Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is with both enthusiasm and heavy heart that I rise today to congratulate Mr. Dalton Yancey on his recent retirement from the Florida, Texas, and Hawaii Sugar Cane Growers. For over 35 years, Dalton has represented and advocated on behalf of American agriculture. An expert in U.S. agriculture policy, Dalton has specialized in sugar, citrus and trade policy, ensuring that American growers and farmers are always given a level playing field on which to compete with foreign growers. He is the past President of the Commodity Club of Washington, DC, and the former Board Chair of the American Sugar Alliance. A true testament to his knowledge, Dalton has been appointed by three American Presidents to serve on the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Sweeteners. In addition to his professional duties, Dalton is extensively involved in many activities throughout his community. As an officer in the U.S. Army, Dalton served in Germany and Vietnam, receiving the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. In 1969, he was a key member of Operation Holy Task Force, which brought Bob Hope to Southeast Asia. Dalton has been active with the University of Florida Alumni Association, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Florida State Society. I have seen Dalton in action with all of these organizations, as well as the Faith and Politics Institute since its inception 16 years ago. The two of us have been together at more prayer breakfasts and meetings organized by the Institute than I can even begin to count. As a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Northern Virginia, Dalton and his wife of 33 years, Barbara--known by many of us as Barbie--are as committed to their church as they are to everything that they do. Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege and honor of knowing Dalton throughout my career in the House of Representatives. It goes without saying that the people of Florida are losing a tremendous advocate with Dalton's retirement. He is not only an exceptional advocate on behalf of the people in my district, but a real friend to me. I have often sought Dalton's advice and counsel not only on agricultural issues, but on so many other things that we consider here in the halls of Congress. He is, under every definition in the book, a true Southern gentleman. I thank Dalton for his service, wish him luck in this new and exciting chapter in his life, and implore him that he not stray too far from those of us who will miss him most.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to congratulate the Dillard High School Boy's Basketball Team for winning the Class 5A Florida State Championship. The Panthers won a hard fought victory against St. Petersburg's Lakewood High School. I would like to call the attention of my distinguished colleagues to this historic win for Fort Lauderdale's Dillard High School, located in my Congressional District. Few would have expected the championship game to be won easily. But with determination and grit, Dillard prevailed. With the score tied 26- 26 at the half, it really was anyone's game. Dillard fell behind in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, through the leadership of their coach, Darryl Burrows, they were able to stage a comeback to win the game 61-55. No one can deny the accomplishments of these young men, and they should not go unnoticed. It is a testament to their character that they were able to overcome such stiff competition. Only through countless hours of practice, both on and off the court, could they have gained such a victory. Prior to Dillard's State Championship win, no Broward County high school had won a class 5A state title since 2001. Certainly, the Panthers can be proud of the prestige they brought to their high school. Similarly, Dillard High School can be proud that it produced such outstanding young men. The school's faculty helped cultivate and instill within the players the values of determination and sportsmanship that sharpened their skills. The names of the players, coaches, assistants, and administrators are: Kore White, Nigel Spikes, Xiandger Reliford, Ben Dinkins, Fred Landers, Javier Frazier, Sherman Gammage, Alen Hardy, Robert Burger, Rubyne Burrows, Courtney Ojeda, Jabari Caldwell, Jarrett Dieudonne, Eric Francis, Derek Foster, John Jackson, Clarence Doe, Darryl Burrows, Kanshea Jackson, Jamal DuBose, Junior Wade, DeAna'e DeSadier, Dwayne Nelson, Louis Wright, William Heastie, Marty Seidlin, Fred Battle, Juan Urbina, Zeb Wright, Quinton Williams, Tracie Latimer, Mr. Harrison, and Willie Kelly. At this time of the year when America's basketball frenzy is at a fever pitch, it is easy to focus only on the accomplishments of college and professional players. However, we must remember the contributions of young people to our society. Certainly, as the Panthers' victory proves, young people can, and often do, accomplish great things. This victory belongs not only to the players, but also to their coaches, family, and friends. We need to continue to invest in our local communities to support the institutions that improve the lives of our Nation's youth. In doing this, we will see winning results that will lead our young people to accomplish great things. Madam Speaker, we in Congress can learn a lot from the young men of Dillard High School. We need only recall their state championship victory to remind us of the value of investing in our Nation's educational system and youth programs. The Panther's commitment should be honored within the halls of Congress, and these young men should know how much pride their victory has given to their school, Florida's 23rd Congressional District, and this institution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to the Jubilee Act which urges expedited international debt