Floor Statements

I thank my good friend for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 860, the reauthorization of the

Coral Reef Conservation Act. In addition to having the tremendous honor of representing the Florida Keys here in the United States Congress, I'm also pleased to boast that my district is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Nation, if not the world. The waters surrounding my district, Florida's 18th Congressional District, is home to America's only living barrier coral reef, which is also the second- largest coral reef tract in the world. The bill before us today, H.R. 860, would continue the Federal Government's efforts to protect and preserve the coral reef systems in the Florida Keys as well as in Hawaii and in Guam.

Coral reefs provide many economic, environmental and cultural benefits, particularly in my home district, where tourism brings in hundreds of millions of dollars every year. As the reefs sustain more damage every day, the tourism and ecosystem they help to maintain are threatened. This bill, in particular, will increase Federal oversight over the monitoring and rehabilitation efforts of our coral reef system while also promoting community-based conservation initiatives. In effect, local stakeholders and Federal agencies will work together to develop regionally approved and appropriate management plans.

One of the most important ways that this bill will help to protect coral reefs is by authorizing emergency responses to the physical damages that are sustained by coral reefs due to vessel groundings and impacts from derelict fishing gear. Having the distinct pleasure of taking part in two scuba diving missions to the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory in the Florida Keys, I witnessed just how important our coral reefs are not only to the environment but also for the education of our young people. In today's hyperlinked world, elementary students from Idaho can tune in to educational broadcasts on the dangers of coral bleaching and offshore drilling by the aquanauts working in the Aquarius. During one of my two visits to Aquarius, I had the pleasure of participating in a live question-and-answer session with local elementary school students on the issue of coral reef preservation.

Coral reefs are important to all Americans, not just to those of us who are fortunate enough to live in coastal areas. That is why I join my colleagues here today in strong support of H.R. 860, a bill which reaffirms the role of our Federal Government in protecting these precious coral resources for today and tomorrow's generations. Thank you for the time, my good friend from Utah, and I thank my wonderful friend from Guam, once again, for fighting for our Nation's environment.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3183--Energy and Water Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3183

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction

Amount: $500,000

Project: Florida Keys Wastewater Improvement Project

Requested by: City of Key West, City of Marathon, Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District

Federal funding of this project is needed to continue moving forward with the initiative outlined in The Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements Act, which authorized $100 million

for water quality improvements in the Keys. For several years there has been growing concern that the near-shore waters of the Florida Keys have been deteriorating due to inadequate wastewater and storm water facilities. These are the waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and home to the only living coral reef in the continental United States.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3183

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operation and Maintenance

Amount: $4,500,000

Project: Intracoastal Waterway, Jacksonville to Miami, FL

Requested by: Florida Inland Navigation District

The Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) is a critical part of Florida's eastern-shore economy and therefore its timely dredging is of serious importance. The Waterway annually: transports over 1 million tons of commercial cargo and over 500,000 recreational vessels; increases property values by $38.4 billion; and provides $7.9 billion in economic output which includes $2.6 billion in personal wages and 124,857 jobs. Studies by FIND, the local sponsor of the IWW, have shown that these benefits would be reduced by 50 percent if the Waterway were not properly maintained.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3183

Account: Department of Energy, EERE Account

Amount: $1,000,000

Project: Going Green Initiative

Requested by: Miami Children's Museum

This project will allow the Museum to preserve and protect the world's natural resources using environmentally advanced, sustainable, and renewable and/or recyclable materials and systems in the building. In addition, it will allow the Museum to educate its audience about its environmentally friendly building and high-performance features through a variety of hands-on programs and project based activities for classroom and home continued learning.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3183

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction

Amount: $600,000

Project: Miami Harbor Channel Dredging

Requested by: Miami-Dade County, Florida

This funding request is for the General Reevaluation Report Implementation, Preconstruction, Engineering, and Design for the dredging of Miami Harbor. The funding was authorized via 2007 (H.R. 1495) for preconstruction, engineering, and design of the recommended project. This will address the federal share at 100% of the anticipated costs for plans and specifications preparation.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3183

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operation and Maintenance

Amount: $777,000

Project: Miami River Dredging

Requested by: Miami-Dade County, Florida

This request is for the final phase of the Miami River Dredging Project to restore authorized depth and width to the navigation channel. This project, funded by the Army Corps of Engineers with a coalition of local sponsors led by Miami-Dade County, removes contaminated sediments from the Miami River--Florida's 4th largest port with an economic value of $4 billion. Since it was improved for navigation in the 1930s, the river has never received comprehensive maintenance dredging. Sediments have accumulated in the margins of the federal channel making it narrower and shallower, thereby limiting activities of freighters that utilize ship terminals along the river. Dredging and disposal of the contaminated sediments is expected to improve navigation and enhance the environmental quality of the River and downstream portions of Biscayne Bay.

Pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3283--Department of Education Appropriations, 2010.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3283

Account: HHS-HRSA

Amount: $500,000

Project: Construction of a new behavioral health facility for the homeless

Requested by: Camillus House

Camillus House, Inc. is requesting support of costs to relocate and expand its main center of operations located in downtown Miami. This funding would supplement funds already provided through HRSA for design and architecture services for this project. The requested will be used entirely for construction costs. Camillus House, Inc. services include basic emergency services such as food and shelter, substance abuse and mental health treatment, primary health care, housing, and career development at 15 sites around Miami-Dade County.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3283

Account: HHS-HRSA

Amount: $500,000

Project: Information Technology Infrastructure

Requested by: Jackson Health System

Jackson is a fully integrated health care system with 3 major hospitals, 12 primary care centers, 16 school-based clinics, a mental health facility, 2 mobile health vans and a major health plan. Jackson is the primary safety net provider in Miami-Dade County and one of the busiest emergency rooms in the Nation. Jackson's Advanced Clinical Knowledge System (JACKS) has been implemented at Jackson Memorial Hospital and helps with patient scheduling improving efficiencies and reducing redundancies in the delivery of care. The Public Health Trust, the board that governs Jackson Health System, has approved expansion of this system to our other 2 hospitals in opposite ends of the county, Jackson South Community Hospital and Jackson North Medical Center. The expansion will ensure continuity throughout all of their hospitals.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3283

Account: Department of Education, FIE

Amount: $300,000

Project: United Way Center for Excellence in Education

Requested by: United Way of Miami-Dade

The Center for Excellence in Early Education improves the quality of early care and education by modeling and providing best practices in early care and education and collaborates with local, state and federal agencies to ensure sustainability of its work. Through its unique composition, the Center offers informative, applicable training on early education and pilots effective programs that help teachers educate, parents understand and providers/owners care for our youngest citizens, locally, regionally and nationwide.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3283

Account: HHS-HRSA

Amount: $200,000

Project: Health Center Equipment Upgrades

Requested by: Miami Beach Community Health Center

To expand children's comprehensive health services including health care. To provide preventive and comprehensive primary care to all adult patients including health care. To provide comprehensive primary care and referrals for specialty care for patients with HIV/AIDS including health care. To continue to provide comprehensive total quality management program for all clinical programs. To update and implement recruitment and retention protocol for staff and for the replacement of a roof.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3283

Account: Department of Education, FIPSE

Amount: $300,000

Project: Science and Computer Advancement Center for Elementary Education

Requested by: St. Thomas University

To extend its outreach to the community by offering a professional development program to advance the teaching of science and technology in elementary schools in Miami-Dade County. St. Thomas University will partner with Title I elementary school teachers and other schools in northwest Miami-Dade in the vicinity of the STU campus to raise level of quality, student success and student enjoyment of science and computer learning in elementary schools. They will involve elementary school teachers from these schools in science and computers to improve teaching effectiveness through continuously offered workshops, seminars, college credit courses and online courses. Improve existing science and computer curriculum at the elementary level to result in raising the level of science teaching in the middle and high schools.

Pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326--Department of Defense Appropriations, 2010.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3326

Account: RDT&E--Navy

Amount: $2,800,000

Project: Instrumented Underwater Training Systems

Requested by: Florida Keys Community College

The Instrumented Underwater Training Systems (IUTS) program benefits the Department of Defense by providing mission critical training to the Navy and other agencies responsible for securing personnel and assets in maritime domains. In response to the persistent threat to forward- deployed service personnel and assets, and the continued threat of attack on critical infrastructure and ports, the IUTS program ensures effective techniques are used by divers to identify and mitigate potential threats and hazards and ensures the safety of response divers and personnel. A

fully implemented IUTS program will protect personnel, assets, and critical infrastructure at both domestic and forward-deployed locations.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3326

Account: RDT&E--Defense Wide

Amount: $4,500,000

Project: Transformer Technology for Combat Submersibles

Requested by: STIDD Systems

This request will enable USSOCOM to conduct a formal technology design, development, documentation and demonstration of the TTCS. One prototype craft will be designed, fabricated, tested and evaluated for technology transition into either the USSOCOM SDV or SWCS programs of record.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3326

Account: RDT&E--Army

Amount: $1,500,000

Project: Minority Student Neuroscience Research Consortium

Requested by: St. Thomas University

The Department of Veterans Affairs spends over $320 million annually on direct costs for SCI. Other related costs for medications and rehabilitation may run in the billions of dollars. The lifetime costs for an injured person can run up to more than 1.5 million dollars. The goal of this program is to develop treatments for SCI repair through axon regeneration and functional recovery for our injured veterans.

Requested by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3326

Account: RDT&E--Army

Amount: $3,000,000

Project: Center for Ophthalmic Innovation

Requested by: University of Miami

Severe ocular injuries from combat encountered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan represent a significant and frequent source of lifetime visual disability and is of immediate concern to the DOD. Approximately 10-17% of war casualties are due to eye trauma. The Center for Ophthalmic Innovation is successfully working to lessen the morbidity of traumatic ocular injuries in military operations, as well as to explore newer modalities to assist in the visual restoration of the injured personnel.

Pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3170--Financial Services Appropriations, 2010.

Requested by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3170

Account: Small Business Administration

Amount: $100,000

Project: Institute for Community and Economic Development

Requested by: Barry University

The Barry University Institute for Community and Economic Development must continue to expand its reach and leverage its new Entrepreneurial Institute, dedicated to poverty elimination through the development of entrepreneurial skills in the community. The Institute delivers research-based education and training to minority and women-owned business enterprises and those providing leadership in the non-profit sector in South Florida. Expansion of the Institute will offer more small businesses, family businesses and community-based/non-profit organizations to meet the challenges related to the present economic downturn.

Requested by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3170

Account: Small Business Administration

Amount: $300,000

Project: Institute for Intermodal Transportation

Requested by: Miami-Dade College

The Intermodal Transportation Training Center allows MDC to effectively meet the training requirements of all forms of transportation, and transportation related activities. The planned location of the Intermodal Transportation Center is at the Miami International Airport (MIA), which would situate the School in close proximity to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) currently under construction. This location would serve as a benefit to both the MIC and the school as a trained and skilled workforce is developed by the School to meet the ongoing employment needs at the MIC. Courses at MIA are set to begin January 2010.

Miami Dade College is uniquely positioned to provide this training through an Institute for Intermodal Transportation (IIT). MDC has a foundation for the coursework and training through its various departments and schools. A number of the educational programs are in aviation under its Eig-Watson School of Aviation. Additional related programs which would support the IIT are Miami Dade College currently offers 3 baccalaureate programs with numerous tracks. Over 200 associate degrees and career training certificates are available and could have application to the Intermodal Institute.

Pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288--Transportation Appropriations, 2010.

Requested by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3288

Account: DOT, Bus and Bus Facilities

Amount: $1,000,000

Project: Transit Facility and Bus Passenger Access Lane Construction along US 1

Requested by: City of Key West, FL

Key West needs to construct a new full scale transit facility to house their buses and bus equipment. The city also needs to construct bus apron access to as many as 44 bus stops along US 1, which have been part of the JARC shuttle services in operation since August 2005.

Requested by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen

Bill number: H.R. 3288

Account: DOT, Bus and Bus Facilities

Amount: $250,000

Project: Bus Shelter Replacement

Requested by: Bal Harbour, FL

Many elderly and working age citizens utilize public transit to travel to and/or from Bal Harbour Village. The bus shelters currently in place are deteriorating and do not provide adequate shelter from the elements. As the economy declines, more people depend upon public transportation. Replacing the current shelters/benches will provide more adequate facilities for those waiting for public transportation in the hot sun, wind and rain.

I thank my colleague from Oklahoma for the time, and I thank my friend and colleague from Florida, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, for introducing this important bill and for getting it to the floor today in such

a prompt manner. Our congressional districts share a border, and this piece of land to be conveyed to Miami-Dade County actually sits just about on that very border.

But regardless of congressional districts, the conveyance of this property will be of great benefit to all of the residents in south Florida, particularly for the families living in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. This land will soon bring them increased safety and important peace of mind. Miami-Dade County expects to build the only fire station that would be equipped to swiftly address emergency situations in these communities. I'm a local resident of this area myself, so I can say that we have all too long needed this fire station.

I commend Congressman Diaz-Balart as well as the House for swiftly moving this bill to make the lands available for its creation. I must point out that the fire station would be nothing without the brave men and women who will serve there. Our firefighters put their lives on the line for us each and every day, and I know that all of south Florida thanks them for their supreme dedication.

Along with my colleague Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, I also had the opportunity of meeting with the leaders of the Palmetto Bay community, and they strongly support this bill that will go a long way to ensuring the safety and well-being of all of our residents. I thank Mr. Lucas for the time, and I thank Mr. Diaz-Balart for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to support House Resolution 738, honoring the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act.

Violence against women is one of the world's most widespread human rights violations. It is a pandemic that can be stopped, but it requires dedicated political will and resources. As long as women across the globe continue to struggle to break through the shame and silence that surrounds the violence, we must continue to put it on every national and global agenda.

Violence against women fractures communities, devastates lives, and robs the gifts and potential of millions of women and girls. It is an issue that demands our utmost attention and our undivided priority.

Together we must continue our efforts to end this scourge on society and turn violence against women into an extinct crime rather than a global pandemic. Only then will women be able to live free of violence, which is a fundamental human right.

Mr. Speaker, last week we commemorated a sad anniversary of the September 11th attacks on our Nation. On that fateful day 8 years ago, we realized that protecting our homeland and defeating our enemies would require innovative approaches and an unconventional view of the threats that we face. However, when looking at the Iranian nuclear threat, it would appear that some have forgotten the lessons of 9/11.

Many believe that because Iran has not yet mastered all of the elements needed for an operational nuclear weapon, we have the luxury of time. Mr. Speaker, that is not so. Iran has already produced 1,400 kilograms of low-enriched uranium, which can easily be used for a ``dirty nuke.''

As former President Clinton noted in the year 2005, if you have basically a cookie's worth of fissile material and you put it into a traditional bomb, you can amplify the destruction power by hundreds- fold or more.

So the nuclear threat from Iran already exists in a radiological form. Yet, the U.S. and the U.N. Security Council have actually lowered the requirements imposed on the Iranian regime with respect to its nuclear activities. The initial U.S. position with respect to Iran's nuclear program was to demand its complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement. Then it went down to a mere temporary suspension of uranium enrichment. And now, reportedly, only a commitment from the Iranian regime that they will not use growing supplies of enriched uranium to make nuclear weapons.

This, as a U.S. government official was quoted as saying just last week, ``Iran is now either very near or in possession already of sufficient low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon'' and is closer ``to a dangerous and destabilizing possible breakout capacity.'' And this means a breakout capacity for producing not a dirty nuke but a conventional nuclear weapon.

Iran is pouring enormous resources into its nuclear program. Its missiles can already strike U.S. forces, can strike Israel and our allies in the Middle East and Europe, and it is only a matter of time until it has the capability to hit us here at home.

Inexcusably, one administration after another has not fully implemented the range of sanctions that are called for in current U.S. law, nor have we leveraged our resources to secure cooperation from our allies, particularly those on the U.N. Security Council. And this year we have filed another bill for another range of sanctions on Iran, and we have yet to get that bill out of committee, in spite of over 300 sponsors for that bill.

Next week at the United Nations in New York, for the first time a President of the United States will chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. The Council will be holding a special summit on the general issue of nuclear nonproliferation, but will ignore the actions of specific countries such as Iran.

The U.S. will also not use its presidency on the Security Council this month to pursue further sanctions targeting the Iranian regime. In fact, rather than using our platform at the U.N. to urge immediate action against the regime, the U.S. has again succumbed to Iranian manipulation.

Joined by France, Germany, Britain, Russia, and China, we will meet with the regime in Brussels on October 1 to resolve the disputes over Tehran's nuclear program.

Let's get this straight. As the threat posed by the Iranian regime increases, as the Iranian regime inches closer to weaponizing its nuclear program, the response from the so-called international community is to schedule more talks--legitimizing the regime by engaging them directly.

By its own statements, the regime is committed to the destruction of Israel and the U.S. as well. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied the existence of the Holocaust, called for Israel be wiped off the map, spoken of achieving ``a world without America and Zionism.''

Iran is also the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, assisted the attacks on our soldiers and continues to this day in Iraq and Afghanistan, and poses a growing threat to the Persian Gulf, a major source of the world's oil. This threat is becoming global, as Tehran expands its presence and influence throughout the Middle East and South and Central Asia and right here

in Latin America as well as Africa. But right here in our own hemisphere, one need look no further than the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Argentina, Buenos Aires, to demonstrate Iran's willingness and ability to attack targets half a world away.

In July, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for even stricter sanctions on Iran to try to change the behavior of the regime. I couldn't agree more, but we need them now. Let's act now.

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

Mr. Speaker, it has been 8 years since our country and the entire world stopped and looked on helplessly as the slaughter of innocents at the hands of al Qaeda unfolded before our eyes. And although we watched in safety, our fear and hopes were enmeshed with those who, without warning, were suddenly forced to fight for their lives and for those of the friends and strangers around them. It is a true miracle that so many escaped destruction, but we will forever mourn the thousands who perished on that terrible day. Our sorrow, however deep, cannot match those whose loved ones were taken away from them on 9/11. But we will always share a part of it even for those whom we will never know. The passage of years has not smoothed the deep impressions that we will bear for the rest of our lives.

But as Americans, it is not in our nature to resign ourselves to helplessness, even when facing seemingly impossible challenges. Instead, we instinctively rally and focus our minds and efforts on meeting and overcoming the threats that we face. We have always done so, and we have always won.

If there is anything useful that we could take away from this tragedy it is the unmistakable warning we have been given of the unseen dangers that we face in this new century. From that, a clarity of vision and a new understanding of the world has emerged. Over the past 8 years we have come to know our enemies. We have learned that their hatred of us, our success, and our freedom is too deep to be changed by concessions and appeals to reason. We now grasp the magnitude of the threat, and it is a global one. Other countries have come under attack and so can no longer deceive themselves that, once again, this is a menace for the United States to handle alone while they stand safely on the sidelines. We have uncovered their hiding places in caves, in villages, in deserts, in cities, in jungles, in back alleys in nations far away, as well as right here in our own homeland.

But it would be a mistake if our successes lead us to believe that the danger has passed. We have seen destruction descend from clear and sunny skies and know that it can happen again. To hope that our enemies will abandon their mission, to relax our watch, is to invite destruction.

President Lincoln said that those who are responsible for our Nation's course, which includes the Members of this body, cannot escape history. We have a responsibility to do all in our power to ensure that our country is secure and that America's promise for the world that generations have labored and fought for and died to protect remains whole and unbounded.

How we meet this reality will repeatedly test our national character. We are right to remember and mourn those men, women, and children who died on that day so sharply etched in our minds that it seems like yesterday. But this tragedy must be redeemed by a new understanding of our duty to our beloved country and to our fellow citizens and by what it is to be an American.

As long as we draw breath, we will remember those who, asking nothing other than to live their lives in peace, were brutally murdered by men without conscience or mercy. Let those of us who remain be steadfast, be courageous, and live lives worthy of their great sacrifice and thereby honor their memories.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), our respected Republican leader.

I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), the chairman of our Republican Conference.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, who lost so many of his constituents that day on 9/11.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), the ranking member on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), an esteemed member of the Committee on Appropriations who also lost constituents that day.

Yes, we would be more than happy to do so. We were waiting to see if some of the speakers who had reserved time would show up; but since they are not here yet, we would be more than pleased to give you some of our time, 1 minute.

Do you need an additional minute? I think we only have how much time, Mr. Speaker?

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

I thank my good friend from New York and our chairman, Mr. Berman, and Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Boehner for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the 9/11 attacks on our Nation, we must also recall that it was an attack on our way of life. It was an attack on what we stand for, on what we represent. What is it that we represent? Freedom, democracy, liberty.

These are the values that distinguish our Nation, our people, from our attackers, the belief in freedom, the belief in democracy, the belief in liberty. And as we recall this somber anniversary of this resolution before us, let us honor the memory of those whom we lost, the murdered, for it was a crime, and the heroism of our public servants, our first responders, our ordinary fellow citizens who were so extraordinary that day, who discovered the extraordinary courage of self-sacrifice on behalf of their fellow citizens, some of whom they had never met, including many of us in this building.

And let us resolve that 9/11 will not just be an anniversary that we commemorate with an interesting and touching ceremony, but that 9/11 is really a symbol of what America is about, how we dealt with that struggle, how we dealt with that devastation, how we dealt with that sorrow and what we said we would do as a people, that we would not let this attack go unanswered.

And to frame the events of that day as they should be framed, as freedom versus oppression, as tolerance versus hatred, as incitement versus understanding. And this is what we fight for to this day: for freedom, for tolerance, to make sure that we can just not recall the days of 9/11, but also honor the memory and what they stood for.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado, my good friend, Mr. Lamborn, for the time, and I also thank Mr. Grijalva of Arizona. Thank you so much for bringing this resolution before us today.

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 361, which is a bipartisan bill recognizing the national significance of historic Virginia Key Beach Park, which is located in my congressional district in south Florida. I also would like to thank my dear friends and fellow south Floridians, my colleagues, Representatives Kendrick Meek, Alcee Hastings, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz for their support of this legislation.

A segregated beach during the 1900s, Virginia Key Beach Park serves as a reminder of our Nation's struggle for equality and justice for all members of our society. During World War II, the beach was a training ground for African American soldiers serving in the United States Army. Shortly following the war's end, the beach was established as the only public beach open to the African American community. In the 1950s, the beach played a prominent role in south Florida's efforts to desegregate during the civil rights movement.

In the years following desegregation, leaders of the African American community in south Florida, including the influential and late wonderful leader in our area, Athalie Range, fought tirelessly to preserve this unique site.

Today's resolution serves as a tribute to Athalie Range and to so many African American pioneers, including our former colleague, Congresswoman Carrie Meek, who authored a bill in 2001 to include Virginia Key Beach Park into the National Park System. I was honored to work with Carrie in her quest to include this beach in the National Park System, and years later I am joined by her beloved son Kendrick in honoring the importance of this historic and often overlooked site.

I thank Congressman Grijalva for the time, and I thank my dear friend Mr. Lamborn for the time to talk about this historic part of south Florida history.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deep concern regarding the most recent strong-arm tactics of the U.S. Government to coerce the people of Honduras into accepting the return of former President Manuel Zelaya into power.

Have some U.S. officials forgotten what democracy really is? Democracy does not belong to nor is defined by one man nor one government. It cannot survive without respect for the rule of law. Yet this has been forgotten.

The U.S. and the international community failed the Honduran people and Honduran democracy as Zelaya violated the constitution and took unilateral actions to extend his hold on power. Our government said and did nothing as democracy came under attack in the months leading up to Zelaya's removal from office. Yet when the Honduran Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the National Congress and the human rights ombudsman took the necessary steps in accordance with the constitutional tenets, then the U.S. and the amorphous international community quickly sprung into action to defend Zelaya and punish Honduran democratic institutions and virtually all of Honduran civil society.

With no apparent regard for U.S. security or political or economic interests, the United States is doing all we can to ensure that Zelaya is put back in charge. The U.S. has terminated millions of dollars in U.S. assistance to the people of Honduras. We have stopped critical counternarcotics cooperation. We have suspended necessary visa services. Last week, the State Department declared that the presidential elections to be held in late November in Honduras will not be recognized unless Zelaya is returned to power.

As the U.S. has been employing its harshest tactics against the Honduran government and the Honduran people, the U.S. has also at the same time eased restrictions on the Cuban dictatorship, pushed for engagement and dialogue with the Cuban, Syrian and Iranian regimes, while failing to hold Chavez and Correa accountable for the blatant violations of freedom of expression and other fundamental rights of their citizens.

The U.S. has crossed a dangerous threshold by announcing, as I stated, that we will not acknowledge the upcoming Honduran elections unless the

current democratic government of Honduras accepts Zelaya's return to power. This threat not only deliberately ignores the rule of law and the checks and balances carefully crafted in the Honduran constitution to prevent the rise of tyranny, but it also seeks to replace them with mandates from outside actors who are carrying water for Chavez, for Castro, for Zelaya and the like. The U.S. position undermines the fundamental right of the Honduran people to elect their own leaders in multiparty, transparent democratic elections, free from coercion.

How our present course of action serves our interests or supports Honduran democracy remains an important yet unanswered question. Elliot Abrams, currently at the Council of Foreign Relations and a former official with the Reagan Administration, recently wrote it was Zelaya who wanted to mess around with that election and hold a referendum on that date, allowing him to be reelected in perpetuity, just as his mentor Chavez had done in Venezuela, and now that Hondurans want to go back to regular elections, what does the U.S. do? The United States won't allow them to do so.

The presidential candidates in Honduras, Madam Speaker, have not changed since Zelaya was removed from office. The dates of the election have not changed. The presidential term has not been moved or modified. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal is taking steps to ensure that this is the most transparent election in Honduran history.

The U.S. should be assisting rather than undermining the preparations for the upcoming elections to ensure that there is no interference with the democratic electoral process in Honduras. Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal wrote, ``A lot of Hondurans believe that the U.S. isn't using its brass knuckles to serve their democratic aspirations at all, but quite the opposite, the aspirations of a neighborhood thug. Though some in our country believe that being popular among Latin America's left-wing dictators is the key to a successful U.S. policy in our hemisphere, freedom must be and must remain our driving force.'' Freedom, Madam Speaker. If it is not, the U.S. would have not only forgotten the meaning of democracy but would have forgotten what our Nation is, what we stand for and what defines us. Freedom.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor the memory of one of my fellow South Florida constituents, Oscar Olchyk. Oscar passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 23 at the age of 82, surrounded by his loving family.

Oscar spent his life completely and wholeheartedly dedicating himself to his family, including his wife of 50 years, Marta, his children, Sonia and Samuel, his grandchildren, Abram and Ross, his brother Bernardo, and his sister Mary. He also held an immense devotion for his mother and father-in-law, his daughter-in-law, Debbie, and his brother- in-law, Boris.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1927, Oscar spent his first 33 years in Cuba, where he became a Certified Public Accountant and a Professor of Accounting at the University of Havana. It was also in Cuba where he met the love of his life, Marta, and where they were married and started a family together. Oscar and Marta, along with their son Samuel, fled Cuba for a new life in the United States after the Castro takeover.

Oscar spent most of his life in Dallas, Texas, where he continued to raise a family with his wife. In addition to his family, he devoted himself to pursuing a higher education, serving his community, and his accounting practice. Oscar and Marta spent the last decade enjoying their retirement in beautiful South Florida and near their family. They both had the opportunity to travel around the world and spend their 50th anniversary with their grandson, Abram.

My greatest sympathy goes to all of his loving family and friends whom he treasured so deeply throughout his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to recognize the outstanding work of Take Stock in Children, an amazing program throughout

my home State of Florida which provides low-income and at-risk children the scholarships and the guidance that they need to obtain a quality college education.

As a former educator and a former Florida certified teacher, I am personally aware of the importance in providing our children a solid education so that they may be successful, productive, and active members of society in the future.

When students receive the support, the mentoring, and the financial assistance necessary to pursue a college degree, they begin to realize that they can achieve their goals, they are capable of reaching their dreams, and there are people ready to say, ``We are here to help you.''

This is what Take Stock in Children offers to all of these children. It is an opportunity for the kids in our community to take advantage of the education they might not have otherwise been offered.

Take Stock in Children created an ingenious model of operation which provides the structure and the stability that at-risk and low-income students need in order to be guided to be most productive into college and beyond.

With its innovative mentorship, scholarship, case management, and accountability systems, it is no wonder why Take Stock in Children has flourished. The passion and commitment evident in all aspects of the organization is indeed inspiring. Over 94 percent of all funds that they gather go directly to scholarships and services to students. As more funds are made available to Take Stock in Children, they are quickly made available to the students.

Take Stock in Children has been able to expand into a public-private partnership, so that for every $2 raised for scholarship and student services, they receive a $1 match from the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, creating millions of dollars worth of resources for our kids.

As all of our Florida families know, the Florida Prepaid program allows them to invest early for their children's college education. Parents lock in the cost of college when they begin paying into the program, saving them years of college rate increases and allowing them several years to save for their children's educational needs.

One in ten Florida children has a Florida Prepaid plan, and over 206,000 prepaid students have already graduated from college. I am proud to say that I was one of the cocreators of this program when I served in the Florida Senate.

Take Stock in Children is actually the largest single purchaser of Florida Prepaid scholarships, and it is a great coordinated victory in the fight to help children achieve their dreams of success. It has been over 21 years since I helped create the Florida Prepaid program, and I am continually proud of its successes.

With Florida Prepaid and Take Stock in Children working together, an educational powerhouse has been created for Florida students, combining financial aid as well as guidance and counseling for enrolled and eligible children.

Over 520 students in my district today are recipients of scholarships from Take Stock in Children, and without the support, finding college tuition for these students would not have been likely.

Today, almost $109 million have been awarded in scholarships and over 1 million hours logged, with over 11,000 volunteers dedicated to helping these students. It is because of the commitment of dedicated individuals that Take Stock in Children has come to be such a tremendous success. As a Member of Congress and an ardent supporter of giving the best education possible to our youth, it pleases me greatly that organizations like Take Stock in Children exists today. I look forward to hearing about all of the future successes of Take Stock in Children, and I again applaud them for their everyday victories for all of our children.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the host of ``The Today Show'' profiled Key West, a city in my congressional district. It is a city of natural beauty, coupled with a history that is quite unique. And while viewers were able to see the TV host ride rickshaws and tour many sites, such as Ernest Hemingway's home, and I am glad they featured my good friend from Key West, Tom Oosterhoudt, there is another side of Key West off of Duval Street that warrants attention.

While Key West is a great place to get a slice of key lime pie, it is also a city with high unemployment, high insurance rates, and one of the largest homeless populations for its size. According to recent numbers, the Florida Keys has over 1,000 individuals who are homeless. The reality is that off of Duval Street, there are struggling individuals and struggling families.

Thankfully, there are several noteworthy organizations which serve the Keys community with a selfless dedication to those at-risk individuals. One example is Samuel's House. This is a beacon of hope for those who need help.

Founded in 1985, Samuel's House provides a nurturing environment for homeless women and women with children. It also affords them resources that are beneficial to their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

I had the privilege to meet with several staffers from Samuel's House this week here in D.C., and I heard the firsthand account from a mother whose daughter was saved due to the assistance and care provided to her by Samuel's House.

Samuel's House also runs Kathy's Hope, another Key West facility, which provides permanent housing for women who are chronically homeless and in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. It is a safe haven where women can go through recovery while also remaining self- sufficient and pursuing their life goals to better themselves.

Key West is also blessed to have the Southernmost Homeless Assistance League, SHAL. Under the direction of Reverend Steven Braddock, SHAL is a community coalition dedicated to the special needs of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

SHAL provides grants to shelters and organizations like Samuel's House so that they can continue their good work for all of us in the community. SHAL also provides housing assistance, medical assistance, substance abuse programs, and job training resources to at-risk individuals and their families.

I am grateful for the dedication and caring exhibited by their staff, and they deserve our recognition.

Another problem unique to the Florida Keys is one of housing. We have a problem with nonconforming downstairs enclosures. Through years of mismanagement and lax oversight by Monroe County and FEMA, many Keys homeowners built what they considered legal downstairs enclosures.

Residents with nonconforming disclosures are denied the ability to acquire flood insurance. In an area with a long history of hurricanes and other severe weather events, this is intolerable. Florida Keys homeowners are required to bear the price of mistakes made by the county and FEMA for structures that were issued permits and were legally constructed.

This is a community which cannot afford the expense of renovating existing structures while they struggle to make ends meet week in and week out. While homeowners continue to struggle with onerous regulations, the issue of water quality is also a major concern for Key West and the entire Keys. The Florida Keys serve as the entry point to Everglades National Park. It's surrounded by the National Marine Sanctuary as well as one of the largest and most vibrant coral reef systems in the world. This is an area of national treasure; and as such, ensuring the cleanliness of the waters surrounding these important ecosystems should be a national concern. Since being elected to represent the Florida Keys in 2002, I have fought hard to bring Federal funding from Washington to the Florida Keys for its wastewater project. To date, the area has received more than $35 million in congressionally appropriated dollars. I am pleased to note that construction has already started throughout the Florida Keys. And yes, while more Federal funding is needed, I am thankful for the commitment made by Florida Keys residents and the elected officials to utilize existing Federal funds in the near term. The Florida Keys is an area of great beauty, but we must be aware that even in paradise, people go through struggles and through hard times. These hardships take many faces: an individual on the brink of homelessness, a homeowner who is unable to obtain flood insurance due to a downstairs enclosure, or a community worrying about the cleanliness of their water supply. These are some of the daily trials and tribulations that Keys residents sometimes face off of Duval Street.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary work of Hope for Vision, a wonderful organization in my congressional district, as well as their two newest goodwill ambassadors, Alex and Stacy Campos. Both Hope for Vision,

as well as the Campos family, serve our community with tremendous distinction.

As a member of the Congressional Vision Caucus, I am proud to work towards elevating awareness and finding solutions to the problems that surround vision loss and vision impairment. In this pursuit, there is no better partner than that of Hope for Vision.

Started in 2005, it amazes me every day just how much Hope for Vision has accomplished. In just 4 short but very successful years, Hope for Vision has been able to raise millions of dollars for the development of treatments and cures for blinding diseases. Finding a cure for degenerative blindness and other retinal diseases holds untold promises for new treatments and all types of visual disorders and beyond, which is so important to reduce the massive cost that our Nation suffers due to vision loss.

Vision loss and impairment not only have an extraordinary financial cost, but it also carries a deep personal cost as well. When individuals suffer the inability to see clearly, they must depend on others for help. Simple tasks like locating keys or avoiding obstacles in a walkway become virtually impossible without assistance. Literally left in the dark, a person's blindness becomes an entire family's responsibility.

This is compounded by the fact that the health care costs related to vision alone are more than $67 billion annually, and this number will only increase as the population continues to grow and age. Hope for Vision understands these issues, and they know that the biggest challenge is ensuring that this crucial work is fully funded.

By far, the most impressive aspect of Hope for Vision is the fact that over 95 percent of the money raised is given directly to research at top academic institutions. And when it comes to the administration of success for Hope for Vision, few know better than that of Alex and Stacy Campos. These two champions of vision care have served selflessly for the benefit of our South Florida community. As well, they have truly afforded many in need the blessings of renewed sight.

As goodwill ambassador, Mr. Campos sits on the board of directors for Hope for Vision and utilizes his skills gained from the financial industry to make Hope for Vision as successful as it is today. Together with his wife, Stacy, and her continued participation in many charitable foundations, the work of the Campos family has provided Hope for Vision with the means it needs to grow and succeed even more.

Without a doubt, Mr. and Mrs. Campos satisfy the roles of goodwill ambassadors. Their relentless commitment to service and their passion to help families help themselves is truly worthy of distinction. It is because of their commitment to Hope for Vision and their fight against vision loss that countless families today enjoy the freedom of sight.

Alex and Stacy Campos have been a great resource for all at Hope for Vision, and our entire community has benefited from their partnership. Hope for Vision will be sure to maintain itself among the elite organizations working to fight against blindness and retina degenerative diseases through the actions of dedicated individuals like Alex and Stacy.

I again congratulate, Madam Speaker, Hope for Vision for the great work that this young organization has already done, and I look forward to hearing many good things in the years to come from Hope for Vision and all of the brave individuals involved in this fight for maintaining vision awareness for all of our community.

Mr. Speaker, we all agree that real health care reform is a necessity; but in the haste to get this done, the wrong approach to achieve this worthy goal would be to increase taxes, especially on our small businesses. These vital small business owners are already straining not to cut jobs and wages. Most small business owners want to offer health insurance to their employees, but they simply cannot because the already-inflicted costs just continue to increase.

What we need is true health care reform that brings down the cost of care in our country. We find creative ways to hide the actual costs of taxes and mandates. That makes no sense for Americans, no sense for our small businesses, and certainly no sense for our future generations who will be saddled with a lot of debt.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support of H.R. 1665, the Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act.

I have the unique pleasure of representing over 265 miles of pristine Florida coastline, and I will never forget that it is the Coast Guard that keeps these waters safe.

Two of the largest Coast Guard Sectors in the United States, Sector Miami and Sector Key West are located in my Congressional district.

This act will direct the Coast Guard in their Acquisition efforts and make for more of full and open competition contracts.

Overall, this act will be of benefit to the Coast Guard; however, being from a District heavily involved with the Coast Guard, I know that sections of the bill could use clarification and adjustment.

Firstly, in Section 210, the Coast Guard is required to report to the appropriate congressional committees about any cost overruns.

However, the reporting requirement is set a uniquely low threshold, a mere 10 percent.

It would be more appropriate to set this reporting requirement in line with other Department of Defense programs, ranging from 15 percent to 25 percent.

Also, in Section 302a, the act states that an individual may not be assigned as the acquisition program manager for a Level 1 or Level 2 acquisition unless the individual holds a Level III acquisition certification as a program manager.

In the interest of training Level III program manager's for Level 1 projects, this act should leave the Coast Guards current practice in place.

This would allow program managers to gain the experience they need before being assigned to the most important of acquisition projects.

In Sec 301d, the act states that within 45 days after any design or other dispute regarding a Level 1 or Level 2 acquisition, the Coast Guard would be required to provide Congress a detailed description of the dispute and the rationale underlying any decision made by the Chief Acquisition Officer.

In the interest of keeping burdensome reporting requirements to a minimum, the act should have added the word ``significant'' for any design dispute.

The Coast Guard will make many fact-based and timely decisions on projects that may be internally disputed.

Congress needs to be involved in significant problems that could affect results.

Still, I urge all Members to recognize the crucial need to protect our nation by strengthening the United States' oldest continuous seagoing service, the United States Coast Guard.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this act.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 535. This resolution commends the Congress of leaders of World and Traditional Religions and expresses support for freedom of religion as a fundamental human right and a source of stability for all countries. I support this resolution and the broader cause of promoting freedom of religion.

However, I have some concerns about this measure. Kazakhstan initiated the effort to establish the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religious and its capital served as the location for the past three gatherings. However, our U.S. Department of State's report on international religious freedom, as well as a number of human rights NGOs, underscore that Kazakhstan has considerable problems with its treatment of some of its religious minority groups. Some of the reported instances of religious intolerance in Kazakhstan include police officials disrupting religious meetings in private homes, confiscation of religious literature, fines, detentions, harassment and deportation of unregistered missionaries.

It has also been reported that the government-controlled media in Kazakhstan has increased its negative coverage of what they consider nontraditional religions such as Evangelical Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hare Krishnas and Scientologists, depicting those groups as dangerous sects. Although we should support the efforts of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, we must be careful not to inadvertently provide political legitimacy to the government of Kazakhstan in its treatment of some of its religious minorities. Furthermore, Kazakhstan will assume the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010, and it is important that those responsible nations hold it accountable to the commitments that it has made to implement democratic reforms and to protect human rights.

Again, I would like to express my support for this resolution, although with some reservation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.

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

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.