Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a great South Florida organization: Women of Tomorrow. This month, Women of Tomorrow will hold its annual gala, celebrating 10 years of making a difference in the lives of young women. Women of Tomorrow was founded in 1997 by South Florida journalist Jennifer Valoppi and Telemundo President Don Browne. Their goal was to help at-risk young women live up to their full potential. The result has been a truly unique organization that pairs accomplished professional women with small groups of at-risk teenage girls in high schools. The mentors come from varied backgrounds: lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs and public servants. They show their mentees that anything is possible and nothing is out of their reach. Congratulations, Women of Tomorrow, on 10 amazing years, and I know that the next 10 will be even better.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, I lost an irreplaceable part of my family. My mother, Amanda Ros, passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's. She was a warm, loving, and caring woman who led an extraordinary life. She was my father's rock, soulmate, best friend, and companion for 65 years. They led a unique and joyous life. She always kept him company and guided him with her wisdom and her kindness. It was her strength that helped our family transition as we fled the Castro regime and settled in south Florida. It was her determination and sense of purpose that inspired my father and her to start a small freight forwarding company in Miami that they ran together for over 30 years. Abu Mandy, as we called her, was an amazing grandmother. When I was first elected to Congress, my kids were very young, and my mother was an unwavering source of support, taking care of them and traveling with me whenever I was in D.C. Her actions made my transition to Congress all the more manageable. My most ambitious goal was never to be a Member of Congress or to be chair of an important committee; it was to be for my children the kind of mother that she was to me. She always taught me to be proud of my Cuban heritage and of my Jewish legacy. My mother had many causes that were near and dear to her heart. First and foremost, both my parents championed the cause of a free Cuba. They participated in many projects to achieve this noble goal, and it saddens me deeply that my mother did not live long enough to see this goal of a free Cuba become a reality. Her other passion, Mr. Speaker, was promoting organ donations. My mother believed in a world where individuals would help and care for one another. She believed that organ donation was the least that one could do for others, and I hope that others heed my mother's passion and become enthusiasts of organ donations. Losing someone we love to Alzheimer's is sadly becoming all too common in our country. They call Alzheimer's disease ``the long goodbye,'' and it is something that no family should have to go through. You see a person whom you remember to be full of life, wonder and passion become a shell of her former self. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully took away my mom's identity, her ability to connect with others, to think, to eat, to talk, to walk, to find her way home. Every 70 seconds someone new develops Alzheimer's. Too often Alzheimer's falls under the wrongly held belief that it's an expected part of aging. We must raise awareness of the disease and provide a voice to the voiceless. We must improve early screening and detection, giving families and loved ones a better chance to prepare for and slow the onset of this disease. Families living with an Alzheimer's loved one need all the support that they can get. My mother was fortunate to have our entire family rallying around her, as well as outstanding medical personnel who helped us manage the disease. Eighty-seven percent of the time, it is family members who are the primary caregivers. Family members need assistance. It is tough for families to deal with everyday struggles of caring for loved ones with this disease, and the emotional stress is quite high. One-third of caregivers develop symptoms of the disease. The financial toll is significant. My mother may be gone, but her legacy and love will forever be a constant presence in our lives, and we must all work together for a cure for Alzheimer's.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 519) to secure the return to the United States the $179 million overpaid into the United Nations Tax Equalization Fund as of December 31, 2009, and for other purposes.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The American people have spoken. They overwhelmingly voted for today's YouCut proposal calling for U.S. taxpayer funds overpaid to the United Nations to be returned to the United States. The United Nations holds about $179 million overpaid by U.S. taxpayers into the U.N. Tax Equalization Fund. This is not about the U.N. finally doing the right thing by paying for security upgrades at its headquarters in New York. The U.N. is not paying for anything. After years of avoiding its responsibilities, the U.N., with the support of the Obama administration, is asking the American taxpayer to bail them out once again and pay 100 percent of the proposed construction costs. To make matters worse, allowing the U.N. to take $100 million of the refund owed to U.S. taxpayers would be an increase for the U.N. budget. This YouCut not only ensures that U.S. taxpayers receive the funds owed to the U.S. Treasury, but it prevents a $100 million increase for the U.N. The U.N. doesn't want