Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. As we are all aware, U.S. forces at this very moment are engaged in battle against heavily armed enemy forces in a strategically important region of Afghanistan. Our brave men and women are making steady progress against a deadly foe, and are doing so at great risk to their lives. This offensive is part of a new strategy in Afghanistan focused on the immediate goals of disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda, denying al Qaeda a safe haven, and reversing the momentum of the Taliban. This offensive is already producing dramatic success, including the capture of senior Taliban leaders, the routing of their forces, and the stabilization of key areas. A winning strategy should be supported, not undermined. We must not give Taliban leaders and fighters a shield against U.S. forces that they otherwise cannot stop. No enemy was ever vanquished, no victory was ever secured by running away. Those who wish to destroy us would surely follow us, convinced that we had been beaten and eager to attack us wherever we go, as they would be confident that we can, in fact, be beaten again. Mr. Speaker, let us dispel any myths or illusions about the consequences of a forced withdrawal. As General Petraeus has warned, ``I was in Kandahar. It was in Kandahar that the 9/11 attacks were planned. It was in the training camps in eastern Afghanistan where the initial preparation of the attackers was carried out before they went to Hamburg and flight schools in the U.S. It is important to recall the seriousness of the mission and why it is that we are in Afghanistan in the first place and why we are still there after years and years of hard work and sacrifice that have passed.'' One of the principal reasons that we have been spared a repeat of those attacks is that U.S. forces quickly toppled the Taliban regime that was protecting the terrorists and drove it and its al Qaeda allies out of their safety zone and into the remote mountains. Years of constant U.S. military pressure have forced them to turn their attention from planning more attacks against our homeland to fighting for their own survival. To leave Afghanistan now would pave the way for the reestablishment of a vast and secure base from which al Qaeda and other deadly enemies could strike Americans around the world. Having withdrawn and abandoned our hard-won positions, to our allies and the people of Afghanistan, U.S. credibility would be significantly and perhaps irrevocably damaged. This, in turn, could leave the U.S. alone and more vulnerable than ever to the threats of radical Islamic extremists. Our retreat would be seen around the world by friends and opponents alike as a surrender, as a sign that America no longer has the will to defend herself. We might attempt to fool ourselves into believing that it was merely a temporary setback, that we have suffered no long-term blow, but no one else would be fooled. It would be proof to every group that wishes to attack and destroy us that we can be fought and we can be beaten, that eventually America will just give up, regardless of the consequences. We should support our troops by supporting their efforts to disrupt and dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and the Taliban. As many of you know, my daughter-in-law Lindsay served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also have two committee staffers, one in the Army Reserves and one in the Marine Reserves, who are on their way now to Afghanistan. This is not their first time in battle. Both of these gentlemen have served bravely in Iraq, but the prospect of entering combat never becomes routine. They, like my stepson Douglas, who served as a Marine fighter pilot in Iraq, have recounted to me how the debates in Congress to mandate a withdrawal of our forces in Iraq demoralizes U.S. troops. The request of my staffers to me as they embark on their mission to Afghanistan is to provide them with all of the tools and all of the support that they need to defeat the enemy and to win. They ask that we strengthen our commitment, our resolve, to the mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our enemies are redoubling their efforts. We must also. In June of last year, Osama bin Laden noted that U.S. efforts had been, and I quote, ``transferred to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thus, jihad must be directed at that region.'' Bin Laden later said in September, ``Not much longer, and the war in Afghanistan will be over. Afterwards, not even a trace of the Americans will be found there. Much rather, they will retreat far away behind the Atlantic. Then only we and you will be left.'' We must do everything possible to deny bin Laden and al Qaeda such a victory. Mr. Speaker, the Afghan people are also listening to today's debate. For us to succeed in Afghanistan, we need their support. But the Afghan people will not be giving that support if they believe that we will abandon them. As Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said, ``When I am in Afghanistan, I get the same question asked as when I am in Pakistan, which is, are you going to leave us again? Because they remember very well that we have in the past. And so there is a trust here. There is uncertainty through Afghanistan's eyes as to whether or not we will stay.'' In cooperating with us, in trusting us, they know that they are risking their lives and those of their families. Our troops are listening as well. This debate today reminds me of the many times that I have come down to the floor to speak against a forced withdrawal from Iraq and the need to support our