Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as educator Geraldine Rickman stated, ``Firsts are always difficult. We don't know that things can be done, that dreams can be fulfilled, that great accomplishments can be realized, until somebody takes that first step and shows the way.'' Indeed, Dr. Dazelle Dean Simpson did not just take that first step, she blazed a trail. Certain endowments of temper and temperment can be attributed to Dr. Simpson's significant firsts. She attended Meharry medical School in Nashville, TN, the first medical school founded for the sole education of blacks. Her years there were marked by hard work and high intelligence, as evidenced by her selection as valedictorian of her M.D. class. Excellence in education translated into outstanding achievements throughout her career. Dr. Simpson has devoted 47 years to practicing medicine. She has accomplished a ground-breaking collection of notable firsts, including being the first black pediatrician in Florida, the first to achieve specialist certification in her specialty and the first black president of the Greater Miami Pediatrics Society. Child care and preventive medicine are areas of concern and commitment for Dr. Simpson. She was the first black pediatrician to conduct a children's clinic for the poor in Dade County. In fact, the Family Christian Association of America recently dedicated a new child development center in Buena Vista. ``Before I came here,'' Dr. Simpson said, ``a lot of people did not even know the word pediatrician, or why it was important to go to one.'' As vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Miami Children's Hospital, she certainly has done a lot to change that. Even with her busy practice, Dr. Simpson has found the energy and the time to advance the cause of medical education. She served as the national president of Meharry Medical College, and was elected Alumna of the Year in 1975 and 1995. She is a life member of the NAACP, attesting to several years of continuous service. In addition to her professional success and community efforts, Dr. Simpson is a mother of three children and an active participant in her church. And although she is a very accomplished woman, she is modest and reluctant to call attention to her achievements. It is in this spirit that, on the occasion of her retirement, I would like to pay tribute to a role model, for all Americans, Dr. Dazelle Dean Simpson.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to another Floridian, Mr. Peterson, a distinguished veteran who, I might add, had a very significant hand in allowing that the fighter pilots from France were released.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4\1/2\ minutes. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I was fortunate to lead, with Congressman Dennis Hastert of Illinois, a CODEL which visited Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Germany. We met with the President of Croatia, the Prime Minister of Bosnia, the President of Serbia, IFOR commanders, and U.S. troops who were preparing for deployment. The CODEL sought to answer six questions: What is the United States stake in Bosnia? Can the IFOR mission be accomplished? Are there risks to our troops? How do you separate military from civilian responsibilities? How do you measure the success of the missions, and what happens if they are not working? What should be done to maximize IFOR's success? Adm. Leighton Smith, commander of the American forces south, and the other American generals and officers who briefed the CODEL were confident that the IFOR mission is achievable because IFOR has a clear mandate, substantial firepower, and the desire of the parties involved to settle this conflict. Each head of government with whom we met also expressed confidence that the Dayton signatories would meet their obligations because, as President Tudjman said, ``Without the direct involvement of the United States, peace in Bosnia is not possible. Implementation of the Dayton agreement is necessary and only the United States and NATO can do it. There are risks. The roads are poor and the danger of accidents is high. Snipers, car bombs, land mines, and mortar fire are all potential threats. The presence of an unknown number of Mujahedeen fighters may be a problem, especially if they decide they do not want to leave Bosnia. Clearly, there are many unknowns. Neither the U.S. Congress, our military leaders, our NATO allies, or the signatories to the Dayton agreement can promise that our involvement is without risk. But we do know that the Dayton signatories. both the politicians and the people they represent said they want peace. And they believe that peace and stability can be reached only with our assistance. As Prime Minister Silajdzic of Bosnia said, ``This move by your President is a courageous move, a farreaching move. It is extremely important to grasp this change for peace. Because if Dayton doesn't work nothing will work. We cannot have peace without a stable buffer, a bridge. That is why we need NATO troops. No other organization can do it. We need your help to make pace, not war.'' Mr. Speaker, this debate is as much about our role in the world as it is about our role in this conflict. Today we are deciding how involved we want to be in shaping the world around us. In the past 72 hours two persons have put our role into perspective for me. The first was Admiral Smith. When asked about the United States national interest in Bosnia, he replied that the wrong questions was being posed. He stated: ``The question is about U.S. leadership in the world. If we don't go in our credibility goes to rock bottom. The next time when vital U.S. interests are engaged, are our allies and friends going to be with us? Probably not.'' The second person was Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, during his address to the joint session of Congress, when he said that the United States has ``. . . save[d] the globe from three of its greatest menaces: nazi tyranny, Japanese militarism and the communist challenge.'' When he spoke of Palestinian democracy and peace with Israel's enemies, he said ``three years ago such a prospect would have been a fantasy. All of this would not be attainable were it not for the American involvement and support for our efforts.'' Mr. Speaker, every person voting in this Chamber today must decide right now what kind of world he or she wants to live in. We are clearly the most powerful country in the world. We have a strong military, a stable government, robust civil rights, and a reputation for constantly recreating ourselves to make America a better, more equitable country. And it is because of our vibrant, democratic traditions that the rest of the world looks to us for leadership. We talk a good game in this body, passing resolutions to say this and sense of Congress' to say that, but if we do not support our good intentions with actions, then our words will lose meaning and our good intentions and strong words will be a joke worldwide. I, for one, believe in American leadership and I believe, as one of the American generals said to me, that the people of Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia, need a period of decency. I want to give them that period of decency by helping to secure their peace.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Gibbons], distinguished dean of the Florida delegation.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut, [Ms. DeLauro] with whom I visited Bosnia this past weekend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Farr].

