Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I understand why we are here. I understand that my friends across the aisle evidently don't mind wasting this body's time, their resources, and money passing bills that are going to go nowhere. In fact, later this week, I know we go to the Rules Committee on Thursday on a provision that is going to take its 46th vote to defund, delay, or repeal the Affordable Care Act and the patient protections and budget savings contained within it. We have all got our roles to play. It is a shame, in my judgment, that my friends across the aisle would rather reenact some of the same tired political drama rather than actually accomplish something. We can do a great deal more here in the House to address the significant needs that our country has. Let me tell you how this particular measure is going to play out. The rule is going to pass. It will be debated here on the House floor today, both measures having to do with asbestos and with so-called lawsuit measures. After they pass the House of Representatives, then it is bound over to the United States Senate where nothing is going to take place. Now, I am not prescient--I don't have any way of predicting the future--but this particular methodology for legislation back and forth is just as much a problem when the House passes something that the Senate doesn't do anything about as when the Senate passes something that the House doesn't do anything about. I can calculate the numbers on both sides. I just personally think it is wrong for us not to let this process work its will on behalf of the American people. Therefore, passing legislation just to have portions of either of our bases satisfied is not my idea of something to do. What we are doing here today is nothing other than wasting time. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment to the resolution, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule and the underlying bills, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Maurice Jackson, an associate professor of history and African-American Studies and affiliated professor of performing arts (jazz) at Georgetown University. He published the following editorial entitled, ``Remembering the Turkish brothers who helped change race relations in America,'' for The Hill newspaper on Friday, November 1, 2013. As Turkey recently celebrated the 90th anniversary of the founding of the modern Turkish Republic by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it is important to not forget Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, who arrived 80 years ago to our Nation's capital, during a time when Washington was deeply segregated. However, through their efforts of rock and jazz, they were able to help positively change race relations in America. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congressional Turkey Caucus, I have always been a staunch supporter and advocate for Turkey. The Republic of Turkey, in my opinion, remains a key strategic ally to the United States. Therefore, I am very pleased to submit for the Congressional Record the editorial by Dr. Maurice Jackson. [From The Hill, Nov. 1, 2013] Maurice Jackson: Remembering the Turkish Brothers Who Helped Change Race Relations in America (By DC Commission on African American Affairs Chairman Maurice Jackson) Nearly 80 years ago, two young Turkish brothers arrived in a deeply segregated Washington, D.C., and set on a course to help change race relations in America. Their path was not politics, but rock and roll and jazz. The lesson of Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun says as much about America as it does about those two remarkable men and their origins. This week, on the 90th anniversary of the founding of the modern Turkish state and through the prism of a ``post-racial'' America, it is worth recalling this remarkable journey. Sons of Turkey's first ambassador to the United States, Ahmet and Nesuhi believed in the power of music to bring people together, which they did time and time again. Their love of music repeatedly led them to the city's black neighborhoods, where they took in the sounds of the country's greatest African-American musicians at the Howard Theatre and along ``Black Broadway,'' which ran up and down 7th Street and U Street NW. Despite having attended private schools his entire life, Ahmet often joked that he got his real education at the Howard. Ahmet in particular spent his youth bridging two very different worlds. At 16, Ahmet and his sister listened to the radio broadcast of Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial, which took place after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to rent Constitution Hall to a black artist. After attending shows at the Howard, he and his brother would often invite artists back to the ambassador's residence, where a racially and culturally mixed group of musicians and music lovers gathered for jam sessions and meals. Beginning in 1940, musicians such as Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, ``Lead Belly,'' Teddy Wilson, Lester Young and members of the Benny Goodman, Ellington and Count Basie orchestras performed at the Turkish Embassy. Much to the ire of some Southern politicians at the time, the ambassador's residence became one of the few places that blacks and whites could gather freely and celebrate their shared love of music. Their father insisted that in the embassy, ``his nation's house,'' all, regardless of color, would enter through the front door and be treated with dignity and respect. Recalling Washington in the 1940s, Ahmet once said, ``We had a lot of friends in Washington, and we could never go to a restaurant together, never go to a movie, or to the theater with them. It was impossible to go out. I couldn't even take Duke Ellington, who is one of the geniuses of our country, to a restaurant. Or Count Basie. That's how it was and we could not accept it.'' In early 1942 Ahmet and Nesuhi organized the first integrated concert at the only venue that would host it: the Jewish Community Center. In a deeply divided Washington, these two young Muslim Turks brought together black and white Christians at a Jewish venue for an unprecedented concert. Then, after ``threatening to make a big scene'' unless the National Press Club rented its space at 14th and F STs. NW, they held a second integrated concert after the National Press Club relented. In a Washington Post article published on May 16, 1943, titled ``Two Turks, Hot for U.S. Swing,'' Bill Gottlieb wrote that ``from the beginning, the young Erteguns treated the music of Morton, Armstrong, Oliver, Ellington and the rest with sincere enthusiasm and scholarly discrimination, an attitude that, strangely enough is more typical of Europeans than of Americans.'' Ahmet went on to help form Atlantic Records. He traveled to New Orleans and Harlem to sign the greatest black musicians of the time, including Stick McGhee, The Harlemaires and The Drifters. At the time, black artists were significantly underpaid and exploited for their talents. Most never achieved mainstream success and instead watched as white artists topped the charts with covers of their music. Today, as Turks and Turkish Americans celebrate the extraordinary rise of their nation over the 90 years since the founding of the modem Turkish state, Americans unknowingly celebrate two Turks who helmed the extraordinary rise of black music. We should take a moment to remember the legacy of Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, two Turkish Americans who worked with blacks, whites, Muslims and Jews to break down racial, cultural and religious barriers and revolutionized the recording industry. A short time before he died, Ahmet Ertegun said, ``All popular music stems from black music, be it jazz or rock and roll.'' He added, ``I'd be happy if people said that I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.'' He understood the extraordinary beauty and dignity of African-American music and its contributions to the world.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the independence of The Bahamas, which took place on July 10, 2013. The proud history and rich culture of the Bahamian people date back centuries, having evolved amid significant influences from foreign settlers and traders who were drawn to their islands' beauty, resources, and strategic location. The very islands were inhabited as early as 300 to 400 AD, and settled by the Lucayan Indians from 900 AD to 1500 AD. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World on San Salvador and, within 25 years, about 40,000 natives were sent to work in the mines of Hispaniola. British settlement began in 1648 with the arrival of English Puritans led by Captain William Sayle, known as ``Eleutheran Adventurers,'' who sought religious freedom. The capital of The Bahamas, Nassau, was established around 1670 as a commercial port, and experienced several decades of conflict between Spanish, French, and British military forces, as well as privateers and pirates. By 1718, the King of England appointed Captain Woodes Rogers to serve as the first Royal Governor and restore order in The Bahamas, now a crown colony. Following the American War of Independence, the British issued land grants to American Loyalists who went into exile in The Bahamas. With them they brought slaves and forced the Spanish to retreat from the region. Today, the majority of Bahamians trace back their roots to the thousands of West Africans who were enslaved and brought to the islands in order to work on cotton plantations by those loyal to the British Crown. When Britain abolished its slave trade in 1807, thousands of liberated Africans from foreign slave ships were resettled as free persons in The Bahamas. During the early 19th century, hundreds of American slaves and Black Seminoles escaped from Florida and settled primarily on Andros Island in The Bahamas. Bahamians were granted self-rule in 1964, and became members of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1969. In December 1972, the Government of The Bahamas, headed by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Lynden Pindling and the Opposition headed by Sir Kendal Isaacs, led a delegation to London to discuss the Independence Constitution. Less than a year later, on July 10, 1973, The Bahamas became a free and sovereign country, ending 325 years of peaceful British rule. Nowadays, Bahamians typically commemorate their independence with a week-long celebration beginning on July 3rd consisting of a number of ``Junkanoo'' street parades, fireworks, political speeches, and other events. Mr. Speaker, I join with the people of The Bahamas and the Bahamian diaspora worldwide in commemorating the 40th anniversary of their independence. This resolution reaffirms the strong friendship and partnership between our two countries, which are united by a shared history, common values, and a commitment to democracy and human rights.