Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. We did all we could, Mr. President.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. President, point of order. Would the President advise whether or not there is an opportunity to appeal the ruling of the Chair?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Thank you, Mr. President. To answer your question, Mr. President, the objection is in writing, signed by a number of Members of the House of Representatives, but not by a Member of the Senate. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. President, and I take great pride in calling you that, I must object because of the overwhelming evidence of official misconduct, deliberate fraud, and an attempt to suppress voter turnout.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I take a moment to congratulate our friends and allies in the Republic of China on Taiwan as they prepare to celebrate their National Day on October 10. As a Member of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, it gives me special pleasure to mark this occasion. As my colleagues know, the Taiwanese people recently made history as they successfully and peacefully held their second democratic presidential election and chose Mr. Chen Shui-bian, the candidate from the opposition party, as their head of state. President Chen and the people of Taiwan are to be commended for that landmark achievement. Like his predecessors, President Chen continues to seek a proper role for Taiwan in the international community. President Chen also has sent goodwill messages many times to resume a dialogue with the People's Republic of China. In the meantime, he exhorts his countrymen to make Taiwan a strong, peaceful, and worthy ally of ours in a region that is so important to our national interest. I join with my colleagues in the Congress and many Taiwanese-American friends in the United States in congratulating the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan on this 89th anniversary of their National Day.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, when I came to Congress in 1992, among the first committees that I had the pleasure of serving on was the Merchant Marine Committee; and at that time Herb Bateman was the ranking member. I knew very little about the process, and it may come as a surprise to some that a person like Herb would take time to walk me through a number of the issues that were critical both to Virginia and the State of Florida. I join our colleagues in offering condolences to his family. I got to know him in the way that he is, a quietly effective person who, obviously, is a tremendous patriot and statesman and will be missed by all of us here in this Congress. I am grateful that I had the pleasure of getting to know such a distinguished gentleman as Herbert Bateman.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) for his warm and generous comment. I am deeply appreciative. Additionally, I would like to thank our full committee chairman, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), for assisting my office in expediting this matter before the end of this portion of our session. I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) again for giving me the privilege of going forward today in this regard, as well as the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), who has been extremely helpful to us. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3985. I introduced this bill earlier in the year to name a post office in my hometown of Miramar, Florida, for Vicki Coceano. The city commission of the City of Miramar passed a resolution overwhelmingly supportive of this measure before I undertook any action at all. Additionally, my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutsch), in whose district this facility actually exists, was also extremely supportive. For me, it becomes a moment of personal privilege. I am now in my fourth term here in the United States Congress. And I have had the good fortune of doing a significant number of things on behalf of the people that I represent in the district that I am privileged to serve. And I would hope on behalf of this Nation and indeed the entire Earth that some of my actions have been helpful. But none gives me any greater pride than to offer this measure today for indeed as is the case with a lot of Members who come forward with legislation, today it is a point of real privilege for me because Vicki Coceano is a person that I have known for 38 years. And I have known her to be more than forthright as a citizen. In the days of segregation, it was Vicki Coceano that spoke out frequently with reference to matters of this kind. So, Mr. Speaker, and I would also say to my dear friends in South Florida, this honor is altogether fitting and appropriate. In the few minutes that I have, let me say a little more about a wonderful woman in South Florida, Vicki Coceano, that the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) so rightfully brought up, Mayor Vicki. Mayor Vicki, as she is affectionately known by some, Vicki by some of us, and has preferred it that way, has resided in South Florida for more than 40 years and has generously given both her time and talents throughout that period to make Broward County, which its largest city is Fort Lauderdale but its proudest city is Miramar, during that period of time to make it a better place to live and work. She was elected to serve as a Miramar city commissioner in 1977 and elected mayor in 1989, serving the people of Miramar for more than 20 years, indeed all of its existence. There is one who has departed, former Mayor Calhoun, who I know is looking down on us today as we take this action and is proud of the fact that Vicki is being a recipient of this honor. Vicki has also served on many boards at the Federal, State and county levels, including the Blue Ribbon Committee for Broward County Schools, the Area Agency on Aging and the White House Conference on Aging. Above all, Vicki has always been interested in our Nation's youth, recognizing that they are tomorrow's leaders and that our future rests in their hands. She spearheaded a successful fund-raising campaign to build a youth center and has since been honored with a Spirit of Life Humanitarian Award. Though struggling with illness at this time, Mayor Vicki is still very much involved with the planning and zoning board; serves on the executive committee of the Area Agency on Aging and is a volunteer at the Broward County Humana Hospital. For Vicki Coceano, civil service is part of a life blended with optimism, fervency and genuine care for those she serves. Her commitment has both shaped her legacy and the life of Miramar's residents. Coceano was recently awarded the Spirit of Life Humanitarian Award at a banquet in which the proceeds will benefit the Mayor Vicki Coceano Cancer Research Fellowship at the National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute. In addition, her name brandishes both the Broward County Hall of Fame and the Broward County Women's Hall of Fame. The new post office in Miramar will service the transactions and connections people forge each day. If we can add Mayor Vicki's name to this building, it would certainly be fitting for a leader who understands the power of communicating the language of change and articulating its power through her actions, commitments and spirit. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that all 22 of my Florida colleagues have cosponsored this bill with me, and I am equally proud that Senator Bob Graham has introduced an identical bill in the Senate. Clearly, Floridians know and wish to honor Vicki Coceano. I am delighted to see this honor bestowed today upon a delightful woman that has served us so much. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), the chairman of this committee, for being forthcoming with reference to this legislation. Additionally, I would like to thank the delegate, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), my good friend, for graciously allowing me to manage the time on this important measure. I would like to join the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) in the consideration of H.R. 4437, the Semipostal Authorization Act, legislation, granting the postal service the discretionary authority to issue semipostals. This measure was unanimously reported from the committee on June 29, 2000. I am pleased to note that on June 29, the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) reported out an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4437, which made a number of important changes to the original text. We owe our interests in semipostals to Dr. Ernie Bodai, chief of surgery at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Sacramento, California, and one of our former colleagues, former Congressman Vic Fazio from California. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Bodai first proposed the idea of a semipostal with the money raised going toward breast cancer research. He took his idea to Congressman Vic Fazio; and on May 7, 1996, Congressman Fazio introduced the first semipostal bill, H.R. 3401, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Act. He was joined in this effort by Senator Dianne Feinstein when she sponsored identical legislation in the Senate. Congressman Fazio subsequently reintroduced his bill in the 105th Congress as H.R. 407. On May 13, 1997, Representative Fazio joined Representative Susan Molinari from New York, former Congresswoman, in sponsoring H.R. 1585, Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act. The bill, as amended, and passed by the House on July 22, 1997, by a vote of 423-3 permitted the postal service to establish a special rate of postage for first class mail, not to exceed 25 percent of the original first class rate of postage. Stamps issued under this special rate are available for purchase by the public on a voluntary basis and as an alternative to regular postage. After deducting an amount sufficient to cover reasonable costs attributable to the printing, sale, and distribution of the stamps, the postal service would transfer 70 percent of the amount generated to the National Institutes of Health and 30 percent to the Department of Defense for breast cancer research. The National Institutes of Health designated the money to support innovative pilot studies that will further breast cancer awareness. The Department of Defense designated the money for awards intended to encourage innovative approaches to breast cancer research. H.R. 1585 was subsequently enacted into law, Public Law 105-41, in addition to authorizing the breast cancer research stamp for 2 years, required the General Accounting Office to submit a report to Congress that evaluated the effectiveness and the appropriateness of this method of fund-raising. In its April 2000 report, entitled ``Breast Cancer Research Stamp, Millions Raised for Research, But Better Costs Recovery Criteria Needed,'' the GAO determined that the semipostal was successful. It is expected that by July 28, 2000, well over 215 million stamps will have been sold and more than 15 million in revenue raised. GAO further determined that the semipostal was an effective and appropriate way to fund-raise. Mr. Speaker, the incidence of breast cancer continues to far outstrip available resources and funds. The statistics are as sobering as they are rising. Breast cancer is still the number one cancer killer of women between the ages of 15 and 24. The disease claims another woman's life every 15 minutes in the United States. More than 2 million women are living with breast cancer in America today, yet 1 million of them have not been diagnosed. More and more people are joining the ranks of breast cancer survivors rather than breast cancer victims due in large part to breakthroughs in cancer research. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, 8 million people are alive today as a result of cancer research. The bottom line is that every dollar we continue to raise will save lives. Clearly, the American public by purchasing more than 215 million breast cancer semipostal stamps believes this is a good cause and one worthy of contributions. I would urge on behalf of the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the committee that we move quickly and pass H.R. 4437. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I thank him for his leadership on this particular measure. Mr. Speaker, today I have come to the floor to speak on behalf of H.R. 3125, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. As my colleagues may know, unregulated Internet gambling through virtual casino games has become a very lucrative business. These Web sites are not regulated, taxed or licensed by the States and are available to the public, including those who are underage and would not be allowed in an actual gambling facility, on the open Internet. New sites offering games such as blackjack and roulette crop up each day, and the industry has plans for major expansion next year if the issue is not addressed legislatively by Congress in this session. H.R. 3125 effectively addresses the problems created by these sites, clarifies Federal law, and gives the authorities the tools necessary to regulate Internet gambling activities. At the same time, the bill establishes a regulatory framework for Internet gaming activities that recognizes the leadership role that should be played by the individual States in regulating legal gaming activities they have already authorized. Mr. Speaker, the Senate companion bill passed the Senate late last year by unanimous consent and we are ripe to enact legislation clarifying the complex issue of Internet gambling. If H.R. 3125 is not passed this year, it will likely be too late to stop the problems caused by these unregulated gambling businesses. H.R. 3125 is a good bill that works, as is evidenced by the broad level of support that it has garnered from various groups and on both sides of the aisle. I would like to urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this practical and necessary legislation and working to enact the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act into law. I also would like to clarify the fact that lotteries are not affected. Lotteries are regressive. And we all know that.