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, does any Member of the House of Representatives who supports the troops in this matter have the right to seek modification, such that he or she could make a representation that they wish to request unanimous consent that we do exactly what the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] set forth?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief. I share with the gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan] the concern about that snow. The weather or the elements there are the most serious threat to our troops, but you do not pick your theater when you are trying to preserve some kind of semblance of peace. It is going to be a difficult theater. No war is risk free, and nobody here knows that better than he does, I would say to the gentleman from California.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall], for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this rule because it promotes wishy-washiness. The gentleman from New York, [Mr. Solomon], the chairman of the committee, has commented on the fact that we have had hearings in other committees. We have, but not about the particular language that we are getting ready to vote on. There have been no committee hearings in that regard. I have been to every hearing on the Committee on International Relations that was officially held concerning Bosnia. It does not permit any amendments, and then we are just seeing the language, as I speak. It is a work in progress. We do not have any idea what we are getting ready to vote on. This is political posturing in the extreme. Mr. Speaker, we were sent here to lead, not to seek cover for our political, personal safety. What do we have with this rule? Cut off the troops. The other body just voted something like that. We voted on Hefley here on authorization. The other body just rejected that soundly, 77 to 22. Trash the President but support the troops. You all trash the President every day around here, so what else is new about that? Support the troops? But we have some reservations. Is this leadership? We should support the President, any President, Republican or Democrat, when they deploy troops under their constitutional aegis, and we should promote and praise the troops that I saw when I was in Croatia this past weekend. These children are magnificent, and we should reject this rule. Here is why. Let me quote, for those who keep asking, ``What is the stake for the United States, and why does United States participation make a difference?'' Admiral Leighton Smith, a four-star in charge of every American child in that theater, said: The question is about United States leadership in the world. If we don't go in, our credibility goes to rock bottom. Let me repeat again what Admiral Leighton Smith said, in response to the question ``What is the United States' stakes in Bosnia, and why does United States participation make a difference?'' He said: The question is about United States leadership in the world. If we don't go in, our credibility goes to rock bottom. The next time, when vital U.S. interests are engaged, our allies and friends are not going to be with us. If we don't go in, there will be more killing and the war can spread. Do not underestimate the volatility of the Balkans. What I saw in the way of destruction in Sarajevo, no man or woman in this body can say that we should not somehow or other, as the leader of the world, promote a period of decency and give peace a chance. Reject this rule.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I came here to talk about Bosnia, but in response to my friend let me remind him that one election does not necessarily a majority make. I congratulate the Republicans for their victory, but there are going to be some more, and in Florida we are going to have one evermore big- time fight. The question keeps being asked around here, what is the United States stake in Bosnia and why does the United States participation make a difference. Let me answer through the words of Adm. Snuffy Smith. ``The question is about United States leadership in the world,'' he said. ``If we don't go in, our credibility goes to rock bottom. The next time when vital United States interests are engaged, are our allies and friends going to be with us? Probably not. If we don't go in there, there will be more killing, the war can spread. Do not underestimate the volatility of the Balkans.'' This gentleman is the commander in charge of our troops. Our troops are ready and well-trained. Let us support the United States troops that are being deployed to Bosnia.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I wish to echo the sentiments of the previous speaker, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro). I, too, was on that mission. I, too, had serious reservations of going into the Balkans. We covered five countries in 4 days in that weekend period with a bipartisan delegation of outstanding Members of this U.S. House of Representatives. I came back most impressed with Snuffy Smith, the admiral, and General Crouch, who have charge of our troops. These men know what they are doing. These troops are ready; they are well trained. It is not risk-free, but the western alliance and America's status in this world is at stake in this matter. One person said something that will last with me forever, and that is that the people in the Balkans need a period of decency. I have never seen such devastation as we saw in Sarajevo. I ask of this House when we consider, if we do, any resolution, that we take into consideration the immense need to support the troops of the United States of America.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Honorable Joseph Hayne Rainey, the first African-American Member of the U.S. Congress. His is a story of struggle and hope, perseverance, and success. Congressman Joseph Rainey fulfilled the American Dream. No, his is not a story about instant success or one of rags to riches. Mr. Rainey's story is one of struggle, as he was born a slave in Georgetown, SC. Shortly after his birth, Joseph's father bought the Rainey family out of slavery. Soon, the elder Rainey established a prosperous business as a barber. Joseph followed his father's vocation, married and moved to Charleston, SC. Drafted by the Confederacy in 1862, Joseph built military fortifications until he and his wife escaped to Bermuda. At the end of the war, Joseph returned to South Carolina, where he became active in the Republican Party. After establishing himself politically, Rainey was elected to Congress in 1870. He went on to serve consecutive terms in Congress, representing his home district of Georgetown. And, as many of us know, that is no simple task even after 100 plus years of Reconstruction. In my State, I am the first African-American Congressman to represent Florida since 1871, when Josiah Walls was elected to serve in Washington. Mrs. Meek and Ms. Brown are the first African-American Congresswomen ever to serve our State. My friends, this is not a fable of the Reconstruction. This is a story of struggle and liberation, this, is the American Dream. Although my term in this House occurs 125 years after his, Joseph, and I have much in common. While in Congress, Representative Rainey was a very active proponent of civil rights legislation, including the integration of schools. He delivered effective speeches on the enforcement of the 14th amendment and the Ku Klux Klan Act. The Congressman fought to broaden educational opportunities, believing that Federal aid for education was important to all Americans, regardless of race or region. It is this message that he would probably deliver to the majority in Congress today. Mr. Rainey was fiercely loyal to party and to cause. And so, Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I honor Mr. Joseph Hayne Rainey, the first African-American Member of Congress.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the concurrent resolution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant], my good friend, and for his stewardship in allowing this bill to come before the House at this time. As well, I would like to thank the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] for the extraordinary work that he has put forward, and I also thank the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], the ranking member of the committee. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of these Members and their staffs, as well as a staff member of mine, Ann Jacobs, who has worked very actively in this particular matter. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 255, legislation to name the Federal Justice Building in Miami, FL as the James Lawrence King Justice Building. Judge King's career as a U.S. District Judge, especially his effective and much praised administration as Chief Judge, is exemplary and worthy of honor. Among many accomplishments, Judge King served as 1 of 23 members of the Judicial Conference of the United States and as the Chairman of the Conferences' Implementation Committee on Admission of Attorneys to Federal Practice. He was also a member of the Conferences' Judicial Ethics Committee. Judge King was a Chief U.S. District Judge for the Panama Canal Zone and, on numerous occasions, as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals. He has compiled over 200 published opinions. Judge King has been a member of the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit Administrative Conference and a member of the Long Range Planning Committee for the Federal Judiciary. Of course, the main reason Judge King deserves this honor is his dedication to the new Federal Justice Building. While many community leaders contributed to its construction, no one labored more selflessly or provided greater leadership than Judge King. For without Judge King acting almost as the architect, builder, contractor, and decorator, this building would not be standing today. Because of Judge King's determination and attention to all of the details, his effective stewardship of the U.S. District Court of Florida during his tenure as Chief Justice, and his proven commitment to improving the administration of justice, Judge King is singularly worthy of having the new Federal Justice Building named in his honor.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Are you saying every Democrat sent that out? I did not send it out.