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend, Professor Terence J. Anderson on the occasion of his retirement as Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Miami School of Law. Professor Anderson is not only one of the most revered and respected law professors in the United States, but his legal jurisprudence far exceeds the boundaries of this nation, as his students and his influence span the globe. Professor Anderson is an intellectual giant in the law and over the course of his career has demonstrated acute success as a practicing lawyer, an international courts commissioner, and an academic dean. His knowledge of constitutional law is renown, and he has become not only a trusted advisor to me throughout my legal career, but a good friend, too. Since he joined the Law School faculty at the University of Miami in 1976 as a prized professorial recruit of the late Soia Mentschikoff, then-Dean of the Law School, Professor Anderson has been an indelible influence on virtually every aspect of law student and faculty life. Upon graduating from the University of Chicago Law School in 1964, he served for two years as a regional courts commissioner in Malawi, Africa as a member of the Peace Corps, practiced commercial and corporate transactional law for seven years in Chicago, and taught law and served as academic dean at the cutting-edge Antioch School of Law in Washington, DC. As a law professor, he has been instrumental in helping students develop the analytical and critical thinking skills needed to successfully provide valued legal representation. Known for his demanding pursuit of perfection, Prof. Anderson's first-year elements course and upper-class evidence class were legendary for their reputation as both impossible to master yet required for those desiring to become formidable advocates. Having perfected Henry Wigmore's chart method of constructing arguments about questions of fact in complex cases, using boxes, circles and arrows, Prof. Anderson mystified the uninitiated but brought enlightenment and depth to the truly dedicated. Professor Anderson's long-time collaboration with Professor William Twining in Great Britain and the United States redefined the law of evidence, culminating in a 27-year adventure with the publication of the critically acclaimed Analysis of Evidence. The analytical structure that Prof Anderson developed is not confined to legal jurisprudence, as he and Prof. Twining are now applying their principles to such varied domains as archeology and the applied sciences. His meticulous attention to detail and perfection has produced a body of work that stands the test of time. His quick-thinking, crisp and clear arguments, and quick-fire repartee has been known to both amaze and confuse, all for the purpose of striking at the core of even the most intractable problems. His students remain passionate, as he is, about evidence, argumentation, and advocacy. Professor Anderson knows no distinction between legal theory and practice, following in the footsteps of the great legal thinker Karl Llewellyn and his mentor Soia Mentschikoff, both of whom rejected any sharp divide between the two. His skills were much in demand when, during his 1994-1995 fellowship at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in Wassenaar, he lectured extensively on the American criminal process as the world focused on the unfolding O.J. Simpson trial. During that period, Professor Anderson developed an ``audit model'' that critically analyzed and explained how the Dutch system of criminal procedure was different from but no less as effective as the American adversarial system. Through nearly 50 years as a gifted lawyer, advocate, professor, public servant, community conscience, international observer, family man, and legend, Terry Anderson has been a gift to the law and the legions of lawyers who owe their skills and successes to him. In ways both monumental and profound, Terry Anderson has changed for the better the course of the law and legal education in the United States and beyond. He truly represents the best of the American legal system. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of his Celebration of A Life of the Law at the University of Miami School of Law on November 7, 2013, I am proud to recognize his outstanding legacy that will remain for all time an important component of the history of the United States of America.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach, Florida on the occasion of its 25th anniversary as an institution of secondary education in Palm Beach County. This remarkable school is perennially ranked as a top high school in America, as it offers a wealth of coursework in Math, Science and Engineering, Computer Science, International Baccalaureate studies, as well as Interactive Technology magnet programs. Children from across Palm Beach County seek admission to Suncoast for its acknowledged excellence in comprehensively educating students. The school has also become renowned in the community for the diligent attention that the faculty and staff offer to their students. These students leave prepared for whatever career aspirations they may have. And for those that do choose to pursue an undergraduate degree, Suncoast students do not simply matriculate. They are challenged to succeed in college, and many have gone on to have successful careers in an array of fields. Currently led by Principal Dr. Linda Cartledge and a very talented faculty and staff, Suncoast has earned the respect of professional educators from across the country. I am always delighted and impressed when I hear about the latest awards and honors accrued by Suncoast High School. Twenty-five years of high-standard education is something we should all admire. Suncoast is representative of the best America has to offer its young people, and its reputation is one to which all schools aspire. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to recognize Suncoast High School for their invaluable commitment to preparing the young minds of Palm Beach County, and their leadership as a positive example for success in secondary education. I congratulate them again and wish them many more years as one of America's top high schools.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pride to rise today to recognize Ms. Sandra Gove, a resident of Belle Glade, Florida. Sandra recently received the Athena Award from the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. This distinguished award honors individuals for professional accomplishment and service to improve the quality of life for others in the community. It warms my heart to learn that Sandra was the individual to receive it this year. For the last 14 years, she has served as Executive Director of the Glades Health Initiative, an agency that provides HIV prevention services. Since her retirement, Sandra has continued devoting herself to volunteer work with the Arc of the Glades, American Cancer Society and Visiting Nurse Association. In addition, she is also the longtime president of the General Federation of Women's Club of Belle Glade. Over the course of her life, she has earned the love and respect of her fellow residents of Belle Glade and people throughout the Glades area. She is a remarkable individual who continues to devote her time and energy to numerous important agencies and projects. Always an advocate for the Glades, she represents their best interest on numerous county boards and committees. For all of these reasons, I am very proud to recognize Sandra as a Hastings' Hero, and to be her representative in Congress. Mr. Speaker, I am most grateful to Sandra for her continued service to the Glades community. She has selflessly helped so many people, and I am honored to recognize her for her service.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Thank you very much. I appreciate you, Mr. Mica, my colleague, for arranging this Special Order, and it is special that we come here to speak about a gentleman who was special to us all. Madam Speaker, obviously, we are here with heavy hearts and with great sadness tonight in our honoring of a friend and a colleague, Congressman Bill Young. Bill was an assiduous public servant and a tireless advocate for all Floridians; but above all, he was a man of integrity and a true statesman. The House of Representatives will not be the same without him. He served in Congress for 42 years; and I, as well as others, am deeply honored to have had the opportunity to serve alongside him for the past two decades. He dedicated himself to providing for our Nation's servicemen and servicewomen and was a powerful voice for America's best interests at home and abroad. His distinguished career has left its mark on the lives of countless Americans. When I first came to Congress in 1992, I met with Bill Young and Sam Gibbons. They were on opposite sides of the aisle, but were dear friends, dedicated to Florida and to making the Florida delegation strong. I remember vividly learning from both of them through the years. In addition, throughout all of the travails of hurricanes and disasters, Bill Young stood with all of us who suffered during those periods, and he did everything he could to bring resources to Florida and to this Nation during disasters. My first experience with an earmark was when Bill became chairman of the Appropriations Committee. I didn't know much about the process, but I knew that I wanted to get money in the budget to contribute to the African American Research Center in Fort Lauderdale in my congressional district. When I went to him, I was nervous because I wasn't sure how it would be handled, and he calmed me very easily by saying, It is done. For sure, he had had a hand in the development of that particular research center, which stands, and I honor him for having assisted in bringing resources there. Last week, Speaker Boehner said: It has only been a week since we began trying to imagine the House without Bill Young--an impossible task in its own right--and now he is gone. In our sorrow, we recall how not a day went by without a colleague seeking Bill's counsel as he sat on his perch in the corner of the House floor. I certainly had the distinction of going to that corner and consulting with him. President Obama said in his statement: Congressman Young will be remembered for his advocacy and support for the armed services, servicemembers and their families, as well as for his statesmanship and his long history of working across the aisle to keep our country moving forward. Defense Secretary Hagel said: He will be remembered as a passionate advocate for the welfare of America's servicemembers and military veterans. Though his loss will be felt by many, his legacy and commitment to a strong national defense will always inspire us. It is the height of irony that our friend would pass at Walter Reed Hospital. No one in this body spent as much time with our military at Walter Reed and around this country as did Bill Young. He, of course, has a legacy that is far excellent in that arena and also in bringing resources to the area that he served as well as to other areas around this Nation. Tonight, I join with the people of Florida in keeping Beverly, Bill's sons, grandchildren, family, friends, and staff in my thoughts and prayers during this time of enormous sadness and loss. Once again, I thank you, Chairman Mica, for arranging for us to have the privilege of honoring this great American.