Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) who is also an esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), an esteemed member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. We will miss him greatly when he retires.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I know we only have 1 minute remaining, so I would like to yield myself that remaining minute to close on our side on the Merida Initiative. I would like to point to the testimony that was given by an official of the Department of Homeland Security when he testified on the importance for the United States of the Merida Initiative, because this is not a bill for Mexico. This is not a legislative bill for Central America. This is not for Haiti. This is not for the Dominican Republic. This is for the United States citizens. This is to protect our homeland from these vicious gangs and these drug dealers. As this gentleman said, rather than simply giving money to foreign governments, the Merida Initiative has been tailored to provide our foreign partners with the specific tools they each need to fight transnational organized crime and work cooperatively with us in the United States. This is a bill that will help our communities, our country, our national security and our children. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in order to close, I would like to yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to note that this 225th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the declaration in that treaty of the intention of both the U.S. and the United Kingdom to forget all past misunderstandings and differences and to secure perpetual peace and harmony, over 200 years later these goals remain a cornerstone to our strong relationship. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution and reaffirm our close ties to our dear ally, Great Britain.

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), the author of this resolution. MR. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute today to a pre-eminent achievement of 20th century statesmanship, an example of U.S. leadership in the quest for securing fundamental dignity for all human persons. I would also like to thank Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen and her staff, as well as Chairman Berman and Mr. Payne, my subcommittee chairman, as well for their work in bringing this important resolution before the House. Mr. Speaker, it was on December 10, 1948 that the memory of a brutal world war, which took over tens of millions of lives, scarred millions of survivors of an unimaginable holocaust, and unleashed the full fury of atomic power on the guilty as well as the innocent, remained vividly etched in the world's collective consciousness that led to this important moment. In view of this unprecedented devastation, and in the hope of preventing future conflict, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a Universal Declaration of Human Rights as ``a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.'' And it also recognized that ``the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.'' As the memory of World War II fades and recedes into history, it becomes ever clearer to me that our rapidly changing world appears to be losing sight of the guiding principles that have accompanied the promotion of human dignity, peace and prosperity since the earliest progression of civilization. I also believe we are living in a day when the myriad of distractions of modern life in the United States leave precious little time for philosophical reflection upon the foundations which have guided this Nation through many turbulent times. To draw attention to these important principles and the pivotal role of the United States in bringing the Universal Declaration to fruition, I was pleased, along with Mr. Delahunt, to introduce this resolution to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. It is my hope that this effort will serve as a vivid reminder of the profound contributions of the United States throughout our short history as a champion of human rights around the world, of the work that is left to be done, and inspire thoughtful reflection on the transcended principles of human dignity.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 318, authored by my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). Lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation are indeed some of the most pressing environmental public health issues in the world. Today, an estimated 2.6 billion people, including almost 1 billion children, live without access to basic sanitation facilities. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a direct result. In fact, it is estimated that nearly half the developing world suffers from preventable diseases associated with the lack of access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene. Without sufficient access to these services, countries, communities and families become susceptible to and are often defenseless against life-threatening diseases and infections which perpetuate this horrible cycle of poverty. As this resolution notes, sanitation improves health. It saves lives. It protects the environment. It improves economies. And it contributes to human dignity and social development. It is imperative that the United States and the international community work together to achieve the goals of the Millennium Development Account and significantly reduce the number of people suffering from a lack of sanitation and clean water. Another pressing issue is one that