Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of Red Cross Month.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 311, introduced by my good friend from California, Ambassador Watson. For the past 129 years, the American Red Cross has been providing material and emotional support to victims of disasters and to our military families. Many of us know the story of the founding of the national organization by Clara Barton in the aftermath of her service during the Civil War. But, my colleagues may be less familiar with the fact that 93 years ago this week, Miami philanthropist Harriet Parsons James convened a group of local residents to begin the southeastern Florida chapter of the American Red Cross. A month later, Mrs. Florence Spottswood of Key West gathered a group of local leaders in the Keys to start what soon became the Key West chapter of the American Red Cross. Madam Speaker, the Spottswood family name is still associated with philanthropy and altruistic good works in the Florida Keys.

After several years of humanitarian service, those organizations merged in May of 1987, and today the South Florida Region American Red Cross continues to be an indispensable neighbor to the people of my congressional district. In the past year, it has responded to 556 local emergencies, delivered nearly 1,000 emergency messages to and from military families, and trained more than 19,000 people in lifesaving skills in our community. Whether it is in response to hurricanes, in response to house fires, the volunteers and supporters of the South Florida Region continue to provide critical aid, for which we are deeply grateful.

Mr. Speaker, in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, the American Red Cross in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties assisted more than 13,000 U.S. citizens who were flown to south Florida by the U.S. Government. They served nearly 10,000 meals. They provided mental health support to nearly 2,000 people. Nationwide, the American Red Cross has raised over $350 million for earthquake relief and development efforts. It has already used more than $100 million to provide food, water, relief supplies, shelter, and health services to the people of Haiti.

I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting the ideals of Red Cross Month. Whether it is providing disaster relief, safe blood, or communications between our military members and their families, the American Red Cross is one of the most enduring and successful examples of the volunteer spirit at the heart of our Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, if I could inform Ambassador Watson that I have some more remarks to make, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to take a moment to highlight an unfortunate absurdity that we are confronted with today, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to support the resolution before us, but all of us recognize that dedicated people of the American Red Cross will continue to do their good work regardless of whether they are congratulated by this body. Yet the Democratic leadership has taken care to ensure that this symbolic resolution will receive a vote today--something that they may deny to the trillion- dollar Senate health care bill.

To recap, we're able to debate and vote on this nonbinding resolution. That is well and good. Yet we are denied the chance to vote on this huge, expensive Senate health care bill. The procedure being discussed in the press attempts to get around the basic requirements of the Constitution--that both Houses of Congress must pass the same bill text before it is presented to the President and signed into law.

As the director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, former Federal Circuit Court Judge Michael McConnell wrote in yesterday's Wall Street Journal: ``Under Article I, section 7, passage of one bill cannot be deemed to be enactment of another.'' I'm sorry if the Democratic leadership feels that the burdens of representative government outlined by our Constitution are too great a burden for their agenda to bear. But that momentous bill deserves at least as much consideration as we are giving to the wide range of nonbinding resolutions that we are considering this week.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 311) expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of Red Cross Month.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today and to vote on H. Res. 311, a bill I introduced to honor one of the most well-known humanitarian organizations in the world, the American National Red Cross. This bill expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the work of this important institution by honoring March as Red Cross Month.

Since the American National Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881, the organization has been at the forefront of providing relief to individuals around the world during times of great crisis. The American National Red Cross provides relief for more than 70,000 disasters annually, ranging from small home fires to hurricanes, floods, tornados, conflicts, and earthquakes, such as those that recently struck in Haiti and Chile. And I understand there was a 4.4 earthquake today in the Los Angeles area.

The American National Red Cross has had a presence in Haiti since 2004, supporting local disaster preparedness, HIV education, malaria prevention, and measles immunization programs.

In the 2 months since the devastating earthquake struck on January 12, the American National Red Cross has allocated $106.4 million for Haitian relief and development and efforts to provide both short-term and long-term assistance to the survivors. In just 2 months, the global Red Cross network has provided relief items for 400,000 people, including 99,000 tarps, tents, shelter tool kits, and meals for more than 1 million people, 40 million liters of clean drinking water, built more than 1,100 latrines, helped vaccinate more than 125 people, treated more than 55,000 people at Red Cross hospitals or mobile clinics, and assisted more than 25,000 people who arrived in the United States following the earthquake.

With an estimated 1.3 million Haitians left homeless by the earthquake, the difficult and noble work the American National Red Cross has undertaken in Haiti is an effort that each and every American can be proud of. However, the relief they bring to Haiti is only one example in over 129 years of exemplary humanitarian service.

This institution represents the best aspect of the American spirit to people all around the world. When a disaster strikes, the sign of the Red Cross is a source of comfort and hope, and a reminder of the generosity and the caring nature of the United States and its citizens.

Since 1943, every President of the United States has proclaimed March as Red Cross Month, and I urge my colleagues to continue this tradition and support H. Res. 311.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I missed the following recorded votes on the House floor the week of Monday, March 15, 2010.

For Monday, March 15, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 112 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1145), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 113 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1170), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 114 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1163), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 115 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 267).

For Tuesday, March 16, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 116 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 4628), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 117 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 311), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 118 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 605), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 119 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1128).

For Wednesday, March 17, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 120 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1089), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 121 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1167), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 122 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1184), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 123 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1141), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 124 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to S. 1147), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 125 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3954), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 126 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 946), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 127 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 4825).

For Thursday, March 18, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 131 (on motion to refer H. Res. 1193, raising a question of the privileges of the House), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 132 (on motion to table H. Res. 1193, raising a question of the privileges of the House), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 133 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3542), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 134 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3509), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 135 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1173).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 311 to recognize the American National Red Cross and to express my support for the Goals and Ideals of Red Cross Month.

The Red Cross is one of the most effective and important disaster relief organizations in the world, and since its founding in 1881, the Red Cross has worked diligently to prevent and relieve suffering. As a non-practicing Registered Nurse, I am still moved by the lifesaving work that the Red Cross does in some

of the most difficult places on the planet, and I am proud to recognize this organization and all of their efforts. Additionally, every President of the United States since 1943 has proclaimed March to be Red Cross Month and because of this, I am happy to join people across the county in supporting this remarkable organization.

Mr. Speaker, the American National Red Cross is one of our country's greatest treasures, and the work that they do is unmatched across the globe. I encourage my fellow colleagues to join me today in supporting this resolution to recognize this organization and support the goals and ideals of Red Cross Month.