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and agree with everything that my good friend and colleague from Florida said--everything that he said--with the exception of the fact that I am opposed to the rule. While I may support the underlying legislation, the rule blocks over 70 amendments, many of which were germane to the bill. This kind of rule is not conducive to an open process. The bill, though far from perfect, is long overdue. There is a lot of go-nowhere, do-nothing talk about creating jobs here on the Hill, but this bill, like the highway bill and the farm bill, will actually create jobs. The bill also reinforces a point that I have been making for some time, and that is: repairing our Nation's aging infrastructure, including our water infrastructure, is the best jobs program out there. The resulting economic benefits will ripple from our ports to Main Street America as badly needed jobs across a wide range of industries. For example, every dollar spent on Everglades restoration, like the ones authorized here, is returned fourfold by stimulating related industries like tourism, construction, and retail. Despite these undeniable benefits, it has been 7 years since the last WRRDA bill. That is 7 years of productivity lost. But if you think 7 years is a long time, try waiting 17 years, as my colleague Mr. Webster pointed out. That is how long Port Everglades has been waiting for a Chief's Report from the Army Corps to deepen its channels in anticipation of the new Panama Canal standards. At long last, the report is due shortly, yet this bill fails to authorize the pending project. While much of the blame for the delay falls outside of this Chamber, Congress can and should do right by the port. Mr. Speaker, the port has already waited its turn. With the new Panama Canal expansion becoming operational in 2015, any further delay for such a vital piece of our Nation's infrastructure will be too late. I do understand that tough choices have to be made. The way I see it, the Army Corps' lengthy review process is in part to blame for the backlog of projects. Though this bill contains some partisan measures addressing this issue, the Corps has already begun testing its own way of increasing the speed of review. One of these successful tests was the pilot program for the Central Everglades Planning Project, yet that project is not included in this bill either, despite the Chief's report for CEPP being anticipated within a few months. This new approach, when coupled with a more frequent WRRDA bill, could help eliminate the massive backlog of projects that has forced Congress to make these tough decisions. When we look what CEPP actually does, the urgency for authorization is even more obvious. CEPP will help end the discharges of polluted water from Lake Okeechobee that have been devastating Florida communities for years. The water is choked green with algae and killing wildlife, tourism, fishing, and oyster industries, particularly in the Indian River area of our State. The people of Florida can't wait for another WRRDA bill to roll around. The streamlined successful pilot program is infinitely more preferable than the streamlining of environmental review contained in this bill. My friends across the aisle seem oddly opposed sometimes to having fresh water and clean air, attacking NEPA and environmental regulations at every opportunity, including otherwise inappropriate vehicles like this bill. But I understand that no one is happy all the time. I do have grave reservations about some of the policies in the bill and hope that we can work them out through the legislative process. There is no need for Congress to make the waters rougher than they already are. Let's continue to do our work constituents sent us here to do. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my good friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the dean of the House of Representatives. (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am pleased to yield for a unanimous consent request to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez). (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), my good friend and a former member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, would you be kind enough to tell us the time remaining for both sides.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Hahn) who is the cochair of the PORTS Caucus, of which I am a proud member.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lowenthal), my friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), my good friend and fellow Helsinki Commission member.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am privileged to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr. Heck).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).