Floor Statements

Offered By: Mr. Hastings of Florida

Amendment No. 25: At the end of the bill, (before the short

title), insert the following:

Offered By: Mr. Hastings of Florida

Amendment No. 26: Page 72, line 1, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(reduced by $20,000,000) (increased by

$20,000,000)''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern to recognize the one year anniversary of the capture of three Israeli soldiers. Over one year ago, Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, 31, of Nahariya. Weeks earlier, on June 25, Gilad Shalit, 20, of Hila, was abducted by Hamas in the Gaza strip.

As an original cosponsor of House Resolution 107, a resolution which calls for the immediate and unconditional release of these Israeli soldiers held captive by Hamas and Hezbollah, I was extremely pleased that it passed the House unanimously on March 3th of March. This critical piece of legislation demanded that Hamas release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and required Hezbollah accept the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 to release Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

My efforts to assist in the release of these soldiers began in July 2006 when I wrote to American Red Cross' Interim President Jack McGuire urging the American Red Cross to apply pressure to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assess the well-being of these three Israeli soldiers. In that letter, I admonished Hezbollah and Hamas for continuously failing to accede to basic standards of humanitarian conduct and denying competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the Israeli captives.

Hezbollah's and Hamas' blatant disregard for international law and the malicious uncertainty they have unleashed on the captured soldiers' families is simply heartless. This obvious disrespect for humanitarian law warrants an international response. Having met with Karnit Goldwasser, the wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, I am even more committed to advocate for the plights of these brave soldiers.

I will continue to intensely oppose terrorist activities that compromise human life to advance a drastic agenda. These illegitimate actions only solidify the United States' commitment to support Israel as the only true democracy in the Middle East and achieving peace in the region.

Over the past few years, we have watched violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories spiral out of control. Clearly it is time for the United States to become more actively engaged in the region. While we continue to consume ourselves with our own war against terrorism, we cannot forget that Israel has been waging its own war against terrorism, as well as its own fight for democracy, for more than 55 years. Today, I stand with my colleagues in sending a message to the people of Israel: The support Israel enjoys from the United States is stronger today than it has ever been.

I will continue to lend my vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders.

We cannot remain silent on this grave issue: we owe it to these brave soldiers, their families, and to ourselves. Silence would only tell the rest of the world that these actions have become acceptable. I urge my colleagues to continue to unequivocally condemn these acts and pray for the return of these brave soldiers and peace in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the ordering of the yeas and nays be vacated with respect to the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2547, as amended, to the end that the Chair put the question de novo.

Madam Speaker, today I am introducing a Resolution relating to human rights problems in the Republic of Azerbaijan. I am pleased to be joined by Representative Thaddeus McCotter and Representative Gary Ackerman as original co-sponsors of the Resolution.

The Resolution calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to release Farhad Aliyev and his brother, Rafiq, from detention during trial. Both of them have been detained in solitary confinement from October 2005 until today, when their trial is already in progress. It also calls on Azerbaijan to assure that their right to a fair and open trial before an independent and impartial tribunal is honored. Importantly, the resolution calls on the Azeri government to fulfill all its international obligations respecting the rule of law, including those relating to Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), among others.

Farhad Aliyev, a pro-market advocate and former government minister, was originally arrested on charges of complicity in an alleged attempted coup d'etat during the 2005 parliamentary elections. He is now facing trial on unrelated financial charges. Rafiq, the former president of the oil company Azpetrol, was arrested the same day on minor customs violations, and is being tried on similar financial charges.

The 2007 Freedom House Country Report has this to say about the rule of law in Azerbaijan: ``The judiciary is corrupt, inefficient and subservient to the executive branch. Arbitrary arrest and detention are common, particularly for members of the political opposition. Detainees are often held for long periods of time before trial, and their access to lawyers is restricted.''

From the beginning, the arrest and trial of Farhad and Rafiq Aliyev have been marked by numerous violations of international legal norms, a view shared by independent observers, including the OSCE, the Council of Europe and many human rights organizations, not to mention the U.S. State Department. The Aliyevs have been systematically denied due process and a fair and open trial, as well visitation by family, medical and international legal advisers.

