Mario Diaz-Balart

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. That is one of those issues that the other side continually criticizes and yet has no answers for. They always talk about how dependent we are on foreign oil, and there I think we all agree that we need to look at ways to be less dependent, which is why this bill is the right legislation at the right time. It has some provisions there that I think make so much sense. It would allow us to be less dependent on foreign sources of oil and also of other energies. It is done in a responsible fashion, to protect the environment, which I think is something that is very, very important; and once again, it shows what you can do. You can come up with answers, reasonable answers that are good for the country that will also provide jobs, and that is again a big focus of this Republican majority is to provide jobs. Not only now, but particularly now; and if you look at the legislation that has come out of this body so far, including that one, there is a real strong common denominator. Along with the other things that it does, that legislation would also provide jobs for the American people, high-paying jobs, by the way, for the American people; and, again, I just think we need to continue to emphasize that. I for one am not content at how the economy is going. I for one think that we need to do more, that we need to incentivize the economy. I think the American people agree with that, and clearly, the leadership in this House has said that, the President has said that; and there are a number of pieces of legislation that go way beyond talk. These are results. These are things that we have passed that the committees have debated, that have been worked on for a long, long time; and so talk is cheap as they say, but in this case, in the energy bill, in the budget, in the jobs creation bill and so many others, it is not talk. It is results.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. One of the things that strikes me is what you just said. They have already voted for a lot of these proposals. They were in favor of these proposals. And now all of the sudden they say that those same proposals that they voted for are reckless. Again, we have to repeat what they are, the marriage tax. They say that is reckless, again, even though many of them already voted for it. That is why you have to ask the question or pose the question that you just posed to us. Why all the sudden? And they will give you different excuses at different times. Well, when the economy is not doing well this is not the time to lower taxes. Excuse me? When the economy is not doing well is not the time to incentivize the economy? If this is not the time, when is the time? Clearly we need to incentivize the economy. I think that what happens also is up here in D.C. we sometimes forget reality. We are okay up here. We are able to discuss these things on a theoretical level. But for those hard working American families who are paying those taxes, some of them may have lost a job or fear that they are losing their job. This is not theory. This is not something you can just talk about. They are desperately looking at ways we can get this economy going. They need this economy to do better. They need their taxes to be cut so they can keep a little bit more of their money. This is not theory. This is practice. This is practice. I think a lot of times up here though, you are right, maybe it is because they want their party to do better and they want the economy to be in the tank for the elections. Maybe they have forgotten or lost touch with reality. But when you go home and talk to these people who lost their jobs and are fearing about losing their jobs, and you ask them, should we now do something or not do something to get this economy going, I think the answer is pretty clear that they want this economy moving despite what the politicians may say.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, not only can they not stand that, but they also want to blame the United States for all of the ills. I keep hearing that the United States is to blame for everything. The bad people in Iraq were the brave men and women who were there to liberate the Iraqi people. Now, it is pretty obvious when we see the Iraqi people's reaction, tearing down the statues, crying when they see these unmarked graves where their relatives were thrown in, probably taken in the middle of the night by the Iraqi regime, it is pretty obvious who the bad people were. It is pretty obvious who the good guy is and has always been, and that is the American people, the American GIs and men and women who liberated France once, twice; and yet the French seem to believe that it is okay for the U.S. to sacrifice blood to liberate France twice, but it is not okay for anybody else to be liberated. It seems that only they have the God-given right to be free. Well, I say to my colleagues, that is an attitude that I do not share, it is an attitude that the American people do not share, it is clearly not an attitude and thank God that the American President, our President does not share. Freedom is not something that we can just throw away so easily; it is something that is given by God. And every once in a while, because of the sacrifice, the patriotism, the love of freedom of our men and women in uniform who are all volunteers, sometimes some tough sacrifices are made to make sure that our interests, our people's interests, our freedoms are protected and also at the same time that we can liberate people who have suffered so much. The gentleman was just mentioning the atrocities committed on women by Saddam Hussein's regime, the atrocities committed on children, on everybody. And thank God and thank our Armed Forces and our President that that nightmare is over. There are some grave challenges ahead, because democracy is not easy.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, American families have fallen victim to an unfair and burdensome tax code. Duplicative and outdated tax policies--even dating back to the Spanish American War-- are forcing families across the Nation to sacrifice health insurance, car payments or their child's education in order to fulfill their tax obligations. The IRS plays too big of a role in the everyday lives of American families. In 2001, alone, the IRS spent close to $9 billion administering the tax system. Americans spent $135 billion and three billion hours complying with the tax code that same year. As we quickly approach April 15th, Americans struggle to comply with an increasingly unfair and complex tax code. Unfortunately, we can no longer justify our own system of taxation. The marriage penalty and the death tax epitomize the unjust taxation millions of families are impacted by each year. Duplicative taxes also plague our tax code. The double taxation of dividends, for example, impacts the 52% of Americans invested in the stock market--half of which are seniors. The elimination of this injustice will create over 500,000 jobs each year and will eliminate a great burden on American investors. Americans deserve a tax code that is simple, fair and encourages economic growth, not financial crisis. Our tax code provides disincentives for marriage, jobs and savings. While many in this Chamber have spoken about reforming our tax codes, it has become clear that rhetoric does not produce results. Comprehensive tax reform and reform of the IRS must take place in order to ensure the economic stability of America and the financial stability of the American family. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 141, which acknowledges that our tax code is in desperate need of major reforms. Let us all stand committed to reforming a system that is sacrificing job growth, financial stability and economic recovery in order to build more bureaucracies like the IRS. I stand in strong support of this resolution.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding the time to me, and I also want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart) for bringing this resolution to the floor. We have heard about this horrible thing that is going on just 90 miles away from the United States coast, these people getting arrested. What are they getting arrested for? What have they gotten convicted for? Let me just mention Raul Ramon Rivero, an independent journalist and leader of the Cuba press newspapers service who, by the way, has been sentenced to 20 years, Mr. Speaker, 20 years in prison for the following reasons: Because he created an independent press organization, 20 years for that. Because he is circulating materials published by human rights groups, 20 years for that, Mr. Speaker. Because he is a member of the Cuban Society of Independent Journalists, 20 years in prison for that, Mr. Speaker. Because, the audacity, he has a Sony tape recorder. Mr. Speaker, furthermore, he has the audacity of having a Samsung computer; and if that was not enough to deserve 20 years in prison, it is because he has had meetings in his home with other independent journalists. That is the reason, Mr. Speaker, why he is serving 20 years, why the tyranny has sentenced him for 20 years in prison. It is not a joke. It is not a cruel joke. Those are the reasons, and like reasons for why these people are being sentenced to 20 years or life imprisonment just 90 miles away from our coast. Mr. Speaker, some still do business with that tyrant, with Castro; and some want to do business with Castro, with the Castro regime. Doing business with the Castro regime, Mr. Speaker, which is Castro's will, that is what he wants, he says it every single day, doing business with that tyrant, Mr. Speaker, and let us make it very clear, is doing business with a criminal. It is doing business with an international terrorist. It is doing business with a thug, with a tyrant. Mr. Speaker, it is doing business with a murderer; and yes, just listen to him, what he says, it is doing business with a mortal enemy of the United States of America and the American people. Let us remember what Marta Beatriz Roque, who now has been sentenced to prison for these same types of issues, what she has been saying time and time again. One of the reasons that she is going to prison is because she has said that we must keep the sanctions on the tyranny; we must keep the pressure on until finally there are free elections in Cuba. That is the goal, Mr. Speaker. That is what we need to do. That is what we need to succeed in achieving for the Cuban people, and that is why it is important. That is a step to free elections. That is a step to freedom in Cuba. We overwhelmingly support this resolution and want to make sure that the world sees that everybody understands that we will not tolerate, we will not tolerate this type of behavior; and we are not going to do business with that kind of anti-American thug, criminal, assassin and terrorist just 90 miles away from our shores.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I imagine that now the Members of this body who may be well intentioned thought that we should do business as usual, as the gentleman well stated, with that dictator, will now realize that Castro is what he is. He is an assassin, he is a thug, he is a murderer, and he jails people for having computers in their homes. So I would imagine and, of course, encourage everybody in this body to now join us, join the President of the United States, join the European Community in condemning this dictatorship and also making sure that we put pressure by applying every possible sanction possible to make sure that this nightmare goes away.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for this opportunity. I was listening to our distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), talk about the sentences, these horrendous, long prison sentences to these human beings. Why are they going to prison? It sounds like a cruel joke. They are going to prison because they own a fax machine. They are going to prison because they own a copy machine. They are going to prison because they have the audacity of owning a computer. They are going to prison because how could they dare put up a Web page, a Web page that expresses what? Love for freedom. That is why they have been sentenced to prison. People who are nonviolent, people who want just one thing: freedom. Because they have the audacity to speak up and say that they want to be free and they want their people to be free, they get sentences of life imprisonment. Is that a cruel joke? At the same time there are brave men and women who are giving their lives for freedom, just 90 miles from our shores we have another dictator taking away people's freedoms, putting them in prison because they own a fax machine and because they have the audacity to own a printer, a copier, or to have a Web page. The world will not sit quietly. The world will not pretend this is not happening. We must all now speak up with one voice. We must all speak up against permitting this insanity by this insane human being just 90 miles away from our shores from taking place. Again, we will not forget these people. We will not tolerate their incarceration. We will not stop until they are freed, and we will insist that the entire world, starting with this body, the Congress of the United States, we will insist that every single one of us say to that dictator, we will not tolerate it. We will provide and put all of the pressure necessary to make sure that these people go free and that everybody on that island will one day very soon get rid of that nightmare, that horrendous nightmare that the world knows as Fidel Castro.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as I speak, our brave men and women in uniform are risking their lives in order to remove decades of oppression from the backs of the Iraqi people. Our coalition partners--49 nations in total--join America in our fight to liberate the people of Iraq. As this battle continues, we are reminded of the importance of a coalition of countries that are dedicated to the liberation of an oppressed population. This coalition not only represents the impressive effort of multiple military forces, but also highlights a global commitment to removing the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. The nations involved in this coalition are led by men and women that are dedicated to peace and freedom and understand the threats posed by Saddam Hussein and his weapons of terror. At the same time, they support the principals articulated in UN Resolution 1441, which called for disarming Saddam and removing his weapons of mass destruction. While I come to the floor to praise the members of this coalition for their commitment to the Iraqi people and the security of the world community, I must also express my concerns about the actions of some nations that have created challenges, obstacles and roadblocks in the path towards Iraq's liberation. Nations like France--who America liberated twice--are now questioning the actions of the coalition while we fight to liberate another population from oppression and dictatorship. Like the French, the Iraqi people deserve to be free. They deserve to walk the streets of Baghdad without fear. They deserve to voice opposition to their government without consequence. These freedoms that the people of France enjoy each day are soon to be a reality to the Iraqi people because of coalition actions. Fifty nine years ago, 58,000 men lost their lives while liberating the French from the tyranny of Adolf Hitler. On the 40th Anniversary of that liberation, Ronald Reagan went to Normandy and proclaimed, ``there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest.'' While the battles in Iraq are taking place thousands of miles from the battlegrounds of Normandy, the soldiers share a similar desire to liberate a people from an evil regime. They share a similar commitment to fighting for a cause that will end years of brutal oppression and will lead to the freedom of an entire population. While the battleground has changed, the outcomes have not. Those that have criticized the coalition that currently fights in Iraq remind me of the criticism received by Winston Churchill and the Allied Forces before taking military action against Adolf Hitler. People labeled them as war mongers and protested their policy to deal with Hitler militarily. Today, as history remembers, we thank those brave leaders and troops for taking that action so that nations like France can stand in freedom without the rule of a harsh regime. As American troops work to liberate the nation of Iraq, we stand side by side with nations that stood with us over half a century ago in France. On the wall in my office stands a picture my brother took of a field of grave stones--American soldiers that died during the liberation of Europe. It serves as a reminder of the sacrifices this nation is willing to make for our freedom and the freedom of others. While others may, let us never forget the principles we as a nation, a coalition and a free people share. These principles will lead to liberation and these principles will prevail.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART. It is highly sophisticated night vision equipment, equipment to avoid radar, missiles, and also to confuse GPS devices that are obviously a big part of a military arsenal. Yet a lot of these things are things that were not permissible under the sanctions that those same governments supported. So on one side, they are saying, well, Iraq is a violator of all sorts of rights. They are trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction. They have supported all these resolutions in the past. On the other side of their mouths, they are selling them high-tech equipment, military equipment. That regime that they have condemned for the human rights abuses, for the rape of the women, for the assassinations, they are selling that regime high-tech military equipment, much of it banned by the United Nations. Those countries voted to ban that equipment to the Iraqi regime. We saw that the wonderful, talented men and women of the U.S. Air Force shot down missiles. Some were destined to land in populated areas of Kuwait. Those are missiles that supposedly they do not have, that Iraq does not have. What more proof do we need? I ask a question, I ask a rhetorical question, How many violations does it take for these countries to realize that there is a problem? Of course, what we realize now is that it is not that they do not realize that they are violations. It is that they have been assisting this regime and selling them high-tech equipment that has been banned, that is unlawful, according to the United Nations resolutions. They have been assisting this regime in their oppression, in their assassinations. I think we are going to find a lot of that. I am not telling the gentleman that is the reason why some of these countries oppose the United States' effort to free the people of Iraq, just like the United States military freed the people of France twice. By the way, the people of France, thank God, they had the right to be free. A lot of brave young American GIs died to free the people of France. I am glad that France is free. The people of Iraq are no less human beings than the people of France. They have the right to be free, as well.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I was listening to the gentleman's words today, and I was moved by the gentleman's statements and by the strength and veracity of that letter from that young woman who suffered the intense oppression of that brutal, crazy dictator, that dictator that is oppressing the people of Iraq. What she says is so true: the Iraqi people have been suffering for a long, long time. They have suffered through what we really cannot even imagine, the most horrendous humiliations, tortures, murders, assassinations. That man who has killed about 1.5 million people, has gassed his own people, and other nations; who has no concern for life or for any basic principles or freedoms, and who the world was negotiating with for about 12 years. Think about that. We all believe in negotiations. We all believe in diplomacy. I believe that we should try to negotiate; and when we have a dictator, a crazy, insane man who has committed mass genocide and murder, that we should try to negotiate, for 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 10 years, 12 years? When is enough failed negotiations enough? When is enough failure enough? I believe that the United Nations has a role to play. Yes, I believe we should get the United Nations resolutions to express the sentiment of the world once, twice, three times, ten times. But 17 times? How many resolutions must he ignore and continue his oppression, his assassination, and more dangerous to us, his trying to obtain nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction? How many times should we say, or is there a time when we should say, enough? What does it take? What does it take for the world to react? Thank God, fortunately, we have a President who stated after the attacks, those horrendous attacks that occurred on 9-11 against our people, our innocent people, he stated very clearly that those that harbor terrorism were terrorists, and that there was going to be a price to pay. Then he tried to warn, and he did warn, Saddam Hussein. He went to the United Nations and got one last chance for Saddam Hussein from the United Nations. But there is a time, unfortunately, when one must act. That time has come. Now our brave men and women are doing what the President said he was going to do, what he was going to ask them to do if Saddam Hussein did not disarm. He was going to disarm them with our brave men and women. They are doing an incredible job, an incredible job. This is the time to support our troops. This is the time to not vacillate in that support for our troops. I know there are those who say, well, we support our troops, but we wish they were not there. They are there. They are performing a vital job. We have to support them wholeheartedly, not with caveats, not with reservations. We have to support them. We have to support them, and they have to do what it takes to get the job done. It is up to us, who are living and enjoying the freedoms that those thousands of men and women in uniform for generations have fought to give us. We should utilize those freedoms to show appreciation, to show respect, to show admiration, and to say, job well done. We are with you. We are going to be with you to the end. They are going to succeed because the vast majority of the American people supports them; because the vast majority of the American people supports our President, our Commander in Chief, in his efforts. We are so grateful. I actually was walking through, and I heard what the gentleman was saying on the floor. I had to come by and thank the gentleman, thank the gentleman for those words, and thank him for reminding us what is at stake. When the gentleman read that letter from that young woman, I think it brought it home. It brought it home to roost. What is at stake here is so precious. It is liberty, it is life, it is everything that we care for, everything that we believe in. Yes, unfortunately, it is expensive. It is expensive. It has been expensive for generations. But those who have to protect those lives, those freedoms are the American people. Once again, our troops are doing it with the honor, with the valor, with the talent that they have always done it. I want to thank them for what they are doing. I want to thank you, sir, for once again bringing that to light. That is why I had to come by here. I saw the gentleman on TV, and I had to come by to thank him for these words of solidarity to our troops, to the Commander in Chief; and to remind everybody why it is that we are in this battle; and that we are going to win this battle because it is so important, because so much is at stake. Yes, we are on the right side.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentleman from Georgia. Again, I had to come to the floor today once I was hearing what he was talking about. I had to come here and thank the gentleman, thank him for standing up for our troops, thank him for supporting our troops, thank him for supporting the President of the United States, Commander in Chief in such a difficult time. Our troops are going to prevail because of their honor, their integrity, their decency and because they are the best people, best troops and the best human beings that this world has ever seen, and they are well led, and their cause is just. I wanted to thank the gentleman again for his words. They were humbling, and they were touching, and I wanted to come here and thank him tonight for his words.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. If the gentleman would yield, I think we are going to find a lot of that. I think we are going to find a lot of companies that are profiting from selling goods to the United States, including to the United States Armed Forces and armed services, as the gentleman just pointed out, who, by the way, are probably also making a hefty profit selling products to Iraq, even though there are sanctions there and probably even some high-tech equipment to the tyranny in Iraq. I think it kind of explains some of the ferocity of the argument, some of the aggressiveness of some of those that were objecting to the United States' noble stance to help free an oppressed people and also help rid the world of these weapons of mass destruction and the possible obtaining of nuclear weapons to this dictator. I think we are going to see a lot of that. The thing that surprised me, and it does not surprise me anymore because we are starting to see why, and my colleague just mentioned it, we are starting to see why but, surprisingly, the ferocity of the argument and how France, for example, not only do they object to any resolution that was not of their liking in the U.N. recently and they said so, but, also, they went lobbying. They actually were talking to every nation possible to try to stop this movement to free the people of Iraq and to free the world from this dictator who has caused so much grief. I think we are starting to see why, but it is sad, it is sad that it looks like one of the main reasons or at least one of the reasons may be because they are making a buck off of this dictator.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART. I could not agree with the gentleman more, if the gentleman will yield, Mr. Speaker. This is a two-fold problem. There is, first, the opposition to this effort to free the Iraqi people and to free the world from this very dangerous dictator, free the world from a dictator who is trying to get or obtain nuclear weapons, and who already has other weapons of mass destruction. We are trying to free the Iraqi people while at the same time free the world from this incredible threat. So we have to remember these countries that we are objecting to that, that even though unanimously, just a few months before, they said, hey, look, we are going to give this dictator one last chance, he has to disarm, but it is worse than that because not only are they objecting to the freeing of the Iraqi people, are they objecting to ridding of the world of this dictator who is trying to get nuclear weapons, who has ties with terrorist organizations and, by the way, including terrorist organizations that have assassinated Americans, but what is even more offensive is that at the same time they are selling this dictator high-tech equipment that he can use to further exploit, hurt, oppress, kill, murder his people and others because of his ties with terrorism. One would hope that humanity has gone above and beyond that, and yet there are those that would like to profit even while selling high-tech equipment that they know they should not be selling because they have said it repeatedly in U.N. resolutions. So they know it, it is not by mistake, and yet they are doing so to earn a buck, to earn a buck?

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, it is interesting, the gentleman mentioned some of these countries that were so quick to criticize the United States, criticize the United States for enforcing the resolutions that they unanimously supported, by the way. Yet, we now see some of them, and I do not know why they have acted the way they have, but I can just throw some facts on the table. We now see that the Government of Russia has sold to the Iraqi Government some very high-tech military equipment.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we live in difficult times, as we all know. Yet, in the other body, the nomination of a brilliant young lawyer, Miguel Estrada, is being held hostage. Today is the fiftieth day of that tragic event, the fiftieth day of holding a man hostage using innuendoes and double standards and fake accusations and, again, double standards. A person who got here at 17, who worked, studied, became a brilliant jurist, worked under 2 presidents, one Democrat and one Republican, who deserves to be on the court, on the bench of this country. Again, I repeat, he is being held hostage, is being held to a higher standard, a different standard than every other judge that has gone through that illustrious body. Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day to know that, again, with all of the difficult times and all of the difficult things going on, this one man is not being allowed to have a vote on the other floor.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to commend the House Budget Committee and Chairman Nussle's leadership in crafting a Budget Resolution that epitomizes fiscal discipline and brings important tax relief and job creation to hard working American families. This Resolution will also protect Americans both here and abroad as we continue to face the challenges of the War on Terrorism. It is too common in this chamber that Members talk about reducing spending, creating jobs, protecting Americans and providing common sense tax relief without a willingness to make the important changes. Unfortunately, rhetoric does not produce results. This Budget Resolution symbolizes a strong commitment to make the needed reforms in spending that this body has been promising. This resolution is fiscally responsible and outlines a plan to balance the budget in nine years, while bringing important tax relief to American families. This Resolution calls for a one percent reduction in growth, except for social security, defense, Medicare and Veterans and homeland security funding. By no means is this approach radical. This Budget Resolution allocates $200 billion over the next 10 years for Medicare with an additional $400 billion for Medicare modernization and prescription drug coverage. Veterans spending will increase by $844 million in Fiscal Year 2004. Education, Defense, Homeland Security and many other agencies will receive significant increases under this plan. A one percent reduction in growth will allow for the elimination of waste, fraud and inefficiencies that consistently plagues federal spending. Locating this abuse is no great challenge for most agency budgets and eliminating it should be our obligation. The Budget Resolution also provides for sound growth policy that will stimulate our economy, provide jobs to Americans and reduce the tax burden on American families. For example, the budget resolution assumes the 2001 tax cuts are made permanent and accommodates the entire growth plan proposed by President Bush. President Bush's growth plan is vital to stimulating our weak economy and creating jobs for Americans. This includes the permanent elimination of the marriage penalty tax, the death tax and the double taxation of dividends. The elimination of the double taxation of dividends, alone, will provide an average of 500,000 jobs a year and will greatly help the 52 percent of Americans--half of which are seniors--that are invested in the stock market. The President's Growth Plan will also provide job opportunities to unemployed Americans throughout the nation. In Florida, alone, 248,500 jobs will be created over the next four years as a direct result to the policies of President Bush's Growth Plan. Small businesses--the foundation of America's economy--would also receive important tax savings under President's Growth Package. In fact, 23 million small businesses will receive tax cuts averaging $2,042 under this plan. Unfortunately, the only plans the Democrats are offering would spend irresponsibly and raise taxes. This is not only an injustice to the American economy, but a great injustice to American families that rely on tax relief during rough economic times. I came to Congress promising my constituents that I would support tax relief and the concept of fiscal discipline. There is no piece of legislation that outlines a plan that accurately adheres to these principles better than the Budget Resolution we have before us. Todays vote will clearly indicate who restrains spending and provides tax relief and who only talks about it. I look forward to sending a clear message to America that the days of rhetoric are over--we are going to control spending, provide tax relief to hard-working families and open the door to employment opportunities for millions of Americans.