Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution H. Res. 673 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. When I stood before, evidently, you were distracted, and didn't hear me when I said I was duly chastened and appreciated the fact that you took that burden off of legislative counsel. I said, perhaps, you ought to consider taking that burden off your staff as well.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I will take just one moment to make it very clear that there is nothing that's being done by the President of the United States or this Congress that is going to destroy the free enterprise system in the United States of America. The free enterprise system cannot be destroyed by any of us. The proposals that are being offered on a variety of measures, and particularly this one, increases opportunity for the least of us and those in the middle that have been hit the hardest by our colleagues on the other side. They can name it anything they want to. It doesn't have to be class warfare. People can come up here and talk all they please. Middle class Americans have carried the weight of this country for a substantial period of time. Now we're in two wars and we find ourselves in a position of having to try to right an economy that allows, among other things, that we had taken a surplus and turned it into a deficit. That is irrefutable. President Obama has been in office 6 months. Let's give him a little bit more time. Let's give this Democratic Congress the time, as we are undertaking right now, to do something that hasn't been done in quite a while, and that is to complete the appropriations process, which is our principle work here on behalf of the American people. Mr. Speaker, for years, Republicans thought that they could ignore our children and ignore the poor, ignore the middle class, ignore the unemployed and ignore the uninsured, and somehow our Nation would magically prosper. Footnote right there: All of these people that keep talking about health care, all of these folks who say we can't do health care, I have been here 17 years and we haven't done it. One thing I know for sure is, if we do nothing, health insurance rates will rise and the cost of health care will increase. Well, Mr. Speaker, now we are seeing the repercussions of the philosophy of the past. Our economy is in grave distress. Everybody knows that. Millions are out of work. My colleague asked, Where are the jobs? There is no one in the House of Representatives that would not do anything and everything that he or she could to ensure that every American is employed. Much of what's in these programs will help many of those Americans. Our Nation's schools are falling further behind than their overseas' counterparts right in our face and have been, and these are the people that said leave no children behind. They didn't only leave children behind, they lost them and couldn't find them. Now, while my Republican colleagues continue to play politics with this measure, I remind them that we are facing grave problems in this country. We must put the empty, divisive rhetoric aside and pass the bill so that we can provide real relief for those struggling in this economy, shoring up our Nation's health and social safety nets by protecting our workforce and increasing access to the education and training opportunities that are vital to our country's long-term economic recovery and success. And no, America, no free enterprise is going to be lost. And no, America, there is no reason to fear. The fear would come from the people that caused us to be in this position in the first place. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and the rule.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. If the gentleman will yield.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 under a structured rule. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill provides $160.7 billion for fiscal year 2010 and continues this Congress' commitment to fiscal responsibility by coming in $52 million below the President's request, and cutting 46 individual programs to ensure that taxpayer funds are used in the most effective way. This bill also includes $1.1 billion for activities to reduce improper payments, abuse and fraud in the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services and in the Social Security Administration, which could result in over $48 billion in taxpayer savings over the next 10 years. During these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever that we not only spend taxpayer funds prudently but that we make the necessary investments to move our economy forward. This bill provides $64.7 billion for the Department of Education to prepare America's youth for an increasingly competitive global economy and to ensure that all Americans have access to the education needed to succeed. Funds in this bill, combined with the funds in the Recovery Act, will provide States with $4 billion in grants under the School Improvement Fund which will target assistance to approximately 13,000 low-performing schools. This bill also boosts Pell Grants which help approximately 7.6 million low- and middle-income students pay for college each year. Further, it provides $653 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other developing institutions and nearly triples new loan guarantees for HBCUs. As we prepare our youth for the jobs of tomorrow, we must also protect and develop our current workforce. This bill restores the Department of Labor's