Diane Watson

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. On November 7, 2010, Burma held its first election in 20 years. This should have been an important milestone for the 55 million people of that impoverished nation, but instead, it was more of the same. The ruling junta fixed the process to ensure its continuing domination, and the vote was marred by widespread fraud and intimidation. This important resolution condemns the military regime's blatantly undemocratic effort to legitimize its rule through a sham election process. In 1990, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, referred to as the ``NLD party,'' handily won free and fair elections, but the junta refused to honor the results and, instead, arrested and imprisoned democratically elected members of parliament and democracy activists. More recently, in 2007, thousands of ordinary Burmese citizens and Buddhist monks led a series of peaceful demonstrations calling for more openness and respect for human rights, only to be brutally crushed by the regime. Today, there are more than 2,200 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience languishing in Burmese prisons in the worst possible conditions. The junta claims that the Burmese constitution of 2008 is part of a ``roadmap to democracy,'' but in reality, that bogus document maintains power in the hands of military appointees, permits the head of the military to intervene in national policy, and ensures that key government ministries are held by junta officials. Under this framework, true democracy is impossible. The regime's recent decision to release Aung San Suu Kyi, the iconic leader of Burma's democracy movement, is a transparent attempt to divert attention from its fraudulent election. The international community must speak with one voice to condemn the results of the November 7 election; press the Burmese junta to respect basic human rights and allow freedom of expression and freedom of association; call for the release of political prisoners; and support national reconciliation between the junta, Aung San Suu Kyi, and ethnic leaders. We must also continue to press for a robust international inquiry into the regime's crimes against humanity and war crimes, and do everything we can to end the systemic use of rape as a weapon of war, extrajudicial killings, torture, and child labor. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1677) condemning the Burmese regime's undemocratic upcoming elections on November 7, 2010, as amended.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, as Democrats work to help America recover from the Republican recession, one of our top priorities is to create jobs and restore responsible fiscal policies that support the middle class. A key part of this pro-growth agenda is helping small business. Small businesses are the engine of our economy, creating two-thirds of the new jobs over the past 15 years. The role of small businesses is especially important as we strive to create jobs and move the economy forward. With the right resources and the right opportunities, small businesses can respond quickly with growth opportunity. To continue to support small business and to further promote job growth, Democrats in the House passed the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act. The $30 billion lending fund for local businesses and community banks will help break the credit squeeze by leveraging $300 billion in investment funds that will allow them to grow and to add workers.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1480, a resolution honoring the University of Southern California, referred to as USC, men's tennis team for their historic victory in the 2010 NCAA men's tennis championship. Overall, the achievement marks USC's 18th all-time NCAA men's tennis championship, making the Trojans the all-time leader in such team victories. On May 25, 2010, the number five seeded USC Trojans defeated the number two seed, Tennessee. True to USC's mantra, ``Fight On,'' the Trojans fought back from an early hole to claim four singles matches and rights to the 2010 championship trophy. USC finished the season with 25 wins and three losses as they pinned up their first back-to- back men's tennis titles since the 1993-1994 season. For outstanding performance during tournament of play this year, Daniel Nguyen was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. His match-clinching win during the 2010 championship, as well as four other victories in NCAA tournament play, put him in position to take this top honor. In addition, NCAA All Tournament Honors went to Robert Farah and Steve Johnson for number one doubles, Daniel Nguyen and J.T. Sundling for number two doubles, Robert Farah for number one singles, Steve Johnson for number two singles, Daniel Nguyen for number four singles, and Peter Lucassen for number six singles. Head Coach Peter Smith, who has guided the Trojans to back-to-back NCAA championships in the past two seasons, now enters his ninth season as head coach of the Trojan men's tennis program. Coach Smith was also honored as the 2010 Intercollegiate Tennis Association's National Coach of the Year to go along with the Pac-10 and the ITA West Regional Coach of the Year honors. During Coach Smith's career, he accumulated 427 wins and 194 losses. As head coach of the Trojans, Coach Smith has a record of 152 wins and 59 losses. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, but on Monday night, the Trojans' championship men's tennis team, along with the 2009 championship men's water polo team, met with President Obama at the White House as he honored NCAA champions from around the country. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1480, and let's recognize the achievements of the players, the coaches, the students, the alumni, and the staff who were instrumental in helping the USC Trojans win the 2010 men's tennis championship.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I urge the House to support House Resolution 1571. It is a fine piece of legislation. Again, I would like to congratulate Miami Dade College on its 50th anniversary. With that, Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1571, which celebrates Miami Dade College on the occasion of their 50 years of service in higher education to the residents of the State of Florida. In 1960, Miami Dade first opened its doors under the name Dade County Junior College. By 1967, the college was the largest institution of higher education in the State of Florida. Today, Miami Dade College boasts eight campuses and the largest public institution of higher education in the Nation, welcoming nearly 170,000 students annually. The college offers more than 300 major areas of study to its students, and as of 2003, began offering bachelor's degrees in addition to associate's degrees. Miami Dade College has awarded more associate's degrees than any college in the United States. Miami Dade College also has a rich history of diversity. The college became the first integrated junior college in the State of Florida, and now has students from 178 countries speaking 86 languages. The college ranks first in the United States among public colleges and universities for the number of Pell Grant recipients in attendance. At Miami Dade College, 61 percent of students are from low-income families, and 52 percent are the first in their families to attend college. The college also contributes to the region's cultural landscape via the nationally acclaimed Cultura del Lobo Performance Series and the Miami International Film Festival, both of which provide student artists with unique learning opportunities. Additionally, the annual Miami Dade International Book Fair is the largest literary event in the United States. Does this have something to do with the college? Not clear from the name. Furthermore, Miami Dade College has consistently worked to produce students with skills in high demand by local and regional employers. The Emerging Technologies Center of the Americas at Miami Dade College works to prepare students for careers in information technology and telecommunications. This center's state-of- the-art 40,000-square-foot facility at the Wolfson campus houses 19 multimedia classrooms and labs equipped with high-end computers, specialized equipment, and simulation workstations. The students, faculty, and staff at Miami Dade College have much to be proud of as they remember and celebrate the rich cultural and academic history of their institution over the past half-century. I once again express my support for House Resolution 1571 and congratulate Miami Dade College on its 50th anniversary. I thank Representative Ros-Lehtinen for bringing this resolution forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks, and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1571 into the Record.

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1571) acknowledging and congratulating Miami Dade College on the occasion of its 50th anniversary of service to the students and residents of the State of Florida, as amended.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, on its 75th anniversary, August 14, Social Security is once again under assault by congressional Republicans. Social Security has been, for 75 years, a bedrock promise. You earned it with a lifetime of hard work, and it should be there for you for future generations. If Republicans had succeeded, seniors would have lost trillions more in the stock market meltdown of the Bush recession. But, instead, no one lost a penny in Social Security. Social Security is not the cause of our budget deficits, and benefit cuts should not be the solution.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, right now, 15 million out-of-work Americans are waiting on the Senate to extend unemployment benefits which contribute to paying mortgages, health care bills, utility bills and the cost of food when there isn't a paycheck coming in. The Democrats' unemployment bill will provide up to 99 weeks of unemployment checks, averaging about $300, to people whose 26 weeks of State-paid benefits have run out. The benefits would be extended through the end of November. In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll released July 13, more than six in ten Americans support congressional action to extend unemployment benefits for jobless workers. Earlier this month, the House passed the Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act to restore and extend emergency unemployment benefits through November 30. Americans know these benefits not only are much needed, but they are their life support.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5450. I would also like to thank the members of the California delegation for supporting this bill. H.R. 5450 would designate a Post Office in my district located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the Tom Bradley Post Office Building. Tom Bradley served as the mayor of Los Angeles for an unprecedented 20 years, as a city councilman for 10 years, and as a Los Angeles police officer for 21 years. Tom Bradley, the son of sharecroppers and the grandson of a former slave, was born on December 29, 1917, to Lee and Crenner Bradley in Calvert, Texas. In 1924, the Bradleys moved to Los Angeles near Temple and Alvarado Streets. A young Tom Bradley attended Polytechnic High School, where he starred in track and was an all-city football player. Upon graduating from high school in 1937, Bradley attended the University of California at Los Angeles on a track scholarship. During his junior year at UCLA, Bradley dropped out to attend the Los Angeles Police Academy. After becoming a police officer in 1940 and serving many years in the department, Tom Bradley would rise to the rank of lieutenant, which was the highest rank for an African American at that time. While working for the Los Angeles Police Department, Bradley studied at night at Southwestern University School of Law and received his law degree in 1956. He later passed the State bar, and in 1961 he would leave the LAPD to practice law. In 1963, Tom Bradley, along with Billy Mills, would become the first African Americans elected to the Los Angeles City Council. Bradley would serve on the City Council until the year 1972. During his tenure on the City Council, he would speak out against racial segregation within the LAPD, as well as the department's handling of the Watts riots in 1965. In 1969, Tom Bradley first challenged incumbent mayor Sam Yorty. Armed with key endorsements, Bradley held a substantial lead over Yorty in the primary, but was a few percentage points shy of winning the race outright. However, in the runoff, Yorty pulled an amazing come-from- behind victory to win reelection, primarily because he played racial politics. In 1973, Tom Bradley would unseat Sam Yorty to become Los Angeles' first African American mayor and the second African American to be mayor of a major United States city. During Tom Bradley's tenure as mayor, Los Angeles overtook San Francisco as the financial capital of the State and much of the West. The City of Los Angeles sprouted a skyline of new and impressive office buildings, and with a booming international airport and Port of Los Angeles, the city became a transportation hub and gateway to the Pacific rim. In 1982, as the Democratic Party nominee, Tom Bradley lost the race for California governor to George Deukmejian by less than 1 percentage point of the vote. The racial dynamics that appeared to underlie his narrow and unexpected loss in 1982 gave rise to the political term ``the Tom Bradley effect.'' In 1984, amid a chorus of people predicting disaster, Tom Bradley championed Los Angeles as the host of the Summer Olympics. The games were a huge success, bringing the city not only great publicity, but a $250 million surplus, and I am happy to announce that that surplus has grown and it still remains around $300 million. Tom Bradley's most difficult moments as mayor came in the last years of his tenure. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, more than 50 people were killed in the civil unrest following the acquittal of the police officers involved in the Rodney King beating. During a speech in September of 1992 when Bradley announced he would not seek a sixth term as mayor, he stated, ``The April unrest tore at my heart, and I will not be at peace until we have healed our wounds and rebuilt our neighborhoods. Let us all, every one of us, pledge to make Los Angeles a beacon of mutual respect, justice and tolerance from this day forward.'' The words of tolerance, justice, and respect were how Tom Bradley lived his life, governed the city of Los Angeles, and created coalitions with people from every race, religion, and ethnic background. At the age of 80, Tom Bradley died on September 29, 1998. He was survived by his late wife, Ethel Bradley, and their two daughters, Lorraine and Phyllis. The city of Los Angeles will never have a mayor that served as long as Tom Bradley and had the type of impact and influence he commanded. For this Congress to give Tom Bradley this honor would be fitting, due to his life's work as a public servant working to bring justice and prosperity to all citizens of Los Angeles. And I proudly, Mr. Speaker, would like all of you to know Tom Bradley followed my father, who was a police officer in Los Angeles, and he was proud to say that he helped to train him. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5450.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. On May 29, 2010, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador experienced devastating floods and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Agatha. Agatha has left 174 dead and directly affected more than 62,000 families in Guatemala, killed 22 and forced nearly 8,000 into shelters in Honduras, and left 11 dead and 12,000 in shelters in El Salvador. And to make matters worse, over 2,000 Guatemalans were displaced with little forewarning following the eruption of the Pacaya volcano on May 27, 2010. The combination of the tropical storm and the volcano has devastated Guatemala's landscape leaving behind sinkholes and mudslides across the country. In addition, due to recent droughts, erratic rainfalls and high food prices, a sharp drop in remittances, Guatemala now faces severe food insecurity, and this is expected to increase in the wake of Tropical Storm Agatha. Guatemalan officials are estimating that damages will surpass $475 million. In Honduras, the loss in the agriculture sector could be close to $18.5 million. In all three countries, critical infrastructure relating to water and sanitation has been destroyed. The United States has provided relief for the victims of Tropical Storm Agatha by deploying United States Southern Command support helicopters and frigates to assist with the transport of food, water, and emergency supplies. Humanitarian aid agencies in the United States and countries and NGOs around the world are mobilizing to provide much- needed assistance to the relief and the recovery efforts. The resolution before us recognizes the assistance efforts already under way and urges the Secretary of State in coordination with the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, to continue to develop a strategic plan with the goal of mitigating the effects of the recent natural disasters that have devastated these three countries. Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador face a major challenge as they recover and rebuild. They deserve our continued support. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1462) expressing support for the people of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as they persevere through the aftermath of Tropical Storm Agatha which swept across Central America causing deadly floods and mudslides, as amended.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, this bill, which passed the Senate last week by unanimous consent, would amend the International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to permanently authorize Radio Free Asia. Radio Free Asia, or RFA, was established by Congress in 1994 and began its operations in 1996. As a private, nonprofit corporation, its mission is to provide accurate and timely news to Asian countries whose governments prohibit access to a free press. Today, RFA broadcasts news and information in nine languages: Burmese, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Khmer, Laotian, Tibetan, Uyghur, and Vietnamese. RFA also maintains a vibrant Internet presence, providing information through podcasts, blogs, message boards, and YouTube. Because RFA is guided by the principles of free expression and opinion and serves its Asian listeners by providing information critical for informed decisionmaking, the governments of the countries that RFA targets have actively sought to block RFA's transmissions and access to its Web site. These repressive governments are clearly concerned that public access to the timely, uncensored, and accurate information provided by RFA will lead to greater demands for democracy, respect for fundamental human rights, and government accountability. A winner of numerous human rights and broadcast journalism awards, RFA has played a vital role in providing information in some of the most oppressed societies in Asia. For example, RFA broke the news of the peaceful protest by Tibetan monks in the capital of Tibet in 2008 and provided extensive coverage, used by major international media outlets, of the Chinese crackdown on the monks. By permanently authorizing RFA, we will enhance the efficiency of the RFA's operations and send a powerful signal of our country's support for a free press in Asia and throughout the world. According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ``everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.'' RFA's mission is to do just that, to bring news and information about their own countries to populations denied the benefits of freedom of information by their governments. RFA's broadcasts, through the radio and the Internet, are devoted to that very idea, to that notion of enlightenment. Radio Free Asia provides a vital voice to hundreds of millions of people in Asia, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1321) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the political situation in Thailand be solved peacefully and through democratic means, as amended.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Congressman Faleomavaega, for introducing this important resolution, which calls for a peaceful resolution to the political situation in Thailand through democratic means. As we all know, earlier this year Red Shirt protesters occupied the streets of Bangkok for 9 weeks. At first, these protests were peaceful. Over time, however, clashes between the Red Shirts and the security forces escalated into urban warfare. By mid-May, 89 people, the vast majority of them civilians, had been killed, and around 1,800 wounded, including a renegade Thai general who joined the antigovernment protests. Since the outbreak of these protests, the government has made significant strides towards addressing the concerns of the protesters. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced that he plans to hold new elections by the end of 2011. His fans called for all parties to join together in upholding the institution of the constitutional monarchy, working towards resolving fundamental problems of social justice, ensuring that the media can operate freely, creating an independent committee to investigate the street protests, and establishing political rules through solicitation of views from all sides. I believe that the Prime Minister's plan is a positive step towards achieving democratic reconciliation. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister survived a vote of no confidence in the parliament over his handling of the protests, demonstrating that there is support for the PM to lead the country towards reconciliation. I want to remind my colleagues that Thailand is one of the United States' closest friends and most dependable allies. In 1833 we concluded the first treaty with an Asian nation when we joined with Thailand in the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. In 1954, we forged a military alliance. And in 2003, the United States designated Thailand as a major non-NATO ally. Because of our long history, I believe that we must do everything we can to support reconciliation in Thailand and to convey our sincere hope that Thailand continues to prosper with democracy, stability, and the rule of law. That is why I cosponsored House Resolution 1321, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and moving it towards speedy adoption. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.