the American people to know this; so the U.N. and the State Department are now stating that they should allow this increase because it is for security upgrades. This is not about security. This is the U.N. and the Obama administration looking for another excuse to avoid making the difficult choices and requiring accountability from the United Nations. This is not like U.S. embassy construction projects where the needs are assessed, where a detailed plan is developed on how the security needs will be addressed, on how the funding request is presented, and how the Congress will then allocate the funds, no. After months of requests, my colleagues on the committee and I are still waiting for the details on this proposed construction project and, more recently, on how the U.N. would fund it. In news reports, I read that the State Department may have already handed over to the U.N. $100 million of our overpayment into the TEF. The Tax Equalization Fund, TEF, is a roundabout mechanism premised on the U.N. belief that U.N. employee salaries and benefits should be tax free. The TEF has collected much more from the U.S. than it has paid out. The U.N.'s most recent biennial financial report states that the amount of the U.S.-paid surplus has grown to $179 million. The U.N. readily admits that it does owe the overpaid money to our U.S. taxpayers. According to the U.N.'s official financial report, the TEF surplus is ``payable to the United States of America pending instructions as to its disposition.'' This YouCut proposal declares that it is U.S. policy to seek the return of those funds and the reform of the TEF assessment process. And until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that those funds have been returned, the bill withholds from our U.N. dues an amount exactly equal to the overpayment identified by the U.N. That's the simple question, Madam Speaker, framed by today's vote. Should the 179 million taxpayer dollars, which the U.N., again, admits it has no right to keep, be returned to the United States taxpayers? Should the American people be asked to foot the entire bill for the U.N. construction project? Since this issue has begun receiving public attention, there has been a great deal of misinformation that I would like to address briefly. Last week, the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs reportedly said that, ``The $179 million in overpayments are in the form of credits, not cash, and thus cannot be refunded per se.'' Madam Speaker, this is simply not true. Not only does the statement by the IO Assistant Secretary conflict with what the State Department budget professionals have most recently told the Congressional Budget Office, but it conflicts with the U.N.'s own position. They can't even get their stories straight. The U.N.'s most recent financial report makes clear that the $179 million surplus is a distinct account payable to the United States of America. So the question is, should the U.S. pay an additional $100 million to the U.N.? I first raised the TEF surplus issue in a letter to Secretary Clinton on November 18 of last year. The State Department response since that time has been tardy, incomplete, and evasive. At a November 18 briefing, the State Department mentioned for the first time that it was considering whether to allow the U.N. to spend part of the U.S. surplus on an unrelated construction project at the U.N. headquarters in New York. Nothing certain. The Foreign Affairs Committee requested detailed plans, cost estimates, for the proposed construction project so that we could credibly assess the claimed $100 million pricetag. I repeated that request on December 22, then on December 29, then on January 4, and on January 25. We're still waiting for those details. The only thing that we have gotten, Madam Speaker, other than a few PowerPoint slides, the only figures we have received is this: Less than a single page of summary totals, with no supporting documentation. This is it. The State Department has admitted that this construction proposal, in the words of the Under Secretary for Management, ``is primarily the responsibility of the United Nations,'' but they want to stick the American taxpayers with the bill. I disagree with the State Department. And the American people, they know that we should not be penalized because the U.N. failed to adequately plan for its own security needs. If the administration wants to fund this project, the State Department should identify cuts to U.N. programs to offset the cost and then ask Congress to pay for it directly, explicitly, and clearly. Whatever the merits of this proposal, it should not be taken from a refund owed to U.S. taxpayers. My colleagues, let's join together in support of this week's YouCut. With that, Madam Speaker, I respectfully reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am so pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wish to rebut some of the arguments. To my colleagues, I ask, if this was so urgent, why didn't the Obama administration request these funds legitimately last year? Why didn't the last Congress fund it? Secondly, the CBO needs to have the actual funds reimbursed so that the savings can be tabulated. And also, Madam Speaker, I hold out this letter from the Under Secretary of State for Management, which says that this construction is primarily the responsibility of the United Nations. They, themselves, are saying that this is not a U.S. host country responsibility. And less than 2 hours ago, we received a letter, finally, from the State Department--even though we've asked for it repeatedly--claiming for the