As the Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), and having served as an election observer in Azerbaijan, I am aware that international human rights organizations, and the U.S. State Department, have raised concerns about human rights in Azerbaijan, including lack of free elections, arbitrary arrest and detention, and imprisonment of journalists, among other issues. I am particularly concerned about the ongoing crackdown on independent journalists. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has often criticized Azerbaijan about its violations of media freedoms, noting that at present there are more journalists in jail in Azerbaijan than in any other OSCE state. This resolution calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to release these journalists from prison and to identify and prosecute those who have been attacking reporters and editors.

I am well aware of the challenges and opportunities presented by the countries in the Caucasus region. Azerbaijan is a country with vast potential and is an important economic and strategic ally of the United States. I respect the role it is playing in the war on terror. But this is all the more reason for the U.S. Congress to urge the government in Baku to comply with its international human rights commitments.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Am I correct that the first two suspensions have been addressed and the third is scheduled for now and House Resolution 287 is the fourth?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Houston for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 287, a resolution, as has been stated by both my good friends, that celebrates the 500th anniversary of the first use of the name ``America.''

I'd like to especially thank the original cosponsors that worked with me to introduce the legislation: Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; and the leaders

of the Americans Abroad Caucus, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congressman Joe Wilson.

I also want to thank the chairman and ranking Republican of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my good friend, Chairman Lantos, and my good friend from Florida, we came here together, my colleague, Representative Ros-Lehtinen, for supporting this legislation and bringing it to the floor today.

Finally, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Representative Eliot Engel and his staff for their help in moving this resolution forward. I would be terribly remiss if I did not mention a young man in my office, that this is among his first experiences, Alex Johnson, who found the work, not robbery, to bring this forward along with my legislative director, David Goldenberg.

It is important to recognize the collaborative community initiative that has emerged to commemorate this occasion. The Americans Abroad Caucus and the national initiative for similar proclamations in all 50 States coordinated by the America 500 Birthday Organizing Committee have established a foundation for this important resolution to be taken up for floor consideration today.

This resolution transcends the simple acknowledgment of the first use of a term on a map, but, rather, commemorates scientific achievement toward a shared understanding of the world. It is this world which increasingly exchanges culture, technology, and scientific advancement that thrives through shared understanding and the innovation we celebrate today.

When German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller first used America to identify a previously uncharted continent on his, previously mentioned by Ms. Jackson-Lee and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, 1507 map of the world, I doubt that he truly realized the magnitude of his achievement. His choice of the term ``America'' to memorialize the voyages of Amerigo Vespucci shifted the geographical understanding of the world and established a term that would be attributed with symbolic identity in the centuries to come.

This symbolic identity is the source of pride that continues to motivate me and all of us to serve this great Nation. It is this American spirit which guides our role in the world and should motivate all Americans to work towards a renewed commitment to positive international relations.

My colleagues should know that the last remaining copy, and I believe Ms. Jackson-Lee pointed it out in her remarks, remains as a trust, as a top treasure of the Library of Congress. I would encourage my colleagues and citizens in this country to visit and see this treasure which established the geographical origin of the American identity.

Again, I thank Chairman Lantos, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and Representative Engel for their work on this. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and join me to commemorate the origin of the term which has resulted in an international American identity.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of a dear international colleague who passed away this weekend.

A world renowned diplomat, Edouard Brunner began his career in the Swiss Foreign Ministry in 1956. Rising through the ranks, he served as the Swiss Secretary of State from 1984 to 1989. He then went on to serve as Ambassador to the United States from 1989 to 1993.

In 1991, U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar appointed him to a parallel role as his special envoy to the Middle East, replacing Gunnar Yarring of Sweden. Following this position, he served as Special Representative of the Secretary General of the UN for Abkazia from 1993 and 1994, where he led a U.N. mission that brokered a truce ending 2 years of fighting between the Georgian government and separatists in the Black Sea province of Abkhazia.

He is often cited for coming out of retirement in 1998 to address concerns related to his beloved country during the Nazi era, which with his involvement, provided an acceptable solution to the international community.

However, it is through our work within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that I came to know him. Appointed to head the Swiss mission in 1972, Brunner played a key role within the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which served as a multilateral forum for dialogue and negotiation between the East and West and culminated in the Helsinki Final Act in 1975. In 1994, the CSCE changed its name, becoming the OSCE. Over the years, in a testament to his dedication to the organization and its standing in the world, Brunner remained active within the OSCE both formally and informally.

In 2005, during my presidency of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Brunner and I, in his capacity as chairman of the Swiss Foundation for World Affairs, held a Colloquium on the Future of the OSCE. A report on the findings of the colloquium was then provided as a report to the then-OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel.

A major goal of the colloquium and subsequent report was to give new impetus to political dialogue and provide strategic vision for the OSCE. The initial purpose of the Helsinki Accords had been to expand cooperation in the areas of security, economic, and humanitarian affairs.

Additionally, for the first time, it afforded a systematic review of human rights practices in the Soviet Union and all other signatories of the accords.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent states from its territories, spanning from Europe into Asia, questions of the expanding role of the OSCE in politico-military, election observation, and relationships with other multilateral organizations were being raised.

Working together, Brunner and I were not only able to encourage and host the colloquium, but also actively succeeded in addressing those concerns, and establishing a path forward that addressed the new challenges of the 56 participating states of the OSCE.

In my current role as chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation Europe, I will sorely miss Brunner's counsel at the OSCE, but know that his memory will live on through his extraordinary contributions to this organization that has been instrumental to peace and security here in the United States as well as throughout Europe. He will not be forgotten.

Does the gentleman remember that you did the exact same thing last year?

Would the gentleman yield?

Does the gentleman remember the last couple of weeks here who participated in causing the delay?

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 514 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Washington, my namesake and good friend, Mr. Hastings. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I also ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 514.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 514 provides for consideration of H.R. 2643, the Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2008. It is an open rule, and allows all Members the opportunity to amend the bill.

Mr. Speaker, the funding levels in the underlying bill make clear the change in priorities of this new Democratic Congress. This bill refocuses our Nation's priorities to ensure that all Americans have access to clean water and air as well as appropriately addressing climate change and conservation, all of which have not been seen since Democrats last controlled this body in 1994. Democrats are restoring our obligation to the American people to protect and preserve the land and shores and all creatures who inhabit this Earth.

I commend Chairman Dicks and Representative Tiahrt for their hard and, perhaps most importantly, bipartisan work on this legislation. I do believe that they did a tremendous job in crafting this bill.

This bill restores our promise to America's underserved minority communities and to our children to ensure that our cherished land, water, and air will be preserved for generations to come. I commend the committee for including funding for important environmental justice programs I have long advocated for such as $1.1 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This is $437 million above the administration's request and will help over 150 communities with drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The bill also includes $140 million for sewer and water grants, which received zero funding in 2007 and was not in the President's budget request this year. Further, this legislation provides $16 million for rural water technical assistance that was also zeroed out in the President's budget request. We are ensuring that all communities have clean and safe drinking water.

The underlying legislation also includes limitation language that I authored in the 109th Congress, ensuring that EPA respects the needs of environmental justice communities. It appropriate $7 million for environmental justice programs, the amount that Congresswoman Hilda Solis, I, and others requested. This is $3 million over the administration's budget request and $2 million over fiscal 2007 levels.

This bill provides much-needed funding for our national parks and wildlife protection. The legislation includes $2.5 billion for our national parks, $223 million above the 2007 levels.

Democrats are appropriating $1.4 billion for the Fish and Wildlife Service, $86 million above 2007 levels and $130 million above the President's budget request.

Ladies and gentlemen, our national parks have been shortchanged for too long. This funding will be used for critical maintenance and repair, conservation, and recreation, and for the preservation of our natural heritage.

Importantly, the underlying legislation maintains the longstanding Presidential and congressional moratoria on drilling for natural gas on the Outer Continental Shelf. The committee rightly rejected attempts to permit drilling to occur off the shores of coastal States, including my home State of Florida, and I am sure my colleague from Tampa (Ms. Castor) will speak more specifically to that issue during her time on the rule. In doing this, we continue to protect and preserve the health of Florida's beaches and tourism industry, the largest industry in our State.

Amendments may be offered today on the floor that will seek to strip Florida and other coastal States of their protections. I urge all of my colleagues to do what is right for our Nation and reject such amendments. Drilling for natural gas on the Outer Continental Shelf will have zero impact at the gas pumps. It will not under any circumstances reduce the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

This legislation offers a more forward thinking approach to our Nation's energy needs. Instead of looking for short-term, short-sighted solutions, Democrats have a smarter, long-term energy strategy. For starters, Democrats have increased funding for programs such as the global climate change research, providing $10 million above the President's request for new research on global climate change and its impact on rivers, groundwaters, and on organisms.

The bill also increases our investment in energy conservation and alternative fuels and research capabilities by nearly 60 percent. What a difference a change in Congress does make for our Nation.

Critically important to my district and to the entire State of Florida is restoration of America's Everglades, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world and a unique and world-renowned eco-region. The Everglades is one of the Nation's most fragile ecosystems and remains an area of national and international significance. Increased funding to advance this restoration initiative ensures that the Federal Government keeps its commitment to the River of Grass, the largest environmental rescue in the world. Chairman Dicks and Representative Taylor, in my judgment, should both be applauded for their continued effort to restore and preserve this pristine ecosystem.

Democrats also take significant steps to finally work to fulfill our promise to our neglected Native American communities. In all, the bill provides almost $250 million more in funding for Native American health care and education opportunities than last year.

This legislation truly provides for each and every one of us. By investing in the health of America's natural resources, we are investing in the future of this majestic country.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, later today I intend to offer an amendment that would designate $1 million for grants for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the only national program dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of underground railroad history. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment.

I am pleased to support this rule and the underlying bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 6 minutes to my good friend

and member of the Rules Committee, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Mr. Speaker, before yielding to my good friend on the Rules Committee, let me clear up something for the American public.

Mr. Dicks and Mr. Tiahrt, in a very responsible manner bringing this appropriations measure to the floor, had to work assiduously to ensure that this is a bipartisan effort and that we are being proper stewards of the environment. There is no question, I don't believe, that anybody can say about that.

But I've listened now for a considerable number of days about the hammering of earmarks. Now, I'm not here as an apologist for anybody, but I think something needs to be understood that is not clear in the minds of many, particularly in the American public because of the confusion that has been put forward by my colleagues on the other side. Let me use as a ``for example'' in this particular measure some of the so-called earmarks that I say are needed in these communities. And I go specifically to Florida and specifically to Republicans who work on this floor with me.

I support the city of Sarasota's water system placement that Congressman Buchanan asks for. I support Congressman Crenshaw's town of Callahan for the wastewater treatment plant. I support the fourth- ranking member of the Republican Party's request for the city of Brooksville Southwest Florida Water Management District for the Peace and Myakka Rivers. I have fished in those rivers. I have seen them be damaged. They are nowhere near the district that I am privileged to serve, but I support that particular effort of Congressman Putnam.

I support the city of Clearwater for wastewater and reclaimed water infrastructure. I have been in Clearwater when it was flooding and the people had problems in that area. That's offered by Mr. Young, the former appropriations Chair, and Mr. Bilirakis. Enough already, colleagues. These people need this environmental protection. They need these water treatment facilities. They need the things that Mr. Dicks and Mr. Tiahrt have worked out. And it's wrong for folks to come down here and to try to give the American public the impression that because somebody that is sent here for the purpose of trying to use the budget for the purposes of protecting the environment and the American people, that they have done something wrong.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Vermont, my good friend who is on the Rules Committee (Mr. Welch).

Mr. Speaker, the underlying legislation moves our country in a better direction, providing improvements long overdue to our entire Nation. Our investments today will ensure that our children and grandchildren will have water and air that is cleaner, natural landscapes and historic structures that are protected, and arts and humanity centers that are bolstered.

This bill fulfills past due obligations to our underserved communities and to our entire planet. Republicans in the last Congress and in the current administration have continued to fail to effectively fund the environmental and conservation needs of the American people and its natural resources.

Today, under the Democratic leadership, we are reversing this trend and restoring funding to vital programs and agencies, fulfilling our promise to this Nation and to this Earth. The investments this bill makes are of vital importance today, and their benefits will be felt for years to come.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Madam Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment with my good friend, Congressman Michael Castle of Delaware, to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2008.

Our amendment designates $1 million of the increase in appropriations to the National Park Service for operations and grants affiliated with the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Madam Chairman, Members on both sides of the aisle agree that the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom is a phenomenal resource of the National Park Service. Interest in the network continues to grow within affiliates in 28 States and the District of Columbia now operating since its inception in 1998. More opportunities than ever are now available for families throughout the Nation to engage in interpretive learning experiences related to the significant triumph of the underground railroad.

Madam Chair, the President's request of $493,000 for the operation demonstrates a slight increase for the network, but the true problem lies in the lack of grants for affiliates. The grant opportunities for network affiliates have only been funded three times since the establishment of the network in 1998 and woefully less than the $2.5 million authorized in the establishing legislation.

Our amendment is not just about preserving black history. Madam Chair, it is about preserving American history, and we cannot let our history be forgotten. Indeed, once Congress establishes a phenomenal program such as this, it should be ready to take the necessary action to ensure its perpetuity. This is our past and we must be faithful stewards of it.

I would like to thank Chairman Dicks and Ranking Member Tiahrt for their help in bringing this timely amendment to the floor today.

Madam Chairman, I would like to, at this time, yield to my friend, Mr. Castle.

I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

That is correct.

I yield to the gentleman from Kansas.

Reclaiming my time, thank you, Chairman Dicks, Ranking Member Tiahrt, and Governor Castle.

Offered By: Mr. Hastings of Florida

Amendment No. 16: Page 18, line 23, after the first dollar

amount, insert ``(reduced by $1,000,000)(increased by

$1,000,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 406 and the far reaching achievements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. There is no question that women in this country have come a long way in the past 35 years, and there is little doubt that much of that progress is a result of title IX.

Prior to the passage of title IX, it was commonplace for colleges and universities to refuse admission to women simply on the basis of their gender. Of the handful of female college professors, most taught at all-female colleges, received salaries lower than their male counterparts, and very few were ever awarded tenure. Back then, schools could deny women training in fields deemed ``inappropriate'' such as woodworking or automotive repair, and girls ere discouraged from studying math and science. Only 1 in 27 girls played high school sports, and female college athletes received only 2 percent of overall athletic budgets.

This landmark legislation, passed in 1972, prohibits gender-based discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. Its effects have been felt far beyond the classroom and athletic field.

Today, women earn undergraduate and graduate degrees at much higher rates, even comprising a majority of undergraduate and graduate school enrollment. Women can no longer be denied access to the vocational courses of their choice, and girls now take upper-level math and science classes at the same rate as boys. Additionally, female participation in intercollegiate athletics has increased by 400 percent over the past 30 years. In high school athletics, female participation has increased by 800 percent.

Title IX's passage has allowed girls and women to see no boundaries to their potential. Today, they can look around and see female doctors, lawyers, astronauts, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, Nobel laureates and NASCAR drivers. They even have a female Speaker of this House to serve as their role model. Title IX has led to the advancement of women in countless areas of our society. However, the work of title IX is not yet complete.

Still today, women, on average, earn only 75 cents for every $1 a man earns. Even more, women continue to lag behind men in earning doctoral and professional degrees. In academia, women earn less, hold lower ranking positions and are less likely to be awarded tenure than men. Despite comprising over 50 percent of the student population, women make up only 42 percent of high school and college varsity athletes, and male athletes receive $137 million more than female athletes in college athletic scholarships. That does not even take into account the barriers that title IX does not address. Negative stereotypes, subtle discrimination, and workplace practices that indirectly adversely affect women are still pervasive in our society.

Mr. Speaker, even in this great body, which is supposed to be representative of the American people, only 17 percent of our Members are female. Therefore, while we celebrate title IX's accomplishments over the last 35 years, it is necessary to remember that the struggle for gender equity continues.

I proudly commend Congresswoman Hirono for introducing this resolution which celebrates the far reaching accomplishments of title IX. I look forward to the day that all Americans are able to achieve their promise regardless of their gender.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 155. This resolution recognizes Juneteenth's significance in crafting a rich African American legacy. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom or Emancipation Day, is an informal observance in fourteen states in the United States. It marked the beginning of a new phase in African-American history, when emancipated slaves along with their former owners began, slowly and haltingly, to travel the long road to equality and integration.

Celebrated on June 19th, Juneteenth is the name given to emancipation day by African Americans in Texas. On that day in 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger read General Order #3, officially proclaiming freedom for slaves in that state. Granger's ride through Galveston culminated a two-and a half-year trek through America's deep south to liberate the enslaved.

Juneteenth is an expression and extension of American freedom, and like the Fourth of July, is a time for all Americans to celebrate our independence, human rights, civil rights and freedom. It is an occasion where time, history and culture conspire to celebrate such a symbolic event.

The celebration of June 19th as emancipation day spread from Texas to the neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It has also appeared in Alabama, Florida, and California as African American Texans migrated to those regions. Juneteenth's commemoration did not only extend its geographic reach but it also embraced participants from all political and civic segments of the black community.

Unfortunately, my home state does not officially recognize Juneteenth but has an unofficial commemoration on May 20th in the capital, Tallahassee. Even as we acknowledge the evils of slavery and the ravages it wrought upon our society while paying tribute to those who suffered with no recompense, Juneteenth challenges us to strengthen our bonds of unity and to offer support to one another.

Even more importantly, Juneteenth does not polarize black and white Americans. Rather, it has become an annual cultural observance primarily devoted to civic affairs because it encourages us to be sensitive to others' conditions and experiences, so that we can make significant and lasting improvements in our society. Like the African Sankofa, we must acknowledge and honor our past. But we must always fervently forge to solidify a hopeful future.

Regrettably, the African American community continues to confront many challenges in mitigating and eventually eliminating institutional racism. Emancipation did not bring equality. We still live in a society plagued by prejudices and stereotypes. I find it unfathomable that such a momentous occasion is seldom acknowledged, much less celebrated. We must not let our past dictate our present. After all, we owe it to the thousands of lives that were mercilessly destroyed by an elitist society designed to subject and suppress them. Let us take the initiative to finally tend to a gashing wound that has crippled the African American community. Let us honor our ancestors and build a future noteworthy of their legacy.

Mr. Speaker, Juneteenth is a significant event that addresses the paradoxical race relations in our nation! It recognizes the impediments faced by the black community yet continues to inspire us to strive for an egalitarian society. We should set precedence on addressing past atrocities and present disparities so that we can truly embody democracy. I am honored to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 148 which declares June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month. I am honored to be a cosponsor of this bill because it recognizes the contributions of Caribbean Americans to the social, economic and cultural landscape to the United States of America. The West Indies represents a diverse melting pot with each island bringing its own unique enriching element to this country's background. With approximately 34 million people and 16 independent nations sharing an African ethnic heritage, the Caribbean is a cosmopolitan region.

Some may wonder, what are we really celebrating during Caribbean Heritage Month? What makes these dynamic groups of people so distinct? Since the 17th century, West Indian slaves were shipped to the Americas. The Caribbean region continued to suffer slavery's wrath long after its abolition. Colonialism continued to strangle the region's independence, creating fragmented and dependent economies. However, in just over 40 years of independence, the region has established democratic governments and strengthened ties with the United States. Despite extenuating circumstances, these former colonies are now rising states which continue to infuse American mainstream culture.

According to the 2005 American Community Survey, some 2.2 million American residents have a West Indian background. Moreover, approximately 32 percent of the Caribbean-American population is currently enrolled in college or graduate school, and 33 percent of the West Indian population is employed in educational, health care, and social services. In my home state of Florida, there is an estimated 649,000 Caribbean Americans. Approximately 30 percent of this population is currently enrolled in college or graduate school and 25 percent are employed in educational, health care, and social services.

Large, dynamic and remarkable communities with Caribbean ancestry exhibit this diversity in Florida's 23rd Congressional District. I am so privileged to represent people of virtually every single Caribbean heritage. From Lauderhill to Miramar to West Palm Beach to Oakland Park, I am honored to work on behalf of all of these communities and many more. There are approximately 153,000 Caribbean Americans currently residing in Florida's 23rd District. The Haitian community is one of the largest in the United States. In Broward County, Puerto Ricans comprise the largest Caribbean group at more than 50,000.

Furthermore, the second largest concentration of Cubans in the United States is in Broward County, with approximately 50,000 Cuban-American residents. Palm Beach County has the sixth largest concentration of Cuban-American residents in the United States, with more than 25,000 Cuban-American residents. Moreover, about 25,000 Palm Beach County residents are of Puerto Rican descent, and more than 7,500 are of Dominican descent.

Mr. Speaker, the National Caribbean American Heritage Month's declaration attests to the United States' reception to Caribbean influence in our country's history and its present socio-economic structure. Undeniably, the educational, political, and artistic influences of Caribbean Americans continue to permeate several facets of our society. The American spirit is a tapestry that weaves cultures together, one in which people of all traditions and walks of life convene to better protect and educate one another. The Caribbean- American people are an invaluable part of this tapestry.