. It is always difficult, and I think an honor and a privilege, to listen to the names of our fallen heroes, and we had that tonight, we heard it a little while ago, and I think it is always something that we have to again thank them, thank their families, and thank God that there are heroes like them that are willing to put even their lives on the line to protect our freedoms. I have to say that I was very pleased to see Members of this House come on to this floor to mention the names of our heroes with respect. That, unfortunately, contrasts so dramatically, sadly, with the statements by a member of the other party of the U.S. Senate. He recently had to apologize because he compared our troops, our men and women in uniform, compared them to the Nazis, to the Soviets and their gulags, to that mad assassin, crazy regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia, those regimes that killed people as a policy, assassinated people. And for anybody, anybody to even mention our troops, our men and women in uniform in that same breath as the Soviet gulags, Pol Pot, or the Nazis is, frankly, totally unacceptable. I guess he was comparing the hard work of our brave men and women in uniform to Nazis. Is he equating the treatment of innocent victims in the concentration camps or in the gulags to the humane treatment that terrorists are getting in Guantanamo at the hands of our troops? Again, it is totally unacceptable. We accept his apology, after he was forced to apologize, even though he first did not want to. We are talking about the second highest ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate who said those things. So we will accept his apology. I think, though, that we should also demand his resignation from that position of leadership, a position of leadership, the second highest ranking leader, democratic leader in the Senate, who compared our troops to the Nazis, to the Soviet gulags, and to Pol Pot. So that is why, Mr. Speaker, I have to tell my colleagues that I was very pleased with coming here tonight and listening in contrast to the names of our fallen heroes. That is the way we should refer to our troops as heroes, as men and women who guarantee the peace not only of the United States of America, but of the entire world. They are heroes that will never be forgotten. And I, for one, have to tell my colleagues, as I will also never forget those who insult our heroes, who compare them to Nazis; I will never forget that either. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for her great leadership, for her impassioned leadership and again, in particular, I thank her for really teaching us a lesson as to what it means to be passionate, fighting for the taxpayer against fraud, waste, and abuse in the Federal budget.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, when I listen to this debate, I am reminded of the phrase ``the more things change, the more they remain the same.'' This is very similar to the debate when the Soviet Union was still in existence and President Reagan had a comprehensive policy to try to eliminate that regime. And the debate is the same: it is going to hurt the people. When President Reagan was trying to cut off the funding: it is going to hurt the Soviet people; they are the victims. No. No, Ronald Reagan was right then; George W. Bush is right today, which is why the Assembly of Civil Society, the umbrella organization, opposition organization within Cuba, that just recently had a heroic meeting in Havana, publicly supports the President's policy. They understand that dignity is not a gift. They understand that the only true road to dignity is freedom: freedom of election, freedom of association, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. This amendment would go a long way to reversing the policy that is working. Just as many wanted to reverse Reagan's policy that succeeded in defeating the Soviet Union, this amendment is trying to reverse the Bush policy that will ultimately allow the Cuban people to live in freedom, the freedom that they so much deserve.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida, also my dear friend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler) from West Palm Beach. Today, Congress is supporting these brave individuals in Cuba who, despite all of the dangers, are standing up for freedom, are standing up for democracy, from within Cuba, from within that totalitarian island. The three main organizers, Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, Felix Bonne Carcasses, and Rene Gomez Manzano, all three of which have suffered prison time by the Cuban dictatorship, are standing up because they know that the answer to the problems that the Cuban people face is simply just one: It is freedom, total, absolute freedom. That entails the release of all political prisoners. It entails political parties. It entails freedom of press. It entails free elections, and they are standing up from within Cuba and with many other hundreds of their countrymen who are standing up, having this event on May 20 to express their sentiment and also to prepare and work for a free Cuba. This resolution, Mr. Speaker, extends and supports solidarity to the organizers and to the participants of the Assembly to Promote the Civil Society, which again is on May 20 in Havana. It urges the international community to support the assembly of these heroes that are standing up for freedom despite the risk. It urges the administration and also the international community, Mr. Speaker, to oppose any attempts by Castro's terrorist regime to punish or repress the organizers and the participants. It obviously shares, also, Mr. Speaker, the pro-democracy ideals of the assembly. The commissions, Mr. Speaker, that these individuals are working with are hard to believe. The Department of State's 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, referring to the Castro regime, states the following: ``Members of the security forces and prison officials continued to beat and abuse detainees and prisoners, including human rights activists. Prison conditions remained harsh and life threatening, and the government restricted medical care to some prisoners as a method of control. Prisoners died in jail due to lack of medical care.'' President Bush said, Mr. Speaker, in his second inaugural address, and I am quoting him now, ``All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.'' The Cuban people are standing tall, Mr. Speaker, for their freedom. Today, by voting for this resolution, the United States Congress stands with them, lets them know that they are not alone, that despite all the risks, despite the horrendous conditions that they are facing on a day- to-day basis, the United States Congress stands with them, admires them and supports what they are doing. Cuba will be free because of the efforts of the heroic Cuban people, and it is wonderful, Mr. Speaker, to see that the Congress of the United States, once again, is supporting the Cuban people in their efforts, in their struggle to be free.