Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased and honored to yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter), a member of the Financial Services Committee, a former member of our Foreign Affairs Committee. I would like to remind my good friend that we still have a GOP vacancy in our committee and we need freedom and democracy believers like the gentleman from Michigan; seniority retained.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of March 16, 2011, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 28) directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, it is important to underscore, as the Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy has, that to withdraw from Afghanistan at this time, before we finish the job, is to pave the way for the next 9/11. She and other U.S. and allied officials note that we need look no further than the example of Ahmad Siddiqui, a 36-year-old German of Afghan origin who U.S. interrogators talked to, and he revealed Osama bin Laden was planning an attack on Europe. Without our boots on the ground in Afghanistan the plot against Europe might never have been uncovered. Without our boots on the ground, we will not be able to stop the next wave of attacks against our homeland, our citizens, our families, and ourselves. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), the esteemed chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Berman for giving us 8 minutes of his time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to a gentleman who knows a lot about the threats that are facing our Nation, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am so honored to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), a member of the Armed Services Committee and a distinguished combat veteran who has served our country honorably in Iraq and Afghanistan with the United States Marine Corps.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the gentleman from California, I would not compare a staff delegation trip to the valiant forces of our armed services who are fighting overseas. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman), a member of the Armed Services Committee, a combat veteran of the first gulf war, who served again in Iraq 5 years ago with the United States Marine Corps.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe, vice chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett), the chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. (Mr. BARTLETT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo), a member of the Armed Services Committee and a Marine veteran of the first gulf war who continues to serve with the Army National Guard.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, if I could ask my good friend the gentleman from California if he would yield 2 minutes of his time to me.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, how much would I have, then, to close?

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary school in my south Florida community, the Miami Hebrew Academy. Founded in 1947 with just a handful of students, the Hebrew Academy was the first Jewish day school in the southeastern United States. Today, the Hebrew Academy has grown to over 600 students and serves with distinction the educational and religious needs of our Jewish families and students. In addition to a phenomenal general education, students of the Miami Hebrew Academy are taught the values of the Torah, the benefits of a strong American-Israeli partnership, and the importance of Holocaust education. I cannot thank the Hebrew Academy enough for its leadership in both the general and spiritual education of our south Florida community.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and support the efforts under way throughout my wonderful State of Florida to honor the courage, the achievement, and the legacy of Cuban Americans in the United States. The following cities, in addition to the Florida House of Representatives, have passed resolutions in support of designating a day to recognize the many valuable contributions of Cuban Americans to the United States. Hialeah Gardens, Hialeah, Doral, Florida City, West Miami, Miami Beach, the City of Miami, Pembroke Pines, Homestead and Key West. Cuban Americans have had a profound and lasting influence on the history, values, and culture of the United States since the arrival of the earliest Cuban settlers more than 400 years ago in St. Augustine, Florida. According to the 2007 census survey, 251,000 Cuban American-owned businesses generated $51 billion to our economy. Several local south Florida municipalities have recognized the important contributions that the Cuban American community has made to the economic and cultural development of our great Nation. Cuban Americans have become dedicated public servants, having held posts at the highest levels of government. Cubans settling in the United States look at this Nation, our wonderful United States of America, with gratitude; and many have risked life and limb to defend this bastion of freedom and democracy. Countless Cuban Americans have served bravely in all branches of the United States Armed Forces and have fought honorably in many wars. One such hero is Armando Alejandre, who voluntarily enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Armando was also a volunteer for the Brothers to the Rescue, a pro- democracy organization whose mission is to promote and support the efforts of the people of Cuba to free themselves from the Cuban dictatorship through the use of active nonviolence. While he and his fellow Brothers to the Rescue volunteers were carrying out such a humanitarian mission on February 24, 1996, the Cuban regime ordered Cuban military jets to shoot down their unarmed civilian aircraft. The shoot-down resulted in the unjust killings of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales. Last month, I wrote a letter to Secretary Clinton and Attorney General Holder asking the administration to take immediate action to indict Fidel and Raul Castro for their role in this horrible shoot- down. The United States must make it clear that we will not stand for the Cuban tyrannies, manipulation, and unapologetic crimes against the American people nor for its abuses against its own people of Cuba. No matter how the regime and its enablers try to spin it, the Cuban tyranny remains as oppressive and uncompromising as ever. Its methodical release and exile of political prisoners is nothing but an attempt to curry favor with those with whom the regime seeks business. This weekend's conviction and sentencing of U.S. citizen Alan Gross to 15 years in prison is a clear reminder of this. This deplorable act is another illustration of the regime's willingness to use human beings as political pawns to advance its destructive agenda. The United States and all responsible nations must demand the immediate release of Alan Gross and all prisoners who remain wrongfully imprisoned in Castro's gulags. I am proud to say that despite the challenges and the passing years, Cuban Americans remain undeterred in our fight for freedom, justice, and democracy. Mr. Speaker, I join in the support of these resolutions and again urge that a date be set to honor the courage, the achievements, and the legacy of Cuban Americans in the glorious United States.