Kendrick Meek

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we have two different educational experiences beyond high school now. We have our 2-year institutions that are community colleges that many working people have to use to be able to receive a higher education, not because they could not get into a 4-year institution. Many times they have to stay home, Mr. Speaker, to help pay bills. They cannot afford, because of a lack of income or a sick family member, to move away. So they do their first 2 years at community colleges. Then we have another group of individuals that graduate from high school, moving on to a 4-year institution, and they also have to foot their own way through college, or a parent has to pick up an additional job or ask other family members to participate in helping to pay for one's educational experience. And while the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez) is here, I want to make sure that we share with the American people what is going on in this Congress now. Many times people ask, Okay, Democrats, what do you stand for? I mean, it is one thing to describe the problem. It is another thing to make sure that we can talk about and act upon solutions. And I will tell my colleagues that as it relates to doubling the maximum Pell grant award to $11,600 by 2010, I must say that this is a commitment that should be fulfilled because right now we have the typical student that nearly doubled themselves in debt. Sixty-four percent of them are $17,000 in debt when they walk across the stage, thinking that they are going to a job, that is, if they have a job, that may be able to help pay down that debt, and we have more students in America, young people, whose loans are falling in default, and one of the things that I picked up at the conference, so it is so very important that we listen, the banks are now marching to the Hill with the majority. Republicans are saying, well, we have a plan for student loans. And I get kind of concerned when banks start coming with a plan for students. And I do not know, I am not speaking from experience, but I know people who have gone through this. Right now we have banks, Mr. Speaker, that if one overdraws, it is a $29 fee. These are the same individuals that are coming to the Hill that are getting the attention of congressional leaders that they have a plan for young people. They are trying to do away with making sure that students can have a fixed rate to be able to make sure that they can pay their loans down, and when we do not have this fixed rate, the Congressional Research Service that we call CRS said ``by eliminating the current consolidation low- fixed rate benefit would force a typical student who has borrowed within $17,000 in debt to pay an additional . . . '' This is a tax, Mr. Speaker. I am going to put it this way. When we have a $7.1 trillion deficit, the highest deficit in the history of the republic, and at the same time we are providing tax cuts to millionaires who are not even asking for it because we can, this is what happens. We continue to fleece our future and fleece the dreams of these Americans. And I just want to mention, before I yield to the gentlewoman, that under the fixed rate as it relates to interest, $3,948. Under a variable rate, that is the banks' plan, the big banks' plan that I must say is getting wind behind the sails here in this Congress, which is the reason why I am glad the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) has brought us together because she needs the opportunity to be the Speaker of this House so that we can get some legislation and make sure we insulate the protections that students have now, under a variable rate, $9,432. So when we look at it, $3,948 under a fixed; under a variable where banks make more money, students pay longer, and more students go into default, $9,432, this is counterproductive. These are the things that we have to talk about, and these are the things that we have to legislate against.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. I thank the gentlewoman from California so very much. I want to say on just a few of her points, talking about the real cost of tuition, we talk about students, we talk about the cost of young people having to foot the bill, we talk about students leaving the college experience, the higher educational experience if they get through, if they can afford it, carrying on a great deal of debt that starts them off in the working world already in the hole. They went to school to be able to help America be stronger and also help themselves to be able to get the kind of job they need to be able to provide for their families and be able to buy a home. And what she is saying is very real. She took part in the 30- Something or the Young Leaders conference that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) had, and we all participated in it. And I just would appreciate it if she could share a few of the stories that some of the students shared with her about their experiences about trying to afford college because many of them work here in this House, many of them attend school right now, and they are running into you know what trying to pay for college.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to address the House and the American people on this afternoon. I must say that this is not only a great opportunity but a historic opportunity to address the House. I was very honored to see and hear the Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi, share her appreciation for the 30-Something Caucus that she created here in this House to address the American people on a weekly basis. And so this is our first evening coming together. We will have some Members that are 30-plus, maybe in their lower 40s, but all of the ladies that will come forth tonight, they are all in their 20s, so they do not quite want to admit that they are in the 30-Something Caucus, but we do have Members that have been in this body and as a part of this body on the Democratic side who came in at a very young age. I think, Mr. Speaker, Members of the House and also the American people, it is very important that we have Members here so we have a diversity of not only representation but a voice as it relates to the future and especially for those individuals, I am 37 years old and I am going to be in a situation very soon, I have young children that are going to have to attend college. So what is happening right now in this House and what is happening in this country is so very, very important to me, not only as a Member of Congress but also to individuals that work hard every day. I just wanted to rehash what the leader shared with us a little earlier today when she took the floor this evening, about maybe 30 minutes ago. She created a 30-Something Caucus, Leader Pelosi did, amongst House Democrats. There are 14. We work day in and day out to make sure that we talk about the issues and point out issues that are happening here in this House and making sure that we have results or recommendations for results. There is only so much that we can do in the minority; but if we continue to work hard toward those issues, then we can bring about the kind of change that is needed for the country, that means for individuals that are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Also, this is going to provide an opportunity for us to be interactive with the American people through e-mail and also through other means of communications to make sure that we provide the best kind of representation that is possible, especially for individuals that are approaching college, parents that are thinking about sending their children to college, making sure that it is affordable and that it is there for them. I would like to call on the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez), who has been such an outstanding Member of this body and also a good voice not only for her district in California which she represents, the 39th District, but being my freshman sister here in this 108th Congress.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal, who was killed on April 24th in a suicide attack in the northern Arabian Gulf. He is a true hero--a man who served his country and did the nation's work in the most dangerous part of the world. Our entire community grieves his loss. Petty Officer Bruckenthal, 24, along U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Michael J. Pernaselli, 27, and U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Christopher E. Watts, 28, boarded a small boat that approached the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal in the northern Arabian Gulf in order to inspect it. As it turns out, the boat was carrying bombs and exploded, killing all three young men. Petty Officer Bruckenthal was stationed at Air Station Miami at the Opa Locka Airport in my Congressional district prior to his deployment in Iraq. He and his wife had their home together in nearby Ft. Lauderdale. Our brave men and women in the U.S. Coast Guard have long fought alongside our other members of the U.S. Armed Forces, but Petty Officer Bruckenthal's death is the first combat death of a member of the Coast Guard since the Vietnam War. He will be buried on May 7th at Arlington National Cemetery. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Petty Officer Bruckenthal and those of the other young men who were mortally wounded in this terrorist assault. They gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country, and we will never forget them.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and recognize the accomplishments of a truly great lady, Mrs. Sherry Ann Littman, who passed away on April 11. Sherry Littman can perhaps best be described as a person of untiring energy and a great big heart, who also had a strong ethic of community service and cared deeply about the opportunities, welfare and well- being of other people. She was an activist and a respected advocate for her Eastern Shores community in the City of North Miami Beach, but her interests extended far beyond the city limits. When Sherry Littman saw a need, particularly among people without the resources to address that need themselves; she flung herself into the task. One example is hunger and malnutrition. Almost 25 years ago, when Sherry and her husband, former North Miami Beach Councilman Jules Littman, saw gaps in the social services network in South Florida, they founded a nonprofit organization known today as Stop The Hunger. Today, Stop The Hunger serves a half-million meals a month to children and adults all over Florida. I know I speak for our entire community in extending our heartfelt sympathies to Sherry's husband, Jules, her daughter, Phyliss Diskin, her son, Paul Levin and her four grandchildren. No one whose life was touched by Sherry Littman could ever forget her. What is even more remarkable about her, however, is that she will be dearly missed by countless thousands of people who never met her, but whose lives were nonetheless touched by her life and work.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the following newspaper articles from the Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel appear in the Congressional Record immediately following my statement: [From the Miami Herald, April 29, 2004] U.S. House OKs Bill Naming New Federal Courthouse for Late Judge Wilkie Ferguson (By Larry Lebowitz) The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that would name the new federal courthouse in downtown Miami after the late U.S. District Judge Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. and sent it to the President for his signature. ``His career is an inspiration to hundreds of young attorneys, and his honor and integrity make him a symbol of fairness on the federal bench,'' said Rep. Kendrick Meek, D- Miami. ``. . . Naming the new federal courthouse after Judge Ferguson is an honor that will reinforce his legacy for decades to come.'' Only seven U.S. courthouses nationwide have been named for black jurists, none of them in Florida. The Senate version, introduced and co-sponsored by Florida Democratic Sens. Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, passed on March 12. The $163 million courthouse, which will feature two 14- story towers connected by a mammoth atrium, is located at 400 N. Miami Ave. It is slated to open in late summer 2005.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to not only report to the American people an unfortunate event we are going through here in the United States, living under the highest deficit in the history of the Republic and losing 2.8 million jobs since the Bush administration has been in control of our government. I think it is very, very important for the American people to understand that Democrats in this House are looking for sensible tax relief and also reducing the deficit along with creating manufacturing jobs. I am talking about those 2.8 million Americans that are out of work and who had jobs and were paying taxes and were also providing health care, or trying to pay for health care, for their families. I think it is very, very important the American people pay very close attention to those that are trying to push forward reasonable tax relief, student loan opportunities for the middle class, and who want to make sure we can move forward in building America and manufacturing jobs and making sure that we close the gap on the 2.8 million jobs that have been lost under this administration.