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. It would be No. 28 in the printed unanimous consent request. We completed No. 27.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I then withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not object, but I do ask the gentleman for clarification so that the Members will understand. By continuing on until 1 o'clock in the morning, the amendments as printed will come up in that particular order. Is that our understanding?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Firstly, let us have it clearly understood that foreign assistance is an aid to America, it is not a hindrance. When we came to Congress, those of us in 1992, we spent $18 billion in America on foreign assistance. Now we propose in this measure less than $12 billion. Overall, the bill cuts programs which benefit Africa and Latin America by 15 percent. The bill also cuts nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, de- mining, and related programs by 32 percent from the administration's request, and it cuts 27 percent from funding for Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. Mr. Speaker, I just returned from a CODEL to Bucharest, Romania, led by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and Senator George Voinovich, along with the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) and several others of us. There we met with more than 350 parliamentarians representing 54 countries. And let me tell my colleagues that the whole week we were there we were touting the leading role that the United States plays in the world. Frankly, I hope none of our colleagues from those parliamentary bodies are watching the procedures in this House today, because I am embarrassed. Setting aside the procedural problems with this rule, the fact that several amendments that would make this bill stronger have been disallowed, the underlying bill itself is weak to the point of impotency. We tout ourselves as being one of the most charitable nations in this world, and yet this bill appropriates less than 20 percent of the President's request for debt relief. This level of funding will deny relief to some countries, such as Mozambique and Bolivia, who have already met the conditions necessary to obtain debt relief. In addition, this low level of funding would seriously jeopardize the highly indebted poor country initiative because it may lead other bilateral donors to reduce their contributions. Defeat this rule and defeat this bill.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, and posing a question to the gentleman from Alabama, I am not clear. Is the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) saying that it will be 3 hours total for everything or just the Pelosi amendment? Mr. Chairman, under my reservation, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and I rise in support of her very important amendment. Before we discuss the particulars of the amendment, I think we need to look at what the base bill does. The base bill makes deep cuts in funds available for loans to the world's neediest countries. That has been said rather repeatedly here. The 32 percent cut in funding for the International Development Association would severely impact the financing of investments in health, clean water supplies, education and other infrastructure needed to reduce poverty. Additional cuts are made in funding for the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, the Asian Development Fund, and the Inter-American Investment Corporation. The reality is that what we are doing here is crushing nations that have been pretty much crushed to the ground. By allowing the debt to continue to run and interest to rise on it, we ultimately affect all such particulars that we would not want to as a fair-minded nation. Mr. Chairman, I urge support for the gentlewoman's amendment.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank my distinguished colleague from Indiana for yielding me the time. I particularly rise on this measure for asking the House to support it. The Committee on Appropriations, each day that there is an appropriation measure, submits a report in explanation. The chairman of this subcommittee, my good friend, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan), previously said that he had written the perfect bill. Certainly on economic growth and microenterprise, I wish to join in suggesting that he is absolutely correct about that part. Let the House hear what he said: ``Microenterprise has proven its effectiveness in promoting economic growth in many of the poorest countries and allowing poor people, especially women, to lift themselves out of poverty and to create and expand microbusinesses which raise living standards. The committee recognizes that microenterprise cannot lift an entire Nation out of poverty. Broad policy reforms and responsible stewardship of resources at the national level are essential. But microenterprise programs can complement sound macroeconomic policies. I say to the gentleman from Alabama, he did write something perfect.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and perhaps I can respond quickly to the distinguished subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan). I am a proponent of the International Development Fund, IDA, and I am also a supporter of the measure that is being offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman). Ultimately, what it boils down to is that we have budgetary constraints that we have created in a time of prosperity. And in all fairness, if we had sufficient motivation, I believe that we would come up with the necessary funds. Thus, we are going to not only have in this appropriation measure, but in countless numbers of other amendments and other appropriations yet to be done and ones that have passed, offsets that are required that pit one program against another. No one can argue that I am not for IDA, and no one can argue that I am not against the spread of AIDS not only in Africa but throughout the world. Let me give some more statistics. HIV/AIDS infects more than 10 million children worldwide. Africa is most affected by the disease, with 70 percent of the world's 34 million HIV infected people. In Botswana, for example, a third of all girls and 16 percent of all boys are infected with HIV. In South Africa, 25 percent of all girls and 11 percent of all boys are infected. Furthermore, they do not educate our children on how to protect themselves. We should support this measure and we should be prepared to support others with offsets.