Ron Klein

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Let me begin by thanking the gentleman from Michigan, Bart Stupak, for introducing this important resolution and for his steadfast leadership in support of a strong U.S.-Canada relationship. H. Res. 519 congratulates the Canadian people and their government on Canada Day, the anniversary of the establishment of the union of the British North American provinces in a federation called Canada. It also expresses the appreciation of both the people and the Government of the United States for the longstanding cooperation and shared history with their Canadian counterparts. This provides an important opportunity for all Americans to recognize the common ideals and beliefs that unite our two nations economically, socially and politically. Canada's sacrifices in Afghanistan are only the latest examples of the strong bond between our two nations. Since their initial deployment in 2002, Canadian troops have worked tirelessly to maintain security and to rebuild in Afghanistan, particularly in Kandahar province. Canada has also been a leader in the global effort to promote a solution to worldwide carbon reduction, an issue which affects us all and which draws us even closer together as nations that share a common border. Canada's plan to reduce carbon emissions and their work through the United Nations' Framework Convention On Climate Change has been a significant step in the right direction. The recent negotiations that took place between Canada and the United States concerning the water quality in the Great Lakes region further solidifies the bond between us as we must work collectively to improve the condition of that shared natural resource. My district in south Florida benefits from a strong U.S.-Canadian relationship. Canada is Florida's top trading partner, and it is Florida's number one source of inbound tourism. According to a recent Canadian Government study, the Canada-Florida relationship is responsible for 432,000 direct and indirect jobs in Florida, representing 5.4 percent of all of Florida's employment. This resolution advances the continued partnership that the United States hopes to maintain with the Canadian people and with their government. I would like to extend my personal congratulations and gratitude to the Canadian people, and I would urge all of my colleagues to do the same by supporting H. Res. 519. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I request just 1 minute of time to close. Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank Mr. Stupak. Also having grown up in Cleveland, Ohio, and right over the border from Canada, I had the opportunity to spend many great years visiting. I would also like to acknowledge the consul general from Miami, Marcy Grossman, who I had the opportunity to visit with recently before she left to return. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our two countries on this special Canada Day.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my colleagues for passing H.R. 1933, the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center Act. I introduced this bipartisan legislation with my good friend from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), who is the distinguished ranking member of the Crime Subcommittee and a former Texas State judge. I should also thank the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers of Michigan, Mr. Smith of Texas, and Mr. Scott, the chairman of the Crime Subcommittee, for their leadership in moving H.R. 1933 out of committee and to the floor. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1933 would expand the widely praised A Child Is Missing nonprofit organization into a national program with regional centers under the Department of Justice. It would accomplish this expansion through annual grants from the Attorney General in the amount of $5 million from 2010 through 2015. The funds would allow for the purchase of future technologies and techniques, centralized and onsite training, and for the distribution of information to Federal, State and local law enforcement agency officials on the best ways to utilize the round-the- clock services provided by the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center. Currently, A Child Is Missing is the only program of its kind that assists in all missing cases involving abduction, children who are lost, wander or run away, or adults with special needs such as the elderly who suffer from Alzheimer's or dementia, which is a major problem in my district in south Florida. When a person is reported missing to law enforcement, A Child Is Missing utilizes the latest technology to place 1,000 emergency telephone calls every 60 seconds to residents and businesses in the area where the person is last seen. It works in concert with the AMBER Alert system which you see on the highways, on those billboards or radio announcements, also known as the Silver Alert, and all child-safety programs, and has the support of law enforcement agencies all over the country. A Child Is Missing also fills a critical gap in time in the most dangerous cases. Although the AMBER Alert has been an extremely successful program, there is still a crucial void in time when a child is first reported missing and when an AMBER Alert, which is activated only in cases of criminal abduction, can be issued, which is sometimes 3 to 5 hours later. This critical period of time can be the difference between whether a child lives or dies. Recently, a Washington State Attorney General's office study showed that among cases involving children abducted and murdered, 74 percent were slain in the first 3 hours. So it is the first hours, the first minutes that are critical. And to the extent we can alert people in the local area by this telephone system to businesses and residences, we get the information about the potential child or abductor to the law enforcement as quickly as possible. Adding to the problem is the resource and manpower limitations facing many local law enforcement agencies. Roughly half of these offices in the United States had 25 or fewer officers, and an average 12-hour search for a missing child can cost up to $400,000 in law enforcement expenses. That is a great fiscal burden during these difficult times of shrinking budgets. A Child Is Missing helps to fill this critical gap in time as well as complement the AMBER Alert during its ongoing search. We have heard this over and over