Recognizing the warm friendship and expanding strategic relationship between the United States and Brazil, commending Brazil on successfully reducing its dependence on oil by finding alternative ways to satisfy its energy needs, and recognizing the importance of the March 9, 2007, United States-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on biofuels cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today strong support of my resolution--H. Res. 651--which recognizes the expanding strategic relationship between the United States and Brazil. This resolution also commends Brazil on successfully reducing its dependence on oil by finding alternative ways to satisfy its energy needs and recognizes the importance of the March 9, 2007 United States--Brazil Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on biofuels cooperation.

For years, Brazil has flown below the radar in the United States. We never paid much attention to what was happening in the largest country in South America. But I believe that we are reaching the end of this period of ignorance and neglect and that we, in America, are finally waking up not only to Brazil's importance, but also to how natural this relationship should be.

Brazil occupies almost half of the continent of South America and is the fifth most populous country in the world. Its economy is the eleventh largest in the world, the largest in Latin America, and one of the largest in the developing world. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Brazil ``the regional leader and our global partner.'' These are words we reserve for only a few countries--those where partnership is truly advantageous for both of us.

Brazil is also the right country with which to cooperate on alternative energy sources. Brazil and the United States are by far the world's largest ethanol producers. In 2006, the two countries together produced 69 percent of ethanol in the world. And Brazil has become a global leader on alternative energy. By the end of 2006, 80 percent of new car sales in Brazil were flex-fuel, meaning they can run on a mixture of ethanol and gasoline.

On March 9th, the U.S. and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote greater cooperation on ethanol and biofuels in the Western Hemisphere. Our bilateral partnership is establishing both countries as leaders in the energy field in the hemisphere. I am particularly pleased by joint U.S.-Brazilian efforts to provide technical assistance to build biofuels industries in third countries, including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, El Salvador and St. Kitts and Nevis. This resolution commends these efforts and also encourages U.S. and Brazilian officials to quickly move to a second wave of countries to receive similar technical assistance.

Many argue that for too long, the U.S. has focused its agenda in the hemisphere on ``trade and drugs'' at the exclusion of other elements. The deepening of our energy cooperation with our friends in the hemisphere--particularly Brazil--is helping us to develop a positive agenda that I hope will continue to grow in the coming years.

I am also pleased to announce today that I will be leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Brazil on November 25th and I encourage my colleagues to join me on this trip.

I want to close by noting that there is a cynical, old adage about Brazil that says, ``Brazil is the land of the future, and always will be.'' Brazil's leadership at home, in the Americas and throughout the world is proving this statement to be false. I truly believe that Brazil's time has come. As Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairman, I look forward to continuing to focus intensively on Brazil--a vital partner and friend.

I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 651.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 651) recognizing the warm friendship and expanding strategic relationship between the United States and Brazil, commending Brazil on successfully reducing its dependence on oil by finding alternative ways to satisfy its energy needs, and recognizing the importance of the March 9, 2007, United States-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on biofuels cooperation, as amended.

Mr. 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 the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I would first like to thank our colleagues, Congressman Eliot Engel and Dan Burton, for introducing this important resolution. Their leadership on Brazil-related matters is greatly appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, Brazil has the largest economy, population, and land mass in South America. It is the fifth most populous country in the world, and its economy is the 11th largest. It is high time we recognize, as this resolution does, the expanding strategic relationship between the United States and Brazil.

We in America are finally waking up not only to Brazil's importance, but to how natural this relationship should be. Brazil is also the right country with which to cooperate on alternative energy sources.

This resolution commends Brazil on successfully reducing its dependence on oil by finding alternative ways to satisfy its energy needs and recognizes the importance of the March 9, 2007, U.S.-Brazil memorandum of understanding on biofuels cooperation.

The agreement promotes greater cooperation on ethanol and biofuels between the world's two largest ethanol-producing countries. Brazil has become the world's largest consumer and producer of ethanol from sugar cane. By the end of 2006, 80 percent of new-car sales in Brazil were flex-fuel, meaning they can run on a mixture of ethanol and gasoline.

Furthermore, ethanol supplies 40 percent of the motor fuel used in Brazil and is extremely competitive with gasoline. We as Americans can learn a great deal from Brazil and they from us as we try to reduce their dependence on oil and diversify our energy resources. The U.S. and Brazil are providing technical assistance to build biofuels industries in Third World countries, including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, El Salvador, St. Kitts, and Nevis.

It is also important to note that Brazil, through its leadership of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti and other achievements, has emerged as a regional leader in the Western Hemisphere, a role this resolution recognizes for Brazil.

Brazil's leadership in the Americas and throughout the world signals the emergence of a vital partner and friend to the United States. That is why I

strongly urge all Members to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, early this year, the U.S. and Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding on biofuels cooperation. This document symbolizes not only a shared interest in reducing energy vulnerability, but also a growing relationship between our two countries based on the common goal of regional stability and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere.

I am pleased to learn of the progress made under the United States- Brazil memorandum of understanding and applaud the proactive efforts being taken by both of our countries in confronting the constraints of oil dependence.

As Hugo Chavez continues to exploit Venezuela's oil supply to spread his propaganda across the Western Hemisphere, it is essential that the U.S. and Brazil continue to lead the way in diminishing our historical dependence on oil by finding alternative ways to satisfy our energy needs.

Additionally, while I appreciate the growing and valuable role of Brazil as a strategic partner, we must remain vigilant of Brazil's own activities.

As the U.S. continues to work to promote freedom and democracy in the hemisphere, we continue to face challenges by the likes of Venezuela's Chavez and Bolivia's Morales, under the tyrannical influences of Castro.

We must be cognizant of the fact that President da Silva was in fact a founding member of the Foro de Sao Paolo, which plays host to these men and promoter to their increasingly anti-American rhetoric throughout the region.

Brazil has a history of noncompliance with the IAEA obligations and an expressed interest in pursuing future enrichment programs.

This mixed with the increasing of rogue regimes, like Iran and Syria, to make inroads into the unstable political, economic and social worlds of Latin America requires the U.S. be vigilant in our assessment of Brazil and the region as a whole.

As biofuels cooperation allows our two countries to work increasingly closely together, I am hopeful that continued success in bilateral relations, hemispheric integration, and energy diversification will help to mitigate these challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman for her leadership and my good friend and colleague Mr. Bilirakis for their support of this legislation.

Let me commend Congressman Engel and Congressman Burton, both chairman and ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, and the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Lantos, and the ranking member of the committee.

This is an important step that cements and further enhances the relationship between Brazil and the United States, the largest economy, population land mass in South America.

But it's even more important to reinforce the strategic relationship that we are establishing between Brazil and the United States, the friendship that we are establishing, and to have both countries wake up to the importance of our relationship to each other and for it to be a natural relationship.

Brazil is also the right country in which to cooperate with alternative energy sources. It has an enormously diverse population and a very large Afro-Brazilian population. In fact, it is the largest African population in South America.

I would hope that as we move forward on this legislation that we emphasize the successful relationship between Brazil and the United States as we work towards alternative fuels. This is a good partnership. It is a good legislative initiative, and I congratulate the sponsors and look forward to working with them on expanding our relationship between the United States and Brazil.