capacity to enforce laws that protect the wages, safety and benefits of workers. It also helps those who lost their jobs during the course of this recession by providing $1.4 billion for training and supportive services. Of these funds, $50 million will be used to prepare workers in green industries, not only helping to provide Americans with decent, good-paying jobs but also helping the American economy be more competitive. This bill, recognizing the incredible burden that this economic crisis has placed on countless Americans, also provides much-needed assistance to our vulnerable populations. It will help families stay warm through the winter by providing $5.1 billion for the low-income energy assistance program. It will boost nutrition, transportation and other supportive services for seniors by providing $1.5 billion for senior nutrition and other services; and it will relieve some of the pressure placed on the Social Security Administration by providing $11.4 billion to help the agency process the rising number of claims and reduce its current backlog. Finally, as we in Congress work to pass health care reform in the coming weeks, this bill will help build the capacity of our health care system and provide funding for job training in the health care sector, one of the strongest and fastest-growing sectors in our economy. My colleagues are well aware that a whole lot of people, well over 47 million people in our Nation, are uninsured. In the district that I am privileged to serve, 25 percent of my constituents lack health care coverage. This bill provides $2.2 billion for Community Health Centers, which provide primary care to 17 million patients, 40 percent of which are uninsured. While such centers provide a vital service, there are still far too many individuals that go without any primary care at all, endangering their health and increasing the burden on taxpayers by getting treatment when their illnesses have become serious and their care several times more costly. In my home State of Florida, over 971,000 women are in need of publicly supported family planning services; yet only 35 percent of them are currently being met through public funding providers. While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will throw--and have thrown--insulting accusations and deceitful claims, what we should be talking about today is how to further support the essential community providers, such as Planned Parenthood, during a provider shortage in this country rather than making it harder for women and families to access vital health care. For 8 years, the Republican administration placed the needs of the wealthy and the privileged before those of the middle class and the poor, and now we are paying the price. I have listened to my Republican colleagues for the past week beat the drum of fiscal responsibility. Quite frankly, this is laughable at best. These are the same people who claim to be deficit hawks, but quite frankly, the real truth is that Republicans instituted tax cuts for extremely wealthy people in this country and new spending programs that took our Nation from surplus to debt. And my colleagues on the other side of the aisle participated in decreasing taxes for wealthy people at a time when we were at war. It was the only time in the history of this country when we were at war that we decreased taxes. And then when we did it, we did it for the best of us in our society, as far as wealth is concerned. The Republicans lecturing us on fiscal responsibility is like Al Capone lecturing about crime on the street. It doesn't pass the laugh test. With our economy in turmoil, Democrats are picking up the pieces of the Bush administration and restoring this Congress' responsibilities to protect our Nation's health and social safety nets to ensure equal access to a quality education and to develop a globally competitive workforce. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am challenged to answer my good friend from Texas before I yield to the distinguished chairperson of the Appropriations Committee. The mantra that I just heard from my colleague asks a legitimate question, where are the jobs? I can't attest to everyplace in the United States of America, but I do know this about the area that I'm privileged to serve. Four months ago, 400 school teachers received slips indicating that their jobs were going to be lost. Since that time, money provided from the stimulus package has come into the system. When I was home this past weekend, I was very pleased to read that 124 of those school teachers have been called back to work and that it is expected that the next tranche will allow for all of them to be called back to work. It's a special concern to me, because one of those persons was a young lady that worked with me when she was in high school. So, some things are turning. Some jobs are being created. But I would not have the American public believe that the recession began when Barack Obama became President. The recession began in December, and the job attrition was taking place then. We are in a transformational posture in this country of ours, and we are going to see the kind of uptick in jobs at the time that the stimulus takes full impact. I would like, at this time, to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), who has worked actively to try to get us in a position where we can answer that ``where are the jobs.'' And my question is, Why did they lose so many before they started asking the question, Where are the jobs?