underscores the potentially grave future that we may face if we don't immediately address rising energy costs and find alternative sources of energy to carry out our daily tasks, some critical tasks such as the energy required to filter our water supply. This resolution also reminds us, however, that necessity is the mother of invention, and that human beings have the potential to achieve any task necessary to improve living conditions. How does it remind us of this? In Africa, for example, where there are areas that lack consistent and dependable sources of oil to produce electricity, they must develop and rely on alternative methods, sometimes primitive ones, such as fire for boiling water to avoid disease. Again, in the most remote region of the world, we are thinking of alternative sources and alternative methods. We here must also think and seek alternative clean energy. Will we wait until circumstances are so dire that American will be forced to boil their water in their backyards to conserve the little energy available because we failed to develop alternative sources today? Just as we seek to foster ingenuity in the developing world to provide greater access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation in resource-poor settings, we must foster such ingenuity in our own energy sector. I thank Chairman Payne for introducing this timely resolution which highlights the important issues of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. And I urge my colleagues to fully support House Concurrent Resolution 318. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. I hope that he addresses not just this resolution, but the one before us on human rights.

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 337, which honors Seeds of Peace on its 15th anniversary. We in Congress and all people of goodwill worldwide want to see peace, stability and security prevail in the Middle East, and indeed in all regions of conflict. However, that goal remains illusive when leaders act in ways that distort, perpetuate and aggravate otherwise resolvable disputes between nations and peoples. Such leaders make peace impossible by programming their citizens into viewing other nations and other people as wicked, inhumane and worthy of hatred and death. The most obvious example of this phenomenon is the unceasing dissemination by Arab countries of anti-Israel and anti- Semitic propaganda. Children in the Arab world and Iran are taught using textbooks and official media to hate Israel, to hate the Jews and to forfeit their own lives in order to kill as many Israelis and Jews as possible. Fortunately, Seeds of Peace has spent 15 years bringing together youth from the Middle East and other conflict-torn regions and encouraging them to engage their peers as fellow human beings worthy of respect and tolerance. Programs like Seeds of Peace cultivate the young leaders who can oppose violent extremism and hateful propaganda, who can promote a culture of life and seek peaceful, rational and mutually beneficial solutions to seemingly intractable conflicts. Mr. Speaker, given that Seeds of Peace is devoted to promoting peaceful resolution of the world's most dangerous conflicts, it is important to note that the allocation of vital and scarce resources contributes to conflicts around the globe. In the Middle East, oil and natural gas resources enable many authoritarian governments to resist reform and to finance destabilizing actions, including weapons programs and sponsorship of Islamic jihadists. Therefore, it is especially important for our national security and for the cause of peace worldwide for the United States to stop our dependence on foreign sources of energy. I thank my good friend and colleague from Maine (Mr. Allen) for introducing this Seeds of Peace anniversary resolution. I urge the House to adopt it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor one of south Florida's great citizens, Liliam Machado. Liliam was born in Matanzas, Cuba, and came to this country at age 18, while fleeing Fidel Castro's communist regime. Since then, she, as well as her husband Gus Machado, have become tremendous civic leaders and examples for all south Floridians. Liliam has shown extraordinary dedication to her work with the American Cancer Society during her two decades of involvement with the organization. She has been on the executive board of the Society's Miami-Dade unit for the past 6 years and is currently its President. She has helped organize many charitable events in our community for the American Cancer Society and her proudest achievement was to bring the Relay for Life to the city of Miami. In doing so, she helped create the first cancer relay specifically targeted at the Hispanic community. Her efforts helped raise awareness and aided in the successful prevention and early detection of cancer within the Hispanic community in south Florida. Liliam's life has been one devoted to helping others and the passion she has brought to her work has enriched our community. I am proud to call her a friend and I am honored to share with you all her achievements.