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the ranking member of the Committee on National Security, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to H.R. 2606. The only hope we have for the former Yugoslavia is the fragile peace talks which are currently underway in Dayton. We arranged these talks, we invited the participants, and we are guiding them, hopefully, toward a satisfactory resolution which participants say might come as early as this weekend. Yet we consider today legislation which, if it passes, will show to the parties involved that we really have no intention of following through on our demands for peace. We bring the parties to the table, squeeze an agreement out of them, and then say ``Good that you came to an agreement, but don't expect us to help you implement it.'' This is not right. Would we do this with other enemies who are trying to resolve their conflicts? Would we initiate peace talks to resolve a prolonged conflict and then bail out just before the matter is resolved? Mr. Speaker, the real issue is this: Does the U.S. Congress want the United States to remain the last superpower? Because if the answer is yes, with superpower status comes superpower responsibilities. And this means carrying through on the commitments we made when we accepted the superpower mantle. A strong, stable Europe is in our best interest. Europeans will buy American products during peace, not during war. And a strong, stable NATO is also in our best interest because it lessens the chance that we will ever have to act unilaterally again. As a superpower and a NATO member we have a vested interest in bringing stability to Europe. And if we fail in this responsibility the war will surely spread, and we will have lost our moral authority as well as the respect and trust of our allies around the world who depend on us to do the right thing. We made war in the Persian Gulf to protect our oil supply. President Clinton is asking us to make peace in Bosnia to protect people. There are certainly risks involved. I am worried about our soldiers, I am worried about landmines threaded throughout the area, and I am worried that it may be impossible to negotiate through the region in the dead of winter. But we must take risks for peace. And I do not believe that saving the life of a Moslem person in Bosnia is any less valuable than a drop of oil in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. This is not the right time for this resolution. President Clinton has said quite clearly that he would, although he does not have to, seek the approval of Congress before sending Americans to the region. And I think he should. This conflict may be resolved within a few days. Would it not be smarter if we were to wait to see how this conflict is resolved before we decide how we will respond? I think a good chess player would say, don't declare checkmate before focusing your chess piece on the king.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, there is nothing magical about 7 years. Our Republican friends made a promise in their Contract With America that the fictional 7 years was important. I say fiction, because they know and the American people really know, that we are not able to bind future Congresses any more than we have been bound by previous Congresses. We will not balance the budget in 7 years. We will create more pain for the elderly; more pain for the young; more pain for veterans; more pain for American citizens. It is simply a question, when trying to balance the budget, of whether or not we are going to do it in a certain time frame. You have come up with 7 years. I could do it in 3 with a lot of pain. I could do it in 10 with less pain. There is not a damn thing magical about 7 years.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking Member for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes draconian cuts in NOAA's budget which would effectively shut down crucial operations in many areas of the country. The cuts made in this bill jeopardize NOAA's ability to provide accurate and timely weather prediction, thereby putting all our lives in danger. If these cuts are enacted we will not be giving NOAA the money it needs to function properly and hundreds of lives and billions of dollars will be needlessly lost. Floridians, having survived some of the most brutal storms in the world, are dependent on weather information and strongly support efforts to improve operational weather and forecast services. I do not understand why this Congress wants to endanger the lives of people in my home State by closing 62 of the 118 weather forecast offices, such as those in Miami, Melbourne, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee, FL. In addition to fewer offices, NOAA will lose one-half of its satellite capability, thus increasing the chance of a total satellite blackout. This bill would also decrease the number of storm surge models, resulting in chaotic evacuation procedures in large areas and a greater risk of fatalities. To make matters worse, the bill terminates funding for NOAA's P-3 hurricane aircraft, thereby reducing the accuracy of hurricane landfall predictions. It is ludicrous that the majority would advocate an arbitrary reduction in funding for NOAA in the name of change. Mr. Speaker, some things, like the Government's responsibility for the health and safety of its citizens, should not be subject to political posturing. Change is good if it helps. But these cuts do not serve the public interest. And after all, is that not why we are here? Mr. Speaker, let me ask the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Archer], for example, are the provisions in this bill we are considering today the same as the provisions considered 2 weeks ago in the reconciliation bill? Is it not true that 2 weeks ago the House approved 25-percent reductions in this Nation's weather programs, and in this bill, in section 2206, you have upped the ante to 35 percent? What is the impact of an additional 10-percent reduction in severe weather forecasting for this country? All of this is absurd.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island [Mr. Reed].

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi]. (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel], who was a member of the presidential delegation that went to the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.