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to also thank the chairman for his very kind comments about Judge Wilkie Ferguson. I just want to share with the House and the American people that the local community in Miami Dade County and within the circuit there in south Florida, that it is just a high honor that this House would not find it robbery and also the other body to name this courthouse after Judge Wilkie Ferguson. Many of our viewers and also Members of the House had an opportunity to hear my colleagues speak so eloquently about his past contributions to our society. Unfortunately, but some may say fortunately, he moved on to a higher place on June 9 of 2003. I think it is very, very fitting for the American people not only to hear of his contributions, but also for judges and those that are involved in our judicial system, from the Supreme Court all the way down to a hearing officer at the county court level, to hear the contributions of this great man. He stood on behalf of not only people financially challenged or people of color, but he stood on behalf of the law and what the Constitution spoke of as it relates to representing everyone and making sure that they have a fair share. In south Florida, we have a very diverse community, Mr. Speaker, and I must say, as it relates to Judge Ferguson and as it relates to this courthouse being named after him, we had unanimous support as it relates to individuals coming forth and saying we want to name this courthouse, which is in downtown Miami, one of the most outstanding buildings that is being erected that will be ready to open its doors in the fall of 2005, for those workers who are working on that courthouse, for those individuals that walk by every day as they walk to the county courthouse and also to the courthouse that is existing now, they will know that the American people stand behind the Wilkie Ferguson philosophy in making sure that everyone is represented. For every judge that walks into those doors, it will remind him and her and, even as it relates to the magistrates, it will remind them of the importance of standing on behalf of all Americans and standing on behalf of individuals until they are proven guilty. It will remind those individuals, those court reporters that walk into that Federal courthouse of the importance of making sure that as they type down the words of witnesses and defendants and prosecutors and individuals that are trying to seek justice, families that are looking to be made whole through our justice system and finding some sort of resolution, whether it be to a civil offense or to a criminal offense that may take place, that Judge Wilkie Ferguson once walked through that area in that vicinity and that his spirit will forever live in the hearts and minds of those individuals that work there every day of their lives. I just want to also share with the House that it is very, very important that we remember the importance of the contributions of those individuals that came up on the rough side. Wilkie Ferguson did. His wife Betty Ferguson also did, who also offered her life and is still offering her service to our public there in the Miami-Dade Commission. Wilkie Ferguson spoke to individuals, ordinary individuals at his level. Being a Federal judge, serving and being very respected in the community, he spoke to the individuals that were out there clipping the hedges. He spoke to the individuals as it relates to getting a cup of coffee for people such as himself. He is the kind, and was the kind, and I say he is the kind because in my heart and my mind he is still living with us, even though he has passed on his spirit is still alive and well, he spoke to those individuals. He made sure that people felt like people. He represented in a way that he should. He wrote articles to our local paper about what should be happening in our judicial system. He was an advocate judge, but an advocate judge on behalf of every American. And I am so honored; I am pleased that my community came together on this. I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their forward thinking in saying that this was appropriate to name this courthouse after him. I thank this House for coming together and making sure that we honor a man of great dignity and integrity on the bench and even before he got on the bench. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the American people for this opportunity to address the House.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell the gentleman how much I appreciate his saying that. I hope my mother was watching, who is a past Member of this body. Hopefully, she will see how important and how my colleagues think of me. I thank the gentleman from coming down. I just want to say this very quickly in closing, Mr. Speaker, that it is very important we do what is right on behalf of this Nation. It is very important, if we are going to have a policy and interdict Haitians at sea and we want to save lives so that the Coast Guard will not have to pick bodies out floating face down around the waters of Haiti and between the United States of America that we provide the kind of atmosphere for economic development, and I would also say to the Members that it is vitally important that we continue to pay very close attention in a bipartisan way and do what is right on behalf of this nation that helped us fight for our independence.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, once again, it is a great honor to address the House of Representatives and the American people on a recent armed services trip that I took to Haiti and also talk about Haiti and the U.S. relations as we move forth from this point on. Many Americans understand the changes that Haiti has gone through and the Haitian people, but tonight I wanted to share a few things because many times we hear on the news and read in the newspaper about what is going on in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; what happened today in Port-au- Prince, Haiti; what happened as it relates to government, a lack of a parliament and the legislature in Haiti; an interim government in Haiti; what is happening as relates to AIDS and HIV in Haiti; also, as it pertains to hunger in Haiti and transportation. I think it is so very, very important, since Haiti had so much to do and does have so much to do with our very own independence. Haiti took part in helping us fight for our own independence. ``Us'' is the United States of America. There are many Haitian Americans that are playing vital roles not only in our government but also in our democracy here in the United States, and I must say that this is a very pivotal time for Haiti. So I would ask the American people and Members of the Congress to just take a moment and pay attention to some of the things that I would like to share with my colleagues this evening to talk about this country, and I am going to have a map put up here beside me talking about why it is important that the United States of America plays a very strong role in not the rebuilding of Haiti but the building of Haiti, a country that is comprised of people that work every day, a country that wants to continue to move forth as a democracy, and I am going to address that. I am going to continue to address the issue of democracy because democracy is very, very important. As my colleagues know, many thousands of miles away from the United States of America we are working hard to create and to also maintain democracies throughout the world; but I will tell my colleagues, as it relates to Haiti being in our own hemisphere, being the poorest country in our hemisphere, in the Caribbean, the very same Caribbean, I myself being from Miami, cruise ship capital of the world, many Americans and people throughout the world cruise the Caribbean for celebration, relaxation and sun; but Haiti that sits in the middle of our Caribbean, northern Caribbean, is a country that is in desperate need of assistance. With the United States being the largest, most vibrant free society on the face of the Earth, the richest country on the face of the Earth, we are doing, in my opinion, more to Haiti than for Haiti; and that is the reason why we have to go through a paradigm shift. First of all, I just would like to point out here, Haiti is actually only 600 miles away from the United States; and as we start talking about Haiti, we have to look at the Bahamas. That is up here. That is our friend and ally that has been really working with the United States as it relates to making sure that we not only stop the flow of illegal narcotics but also the flow of illegal immigrants to the United States of America. We have Jamaica down here that has also been very helpful to the United States in making sure that we fight the war against drugs and also illegal immigration. I think it is very important for us to understand, 600 miles away, Cuba is actually 90 miles away, and we have many Haitians that are looking for safe harbor in the United States due to political persecution. I just want to talk for a moment, since we know exactly where Haiti is now and we know exactly where it sits as it relates to our own homeland security and where it sits as it relates to our responsibility of being able to assist Haiti as much as possible with the United Nations, I want to just share a few things with my colleagues. Last Tuesday, I took the opportunity to travel to Haiti along with Senator Bill Nelson of Florida and also General Hill of SouthCom, who I think the commander of Southern Command is doing an outstanding job. He has a number of Marines that are there as a part of the international force to bring about peace in Haiti, and they are doing the best job that they can do under the circumstances. There are also French troops that are there in the north. General Hill and I, we flew to northern Haiti. We actually flew to three cities in northern Haiti, and these cities are small cities but large as it relates to the population in Haiti. The first place we traveled to was Fort Liberte, which is a city of over 5,000 people. French troops are up here securing this area of Haiti. It is close to the Dominican border, and there are a number of poor individuals there that are mainly fishermen and peasants. We walked through the streets of this city, dirt roads, and spoke to everyday Haitians; and I was stopped by a father that had two daughters that were dressed the same. They had matching umbrellas, in the heat of the day. This is Haitian time, maybe around 10:30, eleven o'clock. It was lunchtime. He was walking his daughters home, and I asked him how is life, through an interpreter, and he said, well, it is quite difficult because we have not had power in our city since December of last year. Being from Miami and understanding hurricanes and disasters and power being knocked out, it is very difficult to survive. It is very difficult to be able to maintain some level of normalcy without having power and utilities; and that is so very, very important. It is an area that we have to make sure that we get more humanitarian assistance in the area of food, also in the area of clean drinking water; and definitely electricity should be provided up in this area. We then moved from Fort Liberte that we see here over to Cap Haitian, which is also a border area. It is not a border area, but they have a port that is there, a deep water port that could be open for commerce, but right now the main business that they have now is humanitarian aid that actually comes in from that particular area. They have the World Food Programme that is there in that area that is providing meals every day. The population there is approximately 100,000 Haitians. I met with representatives from the Catholic Relief Services and also the archdiocese of Cap Haitian and from the World Food Programme. I also met with local school educators, which it was a very good meeting that we had, also a representative from a local orphanage. We met there at the airport, and I must say that when we met there, it was more like an airport hangar. And in that region of Haiti, it is still a very dangerous region. Rebel forces still control half of Haiti. Now, I am not saying that rebel forces are violent or not violent, but what I am saying is that danger is still present there in Cap Haitien and throughout certain parts of Haiti. Even though we have French troops in the area, there is still a level of danger that is there. We met with the school representatives that were there, the principal of a primary elementary school and also a principal of a number of the high schools that we would call our ninth grade through twelfth grade experience. They both said that they have the issues of power. This is a major, major issue in this country, and Haiti has to have some level of commerce, some level of economic development to be able to help itself. And I think for very little investment from the United Nations and from the United States of America we can achieve that. So we had the opportunity to meet for about an hour and 15 minutes while General Hill moved on, meeting with the French troops, making sure our coalition is strong there in order to provide the right atmosphere for another larger United Nations force to take over. I also spoke with one of the representatives from the archdiocese of the Catholic Church, and Catholic Relief Services, and he spoke to me in Creole, and through an interpreter he said, Congressman, that is fine. It is fine that you are here. We are glad that you are here. But we have had other visitors from the United States of America, though this was the first time he said he had personally met with a Member of Congress. But people come and people go, and Haitians are used to hearing, using his words, oh, this is wonderful; and, yes, we will take our notes, and we appreciated the meeting, and we will be back. And he said many people board planes and boats, and they leave, and they never see them ever again. But this issue of hunger, the issue of the lack of having the opportunity to build jobs, the issue of children needing to be educated are very important. This is a very fertile area for economic development. We can put local peasants to work. And I am going to come back to that a little later on. We moved from Cap Haitien by helicopter, a very mountainous area along this area between Cap Haitien and the city of Gonaives. Gonaives is an interesting city because this is where the rebellion started, right here in Gonaives, which many of the rebels are still there in that city. It is a very dangerous place. The security responsibility of Gonaives is in the hands of the French troops that are there, and I commend those men and women that are there serving on behalf of the United Nations' international presence. I met with representatives of the CARE organization, which is one of the three to four providers that provide food through USAID, and he shared with me that, once again, energy, power, being able to keep the lights on in Haiti, in Gonaives, why power is so important; because, guess what, it generates clean drinking water. They have four pumps in that city. Three of them work, but one of them needs repairs. These are very small things. These are issues that usually a city government or a county government may have an issue, and they appropriate a very small number of dollars towards repairing that, and the problem is solved. But fuel and petroleum is an issue in Haiti right now because of the lack of power. In Haiti they have to use gas generators, which is very expensive, so this means some days the pumps work, and other days they do not work. They also provide meals for 60,000 people in this city of 200,000 people, which he said they can do a lot more. It is 70 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Now, one