mission there. Mr. Speaker, it is an illusion to believe that we can protect ourselves from our enemies by picking and choosing easy battles and turning away from those that require patience and sacrifice. This Congress cannot, must not, turn away from its responsibility to defend our country and our citizens simply because the task seems too difficult. The men and women in uniform who willingly risk their lives to defend our country do not believe that. Mr. Speaker, as with all of my fellow Members and citizens, I hope for a world one day without war. But in the world we live in, some wars are forced upon us. And we have no choice but to fight and to win them if we are to survive. I urge my colleagues to resoundingly defeat this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. At this time I'd like to yield 5 minutes to an esteemed member of our House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as the Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), a member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs and the ranking member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations and Oversight.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida, Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite, a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), a member of the Armed Services Committee, who, during his service with the U.S. Marine Corps, served a combat tour in Afghanistan. We thank him for his service.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation, Security, and Infrastructure Protection.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I would like to yield an additional 30 seconds to Mr. Dent.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I'm so pleased to yield 6 minutes to the chairman of the House Republican Conference and a wonderful and esteemed member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), a member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield an additional 30 seconds so Mr. Kirk can finish his thoughts.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the ranking Republican member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. (Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I am pleased to yield 30 additional seconds to the gentleman from Georgia.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), a member of the Agriculture and Small Business Committees and the ranking member on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), a member of the Veterans' Affairs and Energy and Commerce Committees.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to another Florida colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rooney), a member of the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes, the balance of my time, to the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren), the ranking member of the Committee on House Administration and a member of the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees. I can think of no better person with whom to close the debate on our side.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to build on something that our colleague from California (Mr. Hunter) had said earlier about the need to fight and defeat the enemy in Afghanistan so that our children or our grandchildren don't have to. Our men and women in uniform are fighting for their families, for our families, for our Nation, for our future. They embrace their mission. They are honored by the opportunity to serve. They volunteered for it. Let us show our appreciation by voting ``no'' on this damaging resolution before us today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 4573. As my colleagues have explained, this bill calls on the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to take certain measures to enable Haiti's debt relief and to provide additional assistance to Haiti from multilateral development institutions in the form of grants. The United States cancelled all of Haiti's outstanding debt to the U.S. in September of last year. Similarly, Haiti has already received hundreds of millions of dollars in debt relief from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, IDB. However, it still retains significant debt to various bilateral donors, the IMF, and the IDB. By passing this measure, we can help to minimize the enormous fiscal pressures facing the Government of Haiti in the aftermath of its tragic earthquake so that its limited resources may be used for more immediate priorities. Also, by encouraging the use of grants versus loans, Haiti will have the opportunity to take advantage of certain resources from these institutions without increasing its future financial burdens. This bill will help prevent Haiti from getting in over its head at a time when every penny counts. It also recognizes the important role that other bilateral donors play in the long-term recovery efforts of Haiti. By calling on other bilateral, multilateral and private creditors to provide debt cancellation to Haiti, H.R. 4573 underscores the concept of shared responsibility. An integrated approach based on a coordinated and transparent distribution of responsibilities will prove essential to a successful response to Haiti's catastrophic disaster. I thank Congresswoman Waters for introducing this important measure.