again from law enforcement agencies that have received this; the real issue is that not enough communities have access to the program. The founder and president of A Child Is Missing in Florida, Sherry Friedlander, who has done a remarkable job spreading the program to all 50 States, says that we're going to bring this program to every community, but we need there to be the leverage and logistics and some minor amount of resources that can help make it do so. And that is exactly what H.R. 1933 does. It has broad bipartisan support in Congress. I count cosponsors from all over the United States. On the Senate side companion legislation was introduced by Senator Menendez and Senator Hatch, the distinguished former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Because we are so proud of this great effort, we understand that children are not Democrats or Republicans, they are Americans, and they are our children and our responsibility. And their protection requires all of us to work together to do what is best for their continued safety. So as a result of all this, I appreciate this support we have got, and I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 1933.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res 156, a resolution condemning the attack on the AMIA center in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1994. Let me begin by thanking the gentlelady from Florida, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, for her steadfast leadership on this issue. I am proud that we have worked together in a bipartisan manner on issues in the Western Hemisphere and on anti-terrorism issues, such as this resolution. Fifteen years ago, Hezbollah terrorists affiliated with Iran killed 85 people and wounded 300 others in the bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association, known in Argentina as AMIA. And, for the past fifteen years, the people of Argentina have been waiting for justice to be served. Though the international police, Interpol, has issued warrants for several individuals, these individuals remain at large in places such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. While holding the perpetrators accountable will not bring back their loved ones, it could give some closure of justice to the victims' families. On this anniversary, I would urge the government of Argentina to remain committed to seeing justice for this horrible tragedy and moreover, I would urge those countries who are holding the perpetrators of these attacks to hand over these individuals immediately and let justice be served. The timing of this resolution is crucial. For the past several years, in my opinion, we have not been as engaged as we could have been in issues in Latin America. During that time period, other countries have come in to fill the void. Iran's growing relationship with some countries in the region, including multilateral agreements on energy and industry worth billions of dollars, could be dangerous because of Iran's ominous history in the area, including their involvement in the AMIA attack. Eliminating the threat of terrorism and its state sponsors is not just in the best interest of the United States. The United States and Central and Latin America have an aligned interest to make our hemisphere safer. For that reason, I believe it is important to highlight one crucial provision of this legislation. Currently, very few countries in the Western Hemisphere have acknowledged the danger that Hezbollah poses to our region. According to the New York Police Department and several anti-terrorism experts, Hezbollah could pose a bigger threat than Al Qaeda. I join the gentlelady from Florida, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen in urging governments in the Western Hemisphere to adopt legislation designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and punishing those who provide support for their terrorist activities. I hope that this resolution serves as a signal to our friends and neighbors in Central and Latin America that the United States is committed to a safer hemisphere, free from the mutual threat of terrorism. I congratulate the ranking member of the Committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for her commitment to a safer hemisphere, and of course, I send my condolences to the Argentine people and those who lost loved ones fifteen years ago in the AMIA bombing.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, this past week my office held a seminar to help our Nation's veterans access the full range of benefits they have earned, including a 4-year college education. We invited local education and workforce experts to help our veterans determine their eligibility, fill out paperwork, and receive benefits under the new GI Bill for the 21st century. Along with many others in the House, I was proud to cosponsor this new GI Bill when it passed last year. This critical bill will ensure that our returning servicemembers are part of our economic recovery. This bill covers everything from tuition to housing to books. And it is available to military veterans who have served since September 11, 2001. In just a few weeks, the very first veterans to enroll in college under the new GI Bill will begin their first classes. This is truly a landmark moment, and I wish the best of luck to all of our veterans who, through this program, will become scholars as well as heroes.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010. I applaud the subcommittee chairman and the ranking member for moving this important bill through the Appropriations Committee and to the House floor. This bill funds some of the most critical programs in south Florida, where I live, and my constituents are very much in tune with this particular bill. I would like to spend a few moments today focusing on how this bill affects our area of south Florida. Since coming to Congress, I have been committed, along with my Democrat and Republican colleagues, to working to make sure with the Florida delegation and with Members throughout the country that they support Federal Government obligations to restore the incomparable River of Grass, which is known as the Everglades. I was very pleased that President Obama, in his budget request, met his promise and followed up on that to make Everglades restoration a priority. Although the $210 million in this bill doesn't quite match the President's request, the fact remains that this bill makes Everglades restoration its biggest construction project. I commend the chairman and ranking member for keeping Everglades restoration as a national priority. It is historical. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3183's commitment to Florida's priorities are also something to be mentioned. The beaches of south Florida are some of the most beautiful in the Nation, but our coasts are facing a real crisis. They have become seriously eroded, endangering both the personal property and the personal safety of residents and guests. My district in south Florida encompasses over 75 miles of beautiful coastline on the Atlantic, and it has numerous shore protection projects, but many are mired in the Army Corps of Engineers' permitting process. There are many reasons why the permitting process is not as efficient as it could be, but one problem we can address right here is the understaffing at the Army Corps of Engineers. For example, Palm Beach County, which is one of the counties I represent in south Florida, was forced to pay out of its taxpayer dollars the salary of an additional Army Corps of Engineers staffer to deal with the county's many projects awaiting some Army Corps action. In essence, Palm Beach County became fed up with waiting year after year for the Corps to act on their permit applications, so they are now paying for the extra Army Corps employee to do his job. Mr. Speaker, this is a ridiculous situation that is unfair to the taxpayers of south Florida, who are paying their fair share here up in Washington. That is why I filed an amendment that was accepted as part of Chairman Pastor's manager's amendment. This language, combined with increases in the underlying bill, will add $11.8 million on top of last year's funding level to fund more staff and to support more personnel to help act on a more efficient basis with regard to these permits. This sizable investment will unclog the permitting pipeline that is hurting so many of our coastal communities. They deserve a timely decision so they can determine the best ways to protect their residents and the natural resources. Mr. Speaker, south Florida and the entire country need greater strategic investment in our Nation's priorities. This particular bill, H.R. 3183, will put us on a path towards energy independence in addition to a number of other bills we've already put on the table and have sent to the President. The only way we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil is to invest in a multitude of technologies and to make these technologies right here in the United States, creating the jobs right here. This bill invests in solar and wind energy in order to make our electricity cleaner. At the same time, it also invests in weatherization and in energy efficiency to bring down costs for consumers and businesses. The bill includes investments in clean coal technology and nuclear energy research so that we can unleash these innovations and create high-quality American jobs. The bill also makes critical investments in vehicle technology so that our gas tanks get more miles per gallon, which will save us money at the pump. Of course, using less gasoline means we will import less gasoline, and that is an essential national security item because, currently, we are importing 60 percent of our oil from unstable countries around the world that, in many cases, are financing terrorism and drug trafficking with our petrodollars. I believe that a transition to new energy sources will ensure that we do not continue to send billions of dollars to countries that are, at best, not our friends and, at worst, are our enemies. My strongest belief is that we should never again have to make a foreign policy decision based on where the next drop of oil is coming from. Lastly, H.R. 3183 builds on the recently passed American Clean Energy Security Act and Recovery Act, which has jump-started American investment in this new energy economy I've been talking about. I truly believe this is an historic moment and an extraordinary opportunity to create jobs in south Florida and throughout the Nation and to unleash a new generation of energy technology built right here in America. I am proud to support H.R. 3183, and I am looking forward to seeing the results on the ground in south Florida.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the discovery of Puerto Rico and the contributions of Puerto Ricans to our Nation. On November 19th, 1493, five hundred and sixteen years ago, Christopher Columbus discovered the island on his second voyage to the New World. The island took the name Puerto Rico, meaning ``Rich Port,'' and ever since, it has been home to the vibrant culture which has enriched American life I would like to express my gratitude to the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach and Broward counties for their continuing innovation and their role in preserving and promoting Puerto Rican culture. In honor of all Puerto Ricans who have served, fought, and worked tirelessly to make the United States what it is today, the state of Florida has recognized this November as Discovery of Puerto Rico Month. On this occasion, I commend Puerto Rican-Americans for their contributions to American life and extend best wishes to all observing November 2009 as Discovery of Puerto Rico Month.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to submit a record of how I would have voted on July 10, 2009 when I was unavoidably detained. Had I voted, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 526; ``yes'' on rollcall No. 527; ``no'' on rollcall No. 528; ``yes'' on rollcall No. 529.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I rise to support H.R. 3081, the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2010. This legislation addresses our most urgent national security needs, rebuilds our diplomatic infrastructure for the long term, and maintains our commitment to fiscally responsible government. The total for this bill comes in $3.2 billion below the President's budget request, meaning that we cut spending tremendously but still managed to fund the most vital programs around the globe. I'd like to touch on some of these programs. This legislation requires that the Administration report to Congress on the status and progress of diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. I support the President's current efforts to stop Iran's dangerous nuclear weapons program; however, diplomacy should not be open-ended. This legislation makes it clear that Congress will exercise its oversight authority over these negotiations to ensure that there is a plan to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Furthermore, the legislation prevents the U.S. Export-Import Bank from providing or guaranteeing credit to companies that provide Iran with significant amounts of refined petroleum. Iran imports about 40 percent of its refined petroleum. Then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama stated that restricting these imports could be a valuable lever in persuading Iran to cease its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities. We start that process today, and I am proud to support legislation that takes the first step in instituting crippling sanctions against the Iranian government. Iran represents a great threat to the United States and our allies throughout the world. This legislation helps mitigate that threat to our allies by ensuring that countries that Iran would seek to destroy or destabilize receive support from the United States. U.S. aid to Israel represents a cornerstone in the strong relationship that our two countries share. I visited Israel right after the signing of the 10- year Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel, and it was clear that this agreement would help cement our long-term friendship. This legislation fully funds our commitment under this accord and serves as an assurance to Israel that we will work together to ensure Israel's security during a time when Israel faces several powerful threats. In addition, this legislation helps put us and our allies on a path to energy independence, funding clean energy initiatives that reduce our dependence on oil and make us more energy efficient. By partnering with other countries, we can share these important technologies and learn from others about new innovations. Finally, I would like to briefly mention my support for the amendment by the gentleman from New York, Mr. Weiner. This amendment sends a strong statement to Saudi Arabia to cease its funding of terrorism and stop its incitement against Israel, Jews and America. While the bill prohibits aid to Saudi Arabia, it leaves the door open in case the President deems that aid is necessary. This amendment shuts that door. Common sense tells us that Saudi Arabia has enough American dollars from money that we waste on our dependence on oil. In closing, this bill fulfills the American imperative to lead the world in commitment to democracy, human rights and security. I am proud to support this legislation.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last week, the House took an extraordinary first step by creating jobs in the form of unleashing a new generation of energy technology built right here in America. Whether we agree on any other issue, each of us is committed to keeping this country safe, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act is essential to our national security. The bill that passed the House marks a critical first step to creating clean energy incentives that will spur the development of new technologies, create jobs, and fuel our economic national recovery. While I was home last week in south Florida, I had the chance to meet with Yann Brandt and his colleagues at Advanced Green Technologies. As a solar panel designer and distributor, AGT is on the cutting edge of alternative energy technologies and is creating jobs as we speak. That's exactly the kind of innovative local business this legislation will support. I am confident that Florida can be a national leader, as well as the rest of the country, on clean energy technology. This bill gives our business leaders the tools they need to create jobs and compete in the next great American industry.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I submit a record of how I would have voted on June 18 and 26, 2009 when I was unavoidably detained. Had I voted, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 383, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 390, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 400, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 406, and ``no'' on rollcall No. 472.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentleman and the chairman for his leadership and the opportunity to engage in a brief colloquy. I rise today to ask for your help in improving the care of our wounded warriors. Later this week, I will introduce the Wounded Warrior K-9 Corps Act to establish a program for organizations that provide wounded warriors and disabled veterans with service animals, like physical therapy dogs and guide dogs. There are several organizations around the country that train animals to work with disabled soldiers and veterans. These organizations, like many not-for-profit organizations, are struggling at this moment to collect necessary resources in these difficult economic times. The difference between these organizations and others is that they're giving our soldiers and veterans a service that they have earned. I applaud their private fundraising, and at the same time I realize that this is our responsibility as well. Mr. Chairman, this legislation will allow the government to keep its promise to America's disabled soldiers and veterans and help them retain an excellent quality of life after their service. Thanks to modern medicine, more and more of our brave men and women are able to sustain wounds that may have been fatal in the past. This is a blessing, but it also requires new tools to allow them to return to civilian working life. I have seen these programs in action. I have witnessed the growth of these veterans and wounded soldiers after working with a guide dog or animal that can assist them with physical therapy and lifetime care and support. These programs succeed, and I believe every American who puts on a uniform and risks their lives for our country should have the full support of this Congress in this mission.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2647.