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I would like, at this time, to ask of the Speaker how much time remains on each side, please.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut, my good friend, a member of the Appropriations Committee, Ms. DeLauro.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I stand duly chastised by my friend from Arizona. I am delighted that he took up his office's time and not the Office of Legislative Counsel's time in order to provide the amendments that I still consider to be spurious. Perhaps it is that he would urge not wasting his staff's time then. But there have been other times, by virtue of the repetition, that Legislative Counsel has been burdened, template or not. There are other Members in this body that exercise that abuse process, including another one that I am watching, and that is the use of privileged motions for purposes of legislating. Assume that every Member in this body wanted to use that prerogative, then we would never be able to get our work done. Yes, it is the responsibility of the majority to see to it that the business of the people of this country moves along. I, again, want to urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this motion to consider so we can debate and pass this important piece of legislation today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, when I was a child, there was a radio program called ``Let's Pretend.'' It came on Saturdays. I really enjoyed that program, and I'm beginning to enjoy my colleagues who pretend as if other days didn't exist. Twelve billion dollars was put in the exact same program that the previous speaker spoke about just past. Not one Member of the Republican Party voted for it. Come on, gang. Let's stop playing ``let's pretend.'' Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to my good friend, the gentleman from California and a member of the subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education (Mr. Honda).

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday next for morning-hour debate, and further, when the House adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2009, for morning-hour debate.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my constituents have given me the honor and the privilege of serving here in the House of Representatives for 17 years now, and in all of those 17 years coming from an area where health care costs have continued to accelerate each year, in all those years, I've come here along with colleagues on both sides of the aisle seeking better opportunities for the seniors, those who are disabled, those who are without health care, and all we've done is talk. Well, now the Democrats have done something about that. We do have a plan that is before the American public. It allows for no more copays or deductibles for preventative care and an annual cap on out-of-pocket expenses, keeping Americans from financial ruin; an end to increases for preexisting conditions, gender, or occupation; group rates of a national pool if you buy your own plan; guaranteed affordable health care and vision care. If we keep the Republican's plan in mind, costs will go up.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Eleven.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank my good friend and geographic soul mate. Our districts abut each other in South Florida. And I am especially grateful to my good friend from New Jersey for his kind remarks regarding not only the OSCE, but his compliment to me and the work that I've done that could not have been done but for the extraordinary work that he and others that are Members of the CSCE referred to as the Helsinki Commission here in Washington undertake. Chris has been the Special Representative on a subject of vital concern to the world, and that is human trafficking. And he has no peer, not only in this institution, but in the 56 participating states he is fully recognized in that regard. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pleasure to honor the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation. My good friend, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and I introduced H. Res. 654 with 16 other colleagues to recognize the contributions of a unique partnership of the OSCE which engages Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia in supporting security and stability in the Mediterranean region. I would truly like to thank my friends of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, especially Chairman Howard Berman and Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Subcommittee Chairs Gary Ackerman, Robert Wexler, Donald Payne, Bill Delahunt, and Eni Faleomavaega, as well as Ranking Members Chris Smith and Dana Rohrabacher, who all supported this resolution and demonstrated the pivotal geopolitical importance of positive partnerships with North Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, it is also my pleasure to welcome representatives of these states to Washington, D.C., for the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partners. As I speak, a reception is ongoing, being hosted by the Speaker of the House for these members who are here for this seminar, and I thank our Speaker as well. High-level delegations from all of the Mediterranean partner countries are participating in this seminar, along with the president of the OSCE parliamentary assembly, representatives of the Greek chairmanship of the OSCE in office, and other OSCE participating states, including Kazakhstan has representatives here. They're the next chair in office. Mr. Speaker, for the past several years, I have served as parliamentary assembly special representative for Mediterranean affairs, and it's through this work that I have sought, along with others, to enhance the long-standing relationship between the OSCE participating states and the Mediterranean partners. In the interest of time, I would put my full statement in as a part of the Record, but I would point out since 1975 much has been accomplished. However, much more needs to be done. The commission seminar seeks to support these efforts and reprioritize the potential of this essential partnership. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends again for their support and urge my colleagues to vote for H. Res. 654 to truly sustain vital diplomatic instruments and partnerships which bring greater stability and prosperity to our world. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pleasure to honor the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation. My good friend Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and I introduced H. Res. 654 with 16 other colleagues to recognize the contributions of a unique partnership of the OSCE which engages Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, in supporting security and stability in the Mediterranean Region. I would truly like to thank my friends of the Committee on Foreign Affairs especially Chairman Howard Berman, Ranking Member Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, Subcommittee Chairs Gary Ackerman, Robert Wexler, Donald Payne, Bill Delahunt, Eni Faleomavaega, as well as Ranking Members Chris Smith and Dana Rohrabacher who all supported this resolution and demonstrated the pivotal geopolitical importance of positive partnerships with North Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, it is also my pleasure to welcome representatives of these States to Washington, DC for the ``Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Seminar on OSCE Mediterranean Partner Engagement,'' which will take place tomorrow and Thursday, here in the Capitol. High-level delegations from all of the Mediterranean Partner countries will participate in the seminar, along with the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, representatives of the Greek Chairmanship of the OSCE and other OSCE participating States. I invite all of my colleagues to attend and actively participate in the proceedings. Mr. Speaker, for the past several years, I have served as OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative for Mediterranean Affairs and it is through this work that I have sought to enhance the long- standing relationship between the OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation. This relationship dates back to the origins of the Helsinki Process with the signing of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, now the OSCE. The Final Act recognized this unique and important relationship in a specific section on ``Questions relating to Security and Cooperation in the Mediterranean.'' In the succeeding decades the OSCE Participating States and their Mediterranean Partners have worked to increase mutual confidence and develop economic and environmental cooperation in order to promote security and stability throughout Europe and the Mediterranean basin. It is through this unique forum that Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia continue to develop their capacity for leadership in the region, all the while exchanging expertise with the OSCE participating States. Since 1975 much has been accomplished, however, much more needs to be done. The Commission's seminar seeks to support these efforts and reprioritize the potential of this essential partnership. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends again for their support and urge my colleagues to vote for H. Res. 654 to truly sustain vital diplomatic instruments and partnerships, which bring greater stability and prosperity to our world.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I would ask my colleagues on the other side if they would tell me, what is their health care plan? Is it just that we shouldn't do health care? What part of it would you not do? is the question that I ask. But I really rise, Mr. Speaker, to take cognizance of a very fine day yesterday of bipartisanship. A former colleague of ours, the now- Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, came to south Florida along with FAA Director Randy Babbitt to meet with several of us regarding radar in south Florida. On the flight from USAir here, Administrator Babbitt and I had an opportunity to hear a flight attendant do something very nice. She recognized and complimented 30 members of the Booker T. Washington High School class of 1949 in Miami who were en route here to Washington. It was a wonderful gesture, and it made for a wonderful day. My colleagues here who continue to rant about us not having health care, I wonder what they would say if we do nothing? Will health care stay the same? Or will it rot?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church of Hallandale, Florida, on its centennial anniversary. In 1909 the church was founded under a rubber tree and counted only three students in its Sunday School class. Since then it has grown into a pillar of the community with broad outreach to those seeking spiritual guidance, religious education, social linkages, and help with their lives. Throughout the past 100 years Ebenezer has stood up for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, offering those in need of help comfort, care, and assistance. As the oldest church in the community, Ebenezer has been at the forefront of social and political changes in south Florida. The church and its members were active in the Civil Rights Movement and played an important role in the desegregation of the Broward County school system in the 1960s. The church and its leaders have continued the fight for equal rights and equal opportunity. Although the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church is no longer located in my congressional district, I am pleased to call its leaders and members my friends. The community of Ebenezer has been there for me at many points in my life and I am grateful for their support and friendship these many years. Madam Speaker, for 100 years now the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church has ably served the community around Hallandale, Florida. Under the leadership of its past pastors, and its current leader, the Revered Joe C. Johnson, the church has expanded its membership, performed good works in the south Florida region, and uplifted the members of its community. I wish the church, its leaders, and its members the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a