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate my good friend, Pablo Bachelet, the Latin American correspondent in Washington for my hometown newspaper, The Miami Herald. Pablo is leaving the paper to join the Inter-American Bank for Development. Pablo, the father of two, is a sophisticated and keen observer of the history and politics of Latin America, writing incisively about democracy, diplomacy and security issues, and exploring the rich and sometimes complicated relationships that America has with the people of this dynamic region. Pablo has traveled extensively in Latin America, writing about everything from hurricane devastation in Grenada and the struggles against drugs and corruption to the grief caused by the disco fire in Buenos Aires and U.S. policy toward Mexico or Cuba or Colombia or Venezuela. Throughout his career, Pablo has always displayed a masterful command of the issues to keep us, the Herald's loyal readers, informed about a region so important to our interests. Pablo's extensive experience and knowledge will serve all of us who care deeply about the economic and social progress in Latin America. My words are not ones of farewell, but ones of welcome for a new beginning and an upward march of a great talent and a warm and thoughtful human being. Felicidades, Pablo.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I'm pleased that we're taking up H.R. 5834, the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act that I introduced last month with my dear friend and partner, Congressman Berman of California. Informed by the experience of the past 4 years, this bill reauthorizes and makes minor revisions to the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004. That law captured the strong, bipartisan consensus in favor of promoting human rights, transparent humanitarian assistance, and refugee protections for the people of North Korea. The people of North Korea continue to suffer some of the worst conditions imaginable. The totalitarian regime does not permit meaningful political freedom, nor religious liberty, and requires cult- like devotion to the Kim dynasty. It crushes any who dare to dissent. The vast North Korean gulag holds an estimated 200,000 men, women and children in brutal, sub-human conditions where entire families are tortured, abused and worked to death. The centrally directed economy that exacerbated the North Korean famine of the 1990s, which killed somewhere between 1 and 3 million people, continues to threaten the basic welfare of the population. The scores of North Korean women and girls who flee into China are vulnerable to repeated trafficking, sexual abuse, and exploitation. If they are pregnant when repatriated, they are routinely subjected to forced abortions by North Korean officials, often by vicious, physical beatings. Trying to sweep the refugee problem under the rug before the 2008 Olympics, China has dramatically raised the bounty that it pays for North Korean border crossers, and routinely repatriates refugees to North Korea where they are sure to face prison, torture, and sometimes even execution. In an attempt to deter escape, the North Korean regime has been stepping up its executions of people involved in border crossings. They execute them at public gatherings, where attendance by the local population, including children, is required. On February 20 of this year, North Korean officials in Onsung County made their point by shooting and killing 13 women in front of the assembled community. Tragically, these atrocities are common in North Korea. We should, therefore, not be surprised when a dictatorship so willing to brutalize its own people is proven untrustworthy and dangerous in its dealings with the outside world. Whether the issue is human rights, missiles or nuclear proliferation, the only consistent interest of the current North Korean regime is the continuation of the current North Korean regime. It holds no value and no regard for human life or the welfare of humanity as a whole. In an effort to help address the grim situation endured by the North Korean people, this bill extends key authorities of the original North Korean Human Rights Act for an additional 4 years, such as funding for humanitarian assistance to North Korean refugees and trafficking victims, efforts to increase freedom of information inside North Korea, support for democracy and human rights activities, and reporting requirements regarding implementation of this act. It also attempts to energize the United States' anemic North Korean refugee admissions, and clarifies and strengthens the role of the Special Envoy, which Congress intended to be a full-time position within the Department of State to champion better policy making on North Korean human rights, humanitarian, and refugee issues. The United States is home to the largest ethnic Korean community outside of the Korean Peninsula, and many of our 2 million Korean- American constituents have family ties to North Korea. Our Nation also has the largest refugee resettlement program in the world by far and has resettled approximately 150,000 refugees from around the world since the year 2004, when the act became law. But over the past 4 years, Mr. Speaker, the United States has settled fewer than 50 North Koreans, notwithstanding the clear mandate of section 303 of the act directing the Secretary of State to facilitate North Korean refugee applications. This is an embarrassment, and it is not in keeping with the intent of Congress in passing the North Korean Human Rights Act. More North Koreans have approached the United States seeking resettlement, but many have been deterred or have abandoned their pursuit because of extended delays that sometimes continue even after they have passed U.S. security screening. A group of increasingly desperate North Korean refugees, some of whom have been awaiting U.S. resettlement for over 2 years, recently carried out a hunger strike to draw attention to their extended limbo. This situation, which continues despite the good work from our regional refugee coordinators, requires persistent, high-level diplomacy by senior executive branch officials to secure permission from more foreign countries to allow us to process refugees, and prompt exit visas when those North Koreans are ready to leave for the United States. I want to thank my good friend, Chairman Berman, and our original cosponsors from both sides of the aisle for their commitment to this important issue, including my friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, whose language on North Korean refugees in China was added to section 3 of the bill. I urge unanimous consent for this measure. And I hope that we can work together to get this bill through to the other body and onto the President's desk. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to my friend from California (Mr. Royce), the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also rise in strong support of H.R. 5916, the Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Reform Act of 2008. Among this legislation's provisions is language I offered which was incorporated into the original text regarding North Korea's nuclear programs and the ongoing Six-Party talks. We have heard in recent days about North Korea's hand-over of 18,000 pages of so-called logs concerning its plutonium extraction activity at the Yongbyon nuclear reactor. However, let's not be fooled yet again by North Korea or by those seeking an agreement with this regime at any and all costs. These logs, according to many regional and nonproliferation experts, do not mark any substantive progress towards nuclear disarmament. For starters, the reporting is limited to North Korea's plutonium-based nuclear facilities and not the totality of its nuclear weapons program as called for under the February 2007 Six-Party agreement whereby North Korea commits to completely disarming itself in exchange for certain concessions from the West. To address these important issues, the language I drafted, which was incorporated into title III of the bill before us, clarifies and reinforces the conditions that North Korea must meet before it can be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and before related sanctions can be removed. No new conditions have been added. However, this bill does specify that North Korea must take verifiable actions regarding all of its nuclear activities before such an important concession is granted to this duplicitous regime. These requirements, Mr. Speaker, include ceasing to provide nuclear assistance to countries such as Syria and Iran, providing a complete and correct declaration of all of its nuclear programs, and in addition to U.S. verification, agreeing to the participation of the International Atomic Energy Agency in monitoring and verifying the shutdown and sealing of the nuclear facility at Yongbyon. Given North Korea's abysmal record in keeping its promises, verification of its declarations and actions is of central importance to any agreement. For that reason, this bill also contains language in title III that requires the State Department to submit a report to the committee describing the methods and actions that the U.S. will use to verify North Korea's declarations regarding its nuclear facilities, describing all formal and informal agreements regarding verification, and documenting any objections regarding these measures that have been expressed by North Korea. This bill also strengthens U.S. national security interests and assistance to our strong ally, Israel. It requires the administration to perform an ongoing assessment of Israel's qualitative military edge and authorizes an increase in U.S. Foreign Military Financing that is consistent with the August 2007 U.S.-Israel memorandum on military assistance. These provisions are of vital importance because, as we all know, Israel is surrounded by a multitude of threats which threatens its very survival. Radical Islamic jihadists in Gaza are continuing to launch large numbers of powerful, accurate, and deadly rockets at Israel civilians and have smuggled weapons, cash, and armed militants from Egypt through underground tunnels. Palestinian extremists continue to carry out attacks inside Israel itself, including the murder of eight people at a yeshiva in Jerusalem this past March, which included one American. In the aftermath of the summer 2006 war launched by Hezbollah against Israel, this Islamic militant group continues its reign of terror made possible by aid from Iran and Syria, both sworn enemies of Israel, both state sponsors of terrorism, both seeking a nuclear capability, and both receiving support from the regime in North Korea. According to a Congressional Research Service report finalized just last week and prepared at my request, North Korea's relationship with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, an entity involved in proliferation activities and in supporting Islamic extremists, appears to be in two areas: One, coordination and support of Hezbollah; and two, cooperation in ballistic missile development. And turning to Syria, Mr. Speaker, CIA Director Michael Hayden was recently quoted as saying that the nuclear reactor the Syrian regime was building with assistance from North Korea could have produced enough plutonium for one or two nuclear weapons within 1 year of beginning operations. Then there is the growing menace from Iran's radical Islamist regime. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently reminded us that Iran ``is hellbent on acquiring nuclear weapons.'' As it aggressively pursues the nuclear option, the regime in Tehran still continues to call for Israel to be wiped off the map. Thus, the provisions in this bill enhancing our relationship with Israel are critical to Israel's security and to our own vital interests in the region. This bill also advances U.S. national security and economic competitiveness by including language derived from legislation introduced by Mr. Sherman of California and Mr. Manzullo promoting long-overdue reforms in the licensing of defense exports by the State Department. It also significantly strengthens congressional oversight over a range of issues requiring the Executive Branch to fully consult with our committee before undertaking any actions covered by this legislation. Lastly, drawing upon an initiative led by Mr. Royce of California and strongly supported by Secretary of State Rice, it upgrades the foreign military sales, FMS, status of our staunch ally, the Republic of Korea. The bill also appropriately affords the same status to our close defense relationship with Israel. Mr. Speaker, this bill is a strong, bipartisan effort unanimously adopted by our Committee on Foreign Affairs. It is the appropriate vehicle to address the significant policy changes on North Korea that the administration is requesting. It is my hope and expectation that we allow the legislative process to take its appropriate course and that we will not seek to circumvent the authority of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or to undermine this bill by attaching broad waiver language regarding North Korea to either the pending supplemental appropriations bill or the national defense authorization bill. I urge my colleagues to support this carefully crafted, much needed, and bipartisan legislation. I reserve the balance of our time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand also in support of House Resolution 1181 authored by my good friend from New York (Mr. Crowley), and which I am proud to cosponsor, that addresses the tragic loss of life in Burma due to the devastation of the recent cyclone. The suffering caused there is heart wrenching, with the number of estimated dead nearing 100,000, and with at least 1 million people left homeless. The secretive and corrupt military junta in Burma has made a determination of exact figures on the loss of life and of those in desperate need of assistance nearly impossible to estimate. Millions are reportedly at immediate risk of disease or hunger. Many have publicly criticized the Burmese regime in the cyclone's aftermath, pointing out that Burma's state-run radio failed to issue a timely warning to its citizens in the storm's path, despite information it received from neighboring countries. United Nations agencies temporarily suspended relief flights last week after reports that the junta had impounded two plane loads of supplies and that the Burmese troops were pilfering the assistance already on the ground. What kind of regime steals the food literally out of the mouths of starving babies? The answer is the one in Burma today. The first U.S. relief aircraft, loaded with 28,000 pounds of supplies, including water, mosquito netting and blankets, was allowed to land in Burma on Monday. This is in keeping with the wide-hearted generosity of the American people to those who are in need anywhere in the globe. It is in keeping with Ronald Reagan's famous dictum that ``a hungry child knows no politics.'' Disaster relief experts from the United States and other countries are ready to head to Burma to prevent what could become an even greater calamity affecting millions of people. The Burmese regime, however, is still refusing to issue them visas. The insistence by the junta that it will distribute all supplies itself raises grave concerns, given the regime's past track record of thievery and indifference to the welfare of its own people. It is time for Burma to let the relief workers and journalists inside. The generals must put aside, for once, their own selfish ambitions and must start thinking of the good of their own people. The prospects for this, however, remain grim. This is, after all, the same regime that callously shot monks and other peaceful demonstrators on the streets of Burma's cities last fall during the Saffron Revolution. The generals, unfortunately, are likely to turn a deaf ear to the cries of their own people. This Congress, however, should not and must not be deaf to the cries of the suffering men, women and children in Burma. It is essential that the House speak today in a strong and unified voice and pass Mr. Crowley's important resolution. The American people would expect no less, and the Burmese people will be forever grateful. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) be allowed to manage the remainder of our time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this Coast Guard Authorization Bill being considered on the floor today. I have the unique pleasure of representing over 265 miles of pristine Florida coastline--from Miami Beach to Key West. In fact, two of the largest Coast Guard Sectors in the United States, Sector Miami commanded by Captain Karl Schultz and Sector Key West commanded by Captain Scott A. Buschman are located in my Congressional district. As such, ensuring that the brave Coast Guard men and women have the tools they need to effectively patrol our coasts is of utmost concern. I know that with this important mission, my constituents would not be pleased to hear of the lack of state-of-the-art equipment that the Coast Guard has been using to accomplish its