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Success for Kids, a wonderful organization working in my congressional district to help improve the lives of children and adolescents. Success for Kids is dedicated to empowering at-risk children by focusing on the improvement of four personal strategies: interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, and improved self-sufficiency. In addition to its great work in south Florida, Success for Kids operates in eight countries and has proven to be effective in some of the most challenging areas in the world. Our children must be provided with every possible opportunity to achieve success, and this program is certainly making a positive difference in their lives. I especially applaud our local executive director, Yossef Sagi, and all the wonderful staff at Success for Kids for their valiant efforts in improving the lives of our children.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great individual of my south Florida community, Dr. Michael Alessandri, for his work with children and young adults who have been diagnosed with autism. Dr. Alessandri, a professor of psychology at my alma mater, the University of Miami, will be honored at the Kesher Annual Scholarship Journal Dinner to celebrate his commitment to this amazing organization. Kesher, an organization that provides an academic and Jewish education to children with special needs, was formed in 1995 with two classrooms and 20 students. Today, with the help of Dr. Alessandri, the organization is shaping the lives of over 80 children and young adults with autism through their personalized student curriculum. Dr. Allesandri's dedication to helping children and young adults with autism obtain an education has been fundamental to the success of Kesher. Once again, I would like to congratulate Dr. Alessandri and all of the staff, faculty, and parents and the students of Kesher, and hope others follow his lead in making our community a better place in which to live.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida for 100 years of dedicated service to our South Florida community. For a century, it has amassed a distinguished history of honorable service to the people of Miami-Dade County. I have the great privilege of representing the 18th Congressional District of Florida which falls within the boundaries of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is the largest circuit in the state of Florida and the fourth largest trial court in the United States. The circuit is one of 20 in the state. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit's jurisdiction consists of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and has 123 circuit and county court judges presiding and over 14,000 attorneys serving a county wide population of over 2.5 million people. The court's philosophy is written on a placard that appears above the bench in each courtroom with the words, ``We Who Labor Here Seek Only Truth.'' When Florida entered into statehood in 1845, the state was served by only four judicial circuits: North, South, East, and West. The Southern Circuit spanned thousands of square miles, covering Dade, Monroe, Hillsborough, and Benton counties, and was served by only one circuit judge. The judge had the daunting task of traveling by train, boat, or horse across thousands of square miles to serve the entire circuit. In 1868, Florida's legislature replaced the four compass point circuits with seven numbered circuits. A constitutional amendment added an eighth circuit in 1902. Florida's growing population soon created a need for additional circuits; so in 1910, the people of the State of Florida amended their constitution to give the legislature the authority to create additional judicial circuits as needed. After considering several plans to restructure the state circuit court system, the legislature expanded the system to 11 circuits in 1911. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit was one of the state's three new circuits. Originally, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit served the counties of Dade, Palm Beach, and Monroe. At the time, Dade County had a population of roughly 12,000 people and was growing steadily. The first judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit was Livingstone Wellesley Bethel, a first generation immigrant raised in Key West, who spent almost 40 years of his life in public service. Judge Bethel served the people of Florida in many capacities including mayor of Key West, Lieutenant Governor of Florida, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and county and circuit judge. Our country was built on the foundation that all men are created equal and with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our founding fathers took care to protect these and other fundamental rights, establishing a three branch federal government and state governments. They recognized the importance and need for a judicial system to provide checks and balances in order to protect the rights of citizens, stating in the preamble of our Constitution, ``We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for-the United States of America.'' A foundation of our judicial system is ``equal justice under law.'' Our federal and state courts work tirelessly to protect the rights of all Americans and are dedicated to carrying out the mandates of our Constitution. From its modest beginnings in 1911, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit has grown to be one of our nation's most highly respected and important legal jurisdictions. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is celebrating its rich history and legacy through centennial celebrations that include special artwork, a reenactment of the historic 1930 Al Capone perjury trial, and an overview of the civil rights movement in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is one of busiest and most prestigious jurisdictions in our nation, and is recognized as a beacon of justice. The circuit fully embodies the commitment of our nation to provide ``equal justice under law.'' For the last 100 years, the men and women presiding over the Eleventh Judicial Circuit have served the people of South Florida with honor and distinction. I thank the judges, attorneys, and staff of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for their commitment to justice and the rule of law. The current members of the court are: