Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Success for Kids, a wonderful organization working in my congressional district to help improve the lives of children and adolescents.

Success for Kids is dedicated to empowering at-risk children by focusing on the improvement of four personal strategies: interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, and improved self-sufficiency.

In addition to its great work in south Florida, Success for Kids operates in eight countries and has proven to be effective in some of the most challenging areas in the world.

Our children must be provided with every possible opportunity to achieve success, and this program is certainly making a positive difference in their lives.

I especially applaud our local executive director, Yossef Sagi, and all the wonderful staff at Success for Kids for their valiant efforts in improving the lives of our children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great individual of my south Florida community, Dr. Michael Alessandri, for his work with children and young adults who have been diagnosed with autism. Dr. Alessandri, a professor of psychology at my alma mater, the University of Miami, will be honored at the Kesher Annual Scholarship Journal Dinner to celebrate his commitment to this amazing organization.

Kesher, an organization that provides an academic and Jewish education to children with special needs, was formed in 1995 with two classrooms and 20 students. Today, with the help of Dr. Alessandri, the organization is shaping the lives of over 80 children and young adults with autism through their personalized student curriculum. Dr. Allesandri's dedication to helping children and young adults with autism obtain an education has been fundamental to the success of Kesher.

Once again, I would like to congratulate Dr. Alessandri and all of the staff, faculty, and parents and the students of Kesher, and hope others follow his lead in making our community a better place in which to live.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida for 100 years of dedicated service to our South Florida community. For a century, it has amassed a distinguished history of honorable service to the people of Miami-Dade County. I have the great privilege of representing the 18th Congressional District of Florida which falls within the boundaries of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is the largest circuit in the state of Florida and the fourth largest trial court in the United States. The circuit is one of 20 in the state. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit's jurisdiction consists of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and has 123 circuit and county court judges presiding and over 14,000 attorneys serving a county wide population of over 2.5 million people. The court's philosophy is written on a placard that appears above the bench in each courtroom with the words, ``We Who Labor Here Seek Only Truth.''

When Florida entered into statehood in 1845, the state was served by only four judicial circuits: North, South, East, and West. The Southern Circuit spanned thousands of square miles, covering Dade, Monroe, Hillsborough, and Benton counties, and was served by only one circuit judge. The judge had the daunting task of traveling by train, boat, or horse across thousands of square miles to serve the entire circuit. In 1868, Florida's legislature replaced the four compass point circuits with seven numbered circuits. A constitutional amendment added an eighth circuit in 1902.

Florida's growing population soon created a need for additional circuits; so in 1910, the people of the State of Florida amended their constitution to give the legislature the authority to create additional judicial circuits as needed. After considering several plans to restructure the state circuit court system, the legislature expanded the system to 11 circuits in 1911. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit was one of the state's three new circuits.

Originally, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit served the counties of Dade, Palm Beach, and Monroe. At the time, Dade County had a population of roughly 12,000 people and was growing steadily. The first judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit was Livingstone Wellesley Bethel, a first generation immigrant raised in Key West, who spent almost 40 years of his life in public service. Judge Bethel served the people of Florida in many capacities including mayor of Key West, Lieutenant Governor of Florida, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and county and circuit judge.

Our country was built on the foundation that all men are created equal and with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our founding fathers took care to protect these and other fundamental rights, establishing a three branch federal government and state governments. They recognized the importance and need for a judicial system to provide checks and balances in order to protect the rights of citizens, stating in the preamble of our Constitution, ``We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for-the United States of America.'' A foundation of our judicial system is ``equal justice under law.'' Our federal and state courts work tirelessly to protect the rights of all Americans and are dedicated to carrying out the mandates of our Constitution.

From its modest beginnings in 1911, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit has grown to be one of our nation's most highly respected and important legal jurisdictions. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is celebrating its rich history and legacy through centennial celebrations that include special artwork, a reenactment of the historic 1930 Al Capone perjury trial, and an overview of the civil rights movement in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is one of busiest and most prestigious

jurisdictions in our nation, and is recognized as a beacon of justice. The circuit fully embodies the commitment of our nation to provide ``equal justice under law.'' For the last 100 years, the men and women presiding over the Eleventh Judicial Circuit have served the people of South Florida with honor and distinction. I thank the judges, attorneys, and staff of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for their commitment to justice and the rule of law.

The current members of the court are:

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a great South Florida organization: Women of Tomorrow. This month, Women of Tomorrow will hold its annual gala, celebrating 10 years of making a difference in the lives of young women.

Women of Tomorrow was founded in 1997 by South Florida journalist Jennifer Valoppi and Telemundo President Don Browne. Their goal was to help at-risk young women live up to their full potential. The result has been a truly unique organization that pairs accomplished professional women with small groups of at-risk teenage girls in high schools. The mentors come from varied backgrounds: lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs and public servants. They show their mentees that anything is possible and nothing is out of their reach.

Congratulations, Women of Tomorrow, on 10 amazing years, and I know that the next 10 will be even better.

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, I lost an irreplaceable part of my family. My mother, Amanda Ros, passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's. She was a warm, loving, and caring woman who led an extraordinary life. She was my father's rock, soulmate, best friend, and companion for 65 years. They led a unique and joyous life. She always kept him company and guided him with her wisdom and her kindness.

It was her strength that helped our family transition as we fled the Castro regime and settled in south Florida. It was her determination and sense of purpose that inspired my father and her to start a small freight forwarding company in Miami that they ran together for over 30 years.

Abu Mandy, as we called her, was an amazing grandmother. When I was first elected to Congress, my kids were very young, and my mother was an unwavering source of support, taking care of them and traveling with me whenever I was in D.C. Her actions made my transition to Congress all the more manageable. My most ambitious goal was never to be a Member of Congress or to be chair of an important committee; it was to be for my children the kind of mother that she was to me.

She always taught me to be proud of my Cuban heritage and of my Jewish legacy.

My mother had many causes that were near and dear to her heart. First and foremost, both my parents championed the cause of a free Cuba. They participated in many projects to achieve this noble goal, and it saddens me deeply that my mother did not live long enough to see this goal of a free Cuba become a reality.

Her other passion, Mr. Speaker, was promoting organ donations. My mother believed in a world where individuals would help and care for one another. She believed that organ donation was the least that one could do for others, and I hope that others heed my mother's passion and become enthusiasts of organ donations.

Losing someone we love to Alzheimer's is sadly becoming all too common in our country. They call Alzheimer's disease ``the long goodbye,'' and it is something that no family should have to go through. You see a person whom you remember to be full of life, wonder and passion become a shell of her former self.

It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully took away my mom's identity, her ability to connect with others, to think, to eat, to talk, to walk, to find her way home.

Every 70 seconds someone new develops Alzheimer's. Too often Alzheimer's falls under the wrongly held belief that it's an expected part of aging. We must raise awareness of the disease and provide a voice to the voiceless. We must improve early screening and detection, giving families and loved ones a better chance to prepare for and slow the onset of this disease.

Families living with an Alzheimer's loved one need all the support that they can get. My mother was fortunate to have our entire family rallying around her, as well as outstanding medical personnel who helped us manage the disease.

Eighty-seven percent of the time, it is family members who are the primary caregivers. Family members need assistance. It is tough for families to deal with everyday struggles of caring for loved ones with this disease, and the emotional stress is quite high. One-third of caregivers develop symptoms of the disease. The financial toll is significant.

My mother may be gone, but her legacy and love will forever be a constant presence in our lives, and we must all work together for a cure for Alzheimer's.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 519) to secure the return to the United States the $179 million overpaid into the United Nations Tax Equalization Fund as of December 31, 2009, and for other purposes.

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

The American people have spoken. They overwhelmingly voted for today's YouCut proposal calling for U.S. taxpayer funds overpaid to the United Nations to be returned to the United States. The United Nations holds about $179 million overpaid by U.S. taxpayers into the U.N. Tax Equalization Fund. This is not about the U.N. finally doing the right thing by paying for security upgrades at its headquarters in New York. The U.N. is not paying for anything.

After years of avoiding its responsibilities, the U.N., with the support of the Obama administration, is asking the American taxpayer to bail them out once again and pay 100 percent of the proposed construction costs. To make matters worse, allowing the U.N. to take $100 million of the refund owed to U.S. taxpayers would be an increase for the U.N. budget.

This YouCut not only ensures that U.S. taxpayers receive the funds owed to the U.S. Treasury, but it prevents a $100 million increase for the U.N. The U.N. doesn't want the American people to know this; so the U.N. and the State Department are now stating that they should allow this increase because it is for security upgrades. This is not about security. This is the U.N. and the Obama administration looking for another excuse to avoid making the difficult choices and requiring accountability from the United Nations.

This is not like U.S. embassy construction projects where the needs are assessed, where a detailed plan is developed on how the security needs will be addressed, on how the funding request is presented, and how the Congress will then allocate the funds, no. After months of requests, my colleagues on the committee and I are still waiting for the details on this proposed construction project and, more recently, on how the U.N. would fund it.

In news reports, I read that the State Department may have already handed over to the U.N. $100 million of our overpayment into the TEF. The Tax Equalization Fund, TEF, is a roundabout mechanism premised on the U.N. belief that U.N. employee salaries and benefits should be tax free. The TEF has collected much more from the U.S. than it has paid out.

The U.N.'s most recent biennial financial report states that the amount of the U.S.-paid surplus has grown to $179 million. The U.N. readily admits that it does owe the overpaid money to our U.S. taxpayers. According to the U.N.'s official financial report, the TEF surplus is ``payable to the United States of America pending instructions as to its disposition.''

This YouCut proposal declares that it is U.S. policy to seek the return of those funds and the reform of the TEF assessment process. And until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress

that those funds have been returned, the bill withholds from our U.N. dues an amount exactly equal to the overpayment identified by the U.N.

That's the simple question, Madam Speaker, framed by today's vote. Should the 179 million taxpayer dollars, which the U.N., again, admits it has no right to keep, be returned to the United States taxpayers? Should the American people be asked to foot the entire bill for the U.N. construction project?

Since this issue has begun receiving public attention, there has been a great deal of misinformation that I would like to address briefly.

Last week, the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs reportedly said that, ``The $179 million in overpayments are in the form of credits, not cash, and thus cannot be refunded per se.'' Madam Speaker, this is simply not true. Not only does the statement by the IO Assistant Secretary conflict with what the State Department budget professionals have most recently told the Congressional Budget Office, but it conflicts with the U.N.'s own position. They can't even get their stories straight.

The U.N.'s most recent financial report makes clear that the $179 million surplus is a distinct account payable to the United States of America. So the question is, should the U.S. pay an additional $100 million to the U.N.?

I first raised the TEF surplus issue in a letter to Secretary Clinton on November 18 of last year. The State Department response since that time has been tardy, incomplete, and evasive. At a November 18 briefing, the State Department mentioned for the first time that it was considering whether to allow the U.N. to spend part of the U.S. surplus on an unrelated construction project at the U.N. headquarters in New York. Nothing certain. The Foreign Affairs Committee requested detailed plans, cost estimates, for the proposed construction project so that we could credibly assess the claimed $100 million pricetag. I repeated that request on December 22, then on December 29, then on January 4, and on January 25. We're still waiting for those details. The only thing that we have gotten, Madam Speaker, other than a few PowerPoint slides, the only figures we have received is this: Less than a single page of summary totals, with no supporting documentation. This is it.

The State Department has admitted that this construction proposal, in the words of the Under Secretary for Management, ``is primarily the responsibility of the United Nations,'' but they want to stick the American taxpayers with the bill.

I disagree with the State Department. And the American people, they know that we should not be penalized because the U.N. failed to adequately plan for its own security needs. If the administration wants to fund this project, the State Department should identify cuts to U.N. programs to offset the cost and then ask Congress to pay for it directly, explicitly, and clearly. Whatever the merits of this proposal, it should not be taken from a refund owed to U.S. taxpayers.

My colleagues, let's join together in support of this week's YouCut.

With that, Madam Speaker, I respectfully reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am so pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe.

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

I wish to rebut some of the arguments. To my colleagues, I ask, if this was so urgent, why didn't the Obama administration request these funds legitimately last year? Why didn't the last Congress fund it? Secondly, the CBO needs to have the actual funds reimbursed so that the savings can be tabulated.

And also, Madam Speaker, I hold out this letter from the Under Secretary of State for Management, which says that this construction is primarily the responsibility of the United Nations. They, themselves, are saying that this is not a U.S. host country responsibility.

And less than 2 hours ago, we received a letter, finally, from the State Department--even though we've asked for it repeatedly--claiming for the first time ever that the current TEF surplus is ``now approximately $80 million.'' It's either the new math or it took the scheduling of the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives to get the administration to effectively admit for the first time that it has already given away $100 million owed back to the U.S. taxpayers.

This is an outrage, Madam Speaker.

Even now, the State Department doesn't have the honesty to admit its decision but tries to hide behind the U.N. In that letter, they write, ``As the State Department notified the Congress in December 2010, the United Nations advised the Department of its intent to apply $100 million of previously existing TEF credits to fund critically important security enhancements at the U.N. Headquarters complex.''

But the U.N. can not and will not do any such thing without express instructions from the U.S. Don't take my word for it. This is what the State Department told Congress when we started asking these tough questions a few months ago. The U.N. ``applies credits consistent with requests from the relevant member states and will not move forward with using them in other ways.''

So the administration owes Congress a long overdue explanation of:

One, who instructed the U.N. to keep and spend $100 million that were payable to the United States?

Two, when did they do it?

Three, on what basis did they make that decision?

After 3 months of repeatedly asking for the detailed plans and the costs and the estimates, we have received only, again, a single piece of cursory figures. This is it.

The U.N. should give U.S. taxpayers back the $179 million that we overpaid, plain and simple. If the State Department gave most of that away to the U.N. in some backroom deal, then we will make sure that we can recoup these funds from the Department.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous-consent request to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mack), a gentleman you may be familiar with, who is the chairman of our Western Hemisphere Subcommittee.

(Mr. MACK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve.

Madam 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 H.R. 519.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 45 seconds to my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rivera).

Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan).

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to recognize a great organization that has helped so many disabled individuals: the Walkabout Foundation. This terrific organization was founded by siblings Luis and Carolina Gonzalez-Bunster.

Sixteen years ago when he was 18 years old, Luis was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Luis was not going to allow this tragedy to define him or limit his ability to lead a full life. Just a few months after his accident, Luis moved to south Florida and enrolled at my alma mater, the University of Miami. Soon after, Luis started driving again and began to live on his own.

Leading an active lifestyle, which included being an avid swimmer, Luis took advantage of the University of Miami's extensive and accessible facilities. However, during a trip to the Connecticut YMCA a couple of years ago, Luis could not access the indoor swimming pool, so Luis and Carolina decided to take action.

Not only did they promote awareness of paralysis and disabilities in their community, but they also made the Connecticut YMCA accessible for all the disabled.

Out of this victory, the Walkabout Foundation was born.

The Walkabout Foundation's mission is twofold: first, to actively pursue a cure for paralysis by helping fund research programs; and, second, to provide wheelchairs to those who cannot afford one.

The foundation's unique efforts have garnered widespread support and attention. What makes the Walkabout Foundation singular is its drive to make sure that disabled individuals continue to lead full and active lives. This is due to Luis' character and unyielding belief that people should not be victims of their circumstances.

The Walkabout Foundation has not limited its services and generosity to just our Nation. Last month, the foundation provided 200 wheelchairs to Haiti in addition to the 400 they had already donated last year.

As someone who has seen the devastation and the human tragedy that has befallen the poor island nation of Haiti since last year's tragic earthquake, I know the impact and benefit the efforts of Luis and Carolina will bring to help the lives of so many disabled individuals in Haiti.

They have also provided 100 wheelchairs to the Dominican Republic. These wheelchairs will go to children, teenagers and adults afflicted by paralysis, polio, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, as well as to amputees.

I commend Luis, Carolina and their Walkabout Foundation for all that they do. They are truly an inspiration for all.

Mr. Speaker, January 12, 2010, Haiti was devastated by the most powerful earthquake to strike that nation in over 200 years.

The wave of destruction to follow was unprecedented.

In just 35 seconds, one-third of the country had been directly impacted by the worst natural disaster to ever hit the Western Hemisphere.

Today, one year later, we mark the somber anniversary of this tragedy and honor those who lost their lives that day.

Remarkably, in the midst of such devastation, the people of Haiti have forged on.

And yesterday, I was honored to have the opportunity to travel to Haiti and visit with some of these men and women as they work tirelessly to rebuild their lives, their communities and their nation.

I was struck by their enduring resilience and inspired by their perseverance.

Sustainable recovery in Haiti will depend on strong leadership by the Government of Haiti, a concrete effort to stop corruption, and the implementation of accountability and transparency measures, as well as the involvement of the people of Haiti in the design and ownership of their future.

It will also be important going forward that there be a transition away from dependency on traditional U.S. government assistance and instead a renewed focus on innovative public-private partnerships and grassroots, civil society efforts.

To ensure that U.S. foreign assistance to Haiti remains transparent and effective, I also plan on introducing legislation to that end this Congress, calling for increased and sustained oversight over U.S. funding to Haiti.

Finally, though the official OAS report has not yet been released, it appears that certain changes will need to be made to ensure that the true will of the Haitian people in electing their future representatives is honored and respected.

The Haitian people deserve a leader who believes in effective, good governance and the rule of law.

And it is only in adherence to these principles, that Haiti's recovery may be successful.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our leader for the time.

Just a few days ago, one of our own, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was gravely injured as a result of a terrible act of an unbalanced individual. Americans were profoundly shocked and saddened and continue to be by this deplorable act of violence which resulted in the unjust deaths of six innocent individuals and a struggle to survive for others, including our own Gabby.

Among those who lost their lives, we know that the list is lamentably long: the Honorable John Roll, a Federal judge who went by just to say hi to his friend, Gabby; and Christina Taylor Green, a 9-year-old girl, who had just been chosen to serve in her school's student council and was taken to Gabby's ``Congress on Your Corner'' event by a family friend who wanted to get her interested in public affairs; and Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Gabby's loyal staff who had an enormous heart and was recently engaged to be married.

It is difficult to make sense of this tragedy, but all Americans stand with Gabby and her family and the families of all the victims throughout this painful time. Many of us count Gabby not just as a colleague but as a friend. I had the privilege of getting to know Gabby as a member of our Foreign Affairs Committee. She has always demonstrated a strong commitment to serving her constituents, our men and women of our Armed Forces and our Nation. And that is exactly what we must do. We must not waiver in our duties to serve those whom we are proudly and yet humbly asked to serve.

Our Republic was founded on the premise that the people have the right and the duty to petition their Representatives and to express their views, and Gabby truly embodies that principle. She has always been accessible. She has always been eager to listen to her constituents. Representatives like Gabby are what has made America an example of freedom and democracy the world over. It is truly reprehensible to think these noble intentions were exploited to carry out such a terrible tragedy.

To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: ``We must disagree without becoming violently disagreeable.''

The thoughts and prayers of the residents of Florida's 18th Congressional District are with Gabby's family and with the families of all those affected by this senseless tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a young man from south Florida, Daniel Lage, who has made headlines with his remarkable academic achievements at the young age of twenty-one.

Daniel's family history is a sadly familiar story for many of us in south Florida; that of being forced to flee the Castro dictatorship of Cuba for the land of freedom and opportunity: the United States.

I too come from this same background--and I know that the struggles of his family served to strengthen this young man's passion to succeed.

There is no better path to success than that of a driven individual pursuing a sound education.

I know that Daniel demonstrated his eagerness to learn and his matching intellect every day in the classroom. Through his hard work and with the support of his loving family by the time he graduated Gulliver Preparatory School he had been named Valedictorian and had earned the prestigious Silver Knight Award.

Later, Daniel was accepted into Harvard University, where he has pursued a degree in history and science and will graduate in May. Never forgetting his roots, Daniel has been the president of Harvard's Cuban American Undergraduate Association and remains committed to the idea of a free and prosperous Cuba.

Daniel embodies the noble values, unshakable integrity, and sheer determination that we all should aspire to match. Many people and institutions have certainly taken note.

Daniel has received the incredibly prestigious Rhodes Scholarship where he will study at the world renowned Oxford University in England. Winners are selected for many defining qualities including high academic achievement, personal integrity, and leadership potential. Impressively, he is one of only seventy Floridians to ever receive this scholarship.

At Oxford, Daniel expects to pursue a Master of Science--with a focus on different nations' approaches to caring for the chronically ill. Sadly, this focus is not arbitrary, and again both he and my family share a solemn common bond. His grandfather, Eugene, was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I know firsthand the terrible effects of this debilitating disease on an individual. My mother, Amanda, has been fighting a losing battle against the disease over these last few years.

I know that my personal experiences with this horrific disease have prompted me to take action in the fight against Alzheimer's; so too have Daniel's experiences. He has partnered with the Alzheimer's Association as an advocate and has every intention and expectation of becoming both a physician and a policymaker in his future. I understand this deep-seated passion for geriatric medicine and certainly expect that his strong resolve will play an important part in unlocking the mysteries of this terrible disease and finally finding a cure.

I know Daniel fully recognizes the immeasurable value of his ongoing education, and in doing so I am confident he will accomplish many great things for our community in south Florida, our magnificent United States, and above all continue to make his family immensely proud.

So once again, Daniel, from a former Florida certified teacher and a firm proponent of education as a lifelong journey: I congratulate you on all you have accomplished--you are a fine example of the best and brightest in south Florida and I wish you truly all the best on all you hope to accomplish in the future.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, January 29th, the Dan Marino Foundation will host its first annual WalkAbout Autism event at Sun Life Stadium in Miami from 10:00 to 2:00. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit our south Florida community-based programs that help children with autism and their families.

The Centers for Disease Control states that one out of every 110 children in the U.S. has autism. Autism impairs social interactions and communication skills. While some autistic children will grow up to function in society, others, many others, will need some level of professional care all of their lives.

Since its creation in 1992, the Dan Marino Foundation has raised over $30 million to support research, services, and treatment serving children and young adults.

I urge all south Floridians to participate and help make this first annual WalkAbout Autism event a success. Our combined efforts will help assure that all money raised here stays here and benefits programs in our south Florida community.

Let's all WalkAbout Autism.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution of which I am proud to be an original cosponsor.

I want to thank my good friend from New York, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, for her timely work in authoring this resolution; and of course I thank my chairman, Mr. Berman of California, as well.

The sudden and unexpected passing of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke earlier this week was a shock to all of us. The depth of sadness that we felt at the news was a testament to his exemplary life of service to our country in so many different capacities.

Ambassador Holbrooke was one of the most consequential world diplomats of the last half century, and his tireless work in pursuit of United States national interests and international peace have put us all in his debt.

His advocacy for peace was, of course, most clearly shown during the conflict in Bosnia. His tenacity and force of will brought the warring parties to the negotiation table in Dayton, Ohio, where he skillfully brokered the accord that ended over 3 years of atrocities and bloody conflict.

Over 100,000 perished in the Bosnian war, and it is impossible to say how many thousands may have been saved by Ambassador Holbrooke's actions at Dayton. And while that accomplishment would have been enough to mark any diplomatic career with high distinction, it was only one of the many facets of his service which continued to the very end of his life. As Assistant Secretary of State for two regions of the world, East Asia and Europe; as United States Ambassador to the United Nations; and as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, he made his mark on many issues that remain urgent concerns today. In New York at the U.N., he did much of the heavy lifting on congressionally led efforts to rein in U.N. spending, to make more equitable the dues paid by the United States, and to improve the standing of Israel in that multinational body.

Sadly, those concerns have returned with a renewed urgency--with the need for fundamental reform of the U.N. budgets and the virulently anti-Israel U.N. Human Rights Council--and the Congress can only hope to have such a tenacious, principled partner in the future.

Ambassador Holbrooke made his final appearance before our Committee on Foreign Affairs in the spring of last year as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. We lament the loss of his matchless skills in those critical regions. We grieve at his passing, but let us honor his service by renewing our own commitment to success in Afghanistan.

At this time we extend our condolences, our thoughts, and our prayers to his wife Kati and to his children. While we mourn the loss of a dedicated public servant, they mourn the loss of a husband and a father.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in this expression of gratitude for the service of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.

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

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, 17 years have passed since the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993, but a final resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has yet to be achieved.

The question is: Why?

Only by first understanding the reasons that the conflict continues, can the United States set and implement a policy that can help to encourage a true and lasting peace.

So let us consider the conduct of both sides.

One Israeli government after another has been willing and able to make painful sacrifices, including territorial withdrawals, to achieve peace.

As Secretary of State Clinton has noted, the current Israeli government has made unprecedented concessions in pursuit of peace, including a ten-month moratorium on housing construction in the West Bank in order to encourage the Palestinians to negotiate directly with Israel.

In short, Israel has proven its commitment to peace.

However, Mr. Speaker, Israel does not seem to have a partner in this endeavor.

Palestinian leaders still never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, and continue to default on their international obligations.

They continue to refuse to negotiate directly with Israel, without preconditions.

Instead of encouraging the Palestinian people to accept Israel as a permanent neighbor with whom they should live in peace, the leaders in Ramallah continue to tolerate, encourage, and even participate in anti- Israel incitement.

They continue to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state.

Even as the Palestinian leadership seeks a state for the Palestinian people, it would deny the right of the Jewish people to a state in their own homeland.

We are not talking about isolated, fringe elements.

Palestinian rejectionism and non-compliance flows from the very top.

Earlier this year, the leader of the Palestinian Authority and the PLO, Abu Mazen, praised the recently-deceased mastermind of the PLO's massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Abu Mazen also expressed what he called his ``firm rejection of the so-called Jewishness of the state [of Israel],'' saying that ``This issue is over for us; we have not and will not recognize it.''

Last year, Abu Mazen said that ``Presently, we are against armed struggle, because we cannot cope with it. But things could be different at some future phase.''

And a former PA foreign minister and senior associate of Abu Mazen has announced that the PA would be intensifying its diplomatic and economic offensive against Israel, with the aims of isolating Israel, preventing it from building its ties with the European Union, and expelling Israel from the U.N.

Already, the PA tried--unsuccessfully--to block Israel's candidacy for membership in the OECD.

And now, instead of sitting down with the Israeli government to negotiate directly, the Palestinian leadership is conducting an extensive campaign to seek recognition of a Palestinian state by foreign governments and within the U.N. and other international organizations.

Unfortunately, in response to a request from Abu Mazen, the Brazilian government recently agreed to recognize a Palestinian state, instead of urging the Palestinians to fulfill their commitments.

The governments of Argentina and Uruguay have also indicated that they intend to recognize a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian leadership is aggressively lobbying other nations to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a partner for peace.

But as we've seen over and over, Palestinian leaders are not going to make the tough decisions and change their ways unless they have to.

By providing over $2 billion in assistance in the last five years alone--with hundreds of millions more planned--the U.S. is only rewarding and reinforcing bad behavior by Ramallah.

Enough is enough.

We should finally hold PA leaders accountable, which is why I will soon introduce legislation to clarify and tighten existing U.S. laws that deny funding to the PA until they meet their commitments.

The Administration should also reverse its decision to allow the PLO office in DC to call itself a ``General Delegation'' and to fly the Palestinian flag.

That decision sent the wrong signal to other governments, who concluded they should also upgrade the PLO's status in their countries.