concurrent resolution expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes. The creation of TPS was intended to serve as the statutory embodiment of a safe haven for those who are fleeing--or reluctant to return to--a potentially dangerous situation in their country of origin. According to section 244(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990, TPS may be granted when: there is ongoing armed conflict posing a serious threat to personal safety; it is requested by a foreign state that temporarily cannot handle the return of nationals due to environmental disaster; or extraordinary and temporary conditions in a foreign state exist which prevent aliens from returning. Haiti has continued to meet all three of these requirements, and yet, not once have Haitian nationals been granted TPS. Last summer, only a few months after deadly food riots led to the removal of the country's Prime Minister, Haiti was ravaged by four back-to-back natural disasters. Thousands lost their homes, many were left starving and isolated from humanitarian assistance, nearly 800 lives were taken, and over 300 people remain missing. How dire must the situation in Haiti become before the United States is willing to extend this helping hand to Haiti as it has done for other nations under similar circumstances? The Haitian government's ability to provide basic governmental services--clean water, education, passable roads and basic health care--remains severely compromised by these natural disasters. Repatriating Haitians at this time imposes an additional burden on government resources that are already stretched too thin and poses a serious danger to deportees' personal safety. Further, with hurricane season well underway, the Haitian people will only slip further into despair when another storm inevitably hits their nation. Concerning stability and overall safety, Haiti is still in dire need of an adequate policing force to maintain order and halt the escalation in kidnappings that are plaguing the nation. As of today, the Department of State's current travel warning advises Americans that current conditions in Haiti make it unsafe to travel due to the potential for looting, the possibility of random violent crime, and the serious threat of kidnapping for ransom. Madam Speaker, if it is unsafe for our citizens to travel to Haiti, then those same conditions should make it much too dangerous and inappropriate to forcibly repatriate Haitians at this time. It is unfortunate and appalling that our current immigration policies hold such harmful double standards. I want to make it very clear that I acknowledge and heartily congratulate Haiti's efforts toward recovery and to a stable democratic government. However, President Prival's nascent democratic government still faces immense challenges with regards to rebuilding Haiti's police and judicial institutions to achieve the fair and prompt tackling of the ongoing political and criminal violence. In addition to safety and human rights considerations, halting the deportation of Haitians is also an economic matter. Under the law, TPS beneficiaries are eligible to obtain work authorization permits. The ability for Haitian nationals to legally work in the United States puts them in a position to contribute to their country's recovery and development until such time when it is safe for them to return to Haiti. Madam Speaker, the Haitian Diaspora has always played a pivotal role in assisting Haiti. It is widely known that Haitians residing in the United States often work three jobs to send money back to Haiti each month. Many Haitians in the United States often send remittances to support family members, and others travel home to lend their expertise toward rebuilding and humanitarian efforts. Designating Haiti under TPS status would preserve and increase remittances--totaling approximately a third of Haiti's GDP--from the Haitian Diaspora to relatives and communities in Haiti that are key for welfare, survival, and recovery. Haiti is more dependent than any other country on remittances with nearly a billion dollars a year sent home by Haitians in the United States. In fact, remittances to Haiti far exceed foreign aid. Now, many Haitian nationals in the United States who previously sustained relatives in Haiti through remittances are being deported, further depriving Haiti of an important source of financial aid that is well-positioned to assist when based here in the United States. Madam Speaker, there are currently five countries that are protected under the TPS provision: Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Somalia, and Sudan. By refusing to give Haiti the TPS designation, our inequitable immigration policies continue to send the message that the safety of Haitian lives is not a priority compared to that of Salvadoran, Honduran, or Sudanese lives. We must act to change this perception. Our immigration policies have to change. They must reflect fairness and treat Haitians equally to Nicaraguans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans whose deportations are suspended and who are allowed to work and support their families back home. Granting Haitians TPS is necessary to achieve fundamental fairness in our treatment of Haitian immigrants and remedy the accurate and widespread perception that U.S. policy has discriminated against them. Madam Speaker, we cannot deny Haiti this opportunity to help stabilize its economy, recover from devastating natural disasters, rebuild its political and economic institutions, and provide a future of hope for Haiti's people. I ask my colleagues to support this concurrent resolution and urge the House Leadership to bring it swiftly to the House floor for consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call on the Obama administration to support efforts to bring about a negotiated resolution of the Cyprus conflict and reunification of the country as a federal bizonal, bicommunal, with a single sovereignty, international personality and citizenship. This formula is based on several UN Security Council resolutions and serves as the basis for ongoing talks between Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Talat.