first time ever that the current TEF surplus is ``now approximately $80 million.'' It's either the new math or it took the scheduling of the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives to get the administration to effectively admit for the first time that it has already given away $100 million owed back to the U.S. taxpayers. This is an outrage, Madam Speaker. Even now, the State Department doesn't have the honesty to admit its decision but tries to hide behind the U.N. In that letter, they write, ``As the State Department notified the Congress in December 2010, the United Nations advised the Department of its intent to apply $100 million of previously existing TEF credits to fund critically important security enhancements at the U.N. Headquarters complex.'' But the U.N. can not and will not do any such thing without express instructions from the U.S. Don't take my word for it. This is what the State Department told Congress when we started asking these tough questions a few months ago. The U.N. ``applies credits consistent with requests from the relevant member states and will not move forward with using them in other ways.'' So the administration owes Congress a long overdue explanation of: One, who instructed the U.N. to keep and spend $100 million that were payable to the United States? Two, when did they do it? Three, on what basis did they make that decision? After 3 months of repeatedly asking for the detailed plans and the costs and the estimates, we have received only, again, a single piece of cursory figures. This is it. The U.N. should give U.S. taxpayers back the $179 million that we overpaid, plain and simple. If the State Department gave most of that away to the U.N. in some backroom deal, then we will make sure that we can recoup these funds from the Department. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia.

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

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous-consent request to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mack), a gentleman you may be familiar with, who is the chairman of our Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. (Mr. MACK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I continue to reserve.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 519.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 45 seconds to my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rivera).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan).

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to recognize a great organization that has helped so many disabled individuals: the Walkabout Foundation. This terrific organization was founded by siblings Luis and Carolina Gonzalez-Bunster. Sixteen years ago when he was 18 years old, Luis was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Luis was not going to allow this tragedy to define him or limit his ability to lead a full life. Just a few months after his accident, Luis moved to south Florida and enrolled at my alma mater, the University of Miami. Soon after, Luis started driving again and began to live on his own. Leading an active lifestyle, which included being an avid swimmer, Luis took advantage of the University of Miami's extensive and accessible facilities. However, during a trip to the Connecticut YMCA a couple of years ago, Luis could not access the indoor swimming pool, so Luis and Carolina decided to take action. Not only did they promote awareness of paralysis and disabilities in their community, but they also made the Connecticut YMCA accessible for all the disabled. Out of this victory, the Walkabout Foundation was born. The Walkabout Foundation's mission is twofold: first, to actively pursue a cure for paralysis by helping fund research programs; and, second, to provide wheelchairs to those who cannot afford one. The foundation's unique efforts have garnered widespread support and attention. What makes the Walkabout Foundation singular is its drive to make sure that disabled individuals continue to lead full and active lives. This is due to Luis' character and unyielding belief that people should not be victims of their circumstances. The Walkabout Foundation has not limited its services and generosity to just our Nation. Last month, the foundation provided 200 wheelchairs to Haiti in addition to the 400 they had already donated last year. As someone who has seen the devastation and the human tragedy that has befallen the poor island nation of Haiti since last year's tragic earthquake, I know the impact and benefit the efforts of Luis and Carolina will bring to help the lives of so many disabled individuals in Haiti. They have also provided 100 wheelchairs to the Dominican Republic. These wheelchairs will go to children, teenagers and adults afflicted by paralysis, polio, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, as well as to amputees. I commend Luis, Carolina and their Walkabout Foundation for all that they do. They are truly an inspiration for all.