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding time to me. I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) for the extraordinary leadership she has provided in this measure, as well as my colleagues in the Republican party who have come forward and demonstrated how they feel with reference to this issue. Of course, people like the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) and countless others have been here for us, as well as all of the women of this House, providing the kind of leadership that we need in an effort to speak out about these matters. Please know this, that what we are failing to do is to assist a continent of people who, in the final analysis, are finding their life expectancy, according to reports in today's New York Times, reduced to 30 years of age. Ron Dellums, who the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) replaced in Congress, spoke often to this House with passion regarding this issue, and now finds himself involved in this issue, trying to avoid, ultimately, the death in the next 5 years of 35 million people. Research and development is needed to rid this scourge in Africa and America. Please support this measure.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, it is about this time of year that I think about my colleague from Florida, who I am certain, along with a lot of Members of this House, find former President Reagan to be one of their heroes. Now, most of my colleagues know that I was not the biggest fan of the former President; but he sure did know how to turn a phrase, and one that keeps coming to my mind, and that we use often here on the floor is, ``There you go again.'' It is summertime and we are debating the agriculture appropriations bill and the opponents of this Nation's hard-working sugar farmers are at it again. It seems each year at about this same time, we have to have this vote. It is a waste of time and of this body's attention. Let me explain why, Mr. Chairman, in a very simple way. Let us look at the real issue here. The price of sugar in the United States is at a 20-year low, 30 percent lower than when we passed the farm bill. Yet all the things that have sugar in them in the supermarket have increased in price. Why is it, Mr. Chairman, sugar prices are down for growers and up for consumers? What we really should be doing here is taking a hard look at the big food companies who, in the final analysis, cause this amendment to come before us. The real truth is they just want sugar cheaper so they can pad their already fat pockets. Now, I ask the Members of this House if they have, in the last week, received in their offices e-mails and calls regarding the price of oil? My bet is that they have. As yesterday and on into the night last night we discussed the price of medicine, have my colleagues received e-mails and calls from their constituents around this great country of ours regarding that? I am certain that every man and woman in this House has received such a call. I ask any of my colleagues to tell me if they have received a call because sugar prices are too high. Now then, I would like to address specifically my colleague, my good friend, the gentleman from the west coast of Florida (Mr. Miller), who earlier in his comments made the statement that the price of sugar elsewhere around the world is cheaper. Well, I just want to use two countries, and I got this price today before coming to the floor, in Winn-Dixie and Publix, major supermarkets in my district and the district of my colleague in the State of Florida, the cost of a pound of sugar today is 32 cents. In England, it is 50 cents. In Germany, it is 50 cents. I have difficulty understanding how it is that we are going to gain this particular cheapness that I hear the proponents of this amendment offer. Now, I would like to say something else for purposes of the edification of the body. The United States Agriculture Department, USDA, has denounced the GAO report that has been continuously paraded here. I have also heard talk about who these farmers are. Let me say proudly that I represent many of the sugar farmers, along with my colleague across the aisle, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley). We represent in this country 75 percent of all the sugar cane grown in the United States of America. And that includes the much-maligned Fanjul family, who have done a considerable amount of good that has not been paid attention to in that area, and that includes United States sugar industry representatives as well. What I believe my colleague does know is that there is a United States cooperative that has 54 family farmers involved in the production and farming of sugar. Those farmers help in our State alone to produce good jobs. I am not talking about jobs for the average kind of wage that we think of when we think of the stoop labor that used to be directly involved in cane sugar growing. I am talking about jobs for machinists that start at $60,000 a year, I am talking about jobs for people who drive trucks, black and white people, that make $40,000 and $50,000 and $60,000 a year. We are talking about good jobs. So when we put a human face on this thing, if my colleagues come with me to Clewiston and to Belle Glade, and to Pahokee, they would see people who are working in this industry. And while it was one thing for my colleagues to offer $50 billion phased in for estate taxes, somehow or another they find it difficult to find $54 million for growth in jobs.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the committee, for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I would like to associate myself with his remarks as well as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, with whom I serve, and my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman). I would like to ask my good friend, who I have served with now for three terms, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford), a question, and that is whether or not the distinguished gentleman has visited the Asia Foundation and seen the programmatic structure that they offer for developing democracy and economic opportunity?