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, first I would like to commend the gentleman from Iowa on this great budget resolution that adheres to the principles that this Chamber has been speaking about forever, fiscal discipline, tax relief, and job creation. This budget resolution includes President Bush's job growth plan, which provides immediate help for Americans who are facing very difficult economic times right now, and also lays the groundwork for strong and sustained economic growth in the future. This plan will boost job growth by 2.1 million jobs over the next 3 years. In my home State alone, Florida, it will create 54,000 jobs in 2004, and almost 250,000 jobs will be created over the next 4 years. Small businesses, sometimes an entity that is forgotten so much in these conversations, will receive tax cuts averaging over $2,000 under this budget, this plan. The long-term tax incentives will not only help job growth, but it will also create, as I said before, long-term financial security for all Americans in our wonderful country. I keep hearing about this Blue Dog budget, but this Blue Dog Democratic alternative increases taxes, increases taxes on Americans that are struggling right now to pay their rent, to pay their mortgage, to keep their jobs. It increases taxes to hire more bureaucrats. They may call it a Blue Dog plan, but when you take off the dressing, it is just a dog. Increasing taxes in America in this day and age will do nothing to help the economy. It will slow down economic growth. That is why this plan, the Republican plan, makes so much sense. It is the right plan for the right time. It is one that will increase jobs, not decrease; that will lower taxes on working Americans, lower taxes on small businesses, not increase taxes to hire more bureaucrats here in Washington. It is time to bring common sense. This budget does so.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in the early hours of the morning, our men and women in uniform began a campaign to defend America's homeland and liberate a population that has been under the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. While thousands of miles away, this nation stands behind these heroes and prays for their safety as they risk their lives in order to protect our freedom and security. As the great battles of the past have clearly indicated, America's armed forces are the world's strongest, most advanced and will always succeed. While America may be in the early days of this conflict, it is certain that our brave soldiers, sailors and airmen will ultimately prevail and decades of oppression will be lifted from the Iraqi people. The days ahead represent a struggle to prevent Saddam Hussein's terror from reaching our borders in the future. While the work our soldiers are doing now is in an arena far away, it is a direct accomplishment for the security and safety of America's homeland. The young men and women in uniform are nothing short of heroic and their country stands proud of the missions they are leading abroad-- both military and humanitarian. I would also like to commend their families for the sacrifices they have made for America. These days may be difficult, but the results of their work will forever be remembered and America will prevail.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 49. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. People have said that should be the threshold issue. Those same people that have said that is the threshold issue, and now they are saying that it does not matter with Mr. Estrada. What is it? It is not because he has not answered questions. He has answered five times more questions than the previous two people on that court combined. It is because of all of these other excuses. It seems, sadly enough, that we have heard recently the real reason: race. They do not want him because of his race. Let me tell Members, I have to be very clear, I am not supporting Mr. Estrada because of his race, because he is Hispanic. No, I am supporting him because of his qualifications, because of his talent and experience. But it is offensive that because of his race, some people are trying to avoid him getting there.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. It is funny that some of the people who have questioned whether he is Hispanic enough, these are people who, like me, are born here. There are people who are born here that say Mr. Estrada cannot be a judge because he is not Hispanic enough. Mr. Estrada got here when he was 17, so it is laughable. What is offensive is not who is saying it, but what. Mr. Speaker, race should never be a factor to disqualify a human being to reach a position that he or she is qualified for. On this floor we have heard it once again. They say the reason that Mr. Estrada should not be on that bench is because of race. That is highly objectionable; and it is insulting, degrading to this institution, and degrading to the United States of America.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. No, I was not. But I think there are some facts that need to be brought out. Number one is, as the gentleman said, the majority of the Hispanics in this country are excited about Miguel Estrada being on this Federal court. He would be the first Hispanic ever to serve on that court. But I can tell Members as excited Hispanics are in this country, everybody who loves diversity is excited because this is not just a Hispanic issue. We are seeing an attitude of outrage by the Hispanic communities and others when people use race as a reason to disqualify Mr. Estrada, and we have heard it on the floor of this House where Members say he is not Hispanic enough. What is he, three-fifths Hispanic? I thought those days were over when people were judged by their race. I thought the day of judging people by if they are too much of one thing, too little of another, I thought those days are over. Personally, it is offensive when people try to use race to disqualify this brilliant young lawyer, a person who got here when he was 17 years old, barely speaking English, worked hard, studied hard, graduated with honors from Columbia University and then Harvard and worked in the Solicitor General's office under two Presidents, both Democrat and Republican Presidents. People who have worked with him say he is of the highest caliber, and yet all of these sad excuses have been used to try to derail him. There are people who said a couple of years ago that they would fight against a filibuster, and now they are leading the filibuster. How is that possible? Were they misleading the American people when they said that then, or are they not being truthful now? It is really offensive. It is very offensive. I can tell Members also that here in this House the Hispanic Conference is wholeheartedly, enthusiastically supporting Miguel Estrada, not because he is Hispanic, but because he is highly qualified.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I just may add, though, also, that there are so many important issues that this country is facing, that this House and our friends across the rotunda, in the other Chamber, are facing. The fact that there is a filibuster going on, not only is it damaging to this brilliant young attorney who is experienced, talented and of unbelievable integrity, but there are a lot of other issues. The gentleman was mentioning the economy recently. I am concerned about the economy. I am concerned that we need to do something and do it quick to make sure that we have economic growth in this economy. That is why I support the President's proposals, because I think there are two choices: Either you do nothing and hope for the best or you do what the President is suggesting, which is make sure that we incentivize job creation. But the problem is that nothing is getting done over there because there is a small group of people who just refuses to let anything happen because they are going to filibuster on Miguel Estrada. That is unbelievable. You are absolutely right, sir, where you just said, that is the same group that did not get anything passed for the last couple of years and now in the minority they are even going to the extreme of procedural maneuvers to avoid votes because they do not have the votes, but they are going through procedural maneuvers to avoid even a vote. It is horrible because Miguel Estrada deserves a vote. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his time.

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, may I ask a question on that note? If I may, there is a letter that has been, that we have all seen, that is signed by every living former Solicitor General, some of them are Republicans, some of them are Democrats, stating exactly what the gentleman has just said; how that would be devastating for the country in that office's ability to represent the U.S. before the United States Supreme Court. So, again, the gentleman is stating some pretty obvious, I think, commonsense reasons as to why that should not be released. Number two is that every Solicitor General, former Solicitor General of both parties, so this is bipartisan, this is a bipartisan statement, in writing have said exactly what the gentleman has just said: that that information cannot be released. But I have to admit to the honorable gentleman from Florida that the part that has me more preoccupied, more worried, is that if that is the standards that some people want to use as to why certain nominees for judge should be disqualified, then it may be wrong. It clearly is because every living Solicitor General of both parties has stated it in writing. If that is the standard, there is an argument. What really worries me is the double standard that is being applied to Mr. Estrada. There have been seven judges that have come out of the Office of Solicitor General. Seven judges. And not once have those documents been requested of those individuals. Not once was that deemed to be necessary. Not once was that deemed to be essential. And clearly never was that used as a something to block the nomination of seven other people who have come from the same office. So why the double standard? Why the double standard on this brilliant Hispanic lawyer who, as the gentleman stated so eloquently, there is nothing in his record other than talents, discipline, hard work, decency, integrity. Why the double standard when there are seven other people who have passed this process and those documents were never asked of them, and now that is being used as an excuse for this one individual. That is what really worries me. And I do not know if the honorable distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) has any comments on that, because I really am worried about that.