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, January 12, 2010, Haiti was devastated by the most powerful earthquake to strike that nation in over 200 years. The wave of destruction to follow was unprecedented. In just 35 seconds, one-third of the country had been directly impacted by the worst natural disaster to ever hit the Western Hemisphere. Today, one year later, we mark the somber anniversary of this tragedy and honor those who lost their lives that day. Remarkably, in the midst of such devastation, the people of Haiti have forged on. And yesterday, I was honored to have the opportunity to travel to Haiti and visit with some of these men and women as they work tirelessly to rebuild their lives, their communities and their nation. I was struck by their enduring resilience and inspired by their perseverance. Sustainable recovery in Haiti will depend on strong leadership by the Government of Haiti, a concrete effort to stop corruption, and the implementation of accountability and transparency measures, as well as the involvement of the people of Haiti in the design and ownership of their future. It will also be important going forward that there be a transition away from dependency on traditional U.S. government assistance and instead a renewed focus on innovative public-private partnerships and grassroots, civil society efforts. To ensure that U.S. foreign assistance to Haiti remains transparent and effective, I also plan on introducing legislation to that end this Congress, calling for increased and sustained oversight over U.S. funding to Haiti. Finally, though the official OAS report has not yet been released, it appears that certain changes will need to be made to ensure that the true will of the Haitian people in electing their future representatives is honored and respected. The Haitian people deserve a leader who believes in effective, good governance and the rule of law. And it is only in adherence to these principles, that Haiti's recovery may be successful.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank our leader for the time. Just a few days ago, one of our own, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was gravely injured as a result of a terrible act of an unbalanced individual. Americans were profoundly shocked and saddened and continue to be by this deplorable act of violence which resulted in the unjust deaths of six innocent individuals and a struggle to survive for others, including our own Gabby. Among those who lost their lives, we know that the list is lamentably long: the Honorable John Roll, a Federal judge who went by just to say hi to his friend, Gabby; and Christina Taylor Green, a 9-year-old girl, who had just been chosen to serve in her school's student council and was taken to Gabby's ``Congress on Your Corner'' event by a family friend who wanted to get her interested in public affairs; and Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Gabby's loyal staff who had an enormous heart and was recently engaged to be married. It is difficult to make sense of this tragedy, but all Americans stand with Gabby and her family and the families of all the victims throughout this painful time. Many of us count Gabby not just as a colleague but as a friend. I had the privilege of getting to know Gabby as a member of our Foreign Affairs Committee. She has always demonstrated a strong commitment to serving her constituents, our men and women of our Armed Forces and our Nation. And that is exactly what we must do. We must not waiver in our duties to serve those whom we are proudly and yet humbly asked to serve. Our Republic was founded on the premise that the people have the right and the duty to petition their Representatives and to express their views, and Gabby truly embodies that principle. She has always been accessible. She has always been eager to listen to her constituents. Representatives like Gabby are what has made America an example of freedom and democracy the world over. It is truly reprehensible to think these noble intentions were exploited to carry out such a terrible tragedy. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: ``We must disagree without becoming violently disagreeable.'' The thoughts and prayers of the residents of Florida's 18th Congressional District are with Gabby's family and with the families of all those affected by this senseless tragedy.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a young man from south Florida, Daniel Lage, who has made headlines with his remarkable academic achievements at the young age of twenty-one. Daniel's family history is a sadly familiar story for many of us in south Florida; that of being forced to flee the Castro dictatorship of Cuba for the land of freedom and opportunity: the United States. I too come from this same background--and I know that the struggles of his family served to strengthen this young man's passion to succeed. There is no better path to success than that of a driven individual pursuing a sound education. I know that Daniel demonstrated his eagerness to learn and his matching intellect every day in the classroom. Through his hard work and with the support of his loving family by the time he graduated Gulliver Preparatory School he had been named Valedictorian and had earned the prestigious Silver Knight Award. Later, Daniel was accepted into Harvard University, where he has pursued a degree in history and science and will graduate in May. Never forgetting his roots, Daniel has been the president of Harvard's Cuban American Undergraduate Association and remains committed to the idea of a free and prosperous Cuba. Daniel embodies the noble values, unshakable integrity, and sheer determination that we all should aspire to match. Many people and institutions have certainly taken note. Daniel has received the incredibly prestigious Rhodes Scholarship where he will study at the world renowned Oxford University in England. Winners are selected for many defining qualities including high academic achievement, personal integrity, and leadership potential. Impressively, he is one of only seventy Floridians to ever receive this scholarship. At Oxford, Daniel expects to pursue a Master of Science--with a