goals. Just to highlight the nature of our aging Coast Guard fleet, I can point to the oldest cutter still active. The Storis, still serving today in Alaska, was commissioned before the United States entry into World War II. A ship over 65 years old should not be tasked with protecting against the modem threats that face this great Nation. Compare this to an April 18th article in the St. Petersburg Times where Drug Enforcement Agency officials are quoted as ``scratching their heads over how to combat the latest innovation in drug smuggling: radar-dodging semisubmersible vessels packed with tons of cocaine.'' Determined drug smugglers are using very sophisticated ships and technologies in this cat-and-mouse game and it will become increasingly difficult to prevent their illegal activities if we are not able to modernize our fleet as well. Fortunately, a vital portion of this bill is dedicated to the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System. This is a critical program to modernize and replace the Coast Guard's aging ships and aircraft. The Deepwater Program is the largest acquisition in the history of the Coast Guard and any delay in the passage of this bill would have a serious and negative impact on the security of South Florida and our Nation. We can all agree that these brave men and women deserve the fundamental resources they need. Certainly, without adequate funding the Coast Guard will not be equipped to accomplish their mission. Coast Guard Sector Miami is scheduled to receive the first six Fast Response Cutters in addition to three ISLAND Class patrol boats. As well, Coast Guard Sector Key West is scheduled for delivery of the second six Fast Response Cutters in addition to one ISLAND Class patrol boat. I applaud these efforts and look forward to the continuation of the Deepwater Program. Though this bill is by no means perfect, the urgency of modernizing our fleet and putting these ships in the water and these aircraft in the skies cannot be understated. I urge all Members to recognize the crucial need to protect our Nation by strengthening the United States' oldest continuous seagoing service, the United States Coast Guard.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to express my support of H. Res. 1112, a resolution recognizing 2008 as the International Year of the Reef. I have the great honor of representing the Florida Keys, an area rich in natural wonders including two national parks, four national wildlife refuges, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary--one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the Nation. The natural and cultural resources and environmental setting of the area make it among the most diverse in North America. Within the surrounding waters are resources deserving of special consideration and protection, including America's only living barrier coral reef. This designation is part of a global effort to raise public awareness of the value of coral reefs, the significance of the threats faced by coral reef systems, and to mobilize action to develop and implement innovative solutions and strategies to protect and conserve these important natural resources. Coral reef systems provide economic, environmental, and cultural benefits to millions of people around the world and are vital in protecting shorelines and supporting coastal economies. Coral reefs are some of the most valuable and spectacular places on earth. Covering less than 1 percent of the planet's surface, coral reefs and their associated mangrove, sea grass, and other habitats are the world's most biologically diverse marine ecosystems. Last September, I had the distinct opportunity of participating in a dive to the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory in the Florida Keys. While in Aquarius, I participated in a live, underwater question and answer session with schoolchildren on topics such as coral reef conservation and the dangers of offshore drilling. This visit demonstrated how the Aquarius facility plays a direct role in improving our youngsters' understanding and appreciation of the marine environment. As part of my passion for preserving the environment, I am proud to serve as co-Chair of the National Marine Sanctuary Caucus along with my colleague Congresswoman Lois Capps. The National Marine Sanctuary Caucus is a bipartisan coalition of Members dedicated to increasing awareness and strengthening commitment to our Nation's cherished marine sanctuaries. The caucus promotes understanding of how national marine sanctuaries help to safeguard our natural heritage and economic well- being. It also serves to inform local communities about the importance of maintaining these ecosystems for future generations to enjoy, educates Members of Congress on the importance of sanctuary protection and management, and ensures that adequate resources are directed to foster and restore these vital habitats. I would like to also take this time to recognize the incredible National Marine Sanctuary officials in my district, including Billy Causey and Commander Dave Score, as well as Sanctuary System Director Dan Basta, for all of their work on behalf of our underwater ecosystems. Once again, I would like to express my support for designating 2008 as the International Year of the Reef. Through this designation, it is my hope that it will encourage further research and development efforts to preserve coral reefs around the world.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) who is the ranking member of our Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)