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a wonderful organization, the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program. As a former educator and Florida certified teacher with a doctorate in education from the University of Miami, I know first hand the importance of providing our children every opportunity to succeed. The Women of Tomorrow Program is a local lifeline for at-risk young women. This pioneering program pairs extremely accomplished professional women with small groups of at-risk teenage girls in public high schools for a 4-year mentoring program. These mentoring women who could be judges, doctors, lawyers, indeed from all walks of life, they are all volunteers who are dedicated to showing teenage girls the possibilities that exist if they stay on the right track. The Women of Tomorrow Program gives students the hope and inspiration needed to be successful, productive, active adults. The volunteers build self-confidence, assist the girls in achieving academic success, and help students give back to their community in both a constructive and positive manner. Founded in 1997 by veteran TV journalist Jennifer Valoppi and Telemundo president Don Browne, Women of Tomorrow is an unrivaled positive and growing force within our south Florida community. Dozens of public high schools throughout south Florida have implemented the Women of Tomorrow Program. These schools allow over 2,000 young women to be helped by this program. And the high school graduation rate of students in the program is nearly 90 percent. The Women of Tomorrow Program is inspiring at-risk young women to achieve their fullest potential through a strong education. And since 2000, the Women of Tomorrow project has presented $2.3 million in scholarship value to over 800 graduates of their program for college. The support offered by the volunteers of Women of Tomorrow give these young women the confidence to pursue a college degree, to realize that they can achieve their goals. The incredible impact this program has had on south Florida in helping countless troubled youth achieve success is truly phenomenal. It is because of the commitment of dedicated volunteers, mentors, and staff at Women of Tomorrow that this innovative program has been such an immense success. As a proud grandmother of a beautiful baby girl, I know our girls deserve a program like Women of Tomorrow. I look forward to hearing more about all of the future successes of each young woman that is involved in Women of Tomorrow, and congratulate everyone involved for their everyday victory for our children. I include for the Record the wonderful board of directors that guides the Women of Tomorrow Program. Madam Speaker, at this time I would like to submit for the Record the board of directors for the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program: Jennifer Valoppi, Television Journalist & Author, Founder & President; Don Browne, President, Telemundo Network, Co-Founder & Vice President; The Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney, Founding Mentor & Co-Vice President; Betty Amos, President, The Abkey Companies, Founding Mentor, Board Member & Treasurer; Judge Judith Kreeger, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Founding Mentor & Secretary; Jamie Byington, Tax Partner, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P., Board Member; Donna Feldman, CPA, PA, Mentor & Board Member; Marisa Toccin, President, Linea Luxe Lifestyle, Board Member; Lisa Stewart Hughes, Vice President, Compliance, Telemundo/NBC Universal, Board Member; Dr. Diane Walder, MD, PA, Founding Mentor & Board Member.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today as a proud original cosponsor of the bill before us, House Resolution 1144, and join my colleagues in expressing our heartfelt sympathy to all of those impacted by the devastating earthquake in Chile 2 weeks ago. The strength and the magnitude of this quake and its resulting tsunami caused hundreds of lives to be lost and left countless survivors homeless. As the Government of Chile continues to carry out its immediate relief and recovery efforts and complete its damage assessments, we are just beginning to get a sense of how much this destruction has brought about. Nearly 1.5 million homes are reported to have been damaged, and many historic structures collapsed. An estimated 2 million people in Chile were displaced by the quake and the subsequent tsunamis that swept away entire coastal towns. However, the democratic stability and the strong government structures in place prior to the earthquake will undoubtedly enable Chile to respond responsibly to this disaster. In particular, its commitment to free market principles will allow private sector actors to immediately respond to certain damaged sectors such as water and sanitation. This will help to minimize the tremendous challenges facing the government of Chile in the aftermath of the crisis. It will allow domestic and international assistance to go only where it is absolutely needed. The U.S. Southern Command, SOUTHCOM, based in my home district of Miami, Florida, has played a vital role in providing necessary assistance to the people of Chile. While we are carrying out important relief efforts in Haiti, here the U.S. military has helped to provide important satellite communications equipment to the emergency operation and response officials in Chile. What an incredible statement that is for our wonderful men and women serving our Nation's Armed Forces. Our military is also in the process of deploying an Expeditionary Medical Support team, EMEDS unit, to help increase crucial medical capabilities in that country. And we thank them for their prompt action. I join my colleagues in expressing our condolences to those impacted by this terrible disaster. The United States will continue to stand side by side with the people of Chile as they begin to recover. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.