Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased that the gentleman from Florida, Chairman Miller, has given me some time; and I am so pleased to support his bill that he has gotten the entire Florida delegation, working in a bipartisan manner, to honor this good man and warm friend, Congressman Bill Young.

Bill was a true patriot and a tenacious public servant, dedicating his life to his constituents in Pinellas County.

As you heard from some of our previous speakers, his accomplishments are so varied and many: creating a national bone marrow registry; improving the quality of life for Active Duty personnel, our National Guard, our Reserves, our veterans; protecting thousands of jobs in his area; preserving MacDill Air Force Base; improving Florida's environment. These are just some of Bill's many accomplishments.

Bill was always willing to lend a helping hand to members of our entire State delegation with projects that were important in our local community. For example, he helped me to find the funds to dredge the Miami River, to protect Homestead Air Reserve Base after it was devastated by Hurricane Andrew.

But, more importantly, he was the consummate gentleman. He was principled. He was honest, maintaining civility with his colleagues, a trait that we no longer honor as we should. Bill was an example for all of us here in Congress. It was my privilege and my high honor to serve with him. What a great privilege.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, since World War II, the United States and the Republic of China, commonly referred to as Taiwan, have shared a close friendship. I'm pleased to recognize the upcoming National Day of the Republic of China on October 10, 2013.

Taiwan is a shining example of democracy in the Asia Pacific region and promotes shared values with the United States, including respect for human rights, a market-based economy, and freedom. Taiwan is a very important trading partner and our economies are closely linked. Last year, Taiwan was our eleventh largest trading partner overall, was our seventh largest agricultural export market, and shared more than 63 billion dollars in bilateral trade.

Taiwan's economy is a dynamic force in the Asia Pacific region and it is in both of our interests to continue strengthening our trade and investment ties. We should continue to expand trade through a Bilateral Investment Agreement, a Free Trade Agreement, and an expanded Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP). Taiwan is a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and if admitted to the TPP, a great U.S. ally such as Taiwan would be an even more important economic player.

Taiwan has recognized that joining the TPP would be the best way to diversify its market and improve competitiveness in the region. I encourage my colleagues to support Taiwan's inclusion into TPP, which would further strengthen U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment dialogues and would likely increase other TPP member countries' willingness in engaging Taiwan in vigorous and ambitious trade negotiations. The United States should actively seek ways with its TPP member nations to include Taiwan in the partnership, allowing Taiwan to play an even more important role in the regional economic integration in the years to come.

Finally, I encourage more high-level diplomatic visits between our two countries to increase bilateral interaction on matters such as security, trade, investment, cultural exchange, and education. Just as our economic partnership continues to improve, Taiwan is one of our most valuable allies and is a nation we can truly depend on. That is why I introduced the Taiwan Policy Act with my colleagues, the co- chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Representatives Mario Diaz- Balart, Albio Sires, John Carter, and Gerald Connolly, to strengthen our political, security, economic, and trade relations. I was proud to see this legislation pass in the Foreign Affairs Committee in August and am looking forward to its swift passage here in the House soon.

I wish a very happy Double Ten Day to the people of Taiwan. While we are already close partners, it is my firm belief that our best days are still ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I first heard about mitochondrial diseases, which are fatal, from my chief of staff, Art Estopinan, who, together with his lovely wife Olgita, have been caring for their baby after he was diagnosed with TK2 mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, which has left Arturito, Jr., unable to move his fingers and toes, as you see in this poster, putting him in constant need of mechanical support to breathe and receive nutrition.

They were informed that their baby son, Art, Jr., would live only a few months, as there were no known medications. But thanks to the experimental treatments that Arturito is receiving from Columbia University Medical Center, medical care at Johns Hopkins Pediatric Hospital, and at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, the doctors have established a discharge date for mid-October, an unimaginable expectation just a year ago.

I pray for Arturito, Jr., and babies like him every night. I urge all Members to contact our office to make sure that they can learn more about these diseases by becoming a part of the Congressional Mitochondrial Disease Caucus. Let's look at Arturito, Jr., and let's save him and the countless others.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 30, 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a minute today to recognize a remarkable south Florida organization, the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida, that will soon be celebrating its 10th-year anniversary in Miami.

Over the past 10 years, the association has been dedicated to public service in my home State of Florida, preserving the civil rights, the political rights and responsibilities of Puerto Ricans as Americans, as well as Floridians.

The Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida also serves as an educational

tool for undergraduate, graduate, and law students through a Moot Court Competition, which will be held this year in conjunction with the association's historic anniversary.

I congratulate its president, Richard Robles, for his impressive work and wish everyone in the association continued success on behalf of the Puerto Rican community of Florida.

Thank you so much to the great gentleman from the wonderful State of Texas. And I'm so glad that the gentleman brings up the word ``bipartisan'' to describe what we just witnessed, very heartfelt testimony.

But, Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of work to do right here in the House as well and with the Senate and with the President, because it's time for all parties to work together in a genuine, bipartisan, and adult manner to avoid a government shutdown. A shutdown is not some abstract exercise, as the gentleman knows. It has real consequences for our communities and our families.

The American people sent us to Washington to work together for our great Nation, and it is unacceptable for one side to refuse to negotiate.

Where's the President in all of this? The bully pulpit can just as equally be used for constructive leadership as it can be used for political showmanship.

Let us work together, get something done, and help America's vanishing middle class.

Mr. Speaker, it is just as important to remember that in addition to the constant legislative battles happening right here in Congress, life goes on outside of the Capitol. And I want to take just a few minutes today to recognize two remarkable south Florida organizations that are holding events this weekend.

Tomorrow, Go Red for Women will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in south Florida. The Go Red for Women organization is an impressive force to be reckoned with. Many people don't know this, but heart disease is the number one killer of women. It is more deadly than all forms of cancer.

Fortunately, we have the strong women of Go Red taking the fight to heart disease. Mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends all are standing together and leading the change and the charge that we need to educate, to advocate, and to raise awareness about heart disease.

I want to especially congratulate Jessica Cerda-Antomarchi, the Miami Heart Society director, as well as Gabrielle Finley-Haze, the 2013 chair, and all of the women of Go Red. With their continued strength and leadership, we will finally put an end to heart disease.

Finally, let me congratulate the Lupus Foundation of America's southeast Florida chapter. They will be holding this year's Walk to End Lupus Now in Miami this month. Despite approximately 1.5 million Americans suffering from lupus, including my stepdaughter, the lovely Katharine Lehtinen, we still do not know what causes lupus. It is a cruel and mysterious disease.

We know that almost 28,000 people are suffering from lupus in my south Florida community. While that disease cuts across racial, gender, and social lines, we do know that lupus disproportionately impacts women and ethnic minority populations.

So I'm extremely grateful for the outreach and the advocacy of the Lupus Foundation of America and especially its southeast Florida chapter. As cochair of the Congressional Lupus Caucus, I will keep up the fight against this terrible disease, and I extend my deepest gratitude to Amy Kelly-Yalden and everyone in the southeast Florida chapter for their continued incredible work.

Let's continue to work together in a bipartisan way to avoid a government shutdown, and I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our gracious chairman for the time.

I rise in full support of H.R. 2449, an important bipartisan bill that will extend the U.S.-South Korea civilian nuclear energy agreement for another 2 years.

South Korea is indeed an important ally of the United States, and our bilateral relationship is a cornerstone of America's national security interests in Asia. By passing this stopgap measure, Mr. Speaker, we will avoid the expiration of the original 40-year agreement and allow the United States and South Korea to continue to negotiate on a renewed agreement in good faith.

If we do not pass this bill, the current agreement will expire early next year. This would not only cause damage to the U.S.-South Korea relationship, but it will also harm the United States manufacturers who provide parts and services to South Korea's energy industry and will negatively impact the technological, safety, and nonproliferation efforts of both of our countries in the civilian nuclear energy sector.

Mr. Speaker, South Korea has become a major user of domestic nuclear power, with the partnership of American technology. Nuclear power provides about one-third of all of South Korea's electricity, and South Korea is looking to even further expand that percentage. They are looking to the United States and American businesses to help them achieve their goals.

South Korea's partnership with America for civilian nuclear projects already has resulted in billions of dollars for our economy and has created thousands of jobs. Continued cooperation with South Korea would bring more revenue to America and create much-needed jobs for Americans. But this can only happen, Mr. Speaker, if our two countries can negotiate a long-term agreement.

I thank the chairman.

They cannot negotiate this when they're constantly watching the clock, which I should have done as well. Passing this bill will give them the much-needed time to focus on the negotiations and finally come to a mutually beneficial agreement.

So I urge my colleagues to support this strong bipartisan and much- needed bill that will help the U.S. economy, U.S. jobs, and strengthen the alliance between the United States and our key trading partner in South Korea.

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

I thank our esteemed chairman for this privilege to speak about an important bill before us.

I would like to commend Senator Bob Menendez, my dear friend from New Jersey, for introducing this pivotal bill, an important bipartisan bill, to bring desperately needed reforms to this failed Organization of American States.

I remain deeply disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that the OAS continues to fail to live up to the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The OAS should be, but is not, an important regional body that stands up for democratic principles, that promotes the rule of law and condemns human rights violations.

However, the OAS has strayed. This bill is a positive step forward to bring it back onto the right path.

Throughout the region, Mr. Speaker, we have seen ALBA nations continue to ignore their own constitution and deprive their people of the most basic human rights.

Has the OAS spoken out against the illegitimate elections in Venezuela? How about the illegitimate elections in Nicaragua? Or what about the continued human rights abuses against the people of Cuba?

Just this past Sunday, Mr. Speaker, more than 30 pro-democracy advocates who were peacefully gathering in Cuba were detained and beaten by agents of the regime--for doing nothing. But the OAS remains silent on all of these important topics, and in doing so it fails to hold accountable the authoritarian regimes that oppress millions in our own hemisphere.

That is why real and concrete reforms are needed at the OAS. I fully support this legislation because it strengthens our mission at the OAS, and it ensures that U.S. taxpayer dollars are used well and no longer go to waste as they are at the OAS right now.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank our esteemed chairman, Mr. Ed Royce of California, and our committee's ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel of New York, for their work on this bipartisan-bicameral effort to take one step--just the first step--at deep OAS reform.

I want to thank Senator Bob Menendez, the author of the bill, who has been a longtime supporter and a leader in favor of human rights, the rule of law and democracy, especially in our hemisphere. All of us and our committee look forward to working with Senator Menendez and with all of our Members and the other body, as well, as we move forward to enact this bill and make sure that we have true, meaningful reforms and that we endeavor to get the OAS, once again, focused back on their core mission, which should be and remains promoting democracy and human rights in the Americas, a mission from which it has strayed far too often, including up to today.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of an extraordinary public servant, beloved colleague, gifted statesman, and fellow Floridian, Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr.

Clay passed away peacefully last night, surrounded by his loving and supportive family, after struggling with lung cancer for many years. Clay was born and reared in south Florida and developed into a hardworking, remarkable man, a strong voice for his district, as well as for the entire Sunshine State.

Mayor of Fort Lauderdale at an early age, Clay quickly earned the respect of our community and cultivated the skills necessary to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1980, serving here honorably for 26 years. Clay set the bar high for a true gentleman, and all who knew him can recall his charming, old-school approach to life. He worked in a bipartisan manner, similar to Congressmen Dante Fascell and Bill Lehman, who also recently passed away.

I am honored to have served with such a remarkable man as E. Clay Shaw. He'll be remembered as a man of sterling character and high ideals, a pillar of our community and a man of this institution.

Clay is survived by his wife of 53 years, Emilie, who was always at his side. I ask for all of us here in this Chamber to take a moment of silence in recognition of the great contributions and sacrifice of a truly dedicated public servant.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support cancer victims and also to honor a valiant leader in our community who turns 86 on August 12--Betsy Kaplan.

I will start by asking all of us to support the patients, the families, and victims of a special type of cancer--pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all forms of cancer with a 5-year survival rate of just 6 percent. In 2013 alone, pancreatic cancer will affect 45,000 patients--73 percent of whom will die within 1 year of diagnosis. In my home State of Florida, it is estimated that out of the 3,380 new cases, 2,770 people will die from this terrible disease.

Last year, I was proud to help pass the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act, a bill designed to turn around these horrible statistics. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to make survival from pancreatic cancer a priority, and I urge my colleagues to stand with us in this fight.

A south Floridian who is involved in many worthwhile causes, whether they are related to improving the lives of others or fighting for better treatment for the disabled, is Betsy Kaplan. Betsy is a retired school board member from Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She served there for 16 years and has been recognized in our community for her notable achievements and contributions fostering arts education and student guidance in our public schools.

With an unprecedented 47 years of professional experience in the education field, Betsy retired with many honors from her teaching career to spearheading the adoption of the tobacco-free schools policy and advocating for educational programs that cater to special needs students.

A decorated award winner, Betsy has received numerous honors ranging from the Florida School Board's President's Award to being recognized as a Woman of Impact by the Community Coalition for Women's History. Most recently, Betsy received the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award from the Jewish Museum of Florida at Florida International University.

It is thanks to Betsy that the Miami-Dade school district is known as an outstanding model of public arts education in the Nation.

As a former Florida certified teacher, I recognize Betsy's commitment to ensuring that our students get the quality education they deserve, and I thank Betsy for her exceptional efforts in creating opportunities for students to learn, to grow, and to succeed in their educational, social, and professional lives.

So congratulations to Betsy Kaplan, and let us all keep up the fight to beat all types of cancer, especially pancreatic cancer.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, a nuclear Iran is one of our biggest national security threats and the number one existential threat to our ally, the democratic Jewish State of Israel. We cannot and must not allow Iran, who is a designated state sponsor of terrorism, to reach nuclear breakout capability.

The Obama administration should not be mistaken. The Iranian regime does not want peace. It still wants to wipe Israel off the map. Iran may be able to process low-enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon by next year.

Iran has agreed to offer Syria a $3.6 billion credit facility to buy oil products to help keep Assad's murderous regime afloat. Iran supports and fights alongside Assad's forces, brutally slaughtering thousands of Syrians. Rouhani has no intention of changing Iran's dangerous path, and the ultimate decisionmaker in this oppressive regime remains the Ayatollah Khamenei, who has a blatant hatred of us and our allies.

This bill includes my amendment that would eliminate the authority to waive sanctions against persons who are guilty of the most egregious activities in direct support of the Iranian regime's nuclear program.

This is a commonsense provision. This is a strong bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to fully support its passage

Mr. Speaker, I fully support HR 1897--the Vietnam Human Rights Act and I thank my distinguished colleague from the Foreign Affairs Committee and champion of human rights--Chris Smith for bringing this legislation forward and I am happy to cosponsor this bill.

We all want to see a prosperous, democratic and free Vietnam under which all people enjoy equal opportunities and fundamental freedoms.

This bill prohibits U.S. non-humanitarian assistance to the government of Vietnam unless the President certifies to Congress that Vietnam has made substantial progress respecting political, media, and religious freedoms, minority rights, access to U.S. refugee programs, and actions to end trafficking in persons and the release of political prisoners.

I continue to be concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Vietnam. The United States should stop sending American taxpayer money to governments that deny its citizens even the most basic human rights. Instead, we should leverage our assistance to push these governments into implementing democratic reforms, improving their human rights practices and allowing their citizens their fundamental rights, and that is what this bill will do.

My husband Dexter is a Vietnam combat veteran and former Army Ranger who was wounded defending the ideals of freedom and democracy--not just for Americans, but for all those who seek them. As the leading nation of the free world, the United States must stand with the Vietnamese people who are being brutally oppressed by their authoritarian government so that they may all live in a free and democratic country.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support H. Con. Res 41-- Encouraging peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. I would like to thank Congressman Rangel for bringing this bill forward and thank him for his service as a Korean War Veteran.

This past week marked the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice and I want to thank all of our service men and women who served and continue to serve in Korea. This timely resolution recognizes the historical importance of the Korean War and honors the service and sacrifice of the U.S. Armed Forces and the armed forces of allied countries that served, and continue to serve, in Korea. It reaffirms the commitment of the United States to our alliance with South Korea, and calls on North Korea to abide by international law and cease its nuclear proliferation in order to resume talks that could lead to peace and reunification.

As one of our strongest allies in that region, South Korea stands firmly for the ideals of democracy and freedom. This bill sends a strong message to the people of South Korea that we stand with them on their struggle against North Korean oppression. Our policy should be clear: the oppressive Pyongyang regime will face continued sanctions and isolation unless it ceases its illicit activities and its persistent threats against us and our allies.

I hope that one day Koreans will be able to reunite, and this bill helps promote this noble cause.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, like many of my colleagues, I support H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. I believe that States and school districts should be empowered to set their own priorities when educating our Nation's children. I also believe in supporting Florida's parents, teachers, and administrators to make sure that they have the resources necessary to give our children a world-class education, including in civics.

Civics education, Mr. Chairman--the study of the rights and the duties of citizenship under our government--is an essential component to sustaining our constitutional democracy. There is no more important task than the development of an informed, effective, and responsible citizenry.

According to the 2010 National Assessment for Educational Progress-- our Nation's report card--only 24 percent of high school seniors scored proficient in civics. That means that they had problems with the U.S. Constitution, civil rights, our social system, and our court system. Only 22 percent of eighth graders scored proficient, meaning that they could not recognize the role performed by the Supreme Court or identify the purpose of the Bill of Rights.

Civics education programs like Close Up aim to improve the dismal results by allowing students and their teachers to participate in activities here in our Nation's Capital to increase civic responsibility and a true understanding of the Federal Government. Civic engagements activities are essential. They're important for underserved populations like in my congressional district. I support programs that allow elementary school and secondary school students to improve academic achievement through civics education.

So I'm glad that the Student Success Act empowers States and school districts to determine their own priorities, and I urge support for specific programs like civic education.