relief for Haiti. The current situation in Haiti, a nation that has been historically afflicted by violence and natural disasters, is increasingly desperate and volatile. In recent days, thousands of Haitians have flooded the streets of Port-au-Prince and other cities throughout the country in desperation to decry rapidly escalating food prices in a nation where three- quarters of the population lives on under $2 a day. The cost of staple foods in Haiti has skyrocketed 50 percent within the last year. Haiti is not only the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but it also ranks third behind Somalia and Afghanistan as the nation with the highest per capita daily deficit in calorie intake. Recent anger over food prices threatens the stability of this Caribbean nation already haunted by chronic hunger. The humanitarian crisis in Haiti underscores the importance of quick and deliberate leadership by the United States. Haiti still is scheduled to pay almost $50 million in 2008 to unilateral financial institutions. This amendment would put Congress on record encouraging the expedited cancellation of Haiti's international debt to help alleviate poverty and increased stability in Haiti. The United States government cannot and should not turn a blind eye again to the struggles of this undeveloped, underdeveloped, impoverished nation. I applaud President Bush's recent announcement that he would release $200 million in U.S. emergency food aid to help alleviate food shortages in developing countries, including in Haiti, but these funds are not nearly enough to assist with the immediate or long-term humanitarian crisis. They fall far short of putting Haiti on a sustained path to development. I ask the President and all of us to do more. This amendment is an initial step in the right direction. We could follow it up with giving temporary protective status, as President Preval of Haiti has requested and President Bush could grant. I ask for my colleagues to support this amendment and ask that they join us in supporting our Haitian friends. Yesterday, 247 Haitians were sent back by the Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard has increased its vigilance in the area in light of this impending crisis. At a time of extreme instability and crisis, Congress must not turn its back on Haiti. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. At this time I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Texas, my colleague and good friend, Sheila Jackson-Lee. (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of our time. Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank Chairman Frank for the expeditious handling of this matter. In addition, I thank my good friend from Connecticut for his statement and his support of this amendment. This is an important initial step toward finally freeing Haiti from its onerous debt. Not only our administration, but the institutional community has some responsibilities in this matter that they can discharge much. My appeal goes way beyond just the American responsibility. I ask the international community to weigh in and deal with this subject in a meaningful way to give this opportunity the relief that it rightly deserves. I ask for my colleagues' support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki Commission, I rise today to recognize the generosity of the people of Sodertalje, Sweden, who have opened their doors to more than 5,000 Iraqi refugees. This small city has a population of 83,000 and has accepted more Iraqi refugees than the United States and Canada combined. On April 10, the Mayor of Sodertalje. Mr. Anders Lago, testified at a Helsinki Commission hearing entitled, ``OSCE Partner States and Neighbors Overwhelmed by Iraqi Refugees: Band-aid Solutions to Implosion in the Middle East?'' In his testimony, Mayor Lago noted, ``The millions of refugees in the world must be a concern for us all, not just for those areas bordering on the breeding grounds of war, or for a small number of countries and cities such as Sodertalje.'' In addition, he said, ``Despite the fact that we need immigrants, Sodertalje has become a town that must now say--STOP, STOP, STOP. Do not misunderstand me. We will always help others when we can. We must act when the lives of our brothers and sisters are in danger. It is imperative that we have a humane refugee policy world wide. Our common agreement that all people are equal, no matter what color, religion or gender, must become a reality.'' Madam Speaker, the country of Sweden has accepted more than 30.000 Iraqi refugees since 2003. This is no doubt a commendable act of humanitarian kindness. I offer my heartfelt thanks and deep appreciation to the government of Sweden which is truly committed to assisting Iraqi refugees. It must also be noted that, while Mayor Lago has opened the doors of his small city to so many Iraqi refugees, the strains on its infrastructure have been tremendous. Nonetheless, his generosity. and that of the people of Sodertalje, put the United States to shame. The Mayor has clearly gone above and beyond the call of duty to help refugees from Iraq and he is nothing short of a ``humanitarian ambassador.'' Madam Speaker. I thank Mayor Anders Lago and the people of Sodertalje, Sweden for their kindness and generosity, and I submit the Mayor's statement for inclusion in the Congressional Record. Testimony of Anders Lago--Mayor of Sodertalje Municipality and Chairman of the Executive Committee Before Helsinki Commission, April 10, 2008 Chairman Hastings, Members of the Congressional Commission, Distinguished Speakers and Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, First and foremost I would like to thank the Commission for your invitation. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you about the difficult situation regarding the people now fleeing from Iraq. Allow me to be totally frank. I am not the President, a Cabinet Minister, an Ambassador or even a Member of the Swedish Parliament. I am the Mayor of Sodertalje, a small town with slightly more than eighty thousand inhabitants. I am here today as the representative from a small country on the northern edge of the European Union, but I can say with both pride and disappointment, that when it comes to refugees, I come from a great nation. The United States is the country in the western world that accepts the largest number of refugees. Directly thereafter comes Sweden, and according to census statistics, it is my hometown that receives most refugees in Sweden. Many Iraqi refugees have sought shelter in Sodertalje since the start of the war in Iraq. Almost all belong to the Christian minority. Sodertalje accepts approximately five percent of all the Iraqi refugees who come to Europe. To illustrate this even more dramatically, my little town alone, receives more Iraqi refugees than the United States and Canada together. We did not start the war in Iraq, however we assume a huge responsibility for those people who are affected. Last week I met with seven Iraqi pupils at a local school. Meena, a girl in fifth grade, had a tear in her eye when she said `` It is nice here in Sweden, but I miss my father.'' Her father is still in Iraq. Another little girl, Meryem, said with an edge to her voice, `` If the war continues, the doors must be open for the refugees.'' All the children I met have relatives left in Iraq. And those children live in homes tormented with fear. When I asked these children what they wanted to be when they are older, they brightened up and competed with one another to tell me. Renza wanted to become an artist. Steve wanted to become a policeman. Meena said shyly that she wanted to be a doctor. These children, in spite of all they have been through, have not let circumstances diminish their ability to dream of the future. In Sodertalje we face three problems. Firstly our schools and preschools are full; of the town's eight thousand pupils, five hundred are enrolled in the special preparation classes we have for newly arrived refugees. We can not hire teachers or build schools fast enough to give all these, often highly motivated pupils a good start in their new country. Secondly there is a lack of living accommodation. A great many of the refugees lodge with relatives or friends. We know of cases of fifteen people sleeping on mattresses in a two room apartment. And last but not least we have a shortage of job opportunities. A small town can not possibly produce jobs for a thousand refugees each year. Here the United States could really help Sodertalje. American companies looking to set up businesses or expand in Europe, are most welcome to visit my home town. We need all the job opportunities we can get. I am in awe of the refugees' ambition and will to make new lives for themselves. Many of those who come to our town are well educated and motivated to start a new life in a new country. We need immigrants if we are to manage the demographic challenges we face, as the number of aging citizens in the western world rises. Despite the fact that we need immigrants, Sodertalje has become a town that must now say--STOP, STOP, STOP! Do not misunderstand me. We will always help others when we can. We must act when the lives of our brothers and sisters--are in danger. It is imperative--that we have a humane refugee policy world wide. Our common agreement, that all people are equal, no matter what color religion or gender must become a reality. The millions of refugees in the world must be a concern for us all, not just for those areas bordering on the breeding grounds of war, or for a small number of countries and cities such as Sodertalje. Sodertalje works hard to spread the reception of refugees equally over the whole of Sweden, to all cities and towns. Internationally, we must find a model for an equal and more responsible reception of refugees. We must also have special support for the refugees on site in Iraq, in Jordan and in Syria. Most of all, we must put an end to this and other ongoing wars. The children I met last week have cousins and friends who are left behind in Iraq. Those children are trying to lead a normal childhood in a land where uneasiness and fear are always present. I am not a President; I am not an Ambassador; but I know that we must create a new future for the children fleeing from war. And I know there is no time to lose. Thank you for your attention.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1084.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Yes, but that wasn't a privilege lost, that was just an airline not working. Reclaiming my time, I wanted my friend to have an opportunity to say those things that he did. And notwithstanding his admonition, I can assure him that when he is offering measures that are going to cost the Treasury $5 billion and violate the PAYGO rule, that on the Rules Committee I will try to save him one more time. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Reclaiming my time, did you not have the privilege or did you choose not to come?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this is a fair rule and an inclusive rule. We have heard here why we must pass this rule and the National Landscape Conservation System Act. Far too many of our Nation's natural treasures have already been compromised by a variety of destructive threats. It is Congress' responsibility to ensure that the National Landscape Conservation System is forever protected. Each National Landscape Conservation System unit has been established by Congress or Presidential proclamation and is managed according to its enabling authority. This legislation establishes the system in statute. It is crucial for Congress to act as a good steward for environmental land protection and fully codify the National Landscape Conservation System. It is our duty to help preserve the natural heritage of our Nation for all future generations of Americans to one day enjoy. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule. The material previously referred to by Mr. Hastings of Washington is as follows: Amendment to H. Res. 1084 Offered by Rep. Hastings of Washington At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this resolution, the amendment printed in section 4 shall be in order as though printed as the last amendment in the report of the Committee on Rules if offered by Representative Bishop of Utah or a designee. That amendment shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. Sec. 4. The amendment referred to in section 3 is as follows: Page 4, line 9, strike ``and''. Page 4, line 11, strike the period and insert the following: (3) by ensuring that no private property will be included in the system without written consent of the owner. (The information contained herein was provided by Democratic Minority on multiple occasions throughout the 109th Congress.) The Vote on the Previous Question: What It Really Means This vote, the vote on whether to order the previous question on a special rule, is not merely a procedural vote. A vote against ordering the previous question is a vote against the Democratic majority agenda and a vote to allow the opposition, at least for the moment, to offer an alternative plan. It is a vote about what the House should be debating. Mr. Clarence Cannon's Precedents of the House of Representatives, (VI, 308-311) describes the vote on the previous question on the rule as ``a motion to direct or control the consideration of the subject before the House being made by the Member in charge.'' To defeat the previous question is to give the opposition a chance to decide the subject before the House. Cannon cites the Speaker's ruling of January 13, 1920, to the effect that ``the refusal of the House to sustain the demand for the previous question passes the control of the resolution to the opposition'' in order to offer an amendment. On March 15, 1909, a member of the majority party offered a rule resolution. The House defeated the previous question and a member of the opposition rose to a parliamentary inquiry, asking who was entitled to recognition. Speaker Joseph G. Cannon (R-Illinois) said: ``The previous question having been refused, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Fitzgerald, who had asked the gentleman to yield to him for an amendment, is entitled to the first recognition.'' Because the vote today may look bad for the Democratic majority they will say ``the vote on the previous question is simply a vote on whether to proceed to an immediate vote on adopting the resolution . . . [and] has no substantive legislative or policy implications whatsoever.'' But that is not what they have always said. Listen to the definition of the previous question used in the Floor Procedures Manual published by the Rules Committee in the 109th Congress, (page 56). Here's how the Rules Committee described the rule using information from Congressional Quarterly's ``American Congressional Dictionary'': ``If the previous question is defeated, control of debate shifts to the leading opposition member (usually the minority Floor Manager) who then manages an hour of debate and may offer a germane amendment to the pending business.'' Deschler's Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives, the subchapter titled ``Amending Special Rules'' states: ``a refusal to order the previous question on such a rule [a special rule reported from the Committee on Rules] opens the resolution to amendment and further debate.'' (Chapter 21, section 21.2) Section 21.3 continues: Upon rejection of the motion for the previous question on a resolution reported from the Committee on Rules, control shifts to the Member leading the opposition to the previous question, who may offer a proper amendment or motion and who controls the time for debate thereon.'' Clearly, the vote on the previous question on a rule does have substantive policy implications. It is one of the only available tools for those who oppose the Democratic majority's agenda and allows those with alternative views the opportunity to offer an alternative plan.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I will work on that.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my friend from Utah not to leave, and I am going to ask him a question and then yield time to him, with the Speaker's permission. The gentleman from Utah is my good friend and he served with us on the Rules Committee, but I am just curious, as the ranking member of the committee of relevant jurisdiction, did you offer these measures? And, in addition, in the Rules Committee did you offer any statement in support of your measures? Finally, you did offer one amendment that I would suggest we save yourself from by not making it in order because you are not asking, of course, or want us to take up a measure that is going to cost the Treasury $5 billion. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1084 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I will reserve my time until the gentleman has closed and yielded back his time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend and namesake, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1084 provides for consideration of H.R. 2016, the National Landscape Conservation System Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, controlled by the Committee on Natural Resources. The rule makes in order the eight amendments listed in the Rules Committee report on this resolution. Six of these amendments will be offered by Republican Members, two by Democrats. Each amendment is debatable for 10 minutes. This rule is a continuation of our commitment to ensuring that the minority be given a fair opportunity to amend legislation on the House floor. The rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, the American public has a vested interest in protecting our Nation's lands from the destructive uses that would ruin their natural beauty. In my home State of Florida, the protection and preservation of the magnificent ecosystem known as the Everglades, which spans 3 million acres of wetlands and is home to rare and endangered species, is of utmost importance to me and my constituents. It is a national priority to ensure that these majestic wetlands and others around our country will be preserved for all future generations of Americans to enjoy. The preservation of the National Landscape Conservation System is equally important to this Nation and to this Congress. The underlying legislation would protect 27 million acres of land of the American West considered to have significant historical, cultural, ecological, scientific or scenic value. Most of the lands in this system are already protected and administered by the Bureau of Land Management, including wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers and national monuments. This bill will help to streamline management of the system and reduce overall bureaucracy in the program. If the statement of the gentleman from Alaska yesterday in the Rules Committee is any indication, and I am referring to our colleague Congressman Young, there is a small minority of Members who may try and argue that this bill strips the private property rights of landowners. Quite the contrary. This bill protects only the lands the Bureau of Land Management already has authority over. Additionally, no owners' rights have been violated in the past, and there is no reason to believe they will be violated in the future. Some may also argue that the underlying legislation changes the core management authority governing the individual National Landscape Conservation System units. Conversely, the bill includes an extensive savings clause that makes it abundantly clear that nothing in the bill alters the management authority governing the individual units. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would not affect the Bureau of Land Management's budget, direct spending or revenues, or the budgets of State, local or tribal governments. Finally, the amendments made in order under the rule go a step further to address energy development, grazing rights, hunting and fishing and border security, ensuring that this bill does not change the law in these areas at all. All this bill does is help conserve and protect our Nation's land, our Nation's heritage. It enjoys broad bipartisan support from groups including the Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, American Hiking Society, the National Council of Churches, Boone and Crockett Club, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Wildlife Foundation, and the Outdoor Industry Association. The bill also enjoys the often unheard of support from both President Bush and former President Clinton. It is my sincere hope that the House will pass this rule and underlying bill with the same overwhelming bipartisan support it currently enjoys. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the National Landscape Conservation System Act as we further our efforts to protect and preserve public lands throughout America. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my late great friend Congresswoman Julia M. Carson, a dedicated public servant from Indianapolis. I thank my colleague, Congressman Visclosky, for introducing a resolution to recognize her achievements by naming a post office in her honor in Indianapolis as the Julia M. Carson Post Office Building. Julia Carson was born on July 8, 1938 in Louisville, Kentucky and served in various elected offices. We first became colleagues when she was elected to the 105th Congress and served together until she passed away on December 15, 2007. As the first African American and first woman to be elected to Congress from Indianapolis, Julia Carson was a woman of outstanding ambition and achievements. Not only was Julia a star in her city of Indianapolis, but she was a star of the nation. Her many invaluable legislative contributions, including the recognition of Rosa Parks with a Congressional Gold Medal, were a testament to her star qualities. I hope that my colleagues realize what we lost when Julia passed away. Mr. Speaker, I can think of no one more deserving of this enduring recognition than Julia Carson. This resolution is fitting recognition for a tremendous woman who continued to deliver the truth until her final days. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution as we can all attest to her unprecedented devotion in serving her community and society.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Rosa ``Cissie'' Durando, a legendary environmentalist in Palm Beach County, Florida. I have known ``Cissie'' Durando since coming to Congress in 1993. As an officer in the Audubon Society and on her own, Rosa has been actively dedicated to the preservation of our environment for nearly 50 years. Her knowledge of all things ecological, her honesty, diligence and determination combine to make her an invaluable resource to everyone concerned about protecting our water, air and land and the flora and fauna with which we cohabit our planet. Over the course of her life, Rosa has accrued awards too numerous to mention. Now, her work has been recognized again by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who has named her a ``Point of Light'' during Environmental Awareness Month. I am pleased to join Governor Crist, Rosa's family, friends and huge numbers of admirers in celebrating her much deserved award, and I look forward to her continued contributions to the education of our citizens and the health of our planet.