would say, why would you have to travel by helicopter? Well, Haiti is a very mountainous area, and the roads in Haiti, if Americans have experienced a dirt road experience, magnify that by 10 times. The best built road in Haiti was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1994. So it is very, very difficult to travel from Port-au-Prince to Gonaives. We returned back on that Tuesday, back to Port-au-Prince, and flew back to Miami, Florida. Senator Nelson flew back to South America on another mission. The reason why we could not stay overnight in Haiti, my colleagues, was due to the fact that they still have a departure order in Haiti. It is that dangerous. It is so dangerous that even myself, a Member of Congress, not only had U.S. Marine security but State Department security on top of that and Haitian national police security. Imagine. I can walk down the streets of the United States of America, even here in Washington, D.C., without security. I might be a little security-conscious, but without physical security, and without M-5 semiautomatic machine guns, but I cannot stay overnight in Haiti. The State Department will not allow me to stay overnight in Haiti. So imagine some who may feel any credible claim of fear or persecution, imagine what they may feel without security, without having armored vehicles to ride around the streets of Port-au-Prince in. So we flew back to Miami Wednesday, stayed there, Thursday returned back to Haiti and spent that day, all day, in Port-au-Prince, and met with the USAID mission that is there, Director David Adams, who I believe is doing an outstanding job. And I want to say not only to his staff but to the administrators here with USAID, you could not have a better, more committed staff in Haiti than what you have under the leadership of Director Adams. He is emotionally attached to the work. But they need more resources to be able to do the things they need to do to develop jobs in Haiti, and I will address that in a few seconds. I think it is important for us to remember that we have a lot of people doing great things in Haiti, but more needs to be done. We met with nongovernmental organizations from Haiti's southern claw. Now, let me just point out the southern claw of Haiti. This looks pretty much like a lobster claw or a crab claw, but this is the southern claw. This is Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the capital, where the Presidential palace is located. You hear a lot about events taking place here. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is the most populated city in Haiti, and it is its nation's capital. There is the southern claw, along this area here, south of Port-au-Prince. This southern claw is not secured yet. This southern claw is still controlled by rebel forces. This southern claw is where many Haitians are hungry. This southern claw is where there is no power at all to be able to stimulate any level of sensible adult education, any level of humanitarian assistance. Everything is run by generator in the southern claw. We have to remember that because I am going to talk a little about migration and the reason why Haitians leave Haiti. And I think it is important that we remember and we set the stage for the environment that they have to live in and the environment that we allow them to live in, because they are the poorest country in our hemisphere. We seem to have more interest in areas thousands and thousands of miles away, while we have this democracy, as shaky as it may be, with hungry, starving people, and very little assistance from the U.S. or from the U.N. This is an area that can be very vibrant and prosperous, much more prosperous than what it is right now. Prosperity is only in pride in Haiti. There are very few numbers of individuals that have wealth in Haiti. The average per capita income of the everyday Haitian is a little bit over $400. That is a year; $400 in U.S. money is the per capita income for the average Haitian. And we will talk about that a little later. But there is only one road down into the southern claw, my colleagues, and that road is not a secured road. The CMOC that is located there, which is operated by Southern Command, provides the very gateway or security for humanitarian efforts to make it to the southern claw and some parts of northern Haiti. The U.S. has security responsibility for Port-au-Prince only at this particular time. There are plans to move into the southern claw to be able to provide the kind of humanitarian assistance and health assistance that is needed there. CMOC is an acronym which stands for the Civil Military Operations Center. This center was once located in 1994 when the Army was there, the 82nd Airborne. CMOCs are set up in many areas in Iraq, which has the largest CMOC. The CMOC in Haiti is a very small operation, and it brings together nongovernmental organizations where they work hand in hand with USAID. Once again, the staff that is down there at that CMOC, which is mainly run by a gentleman that is a reservist, a colonel, is doing an outstanding job there. I met with Major Ray, who gave us an overview of the activities of the CMOC there, and my hat is off to those individuals, those patriots that are trying to provide just common things for the Haitian people and the plans they have there of being able to try to assist Haitians restore some level of health care in Port-au-Prince, and also making sure that nongovernmental organizations have a way to be able to carry food and the necessary cooking oil, things of that nature, to the southern claw of Haiti. I commend them. The United Nations Development Program office tells me that the residents there are really looking forward, and they are continuing to engage the citizens of Haiti as it pertains to learning more about how the United Nations can play a role in humanitarian and economic development there. I would use the philosophy of not giving fish, but teaching how to fish. But I must say to the American people and to Members of Congress, the Haitian people are very creative people, so we do not necessarily need to teach them how to fish, we just have to provide the very essentials for them to go ahead and move forward with their entrepreneurial spirit to provide jobs in Haiti. I want to share with my colleagues a few more facts about Haiti, and then I must talk about immigration, because that is the main thrust of the interest of our country. It seems to be the main thrust of the administration, any administration, because of illegal immigration and those individuals who take to the sea, and who our Coast Guard rescue many times. I showed this map that had Florida in it. It is 600 miles to Florida from Haiti, and 90 miles from Cuba. When I was flying over in either a plane or helicopter, 20 feet out of shore, and many of the Members of Congress who are sports enthusiasts or are into water sports or fishing can understand what I mean when I say the deep blue water, it was deep blue water. That means that once you fall in it, you cannot touch the bottom. We have lost thousands, not hundreds but thousands, of Haitians trying to escape political persecution in Haiti. I commend the Coast Guard for the work that they have tried to do to prevent the loss of life, but they also have a job to do, and they have been ordered to do it and they are doing it. I will also talk about that. First, however, I want to share a little about the U.S. involvement. The reason why I am here today is to make sure that we have a paradigm shift in our policy as relates to Haiti. The U.S. involvement goes back to 1915 and 1934, when we occupied Haiti. The U.S. helped set up the Haitian Coast Guard. We built the embassy there during that period. We built the ambassador's residence during that period, and Ambassador Foley, James Foley, I believe, is trying to do the best that he can do under the circumstances. He is going to need the help of this Congress to be able to carry out the effort in Haiti. In 1994, the U.N. multinational force, led by the United States of America, military intervention eventually worked towards the return of President Aristide. We were there for a very short time. I must say a lot was done during that period, but not one U.S. soldier lost his or her life during that period because, contrary to what one may hear on television or read in the paper, the Haitian people are very peaceful. There are a few that create thuggery in Haiti and give Haiti a black eye that it does not deserve. On February 23 of this year, the U.S. sent U.S. Marines to secure U.S. facilities, which was a fast response team. In March 2004, as a part of a U.N.-backed force, the United States, Canadians, French and Chileans restored and maintained order of Haiti. My hat is off to those individuals who served. We had a Marine injured in an ambush. Marines returned fire, and three or four individuals have been killed that have tried to attack our men and women in uniform. Secondly, as it relates to power in Port-au-Prince alone, the capital city, the largest city, the Marines and SouthCom, and once again I cannot say enough about them and what they are trying to do there, did an assessment of the needs of electricity in Haiti because it means so much. It goes towards the security of Haiti. Just imagine if you did not have lights in your neighborhood, what kind of safety, what kind of level of safety would you have in your neighborhood, let alone a sense of community or a community that would like to thrive. This was done by SouthCom, this report here that was given to the Prime Minister, saying his number one goal should be to ask for international assistance to get their energy facilities up to date. This can be done for $1.8 million. When we look at the size of Port-au-Prince, and for Members who are engineers, you know for $1.8 million that is a very small price tag to repair the power resources in Port-Au-Prince alone. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is not just the capital city; it is the heartbeat of the economy of Haiti. It is also the area we have to secure. There is a city called Cite Soleil, which is more like what one would call squatters. They are tin roofs. In the country and heartland of America, you may have a barn with a tin roof. That makes the four walls and the top of the houses in Cite Soleil. Some of the most violent gangs are in the Cite Soleil. It is important that we understand that we have to provide power or have to make sure they have power in this city because usually when the violence starts, it starts in Port-au- Prince, Haiti. That is why we hear so much about Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We should be hearing about the hard-working people in Haiti, but we will not hear that unless we target to restore and repair power there. There are U.S. corporations in Port-au-Prince in the industrial part, which the HERO bill here in this Congress, represented by Members in this body and the other body, to provide not only trade opportunities with Haiti, but to also generate jobs within Haiti. One of the main cities that would benefit from that would be Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I think what is also very, very important for us to discuss here is the issue of immigration. This is the very center I believe of the reason why we have to do the right thing now. There are a number of issues that are going on here on this island. We also have the drug trade, not Haitians growing poppy plants. Haitians are not growing marijuana plants or any other thing that may create some sort of illegal substance or illegal drug, but because of the lack of an economy in Haiti, drug lords have found not safe haven, but an opportunity to thrive as a point where they can take their drugs to move to the next area. I want to bring my other chart back up because I think it is important that we understand what we are dealing with here. We have Haiti here and within 600 miles to Miami, Florida. It is maybe even a shorter distance to Key West and what we call here the Gold Coast. As we see the Bahama islands, and there are over 700 Bahama islands, we have Cuba here. Drug dealers try to find some way to work in Haiti due to the lack of an economy. If we want to head off what we are dealing with in Colombia and some other parts of the southern hemisphere, we should do the right thing as it relates to the economy. But also what comes along with drugs is, what, violence. What happens especially when you do not have police, when you do not have individuals that are provided jobs, then you will have a very small population of individuals that are gangs that will take control and will arm themselves and will end up giving the government the problems that they have now. I said I was going to go back to the Coast Guard, and I think it is important. I do not want Members to feel that the Coast Guard is doing something wrong; they are doing everything right in my opinion. They are doing what they are told. Being a member of the Committee on the Armed Services, the Coast Guard carries out their orders. They report to the committee I serve on as it relates to the Select Committee on Homeland Security; but as it relates to U.S. policy towards Haitians that are interdicted at sea, it is not just, it is not fair and it is a violation of international law, period. No qualms about it. Let me just share something with Members. This is not even what has happened over the last few years. The Coast Guard in January of 2004 intercepted and repatriated 113 Haitians. In February of 2004, they intercepted 1,076 Haitians, but only 11 out of 1,076 Haitians actually were found to have a credible claim of fear of persecution. Eleven out of 1,076. That means 1,065 went back to Haiti, and they were repatriated in Port-au-Prince. A lot of them were leaving because of political persecution. They were paraded right through Port-au-Prince. Many of them left from the northern and southern claw of Haiti, trying to escape political persecution; and they were repatriated. We do not know if those individuals made it home or did not. It is a violation of international law for us to do that. Now, I said that to say this, what is important for us to do here in this Congress, the most important thing that we can do is to make sure that we appropriate the necessary dollars, just like we appropriate throughout the world. We have Members saying we have our own issues and we have the deficit and other things. Let me say I am overly concerned as relates to the deficit. I do not take pride as it relates to being in the 108th Congress, and history will say I was in Congress when we had the highest deficit in