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 560 and would like to thank our chairman Mr. Berman and my colleague Mr. Pence for bringing this bipartisan statement forward which supports our American view of the events in Iran. The Iranian people deserve a democracy that counts every vote and treats its citizens with the utmost dignity. They deserve to trust their own government. However, these are not free and fair elections by any stretch of the imagination, and it is our imperative to speak out whenever and wherever freedom is suppressed, whether by our allies or by our foes. Frankly, we have honest differences with the Iranian government, no matter who is elected. Any Iranian government that seeks a nuclear weapon and spreads state-sponsored terrorism is a threat to the United States and our allies. That is why the United States has not taken either side in this conflict. It is for the Iranians to choose who leads them. Indeed, this struggle belongs to them. However, the message we send today is the world is watching. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the passage of H. Res. 493, a resolution to honor the 85th anniversary of Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. I would like to thank Congressman Tim Johnson for co-authoring this resolution with me. Congressman Johnson's district is the home of the first Hillel, founded in 1923. As my colleagues know well, Hillel is the world's largest Jewish college campus organization, serving students on over 500 campuses around the world. Last night, with dozens of house parties and celebrations, Hillel celebrated its 85th anniversary. Hillel has been an important partner to universities by providing resources, programs and other forms of support to the entire campus community. Hillel members, professional staff and lay leaders have educated students about American values and have helped them to provide leadership for causes, including the civil rights movement, the campaign to free Soviet Jewry, the effort to stop the genocide in Darfur, and the promotion of the U.S.-Israel relationship. I would like to recognize Wayne Firestone, the President of Hillel, originally from South Florida and a University of Miami Hillel alumnus, for his tireless work on behalf of the many causes that Hillel students advance. I would also like to commend Josh Kram, originally from South Florida and a Hillel alumnus at the University of Florida, for helping to coordinate a successful birthday celebration. Hillel is an important institution that has provided numerous benefits to young people and their communities. It is only appropriate that on this anniversary, Congress recognize Hillel's achievements in giving back to this country and the world. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, by the end of this year, we hope to pass a comprehensive energy bill which will help this country move forward on clean, renewable, American energy, and certainly, will help fuel our economic recovery. As co-Chair of the New Democratic Coalition on Energy, I believe now is the time for a robust, market-based approach to approach our Nation's energy needs. We have to pass legislation that will make smart investments in alternative energy, and I think every American understands the common sense behind that. These are the kinds of things that will make us more viable and competitive, not only here in the United States but abroad, for our American companies. It's also clear, as we know as we get into this energy debate, this is about our national security; the fact that we continue to import 60- plus percent of our oil from countries outside the United States, many of which, particularly in the Middle East, are not our friends and are funding our enemies. We also know it's about, as I said, job creation, and it's also about good environmental policy. Now, you've heard a lot about this energy bill so far. You may continue to hear a lot about it, and you hear studies on one side that say we're going to lose jobs; the other side saying we're going to create jobs. But I think there's quite a remarkable thing that's going on right now as I've worked on this with many other Members, on both the Democrat and Republican side. There's a coalition of people out there, interested groups, that have come together and said we support the energy bill that is currently being presented by Congress. And I just want to name some of the companies and some of the groups because it just doesn't sound like the normal groups that would come together: BP, big oil company; Dow Chemical; ConocoPhillips, General Electric. You've got the entire labor union movement supporting this. You've got the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club. Now, I know not everyone's familiar with every one of these organizations, but suffice it to say, you have got some very large corporate businesses that have their view of the world and certainly the necessity to having an efficient energy policy. You've got some environmental groups that have come together and said, you know, we like this, this makes some sense to us. And you've got labor which doesn't always necessarily but sometimes agrees with the other two groups. So what I like to think when I hear a study from this organization, sometimes I've heard of that organization, sometimes I haven't, and you have got another group that comes and says the opposite, I like to think of common sense when it comes to coming together and putting together logical and efficient legislation. The fact that these three sort of disparate groups have come together and said, yeah, we support this, I think something is going on here that we should take a close look at and certainly consider in supporting. I want to talk specifically about the jobs that will be created by this because I had a very unique conversation with the president of the largest utility company from Florida where I'm from. He was telling me they're building the largest solar plant in the world in Florida. Now, we like to call ourselves The Sunshine State, so we think that's a good place for it, but there are already a lot of solar plants in other parts of the world. But they're building this in Florida, and what he told me was they were very unhappy about the fact that when they're building this huge plant, hundreds of millions of dollars, they're going to have to import the mirrors--that's the components to build the solar plant--from Germany. I said, Why is that? And he said, Well, we don't build them in the United States. There aren't the kind of incentives for businesses to do that here; but if you did build them in Florida or Georgia or California or Ohio, we would buy them here because they would be far less expensive. Just the shipping costs overseas of this very fragile equipment adds such an expensive piece to the equation. That, to me, strikes at the heart of this whole point. Why aren't we doing everything we can to create these kinds of jobs in the United States and creating the incentives? Well, the good news is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which we passed--that's the recovery bill--a few months ago has the kind of tax incentives and many of the components to begin to encourage this type of industry for creating jobs in the United States. I want these jobs to be in Florida or other parts of the United States because they're good quality jobs and will support a good industry. Another area which I think we talked about, you know, nationally is wind power. A big part of what's going on around the world right now, a lot of that is built overseas, but here's another good example. A typical wind turbine has 8,000 parts and is made of 250 tons of steel. Americans make steel. We fabricate. We assemble. We can deliver that to a wind farm in the United States at far less of a cost than if it was done overseas. And guess what, you can't outsource the labor or the people that put these things together and install them. You can't do it from overseas. So, again, an idea whose time has come. The great thing about this energy bill is this is the kind of forward-thinking that will create the next generation of jobs, whether it's wind or wave or solar or any combination of things that will make this country more energy secure, smarter, more efficient, and will advance us into the next generation of not only energy but make this country very strong from a national security point of view and a jobs point of view. So I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill, move this country forward, and make us more secure.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 529, a bipartisan resolution that I authored with Mr. Pence, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Smith and Mr. Engel, and I thank the Speaker for promptly bringing it to the floor today with the input and guidance from many other Members of this Chamber, as well as the bipartisan Congressional Task Force Against Anti-Semitism. I rise today in great sorrow as this Nation mourns the loss of Officer Stephen T. Johns, who was killed in the line of duty yesterday at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at the hands of a hateful white supremacist. Today I offer condolences to the family of Officer Johns and condemn in the strongest possible way the vicious attack on the Holocaust Memorial Museum and all that it represents. The museum is a place of reflection, an expression of the adage ``never again.'' The museum seeks a world without racism, anti- Semitism, Holocaust denial and intolerance. The target may have been the museum and Jews, but this vicious attack hurt all Americans. A hate crime in every sense, this attack violates all of us. Acts of hatred and violence cannot and will not be tolerated in our country. Today, the lessons of the Holocaust are more relevant than ever before. Officer Johns died protecting those values, and he is a hero to all of us. Americans stand today together to redouble our commitment to advance the mission of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, to advance Holocaust education and fight against anti-Semitism, racism, hatred and intolerance in the United States and throughout the world. Only by standing together can we begin to heal and fight against future acts of hatred. I thank both the Democrat and Republican leadership of the House, Mr. Rahall and Mr. Hastings, for their support. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Washington and the gentleman from West Virginia for giving us the opportunity, as well as the Speaker, for allowing us to very promptly bring this to the attention of the House. I thank the Members, the Democrat and Republican Members, who have all been here today, as well as the entire Chamber for reacting and acknowledging this horrific act. Again, we just acknowledge and extend our condolences to the family. We rededicate ourselves to the necessity of teaching, of educating our public in the United States and around the world about what happens when racism and intolerance are allowed to fester from generation to generation, and we know that we will commit ourselves to continue that education process to the lessons of the Holocaust and the lessons of, unfortunately, what happened yesterday to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the Congressman. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the rule and the underlying legislation, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2009. This bill will allow us to advance our foreign policy and our national security goals, and I believe very strongly in those goals. I would also like to briefly speak about one provision in the bill that will help to ensure the safety of many Americans. As many of us know, June 1 is the beginning of hurricane season, and there are many ways to be prepared. Hurricane hunter planes, used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and by the Air Force, fly into hurricane areas to more accurately predict where a hurricane is going. However, certain countries are not allowing these planes to fly into their airspace. If one country obstructs our hurricane preparedness efforts, it could be the difference between life and death. This legislation puts in place measures so that the State Department can resolve this issue as soon as possible and can help protect our Americans. I would like to thank the chairman for allowing us to work on this issue and on all of the others with me and with others. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise to oppose the gentlelady's amendment. I respectfully disagree that the purpose of today's bill is to do anything other than to improve the quality of the diplomatic efforts that our men and women around the world are doing. I think that this is exactly what the direction of this bill does, and I think it does it in the right, efficient way. This particular amendment would disallow an important film called Fateful Harvest, a documentary that exposes the poppy trade that the Taliban has used to imprison the Afghan people, from broad distribution. It is true that current law forbids the Voice of America from releasing its products in the United States, and the original intention of that provision was that a U.S. Government agency should not be able to brainwash Americans or put things out there that would not be considered objective information. Further, domestic companies were concerned. They didn't want to have to compete with a not-for-profit government-funded entity. It does require an act of Congress to waive this law. But, let's be clear, Congress has waived this provision 100 times in the past number of years for domestic releases, including the award-winning ``John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums'' in 1965. This particular movie, Fateful Harvest, is important for any American who's concerned about our national security. In a time when some Americans question the presence of American troops in Afghanistan, this film makes the case that American efforts help the Afghan people transition away from poppies to other agriculture helps in our fight against the Taliban. I personally saw the efforts that our men and women on the ground are doing in Afghanistan, when I was there a number of months ago, in trying to switch from poppies to pomegranates, to wheat and other products. As we help Afghanistan transition their economy, we will undermine the Taliban. Most Americans cannot see this for themselves. That is why the release of this film is so important. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today to also oppose the gentlewoman's amendment. The underlying legislation contains commonsense provisions to ensure we are making the most use of our taxpayer funds in our diplomatic mission. There are a wide variety of opinions about how effective our diplomatic positions have been, and we appreciate the men and women in the diplomatic corps. But we can do better in terms of, as the gentleman said, getting a better bang for our buck. Creating a Lessons Learned Center will allow the State Department and USAID to be more efficient in their spending and reduce duplicative efforts. We have already identified mountains of duplicative efforts. This is part of a larger strategy in the legislation to ensure accountability in our diplomatic efforts and on behalf of our taxpayers. It also includes a quadrennial review of our national plan for U.S. diplomacy and development programs, just like the Defense Department does every 4 years. This, to me, is exactly what we should be doing in this bill as we are beginning a new way of looking at our diplomatic efforts. So, again, I appreciate the gentlewoman's effort, but I think this is fundamentally a crucial part of this piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to be here today to talk in this House about energy. This is a moment in time when, I think, most Americans understand this great opportunity we have to really turn things around for our future in this country. It's about three principal elements that aren't just tied to the high cost of gasoline. It's about national security; it's about a better environment; and probably, as one of the most important things for this moment, it's about jobs. It's about a new economy. We'll just talk about national security. I think all of us understand very clearly, every American, no matter where one is from, the fact that importing oil is the basis for a lot of the dependency that we have. Sixty percent or so of the oil that we take in the United States comes from outside the United States. We depend, unfortunately, on many countries that are, at best, not our friends and that are, at worst, our mortal enemies, who fund terrorism and threats against the United States and against our allies around the world. The sooner that we can take oil out of the centerpiece of our natural resource dependency, the better. That's not to say we don't have oil in the United States and that, yes, we're going to drill more and all that kind of thing. What I'm talking about is the fact that much of our oil comes from places around the world, from the Middle East, from Venezuela and from other places that are not stable places for us to depend on this. Number 2 is our economy. We know that we have a great opportunity in terms of this next generation of jobs to be created relating to alternative energy and to the various kinds of alternative energies that are out there right now that are being developed by our scientists, by our engineers, and by our businesspeople. There is one thing that, I think, is just incredible and that I'll just give by way of an example because we know about solar and wind and a lot of other things. I'm from Florida, and I was speaking to one of our utility companies the other day, and they're talking about building the largest solar plant in the world in Florida. Over the years, we've heard, Oh, well, there isn't enough sun or maybe other things. Well, now there is a general recognition that anywhere in the United States there are great opportunities for solar. The technology is moving along, and we need to continue to incent that continued higher level of development of battery storage for solar and things like that. One of the things he said to me is, in building this plant, they have to import the mirrors--these are the pieces of equipment to hold the solar and to capture the power--from Germany. Hundreds of millions of dollars of this product have to come in from Germany because we don't produce it here in the United States. Why? Why don't we produce it? Why isn't that a job opportunity that is based right here? I think that one of the things that's going on right now in the investment recovery act that we've put together and other things that, I think, all of us share, Democrats and Republicans and as Americans, is the idea that, if we're going to talk about energy, we have to incentivize business and industry and the engineers in our universities to develop the science, to develop the entrepreneurship, to give the tax incentives for investment for that type of energy in the United States, and to build the equipment here in the United States. There is no reason. It costs a lot of money to ship fragile mirrors over from Germany. We can build it here. We can build it better. We can probably export it and can compete with the rest of the world. I think that's a pretty exciting opportunity, and there are so many other areas. In my district off the coast of Florida, most of you have heard of the gulf stream. That's that perpetual current, 24/7, 365 days a year, that runs up and down up to north along the east coast. Well, right now, one of our local universities, Florida Atlantic University, is developing technology where they can put turbines in the Atlantic Ocean and capture that energy. I don't know if this is going to work long-term, but that's the kind of American ingenuity that we're looking for, and we as a government and private sector, our scientists, our entrepreneurs, we need to work together to capture that and build on that. And of course, there's the environment. We all understand that, and there is something going on in the world on climate. People can have different opinions. I think most scientists agree there's something going on, and whatever we can do in the United States and around the world to provide leadership to reduce the impact of CO2 and other things, it's good for all of us. I live in a coastal area, 75 miles on the Atlantic Ocean, some of the most beautiful areas in the world. We obviously are very sensitive to the hurricane activity, to the rise of the Atlantic Ocean, things like that, but I think we all understand there's an environmental issue at the same time. So what are we doing here in Washington? We're working very collectively, and there are a lot of business and industry actively supporting some of the various ideas that are coming forward to work on this in a very productive way to make sure that the United States is leading the world in these areas of alternative energy. And we're debating a bill right now and I know our colleagues are asking for comments from back home. We obviously want to do it in a way that allows for appropriate levels of transition for our industries who are dependent on old fuel sources to move to new fuel sources. We need to work together to make sure that the system eases in a way that is economically competitive. That's what we need to do. At the same time, we ought to be encouraging as much as we can getting these products into play. So I'm very excited about the fact that we can build a new energy future, and I look forward to working with all of our Members to do that.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) for yielding me time, and I also want to commend him for his leadership on this important issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 410, a resolution I introduced with my friend from South Carolina, the Honorable Henry Brown, along with the distinguished co-Chairs of the Congressional Boating Caucus, the Honorable Gene Taylor from Mississippi and the Honorable Candice Miller from Michigan. Our resolution highlights the important contributions of the recreational boating community and the boating industry as to the quality of our lives and as to our continued economic prosperity. I urge President Obama to issue a proclamation calling upon the American people to observe July 1 as National Boating Day. Boating is a famous symbol for south Florida, where I come from, and for other parts around the country. Millions of residents in our community and tourists take to the waters of south Florida to boat, to fish, to dive, to snorkel, and to view scenic tours along our pristine coastline and along our unique intercoastal waterway. Palm Beach County alone has over 40,000 registered boaters. Fort Lauderdale's majestic canals have earned it the nickname ``the Venice of America.'' The significance of the boating community is not only symbolic. The industry is a major economic engine in Florida, responsible for over $2.8 billion in direct sales and for 30,000 jobs State-wide. In my district alone, there are over 34,000 registered boats. The industry produces $193 million, and it employs over 2,000 of my constituents. As everyone here knows, the contributions of the boating community extend far beyond the Sunshine State. The boating community includes 59 million people and 13.6 million registered boats throughout the United States. In addition, the recreational boating industry provides more than $37 billion in sales and in services to the U.S. economy, and it provides over 300,000 jobs throughout our country. One need only look at the geographic diversity among members of the Congressional Boating Caucus, of which I am a proud member, to measure the broad influence and contributions of the boating community and of the boating industry. Members come from 33 States, including Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and West Virginia. Clearly, boating is not just a coastal pastime. It is an American pastime. Boating also brings us closer to our natural resources and treasures. I strongly believe that an appreciation for environmental stewardship comes through an interaction with nature. For example, it's hard to comprehend the beauty of our coral reefs until you see it under water with your own eyes through a boat. Once you do, you begin to understand their importance and the need to protect them for the continued health of our oceans. Boating gives us these cherished opportunities to commune with nature, and it should be no surprise that boaters can be impassioned stewards of the environment, teaching future generations of boaters to have a healthy respect and appreciation for our natural resources. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 410, and I thank the gentleman from Washington again for bringing H. Res. 410 to the floor. I urge its passage.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 109, recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in our nation's capital. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure has not only raised substantial funds for breast cancer research, but serves as a day to pay tribute to the loved ones we've lost, empower those who have survived, and support those who continue to battle this disease. Like many other Americans, my family has been touched by breast cancer. But due to advances in treatment, greater awareness, and increases in early detection, we can now fight this disease head on and bring new hope to the mothers, sisters, daughters, wives and friends that are diagnosed each year. Susan G. Komen unfortunately lost her battle with breast cancer, but her story and her sister's perseverance to put an end to breast cancer once and for all has helped advance research, educate women on the importance of early detection, and bring men and women from all walks of life together to share their stories and struggles with this disease. I was proud to cosponsor this resolution, and participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in my own community in Florida. I'd like to thank my colleague, Congressman Donnelly, for introducing this important legislation and urge adoption of the resolution.