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker. I rise today with my colleagues Representatives Rush Holt and Michael Burgess introduced bi- partisan legislation today which will restore the federal-local partnership in covering medical expenses for incarcerated individuals before they are adjudicated. The Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act of 2008 ensures that individuals currently receiving Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security Insurance (SSI) will continue to receive those benefits until they are tried and convicted and that local governments will not be forced to cover the medical expenses of individuals who have not yet been convicted of any wrongdoing. A person incarcerated in a county jail or juvenile detention facility in almost all states is ineligible to receive Medicare, Medicaid, or SSI benefits once they enter the facility. Under current law, however, the suspension of benefits occurs prior to the issuance of formal charges or conviction. As a result, local governments (usually county governments) are responsible for not only meeting and paying for the mandate that all individuals who are inmates of public institutions be provided with health care, but also for the days, weeks, months, and even years leading up to an actual conviction. If a person is found innocent, the reinstatement of federal benefits--benefits which should not have been taken away in the first place--can takes months, while the local government continues to be responsible for covering the non- reimbursable costs associated with providing the federally-mandated health care to these individuals. The cost assessed to counties, although not exact, is in the hundreds of millions nationwide. The bipartisan Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act of 2008 addresses this issue prohibiting the Federal Government from stripping individuals of their Medicare, Medicaid, and SSI benefits prior to actually being convicted and reaffirming the federal- local partnership in meeting this mandate. Madam Speaker, stripping people of their federal benefits before they have been convicted of anything is a direct contradiction of the basic presumption of innocence which is the foundation of the American criminal justice system. And for the Federal Government to stick local governments with the tab for this contradictory policy is just plain wrong. The Federal and local governments are partners in ensuring that alI of our residents have medical coverage. Neither partner should be bearing an unfair burden in meeting this mandate. Our bipartisan legislation is a common sense solution to this continuing problem, and I urge my colleagues to support its expeditious passage.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank my esteemed colleague on the Rules Committee for yielding 1 minute. I regret very much my colleague, who is my friend from California, had to be about his business because I wanted to respond directly to him dealing specifically with his comments as if this legislation is directed only to Africa. This legislation wisely expands to the Caribbean basin. And I urged yesterday in the Rules Committee that people understand that American tourists visit these places and, in many instances, it is in our best interest to make sure that these kinds of humanitarian concerns are taken care of. Haiti is involved in this legislation. And I doubt seriously if there's anybody that doesn't believe that we should be about the business of trying to help Haiti. My colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) just said that it is the right thing to do. It is the humanitarian thing to do. It is the right thing to do. And lest we ignore the extraordinary problem we have here in the Nation's Capital on HIV/AIDS, lest we ignore the need to expand the Ryan White Act, failure to do these things causes us to do so at our peril. This is de minimis by comparison to what is needed or what is required.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Coaches Don and Blaze Thompson, father and son, who are true living legends in the city of Pahokee, Florida and throughout Palm Beach County. Don Thompson has been a part of the Pahokee Middle/Senior High School Blue Devils football team since 1984. As head coach, he led the team to its first state championship in 1989. In all the years since, he has been a mentor, friend and very important role model for the young men of Pahokee. Still an assistant coach of the team, Don Thompson is recognized and respected around the state of Florida as an expert at the sport of football. He is also a loving husband, father and grandfather. As Don Thompson's son, Blaze Thompson has inherited his Dad's talent and skill for winning. In his first year as head coach of the Blue Devils, the team played the toughest opponents in its division and went undefeated, winning its 5th state championship. Blaze has already earned the love and respect of his players, fellow coaches, Pahokee's citizens and everyone who enjoys high school football. Many of the boys Don and Blaze have coached have gone on to successful careers in professional football. As the first father and son to win Florida state championships with the same football team, it is fitting that Don was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame and Blaze named Coach of the Year on the same night. I have no doubt that Blaze will one day follow his Dad into the Hall. I am pleased that both of these fine gentlemen and the team they coach call the 23rd District of Florida their home. I am very proud of them. On behalf of the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, I applaud coaches Thompson and Thompson for their service and commitment to the people of my district and throughout South Florida. We are all very proud of them.