the history of the country, the history of the Republic. But at the same time we are giving international assistance to other countries, in the billions and in the millions. Haiti is slated to receive in the millions, a very small number as it relates to the big numbers that many of the other countries are receiving. There will be an appropriations amendment to ask for $50 million for Haiti. The President has asked for $20 million, and some of that is in in-kind contributions, not necessarily hard dollars. It is important for the U.S. to be able to appropriate more than what the President has asked for for Haiti for two reasons. One, we cannot carry out acts of repatriating over 1,076 Haitians and say there is no real reason, you are leaving for other reasons. The 11 that had credible claims of fear, they are not in the United States; they are in Guantanamo Bay along with the terrorists from the Middle East, the enemy combatants that are jailed and are an issue before the Supreme Court right now. So if we do not want Haitians coming over to the United States of America, if we do not want Haitians risking their lives, and we no longer want to see on the nightly news 300 Haitians falling in the middle of the Gulf Stream, and one may see with the Gulf Stream right off the coast of Florida where they will go on and on and we will never find these individuals, if we do not want that to happen, we should have more thrust to make sure we do right in Haiti. I want to say it is very, very important that we do this. Mr. Speaker, I will be leaving, along with a bipartisan delegation, at 7:20 a.m. from Andrews Air Force Base to fly to Haiti and meet with Haitian government officials, those who we may call stewards of democracy at this time. But it is a very, very important message that we are sending to the Haitian Government, and that is they have to rule with a level hand. To the ministers, the Prime Minister, I have not met with the President, maybe we will do that tomorrow, but it is important if they are going to set out warrants for members of the Lavalas Party and for the Aristide government, the interior minister has already been jailed of the Aristide government, if you are going to do that, I have no qualms about you carrying out the rule of law. But if you are putting out warrants there, you have to put out warrants for the arrest of individuals who are in the rebel forces and other parties that we know and they are known criminals and are carrying out daily acts of thuggery throughout Haiti. There are some Members in this body that will cut off dollars, assistance dollars, if the Haitian Government does not stand for equality in making sure that we have security for all Haitians. The backdrop of American people is making sure that we set forth an environment for elections. Right now in Haiti they do not have this democracy that we celebrate here this evening, this Congress that allows representatives from different parts of Haiti to come to the capital to represent their constituents. They no longer have a parliament. They no longer have an elected president. They no longer are able to have mayors in their cities. Many of the cities are mayorless, without leadership; and so it is important that we set the security stage, that we help Haiti set the policy stage of making sure that we are able to have those elections so they can move forth. So on this 200th bicentennial of Haiti's history and future, this country that was one of the first countries to get its own independence, Haitians. I share with the Prime Minister, who is a Haitian who was living in Boca Raton, Florida, in my State, that his role in this government in this time in this place will speak for the next 200 years. By the agreement of the Prime Minister's being in the office that he is in, he can no longer run for office in Haiti. He cannot run for office in Haiti. He cannot move on to the next government that hopefully will be elected. He cannot take part in that. So he has an opportunity to be an honest broker. The people around him in the ministry have an opportunity to be honest brokers of making sure that Haitians get a fair opportunity to have power, to be able to stimulate an economy in Haiti, and to be able to work with the international community to provide the kind of assistance that the Haitian people deserve. Mr. Speaker, if anyone has traveled to Haiti, and I will tell the Members right now, it cannot help but pull on their heart to see people living under those circumstances and those conditions to do the things that they do day in and day out, to lay flat down and attend house that is clean, which may be the ground but it is swept, living under those conditions of not being able to have the clean water that they need, having electricity, but every day they try to send their children to school. Ninety-five percent of the schools in Haiti are privatized. USAID is building schools. We commend them for that. But the missions and things of that nature are providing an opportunity for them to educate themselves. But I can say, Mr. Speaker, that it is so very important. So if we are concerned about Haitians coming to the United States illegally trying to escape political persecution because of thuggery in their local town or city, then we should have an effort here in Haiti to make sure that we provide the best environment possible for this country. We are providing food, yes. We are providing medicine, yes. Are we helping Haiti as it relates to HIV and AIDS? Of course we are. But those are issues of providing fish, not providing the resources so that they can go and fish for themselves. There are some countries that we have been in in Europe since World War II, Mr. Speaker. It is important that we do it right this time so that we do not have to deploy U.S. troops, so that we do not have to call in Reservists to go because our military is stretched too thin, so that we do not have to have emergency orders through the Security Council at the UN. It is very important. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), no relation to me, also represents a large concentration. I have the highest concentration of Haitians in my district, Haitian Americans. He has the second largest in New York. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) quickly that I appreciate his speaking out not only here on the floor of this great House of Representatives but also speaking out in the halls of Congress. As the gentleman knows, we partner in a bipartisan effort to try to do what is best for Haiti. Regardless of the politics, regardless of who is in control, we are supporters; and I know that he joins me in that, of democracy. And the only way we are going to get to truly elect a democracy is making sure that we bring the level of safety, number one, up in Haiti; number two, set the real stage for elections, which the United Nations is going to play a role in it. And I am glad that he points out the fact that we are not trying to impose anything on the Haitian people. We want to make sure that we are there to be the bridge for the Haitian people to move forth and elect its government. And the interim government that is in there that, I must add, cannot continue on past the 2005 elections, that is in the agreement, that they have the necessary tools to be able to provide some of the things that I talked about here tonight. But it is good to have not only a partner like the gentleman from New York but someone who is willing to look at the big picture on behalf of the Haitian people. That is just the bottom line.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, they have some of the best beaches in the world, and the cruise ships used to go there all the time. Now there is a little small part of Haiti on the northern tip that is gated, secured, and they go there. Does the gentleman from New York wish to share with us anything else this evening? Because I am going to close because I know we have an early morning and we have other Members who have to address the House.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to join with my community and my colleagues to recognize Yom HaShoah, the day established to remember the state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Yom HaShoah, the Hebrew word for destruction, is the term used to describe the war that swept up the souls of six million Jews between 1938 and 1945. A war in which unspeakable atrocities were perpetrated against a defenseless and blameless people, whose only ``crime'' was their religious beliefs. Men and women, young and old alike, perished at the hands of the Nazis and their allies. Every year, on Yom HaShoah, we remember the martyrs who perished in the camps, in the ghettos, and in the gas chambers. It has been 60 years since the Holocaust. To survivors, and those who lost friends and family members, it remains real and ever-present. But to many people, who did not directly experience the Holocaust or have a connection to those who did, 60 years makes the Holocaust seem like ancient history. It is for this reason that we meet here today, for the world must never forget the unspeakable horror of the Holocaust. Every person has a responsibility to fight against ignorance, intolerance and prejudice in all its forms. So let us rededicate ourselves as we commemorate this day of Yom HaShoah, so that the memories of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust can live on for eternity and that a tragedy like this will never happen on the face of the earth again.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I must say that we cannot speak enough about what this budget does to first responders, and I will tell you it is definitely a travesty when we have a budget in this time of the homeland being at threat as it relates to the Secretary of Defense stating yesterday before the 9/11 Commission, cutting by 32 percent, $959 million, away from the COPS program. I must say that it is something we should really look closely at. Those are the frontline responders, and for us to cut those dollars is a travesty in the light of making sure that people that make over $1 million annually are able to get their tax cut so it can be permanent. I will tell you it is a sad day if this Congress allows this budget, handed from the President, to come to fruition and become a part of the template we use to be able to fund the necessary means toward protecting the homeland. Every police officer, every sheriff, should call the Members of Congress to let them know these dollars are important to protecting the homeland and local communities and making sure we are prepared to prevent terrorist attacks from happening in the future.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this very flawed, very inadequate and blatantly political resolution. Every Member of this House wants to honor our troops. That view is truly non-partisan. Each of us is deeply grateful for the patriotism and courage our troops have exhibited in Iraq, and for the sacrifices that they and their families are making. But House Republican leaders should be ashamed of themselves for playing politics and trying to score political points by pushing this partisan resolution through the House, and using the brave men and women in our armed forces as cover in order to do it. This resolution does not even mention the thousands of wounded soldiers from this war, many of whom I met at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC. Their sacrifices will not end when they come home and leave the military. For those who lost limbs or suffered other serious, debilitating injuries, their sacrifice will be with them for the rest of their lives. That is certainly true for the parents, brothers and sisters, spouses, children and friends of the 564 Americans who have lost their lives so far in this Iraq War. They clearly deserve our recognition and our gratitude, but they are not mentioned in this resolution. Republican leaders are so single-minded and so dead-set on justifying the President's decision to go to war that they use the opportunity to honor our troops as an excuse to explain away the war. And they purposely excluded Democrats in the drafting process so that they could have it their way, and their way alone. Their failure to reach across the aisle and make this resolution bipartisan is wrong and disgraces the memory of those who serve, and those who have sacrificed, and those who have died. As written, this resolution states that the ``United States and the world have been made safer by the removal of Saddam Hussein and the Baath party from power''. There is certainly not unanimity on that point. The Bush administration has tried hard to change the reasons the President took this country to war. We were told that Saddam Hussein was hand-in-hand with Al Qaeda; that he was constructing weapons of mass destruction; and that he had a program to create nuclear weapons. We were led to believe that Iraq was arming itself to attack us--and to attack us imminently. But now little of what they told us appears to be true. It now appears that the President's rationale for war in Iraq was fundamentally and deeply flawed. Judging from the 27 people killed in a car bombing in Baghdad this afternoon or the 200 people killed in Madrid only 6 days ago, it appears that the undisputed enemy that all Americans recognize, Al Qaeda, is as strong as ever. No weapons of mass destruction have been found. The sober warnings from the President about an Iraqi nuclear program were exaggerated and based on discredited and unverified reports. So, while every Member of Congress is glad that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power and no longer a menace to the people of Iraq, it is certainly not clear that removing Saddam Hussein has made the United States any safer, or that it was worth the terrible cost of 564 American lives, thousands of Americans wounded, and over $150 billion-- so far. It seems to me that, if the Republican leadership really wanted to salute the troops involved in this year-old war, they would join with Democrats to draft a resolution of praise and honor that every Member would support. Even more fitting would be an immediate vote on legislation to ensure that all of our troops are properly armed and outfitted, and that they and their families will be taken care of. The President's budget request shortchanges our troops and the generations of American soldiers before them. And so, Mr. Speaker, I will vote against this resolution. We must support our troops with action, not with political rhetoric.