focus on different nations' approaches to caring for the chronically ill. Sadly, this focus is not arbitrary, and again both he and my family share a solemn common bond. His grandfather, Eugene, was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I know firsthand the terrible effects of this debilitating disease on an individual. My mother, Amanda, has been fighting a losing battle against the disease over these last few years. I know that my personal experiences with this horrific disease have prompted me to take action in the fight against Alzheimer's; so too have Daniel's experiences. He has partnered with the Alzheimer's Association as an advocate and has every intention and expectation of becoming both a physician and a policymaker in his future. I understand this deep-seated passion for geriatric medicine and certainly expect that his strong resolve will play an important part in unlocking the mysteries of this terrible disease and finally finding a cure. I know Daniel fully recognizes the immeasurable value of his ongoing education, and in doing so I am confident he will accomplish many great things for our community in south Florida, our magnificent United States, and above all continue to make his family immensely proud. So once again, Daniel, from a former Florida certified teacher and a firm proponent of education as a lifelong journey: I congratulate you on all you have accomplished--you are a fine example of the best and brightest in south Florida and I wish you truly all the best on all you hope to accomplish in the future.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, January 29th, the Dan Marino Foundation will host its first annual WalkAbout Autism event at Sun Life Stadium in Miami from 10:00 to 2:00. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit our south Florida community-based programs that help children with autism and their families. The Centers for Disease Control states that one out of every 110 children in the U.S. has autism. Autism impairs social interactions and communication skills. While some autistic children will grow up to function in society, others, many others, will need some level of professional care all of their lives. Since its creation in 1992, the Dan Marino Foundation has raised over $30 million to support research, services, and treatment serving children and young adults. I urge all south Floridians to participate and help make this first annual WalkAbout Autism event a success. Our combined efforts will help assure that all money raised here stays here and benefits programs in our south Florida community. Let's all WalkAbout Autism.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution of which I am proud to be an original cosponsor. I want to thank my good friend from New York, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, for her timely work in authoring this resolution; and of course I thank my chairman, Mr. Berman of California, as well. The sudden and unexpected passing of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke earlier this week was a shock to all of us. The depth of sadness that we felt at the news was a testament to his exemplary life of service to our country in so many different capacities. Ambassador Holbrooke was one of the most consequential world diplomats of the last half century, and his tireless work in pursuit of United States national interests and international peace have put us all in his debt. His advocacy for peace was, of course, most clearly shown during the conflict in Bosnia. His tenacity and force of will brought the warring parties to the negotiation table in Dayton, Ohio, where he skillfully brokered the accord that ended over 3 years of atrocities and bloody conflict. Over 100,000 perished in the Bosnian war, and it is impossible to say how many thousands may have been saved by Ambassador Holbrooke's actions at Dayton. And while that accomplishment would have been enough to mark any diplomatic career with high distinction, it was only one of the many facets of his service which continued to the very end of his life. As Assistant Secretary of State for two regions of the world, East Asia and Europe; as United States Ambassador to the United Nations; and as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, he made his mark on many issues that remain urgent concerns today. In New York at the U.N., he did much of the heavy lifting on congressionally led efforts to rein in U.N. spending, to make more equitable the dues paid by the United States, and to improve the standing of Israel in that multinational body. Sadly, those concerns have returned with a renewed urgency--with the need for fundamental reform of the U.N. budgets and the virulently anti-Israel U.N. Human Rights Council--and the Congress can only hope to have such a tenacious, principled partner in the future. Ambassador Holbrooke made his final appearance before our Committee on Foreign Affairs in the spring of last year as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. We lament the loss of his matchless skills in those critical regions. We grieve at his passing, but let us honor his service by renewing our own commitment to success in Afghanistan. At this time we extend our condolences, our thoughts, and our prayers to his wife Kati and to his children. While we mourn the loss of a dedicated public servant, they mourn the loss of a husband and a father. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in this expression of gratitude for the service of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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