Furthermore, the U.S. should stop pressuring the Israeli government to make more and more concessions, and must not attempt to impose the terms of a solution.

Mr. Speaker, I will support the resolution before us because it reinforces Congressional opposition to unilateral efforts by Palestinian leaders to gain recognition from other governments or within the U.N.

I would draw particular attention to the fact that the resolution calls on the Administration to publicly affirm that it will: deny recognition to any unilaterally declared Palestinian state; and veto any U.N. Security Council resolution to establish or recognize a Palestinian state.

The Administration must also oppose efforts by the Palestinians to seek recognition from, or membership in, any international organizations.

I would like to thank my distinguished colleague from Texas, Congressman Poe, for introducing the resolution that served as the basis for the measure before us today.

Judge Poe went out of his way to ensure that his resolution was fully bipartisan, securing the support of many Democrat cosponsors, including my distinguished colleague from Nevada, Ms. Berkley.

We had requested that the Poe-Berkley resolution be considered on the floor.

Regrettably, the Majority decided to introduce a new resolution on this issue instead.

Supporting the pursuit of Middle East peace, and supporting our ally Israel, is one area that has strong bipartisan support in Congress, and by and large, the text of this resolution reflects that bipartisanship.

But this matter could have and should have been handled better.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution before us.

Madam Speaker, I would like to honor a great public servant and a dear friend, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who, after 17 years of distinguished service to our south Florida community here in Congress, is retiring. The House of Representatives is indeed losing a great man and a dedicated leader.

Lincoln Diaz-Balart has left a legacy that is extensive and worthy of praise. He has led a life guided by his principles, and he has not wavered in his convictions; convictions based on his love for this great country and the freedom that it embodies.

Lincoln's story is truly an American story. Having fled the Castro regime with his family, he became a fierce and staunch defender for human rights and the rule of law throughout the world. He became a voice for those whose own voices are silenced by repressive governments.

His commitment to public service is a testament to not only his character, but to the valuable lessons that he learned from his father, Rafael Diaz-Balart. The courage that Rafael demonstrated as he fought against Castro's totalitarian tactics left a profound impact on his son Lincoln. It instilled in Lincoln a sense of duty and a fierce urgency to help others.

From the beginning of his life in public service, Lincoln devoted himself to aiding those less fortunate. Early in his career, he used his expertise as an attorney to assist south Florida's most vulnerable by providing free legal services to the poor. He also served as an assistant State attorney in Miami-Dade County.

Lincoln began his career in politics by being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1986 and later to the Florida Senate in 1989. And then, in 1992, he was elected to our body, the U.S. House of Representatives.

I have enjoyed working with Lincoln as we have tackled the issues that have been of vital importance to our south Florida communities.

And two of his proudest moments, Madam Speaker, were the passage of the Helms-Burton Act and the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, both of which he helped author. The Helms-Burton Act strengthened and codified into law the embargo against the Castro dictatorship. And the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act granted temporary protected status to hundreds and hundreds of refugees who were fleeing repressive governments in Central America.

Another proud moment came in 1997, when Lincoln helped secure legislation that extended SSI benefits to so many legal immigrant families.

Lincoln has also been a tireless advocate for providing Hispanic youth the resources necessary to compete in a global economy.

Recognizing that the Hispanic community has and will continue to contribute much to our great Nation, Lincoln helped create the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, CHLI, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides Hispanic youth with the opportunities to interact with leaders in the public and private sectors. Its Global Leaders Congressional Internship Program has helped hundreds of Hispanic students expand their professional horizons and enhance their understanding of governments and businesses.

Lincoln will be missed in Congress, but I know that south Florida will continue to count him as a leader. He will soon begin to work closely with the

group Rosa Blanca, or White Rose. This organization was formed by his father, Rafael, in order to counter the totalitarian and collectivism objectives of the Castro regime.

As Lincoln begins this new stage in his professional and personal life, I know that our entire south Florida community, as well as my esteemed colleagues in the Congress, wish him and his family, his dear wife Cristina, and his sons, Danny and L.G., nothing but the best. Godspeed, my friend.