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay homage to one of Miami-Dade County's leaders, the late Lester L. Goldstein, who passed away on March 16, 2004. His passing has cast a veil of deep sadness over our community, and I would like to extend my condolences to his widow, Bella, his children, Jeff and Tina, and his grandchildren, Jason and Ian. Lester Goldstein was a partner in the Bilzen, Sumberg, Baena Price & Alexlrod law firm in Miami, but he was so much more. He was an extraordinary man of service, a quiet but tireless and effective leader who felt at ease with people throughout our diverse community, and he devoted his life to improving their lives by his service and his example. He served as the chairperson of the Greater Miami Service corps, the founder of the Alzheimer Care Committee of Douglas Gardens, a founder of the Miami Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged, and a founder of the Mt. Sinai Medical Center. These are but a few of the great initiatives his humanitarian spirit willed to come to fruition, and these programs now serve to improve the lives and lessen the burdens of countless residents of our community. He spearheaded civic fund-raising efforts to help the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Zoological Society of Florida, and he was a member of the American Arbitration Association, the Builders Association of South Florida, and local infrastructure and water management advisory groups. As a highly competent professional in real estate development, zoning and land use, administrative law and environmental compliance, he conscientiously advocated protection of our environment. His counsel was sought in matters ranging from developments of regional impact to the rezoning of local projects, including coordination of efforts among community groups, government agencies, scientists and environmental regulators. Our community feels the loss of a truly decent and caring man who made it his personal business to advocate for the well-being of our community. The numerous tributes and accolades with which government officials and various organizations have honored him during his lifetime are testimony to the utmost gratitude and respect he enjoyed from a grateful community. He truly personified the resilience and compassion of a people servant whose life exemplified what Martin Luther King, Jr. said that ``. . . everybody can be great because everybody can serve.'' This is the legacy Mr. Lester L. Goldstein bequeathed to us. I am privileged to have been his friend, for his genuine advocacy on behalf of the less fortunate evoked a caring heart and a compassionate humanity.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just want to let you know that this whole resolution is stomach turning for many Members, especially myself and I know the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) as ranking member on strategic forces in the Committee on Armed Services, and I am proud to serve with him in that committee, but to have a resolution that does not even recognize the men and women that have lost their lives in Iraq is just stomach turning. It is beyond comprehension on how this administration, the Republican side of this Congress, could pass a resolution and not mention those individuals that came back in a box. I mean, I am very concerned about that, and I think what we need to focus on now is making sure that we come straight with the American people. We have to make sure that we talk about accountability. We have to make sure that we talk about troops that are coming back. I am not even addressing right now, and in this resolution does not address, those individuals that are in Walter Reed right now, right now in Walter Reed Hospital, and I think it is important, and I am glad that Iraq Watch continues to be here night after night sharing with the American people the importance of making sure that we stand on behalf of our troops, that we also make sure that we make sound decisions and we continue to change the chart. I am concerned about some of the comments that Vice President Cheney has made. I am concerned about some of the comments the President is making. I think that the comments of ``bring it on'' and ``complete mission'' and ``I guarantee you that they will not shake the resolve of America,'' it is good to have a talk of confidence, but to be able to egg on these individuals, and to pass a resolution when a hotel has been leveled in Iraq, many Iraqis lost their lives, many national media individuals lost their lives, and not even recognize that and say that it is safer now, I think is a huge understatement. So I think that we need to continue to share with the American people, if Democrats were brought in a part of this resolution, H. Res. 557, today, we could come together as a Congress, and it would be a much better resolution. I know I voted for the first resolution commending the troops, but I think this resolution divided this House instead of bringing us together to fight against the war on terror

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

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, just quickly, I want to say this to the American people and I hope that it is not the case that we value oil over American blood. I am just saying that right now, and I think it is very important to make the message very simple tonight for Americans to understand.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Floris Ingraham Johhson, who celebrated her centennial birthday on Monday, March 15, 2004. Born in 1904 to the late Eldred and Helena Moss on Governor's Harbor- Eleuthera, The Bahamas, Ms. Johnson will be feted during ceremonies this Sunday at the Ebenezer United Methodist Church in my District. The Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Brown, the distinguished Pastor, will lead his congregation in paying this unprecedented tribute to our centenarian celebrant. I would like to join the family, relatives and friends of Ms. Johnson toward reserving the utmost respect and genuine admiration for her 100 years of living, working and serving the less fortunate of our community. In fact, she worked to take care of the elderly until she was 83 years old. It is my understanding that she was genuinely inspired to focus her vocation of service to the elderly by a genuine devotion to her Christian stewardship. She joyfully welcomes the challenge of each day, abiding by her favorite Scripture passage: ``This is the day which the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad!'' This is the simple recipe of good living with which she manages to define every passing day by looking at it as an opportunity to perform yet another work of love and another work of compassion for those yearning to see God's design in their lives. Ms. Johnson's quest for the quiet and dignified life is remarkably characterized by her passion for the simple things in God's wonderful world of creation--beautifying her surroundings with the planting of flowers, especially roses, and embellishing her home with varied knick- knacks she has picked up from nearby nickel-and-dime stores. She has also devoted countless days in defining the longevity of her life by volunteering for the Feed the Hungry in Africa organization and by working with the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. Although she immensely enjoyed independent living until she was 97 years old, she is now a resident of the Franco Nursing Home where she is genuinely loved and respected by her fellow residents and the nursing staff. Indeed, she is uniquely blessed in that she never had to suffer any sick day in her life with ``. . . no pains, no aches--just old age.'' I join the Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Brown this Sunday as he leads the congregation of Ebenezer United Methodist Church in thanking God for the blessings He has bountifully given to our birthday centenarian, Ms. Floris Ingraham Johnson. We are comforted by her exemplary life of simplicity and devotion, and it is this legacy that she bequeaths to us, and for which we will honor her. Happy centennial birthday, Ms. Johnson, and God bless and love you!

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, once again it is a wonderful day to be here in the House and share not only with my colleagues, but with American people, the issues that are facing not only our economy but our children's future. I guess I would have to start, since this is budget time and as we are here on the floor simultaneously, the Committee on the Budget is meeting to try to work out this $2.4 trillion budget that the President has sent here to the Hill. I must say to my colleagues that it is important on behalf of Americans, on behalf of working Americans, and on behalf of individuals that are unemployed in our country, that we make the right decisions not only for the future but for today. I can tell you that I am very, very concerned about the direction we are going in right now of Members just following this White House with what they send us. We are trying to do the same thing with what they send us, as we just rubber stamp it and send it through. We cannot allow that to happen. Under this budget, the reason we are in trouble today is it relates to just under 3 million jobs that have been lost and Americans out of work as we speak today. It is important for us to remember that we still have a health care plan that we have to put forth not only for Americans, but also to allow small businesses to be able to provide a health care plan for Americans who do not have it. I will tell you right now for those that do have it, in many cases, their contribution is so high and it is continuing to grow, it is just really getting out of hand. But being a creature of the State legislature, where I used to be for some 8 years in the State of Florida, I cannot help but stand here on behalf of State legislators throughout the country, Democrats and Republicans, Independents and non-party, members of the legislatures throughout this country need representation here in the U.S. House of Representatives. And also local government, non-partisan local government members, partisan local government members need a voice here in the Capital and, not only a voice, but they need action. I will tell you I came to the floor this afternoon just to share a few things with my colleagues so that they do not think that this is just a Kendrick-Meek report. And there are a few Meeks out there that are a little disgruntled as it relates to the President's budget that falls short of a good vision for our country. Let me just make a case in point. I could not help this morning when I knocked the dew off the paper here in the Capital city, I could not help but find that the National Association of State Legislatures, that I was a member of for 8 years, is a bipartisan group. That is, legislators come together to make sure that States are not left behind and that they are able to put forth the best government possible for their particular State. And I could not help but see this article that is on the Federal page of the Washington Post today, and it says, ``President's Unfunded Mandates Criticized. Group says that States face huge bills.'' Now, I want to make sure that the American people understand what I am talking about. When the President says that he wants to make his tax cuts permanent, he speaks very passionately about making tax cuts permanent on behalf of the most wealthy Americans. Now, I think we can all be under the umbrella as it relates to middle-class tax cuts, as it relates to child credit, as it relates to tax cuts that are helping small businesses. But when you start looking at the big tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, I do mean the individuals who are not knocking on the doors saying I need a tax cut, we are giving it to them. And we are giving it to them at the detriment of our education system. This points out Leaving No Child Behind as an unfunded mandate to States. I think it is very, very important for us to remember that it is okay to talk about standards because that is free. We can hand standards down to State governments and they can hand standards down to local school boards that will then impose them on children. Nothing wrong with that under a plan that is going to work. But that makes that very problematic for hard-working teachers and for students that are trying to achieve this goal and for legislators that are trying to put together a budget because States that do not have the luxury that we have here in Washington, D.C. where we will just put it on the charge card. We will forestall it off to another generation or this generation to pay it later because we want to be the ice cream and cake Congress, or ice cream and cake administration. At a time of war and at a time that we are looking at the deficit that is, I must say, $520 billion in change, that is going to continue to happen or continue to roll out unless we stop this President now as it relates to his budget and do not make these tax cuts permanent. Let me take an excerpt, Mr. Speaker, from this article today in the Washington Post. ``The President's budget next year will increase the burdens to States $34 billion, according to the report made public in a news conference at the National Council of State Legislators in their winter leadership meeting in Washington, D.C., accusing the Federal Government of cost shifting. That is not just something that they are saying. It is for real. Accusing the Federal Government of cost shifting. Utah House Speaker Stevens, who is a Republican, I must add, president of the National Council of State Legislators said, ``We have seen increases in practice of these recent years, and we are concerned that this is going to get worse.'' Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, there is no way in the world that State governments that are facing a $78 billion deficit across the country are going to close that gap if we are thinking about the wealthiest Americans. We cannot shore up the Social Security trust fund and making sure that we are able to provide Social Security, the promise that we made to so many Americans, if we make these tax cuts permanent. Now, the President is saying that the tax cuts are going to help the economy. Well, I beg to differ. Because right now we are looking at a job loss of 3 million jobs, just under 3 million jobs. And he would have to go north of that number to even be able to show an increase. So since the Great Depression, no president like this one under his watch has actually seen this kind of job loss. And I think it is important that we take very close note to what this situation is, not only to us as Americans, adult Americans, but to our children. People talk about our children's children. I think it is also important that this article talks about we like to pass things that sound good. We want to pass clearer skies. I doubt if there will be funding. We have already passed the Leave No Child Behind, which States are now saying that the Federal government, as it recommends, the Federal commitments, we have done just that, we have left children behind. We like to talk about the war on terror. I must say the effort on terror because wars are very costly, and I think it is very, very important that we remember, and especially as it relates to my colleagues who were just on the floor commending the President and the justification on behalf of the whole Iraq experience, let me just say this, it is important that we support our troops. Our troops are going to do what they are told to do. Rightfully so. The Commander-in-Chief is the leader. But I will tell you that as Americans, we have to pay very close attention to what one may do to take the attention off of the real agenda. And I will tell you time after time again, if you watch the President as he moves throughout the country and has press conferences and things of that nature, we talk about standards. He talks about standards. He talks about the fact that he is compassionate towards seniors and veterans and all of the soft music that may be in the background as it relates to his speeches; but I will tell you in the real world that is not the case. We are leaving the troops's children and their parents and their loved ones that are over there with sand in their teeth in Iraq or Afghanistan or in Haiti behind. It is important that we have remember and we look at the fine print here. We have veterans that are waiting 3 months to get a prescription filled through the VA. Now, I do not fault the good people who are trying to work with what they have at the VA. But I wish that the President and I wish that this Congress would move forth in this budget to make sure that the VA can cut that in half. Concurrent receipt. I am so glad that my colleagues on the Democratic side had enough gumption to be able to pull a bill up to this floor to allow a veteran that is disabled, so they do not have a veterans tax, of taxing them while they are disabled and a veteran at the same time. This leadership is important. I want to make sure that the American people do not feel that this is some sort of partisan argument against the President. I will tell you individuals will have their opportunity to stand in judgment of this administration in the coming months. But I will tell you this as Members of Congress, it is very important that articles like this where you have Republican members of the State legislature saying that we are shifting the cost to them, and when we cut the Federal commitment, which when we give this huge tax cut that has already been given to the most wealthy Americans, that there will be no money to respond to the States. Now, how this works in the real world when you have $78 billion in deficit throughout the country, then what do the States do? Do they raise taxes? Nine times out of ten, they do not. They increase fees. Your driver's license costs a little bit more. For individuals that are in coastal States, registration for your boat may go up a little bit more. For individuals that buy hunting licenses throughout this country, sportsmen, they pay more for their hunting license because the wildlife officers or the wildlife commission, their budget is going to be cut. So when that happens, what happens to the counties, our counties? They were just up here. Well, the cities were up here and I am going to get to them in a minute. Our counties were just up here recently. And they were so very, very concerned. They are thinking that help is on the way, and that they are going to get some sort of relief. They look to the States for relief. The States are not going to give them the dollars that they used to give them rightfully. So what they should do so they can put forth the function to be able to make sure their residents, taxpaying Americans, are able to have some level of government services, or some level of police services or fire services, or homeland preparedness. That is not going to happen. You make these tax cuts permanent for the most wealthy Americans, this country is going to continue to see what this speaker said, the president of the Senate of Utah said, that we are concerned it is going to get worse. So basically, if we do not listen to the chairman of the National Conference of State Legislators make his arguments, it is almost like this Congress, Mr. Speaker, taking out a carton of milk and taking a smell of it and saying, wow, it is spoiled. Let me put it back in the refrigerator. Maybe it will be fresh tomorrow. We do know that is not going to happen. I feel so bad for my colleagues that are ``deficit hawks.'' It must be very difficult to come up with an argument of where we can kind of cut this deficit in half. How can you do it when you have got a President that is willing to say, let us make sure that we make the tax cuts permanent and the more taxes you pay, the more money you should get. That may sound good in a speech, but in reality, you have Americans receiving on average somewhere maybe 50, $300 in rebate, and then you have millionaires receiving thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars so that they can go on and do the things that they do, and it does not help the economy whatsoever. Job growth. Let us just talk about that for a minute, because it is important since we have themed this special order to talk about States, talk about counties, talk about local governments, talk about school boards, about how the devolution of taxes will end up affecting every American's life. Let us talk about that for a minute. The President said, hang in there. He was talking to some workers the other day. Just hang in there a little longer. It will be okay. It is going to work itself out. I must beg to differ with the President, because I feel this is the sour milk scenario once again. Let us put it back in the refrigerator. Maybe it will be fresh tomorrow. We know it will not be. The evidence is not there to justify the economic backing of what the President may feel as it relates to giving more tax cuts. My colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), on the other side of the aisle, the Republican leader, last year he said there is nothing better the government can do, I am paraphrasing, than at a time of war than to give tax cuts. Cake and ice cream. We can not do that. We are supposed to be the responsible ones. Members of Congress who know better should do better. And unless we stop marching in lockstep, I must say on the Democratic side that is not the case, but on the Republican side, there seems to be a sense of pride that we need to just kind of hide behind this administration saying that it is okay. But it is not okay. For us to get to the top of where we were, I must adjust 3\1/2\ years ago looking at surpluses, now we have the largest deficit in the history of the country. How did we get here in such a short time? Let us just give the tax cuts to the most wealthy individuals. Just put it this way, 56 percent of the tax cuts under the Bush plan is to the most wealthy Americans. Now, I am not standing here saying I do not like individuals who are able to do the things they do, but these are the wealthiest of the wealthy. And it is very, very important for those of us that are here and have the power to do so, bring about the kinds of change that this country deserves. Now, let me just say as it relates to the jobs, the 3 million jobs lost, the administration has changed the forecast 3 times. Well, we are going to be here by this day. No, I am sorry. We will be here by this day. No, we will be here by this day, just to try to get some sort of goal that could be met. And it is just not adding up, and I will tell you that it is very, very important that we remember that as Members of Congress, that we stand on behalf of what is right for the country, not just because administration and the Vice President comes here and he gets over here in the side room and the next thing you know, you have Members on the other aisle walking back in feeling very beat down and, well, I guess I got to go here and be with the home team. Well, the home team has gotten us into a 3 million job deficit, the largest deficit in the history of the country and climbing. We have State legislators that are saying, oh, my goodness, they are shifting the burden over to us. And this budget alone, the next year, increased burdens will be on the States on top of what I am telling you right now will be $34 billion. That is not change. That is real money. What is going to happen to you American people that are working every day, that are taking care of your family every day, that are doing all the things that this country has asked you to do to make us strong? Your children, they go to school every day. They are trying to make their lives better every day. They have hopes of going to college one day. But what we are doing here and what this administration, what the Bush administration is putting on this country right now is very, very unfortunate, and I am sorry to say it, dangerous economically. And our democracy depends on a strong economy. Now, I will tell you that when the States make their budgets, obviously, they have to look at cuts. Their commitment is going to cut to local government. That means that the feeding program in your local community is going to probably end up reaching the ax. Here in the Federal, in this budget, we cut the COPS program, putting community police officers in communities to what? Prevent crime. Not respond to it, but prevent it. That is cut. You think the States are going to be able to pick up that burden? Of course not. Then you look at programs as it relates to your quality of life, parks and recreations, that builds character in our communities throughout America. What has going to happen there? Maybe the summer program may not be there for your child. It does not matter what community you live in. I am not talking about Chicago, even though that would be an issue. I am not talking about Los Angeles, even though that would be an issue. I am not talking about just Miami and just my district because the State commitment has been cut because the Federal commitment has been cut to be able to allow tax breaks, permanent, on behalf of the most wealthy Americans. I am not just talking about those cities. I am talking about Youngstown, Ohio. I am talking about small cities like Ocala, Florida. I am talking about towns and villages that count on State dollars to be able to help make and provide the good services on behalf of their constituents. Let us talk about cities. Well, cities, they count on counties. They counts on State governments. They count on the Federal Government. The cities were up here last week, which was quite interesting, and I took the time to listen to their arguments. And I will tell you right now, the cities are very concerned about the direction that we have continued to head in. They want homeland dollars. We talk about homeland security here in Washington. Yes, it is a good thing. I am on the Select Committee on Homeland Security. Yes, that is a very important committee. We have an appropriations subcommittee on homeland security. But let me tell you where the front line security takes place. That is in our cities and that is in our counties and that is in our small towns. And I will tell you right now they are hurting and they are feeling the pinch. Now, you may, in a speech made by the President or by some Members on the other side, defending the President's policies of 3 years, of not really a job growth. And then when you see a job growth, it is about that big. And then we start talking about trying to get McDonald's and Burger King to recategorize to make it manufacturing jobs to try to add on to say, okay, we have a nice little stack there now of jobs. Look what I have done. This is so very, very important that we remember that we cannot allow this to happen, what the President has put forth in this budget of making these tax cuts permanent. Now, I think it is important as we look at homeland security or homefront security. We have police departments right now that need equipment. We have already taken the COPS program and snatched that rug out from under them, the most positive and aggressive program of preventing crime in this country in a very long time. And because we have taken those dollars away, police chiefs and sheriffs are hurting. Right now they are responding to crime in many cases. They are not preventing it. I will tell you right now, I guarantee you I do not even have to take a poll. I do not have to call CNN or MSNBC or any of the networks or the talking heads that are on 24 hours. And I guarantee you, walk up to any American and you can ask them this question: One, do you want to prevent crime or do you want crime to happen and be reported? And as we start looking at this bad trend of the Bush administration of fighting on behalf of the wealthiest Americans, that is going to continue to happen. Crime will go up. Police chiefs are going to have to work with what they have on behalf of providing the very safety that Americans deserve in big and large cities. So when we talk about tax cuts and act like it is really not anything that affects Americans, it does. Let us talk about what is happening as relates to property taxes. Because of our efforts here, or lack thereof, to stop the Bush administration on this tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, we have a bad situation as it relates to being able to stop property taxes from going up when we talk about local commitment. What is happening as this devolution of taxation, as we continue to move down and putting these unfunded mandates on that the State legislatures are saying that we are, local communities have to raise taxes, property taxes of home- owning Americans. Let me just share this with you. For me to stand here as a Member of Congress, I have never raised taxes on the American people. When I was in the State legislature I never raised taxes on Floridians. For us to be able to say in the county, well, we do not want to raise taxes, but I shared it with you earlier in my presentation that they come in the form of fees, of increasing fees, need a new tag or hunting license or fishing license, things of that nature, this is kind of invisible what happens in local governments. You all of the sudden see the rate of your property taxes go up because they have no choice. This is the last area to pass the buck, city and county governments; and it is very unfortunate, very unfortunate that we put those local governments in that position. As we are up here in Washington speaking here on this floor, there are local governments right now scratching their heads, wondering how they are going to meet a budget, how are they going to be able to provide the services to Americans. So while we are putting $50, $200, $300 in a tax cut, they are taking $500, $600, $1,000 out of everyday Americans' pockets as it relates to property taxes because they do not have what we have. I am going to tell you I am very disappointed as it relates to this. It is really bad to be a Member of the Congress and say you are a Member of the 108th Congress that oversaw the largest deficit in the history, not in recent years, in the history of this democracy of the Republic. I am so happy because I am glad that there is some sort of difference here as it relates to the budget and how Members feel. We have a Republican and a Democratic side; and I will tell you, my colleagues on the Republican side, I feel for them because for them to try to figure out how they are going to make an argument and not offend the administration, I know that job is getting more difficult every day; and it is so very, very important we let the American people know how their local property taxes are being increased, how their local police services are being decreased. Not because local government is saying we want to cut community policing. We are saying it because we want to stand up on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. I will tell you this. I am very proud of the Democratic side of this Congress that believes in middle-class tax cuts, but as it relates to these wealthiest Floridians, wealthiest Americans, that are celebrating, an administration that stands up on behalf of giving them big tax cuts towards the detriment of local government and Americans that are trying to work every day. So it is not adding up. I continue to see article after article of failed attempts by this administration to try to get this economy moving in the right direction. That is creating jobs; that is not a jobless economy. I will tell you, this one Member of Congress, along with several other Members on the Democratic side, we are very concerned. Not only concerned, we are willing to take action, if given the opportunity, to put this country in the right direction. Let us look at this, this ``Deficit in Trade,'' New York Times today. It is not just me, a Kendrik Meek report. This is a report, a reputable newspaper here in this country, ``Deficit in Trade Tops $43 Billion.'' Let me just say this. We give the administration too much credit. We give them too much credit; and I will tell you, I think on the Republican side, it is time to start asking the tough questions. It is time to start taking some action or the American people will stand in judgment of all of us, and those that are willing to stand on behalf of the American people, everyday working Americans, not just the wealthiest Americans that are celebrating this tax cut and the President speaks so passionately about, you would assume he would talk about, he would go and say, well, on behalf of No Child Left Behind, we have to fully fund that. You would assume that this President would knock down the door to try to fight on behalf of dollars to be able to go to local governments and provide teachers with the things that they need to educate our children. Better yet, we speak passionately about making sure that we make the tax cuts permanent, outsourcing jobs. Like I said, we cannot give the administration the credit or this Congress as some Members of this Congress as though they are the authority and they have a good track record. There is no good track record. If there was one, I would not be able to stand here on this House floor speaking to my colleagues, speaking to the American people in the way that I am speaking right now. I can speak with great evidence and great backing of how States are concerned about the direction that we are going in. How we are cutting the Federal, I keep saying it, the Federal commitment to local governments and cutting the Federal commitment to the American people. I will tell you, as we define in the coming months, with this being an election year, yes, people will do things that they ordinarily would not do; but I will tell you one thing that has been consistent. The fact that the President has said that these tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans will help the economy has not happened. Three million jobs lost, that is a long way to go to say that you created something, and I will tell you this. It is very, very important, very, very important in this budget time that this Congress, not just my friends on the Democratic side, but my friends on the Republican side, it is time for some Members of this Congress to go see the wizard and get some courage on behalf of the American people who allowed us to be a part of this Congress. Remember, Members of the 108th Congress here in this U.S. House and in the other body, history will reflect on the fact that we oversaw and the Republican-controlled Congress, I must add, oversaw the largest deficit in the history of this country that children will have to pay, that living Americans will have to pay for a very, very, very long time. I cannot help but get off of this wealthiest Americans getting this tax cut that the President wants to make permanent. It just does not add up. With all the needs that we have, efforts against terrorism, efforts to be able to make sure that we provide or we talk about the terrorism, we talk about our troops, being able to have a good national defense, but how about those individuals that have served? How about those veterans? How about those individuals that wore the uniform? How about those members of the American Legion? How about those individuals that are out doing community service like the Shriners and others that are veterans in this country and they are being stepped upon? They are being stepped upon because they are being devalued as it relates to the commitment that they should have from this White House. Yes, there are some Members of Congress that have now said, okay, Mr. President, I am sorry, I know you want to fight on behalf of the wealthiest Americans; but we have these veterans and they are in my district, and we are going to have to do something about it. Republicans came together with some very courageous Democrats that put forth a bill. A Member from Florida put forth a bill, but could not get it up under a Republican-controlled Congress. Democrats came together to be able to provide that opportunity so that hopefully we can do some things about concurrent receipt, which is the tax on veterans. Remember I said earlier about how we pass it on in fees and different things that may take place, like delays on being able to see an ophthalmologist at a VA center, having backlogs at VA centers continue to increase instead of decrease, if we are really honoring and standing towards the commitment of Americans that have allowed us to be able to celebrate the very freedom that we live under and breathe under today. Police officers, I cannot help but have a level of compassion towards police officers that are out there making $30-something-thousand a year, carrying a weapon, protecting our communities, protecting our highways. I used to be a State trooper. I was a State trooper in Florida for 5 years. I know what it means not to have what you need to have to be able to provide the protection that you raised your right hand and said that you would do and put the other one on the Bible. I will tell you that it is important that we do not leave them behind. So when we look at these efforts of this White House to send a $2.4 trillion budget to this Congress, that is making tax cuts permanent on behalf of the wealthiest Floridians, I mean wealthiest Americans and Floridians I must add, the wealthiest, not folks that are just kind of, you have a good job, you are making a family income of about $80,000 a year. We are not talking about that group. We are not talking about the individuals that are making a little bit over $100,000. We are not talking about those individuals. We are not talking about those individuals that are making under $20,000 or $35,000 a year as a joint household income. We are talking about individuals that are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and who are celebrating a great representative in the White House right now, and that is the President of the United States. But do not take my word, just look at how it is presented. When the President starts talking about tax cuts, of course he does not say we need to make sure the wealthiest Americans receive the tax cuts. But it is somewhere in the message. When you look at how it is playing out, the majority of the money in his tax cuts go to the wealthiest Americans. So it is not like he is fighting on behalf of everyday working people and saying that we want to provide that tax cut for you. I talked earlier about the legislatures and how they are feeling the pinch and how they are passing that pinch on to local government. But police officers need equipment, and not only for homeland security but they need equipment to be able to provide safety in our local communities. Now, let us talk for a minute about health care. I mentioned that at the top of my presentation here today before this Congress. There is no health care plan, and there will not be any money for a health care plan if we make tax cuts permanent on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. Do not think it will fall out of the sky. It will not happen. We cannot have cake and ice cream and meet a commitment that we should make to the American people. Yet we are able to provide a health care plan that we here in this Congress celebrate. We have a health care plan that is just really something else. But I do not think my constituents sent me up here saying to me, well, we are so delighted and we love you so much that we want to give you health care that we cannot even have or afford. I do not think that was their message. What I am saying to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is that this is important. And to those who are either listening to me right now in their offices or have even made it back home, since we have finished business this week, think about it over the weekend, about what you have to do on behalf of those individuals at the airport when you get off that plane; think about that ticket agent that is there; think about that individual that is sitting there in that airport who is a development representative on behalf of a small shoe company who needs health care and cannot afford it. Think about those individuals when we start standing in judgment of this budget. If we allow the wealthiest Americans to receive a tax cut over good health care on behalf of every day working Americans, some that are traveling by car, some that are traveling by plane, some that are trying to make ends meet, it is really a travesty and a shame. We cannot give this Bush administration the rubber stamp and continue to allow them to move forth on failed economic policies that are going to drive this country down, not up. Much more has happened to the American worker than for the American worker, and we have to pay very close attention to that. Let us not just watch the show, let us be a part of the show and make it better on behalf of the American worker. I would say now that the decisions that are coming out of this White House on the economic front are a shame, and individuals should be embarrassed. People should be fired. We should be able to bring in a new team of strategists and advisers. But I do take comfort in the fact that this is 2004, and in a few months Americans, will be able to make the kind of decision they need to make. I guarantee that when you do not have health care and you have to go to an emergency room for that health care, or when you are a veteran and you have to go to a Veterans Hospital to get some sort of assistance and you are waiting 3 months to see the ophthalmologist or the cardiologist, or whatever the case may be, that is not a partisan issue. That is an issue of leadership. So whether you are a Democrat, an Independent, or a Republican, whatever the case may be, there is a lot of blame to go around. We will not be blamed on the Democratic side. I guarantee you we will not be jumping up and down on making these tax cuts permanent on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. I am just so glad that God has allowed me to have enough breath in my body to come here and put this on the Record and to let Americans know that we should not allow the wealthiest Americans these tax cuts. And I am not hating on them, I am hating on the leadership of this country as it relates to the President of the United States that keeps selling to the American people that this is a good thing. I just do not know how it is. And I will say this right now. We need to stand up on behalf of those individuals working every day and that have to stay healthy to be able to provide health care and some sort of way of life on behalf of their families, men and women, some two-parent households, some one-parent households, and with their price of health care continuing to rise, and the price of health care continuing to rise for small businesses, then we are standing up with the President for the wealthiest Americans. I am sorry if someone is disappointed because I am here speaking on behalf of everyday Americans. The people that work in the Federal Government do not have the kind of health care they need to have, and we need to fight on their behalf. We need to say no to the President as relates to providing tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. I am going to keep saying it, and I think that Members of this Congress should keep saying it. I am trying to make the job easier on behalf of my friends on the Republican side that want to say it but cannot say it. And the reason why they cannot say it is that they will fall out of step with the administration. I have seen it. It has been all over the papers, the kind of pressure that this administration put on good Members of Congress who are trying to make good decisions on behalf of their constituents. It is well documented. This is not the Kendrick-Meek Report, this is the report of the reality of what is going on in this Capital city. We should not stand by and allow this to happen, and I do mean those of us who are carrying 108th Congress voting cards. We should not allow this President to continue to make decisions and give him credit where credit is not deserved, based on the report of this administration and the fact they have not been able to create positive job creation since the President has been President. Just short of 3 million jobs. Some say we are on our way up. Well, three million is a long way to go. Try to tell that to an individual whose unemployment has ran out and they cannot find a job. Meanwhile, we have a President who thinks and who is talking about, oh, it is good to send jobs overseas. So while we are here fighting, and the majority, I must add, I am hoping that we can get them to really think the way they want to think and act the way they want to act and saying no to the President of the United States; that we will not allow this to happen. Because the Social Security Trust Fund will never be resolved and it will be going down into deficits. We believe in community policing, we believe in providing health care for those that have worn the uniform and who are entitled to the respect they should receive, many of whom have lost limbs and have diseases that they cannot shake because they fought on behalf of this country. They should not be waiting 3 to 6 months to try to see a doctor or to try to get some sort of specialty treatment at a VA Hospital. The VA hospitals should not be closing, but they are closing, because we are about to take away their money. It is already happening, only we are going to make it permanent. So where is the money going to come from? The President is going to walk around and say we have cut taxes, we have made them permanent. Well, that sounds good. Taxes have been cut. But the reality of it is that the majority of Americans are not the ones that are receiving this, 54 percent of the dollars in that tax cut. And it is little increments as relates to every day working Americans, but huge tax cuts, in the hundreds and tens of thousands, to the wealthiest Americans, who will receive and continue to receive as far as the eye can see. But we are here talking about where are we going to be able to provide affordable health care, talking about why we cannot stop property taxes going up. If there is a local school or bond question on the ballot in your State's primary, or a question on the ballot as relates to a local election, it is not because the school board failed you, it is not because the county government failed you, it is not because of the school boards that are operated by the city, it is not because the city has failed you, it is not because the State has failed you. It is because the President of the United States thought it was important to make sure that we provide a tax cut, and to make it permanent, I must add, on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. As I close, I just want to say that, and this is important, that these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans have nothing to do with the effort against terrorism. It has nothing to do with it. Nothing patriotic about giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. I did not see a millionaire or a billionaire coming to my office saying, Congressman, I sure need you to fight on my behalf. I want you to make these tax cuts permanent. You know the reason why they are not coming to my office saying that? Because they cannot look at me straight in the eye, nor can they look at the American people straight in the eye and say that. But this President, and you need to check it for yourself, this President goes flying around, burning all kinds of Federal jet fuel, talking about it is important that we make it permanent. He leans on the podium carrying on and looking and winking and all that kind of stuff, and that is good for the television, but in reality, he is telling us to forget about a health care plan because there is not one. We can forget about a good Medicare prescription drug plan, because there will not be one. There is not enough money to be able to do it. And I do not even want to start about what this Congress was told and about what happened afterwards. Millions of dollars underforecast as relates to the plan that was passed. I do not even want to get into that. That is another entire special order. But as far as community policing, we can begin to look to our local communities not preventing crime but reporting crime. We had those days. We want to get away from those days, but I think those day will come back. Veterans. Veterans. Oh, my goodness, I am so glad this is an election year and that they are getting some level or maybe a small response that is just starting from this Bush administration because of the pressure and the reality of what they have to live under, not being able to receive the kind of health care that they need and waiting in lines. Mr. Speaker, I close by saying this: I go back to the Washington Post today. State government leaders. The Utah Speaker of the House, Mr. Stevens, said that ``we have seen an increase in that practice in recent years and we are concerned this is going to get worse.'' That is what the evidence shows. That is what will continue to happen if this House allows this President to make these tax cuts permanent on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. State governments, brace yourself. Local communities, brace yourself. Property owners, brace yourself. Hunters and sportsmen alike, and sportswomen, brace yourself. Brace yourself because you will be paying the price because we want to fight on behalf of the few. We want to make sure individuals that live in gated communities and who burn a full tank of gas getting to their front door get their tax cut. On behalf of the Democratic side, and on behalf of some Republicans that are thinking in their mind that they want to be able to say something, not only say something but want to vote against some of this stuff that the President is putting down, I am asking this Congress does not continue to follow this President down a track of continuing not only to outsource jobs, but continuing to put this country in economic jeopardy. I have a problem with us knocking on the bank of China saying we need money to pay down money on the largest deficit under our watch. Something is fundamentally wrong with that. And you can talk about Democrat-Republican, but the reality is there was a surplus until President Bush took the White House, then all of a sudden we have record deficits. We have red lines that are running deep you can lose consciousness. I think it is important, my colleagues, as we take this recess over the weekend that we come clean with the American people about what is to come. I hope and pray on behalf of veterans that we do better by them. I pray on behalf of children, who are trying to rise up to the standards that have been set by this administration without the resources in this budget that will be able to respond to the needs of every day teachers and administrators that are working to be able to make sure that they can provide an environment and also be able to put forth an education system that is going to help our children learn, outside of just having test centers and having rhetoric out there, these one-liners talking about how we have raised standards. I hope and I pray that Members of Congress stand on behalf, and especially on the majority party, because on the Democratic side I know where we stand, but I am hoping and praying that someone, some Member stands up and gets other Members on the Republican side to say no to the President of the United States; I do not care if it is an election year or not, Mr. President, you will not make tax cuts permanent on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. And not just because we do not want you to, but because the Republic depends on the very resources you are willing to give away to individuals who do not even need it, and which will provide for health care, for Social Security, for a prescription drug plan that actually is a plan on behalf of the American people and that will drive costs down, and which will also make sure that we have police officers in our communities that are going to prevent crime and not report it.

Mr. MEEK of Florida

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Let me just say this, there is a footprint of drug activity in the Caribbean. So that means that you have well- financed individuals that have guns that have now been green-lighted by this administration, that it is okay. And if I were the prime minister of any country in that area, I would be very concerned. You would assume that the U.S. would help put a stop to this kind of thing. This is the vacation capital of the Caribbean. They are not used to worrying about coups and all these little different things. But if they watch very slowly over a 4-week period, drug dealers, known criminals, thugs going through Haiti and if you notice as they are starting to progress, they are getting body armor, helmets, fully automatic AR-15s, M-16s.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for reading that, and I will tell you how important CARICOM is to the economy here in the United States. We have what we call the Free Trade of the Americas, and they are a part of the whole hemisphere and economy and everything. We need the Caribbean with us. Prime minister Patterson of Jamaica put forth a great effort as a neighbor to Haiti of wanting to see a resolution, a peaceful resolution. It was the Bush administration that rode in on the backs of CARICOM saying that we are going to use the CARICOM agreement. That is what the Secretary of State Noriega went down to Haiti to negotiate. Prime minister P.J. Patterson went to the Security Council on Friday of last week saying we must immediately go into Haiti to secure the situation so that we can resolve the CARICOM agreement, which was the political solution. To his shock and dismay Saturday evening came about, and I will tell you there is no secret, there have been press accounts, that basically President Aristide was told the following: ``One, get on the plane and leave and save the lives of you and your family; or die.'' Now, this is the bicentennial, as the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) knows, of Haiti, 200 years. On this 200th anniversary, or bicentennial, history is going to reflect that the United States played a hand in what possibly could have been the 33rd coup d'etat of Haiti. I personally did not want our contribution to be that, especially since Haiti made it possible for us to make the Louisiana Purchase by taking out and beating down Napoleon, who was trying to run the whole world. Haiti went to Savannah to help us gain our independence against the British. We got all upset with France over Iraq, talking about they do not appreciate our contributions of the past. I will say that the way we are going about it, I will not even say ``we,'' because I do not think this Congress would have even moved in this way, if we had the prerogative to have some say in this, in the way the administration moved. So, Mr. Chairman, I am glad you put that into the Record of the Congress, so Americans will have an opportunity to reflect back on this moment to know that there were Members who were willing to bring this issue to the floor to let them know that history should not repeat itself.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. If I could reclaim my time from the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), I just wanted to make a quick point. I share with Secretary Noriega and others, you would have individuals in the White House saying that, well, I hope that Members of Congress would watch what they say, because they are putting troops' lives and State Department civilian workers' lives at stake. I must beg to differ, because we did not make the Saturday night visit. We did not bring about the kind of swiftness that our country brought about. We did not allow rebels, I am going to use Mr. Noriega's term, ``thugs and criminals,'' to go through Haiti, taking over cities, burning police departments, pulling pro-Aristide supporters out and executing them in front of their homes. We did not do that as Members of the Congress. And as it relates to the executive branch, the administration, they did not stop it. All they did was put out a little press release and say ``we condemn the actions of this group. Stop doing what you are doing.'' Not only did we go to the negotiating table, and I commend Mr. Noriega for going over there, I commend the President for saying we are sending the diplomatic corps over there. President Aristide sat down and said, ``Fine, I agree with you. Let us share power.'' The opposition party said no. ``Okay. We will give you a deadline of 5 o'clock.'' Still no. The following day, still no. Then we just kind of walked away. But then it became a point to where that in this democracy, the biggest democracy on the face of the Earth, the United States of America, went in and told the President of Haiti, as wrong as he may be on several issues, ``You have two choices: One, we can have a plane here to save the lives of you and your family, or you will be killed. And, by the way, if you want the plane, you have to sign this letter resigning as president of the country that you were elected to serve.'' I would say to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), I hate to keep going back to that point, because I think that is going to be the cornerstone of how we move forth in Haiti. Now, you listen to Mr. Noriega, you listen to the President, they start saying, ``Well, you know, we are restoring order and peace.'' But that is not what the Washington Post is saying. That is not what the New York Times is saying. That is not what the Miami Herald is saying. That is not what the Associated Press is saying. That is not what CNN is saying. That is not what MSNBC and any other news organizations are saying. What they are saying is Mr. Guy Philippe is the leader of the army and he is in charge, and he will say, President Alexandre of the Supreme Court, I will yield to him, but at the same time it is him riding through the streets with armed bandits.

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for coming down and his being willing to stay and be a part of this discussion. I know the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) left the Committee on International Relations to come here and join us here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks).