Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, last week's Durban II hate-fest in Geneva reminded us once again of the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel bias that pervades the United Nations, and reinforced why the United States and several other responsible nations were right to stay away.

Given what amounted to a keynote speech, Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reminded us of his regime's goals when he savagely attacked the U.S. and Israel and called for radical political and economic upheaval on his terms.

He added, ``World Zionism personifies racism'' and said that Israel is a ``totally racist'' regime.

But such statements by Iran's Ahmadinejad come as no surprise. The Iranian leader frequently pushes for Israel's destruction, saying that this sovereign state should be wiped off the map, calling it a disgraceful blot on the face of the Islamic world and proclaiming that anyone who recognized Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury.

On May 8 of last year, he said Israel is a ``stinking corpse'' and is on its way to total destruction. A few months later, on August 20, he referred to Israel as a ``germ of corruption'' that will be ``removed soon.''

A year prior, on June 3, 2007, Ahmadinejad stated, ``With God's help, the countdown button for the destruction of [Israel] has been pushed.''

In October of 2005, he asked ``Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism? You had best know that this slogan and this goal are attainable and, surely, can be achieved.''

Mr. Speaker, his words and actions do not merely reflect his own views or those of a few powerless extremists, but, rather, Iran's supreme leader, for example, said, ``This cancerous tumor of a state should be removed from the region.''

Rafsanjani, the former Iranian leader who continues to hold significant influence and who some mistakenly call a moderate, has threatened Israel with destruction by nuclear weapons, going on to say that even the use of one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything, while it will merely harm the Islamic world. Ahmadinejad's hatred for Israel, for the Jewish people, for the Great Satan, that is the United States, for freedom, for democracy and all that the United States and Israel represent, transcends rhetoric into policies and actions that threaten vital U.S. security interests and pose an existential threat to Israel.

Foremost are Iran's sponsorship of violent Islamic groups and its pursuit of nuclear, chemical, biological and missile capabilities. Responsible nations cannot accept the prospect of an emboldened nuclear Iranian regime. We must close loopholes in existing U.S. and international sanctions so as to deny the regime all remaining lifelines and compel it to abandon its destructive policies.

Likewise, we must learn history's lesson that we will not achieve peace by embracing Islamic militant groups like the Iranian proxy Hamas, or by recognizing a Palestinian Authority government that includes Hamas.

The proposed supplemental, which will be before the House in a few weeks, would provide hundreds of millions of dollars for assistance in Gaza. And this would amount to a bailout for Hamas, enabling them to divert their funds from reconstruction to the purchasing of arms.

We have tried unconditional funding to an unaccountable Palestinian leadership again and again, and it has not worked. There is no reason to expect a different outcome now.

Mr. Speaker, just today the Palestinian Authority leader Abu Mazen again refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. But the proposed supplemental before us would allocate $200 million in additional direct cash transfers to the Palestinian Authority.

In short, as we craft policy to protect our Nation, we must reward those who stand with us, compel those who threaten us to change their course, and demand accountability in exchange for our hard-earned taxpayer dollars.

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate and commend Troop 457 of Boy Scouts of America in my district of South Florida. On Saturday, April 25, 2009, the troop will conduct their Court of Honor, honoring 13 of their own with the most prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.

Boy Scouts of America is a tremendous organization that my husband, Dexter, and I have continuously supported. With Dexter being a Eagle Scout, and me previously serving as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, we fully understand and appreciate all of the hard work and dedication invested into achieving the highest rank of Eagle Scout.

These 13 young men have distinguished themselves in the South Florida community as leaders of tomorrow through their countless hours of service toward improving South Florida. It is with great honor that I ask that the names of these 13 individuals be submitted into the Congressional Record.

William David Cochran, Kenneth Lewis Baer, James Phillip Baer, Joshua Rothenberg, Michael Thomas Dannelly, Leo Benjamin Kaplowitz, Wade Morgan Judy, Timothy Young Hunter, David Benjamin Shapiro, Alexander Pergakis, Jonathan A. Muench, Jonathan O. Lopez, Gabriel Cespedes.

Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to see that the Miami Dade College Land Conveyance Act is before the House today. This is a great example of Federal-local partnerships truly benefiting both Miami Dade College and the Bureau of Prisons. This bill will facilitate the construction of a new educational facility in downtown Miami as well as provide secured parking for the Bureau of Prisons.

Miami Dade College has been an essential institution in South Florida for over half a century. It was born of the idea that anyone with a desire to get a college degree should be given that opportunity.

By 1967, the college was the largest institution of higher education in our great State of Florida. Today, it has built upon that position, and is now the largest institution of higher education in the United States, serving over 160,000 students last year, all the while maintaining an affordable and exceptional course of study.

Miami Dade College has been instrumental in the development and success of thousands of students, and I am proud to say that my father, my brother and I are all graduates of this fine institution. It serves our community with fine distinction. In fact, 96 percent of the students enrolled at Miami Dade College are residents from our local area. Just 2 years ago, the college reached a truly incredible milestone. It welcomed its 1.5 millionth student. We are only a community of 2.3 million, so the sheer amount of lives that the college has influenced is astonishing.

When I say that Miami Dade College is central to the educational, social and cultural fabric of South Florida, know that this is no exaggeration. The college also embodies the essence of diversity. Almost 80 percent of its students come from a minority background. It enrolls more minorities than any other college or university in the United States, and in Florida, 33 percent of all minority students attending community colleges are attending Miami Dade College.

This bill will allow for the much needed expansion of the facilities in downtown Miami, and it will allow the college to offer more courses to more students. All this has been made possible by the stellar performance, leadership and guidance of the college president, Dr. Eduardo J. Padron, himself an alum of Miami Dade College. He is a man of unyielding strength and a passion for education. He has spent his entire career making sure that all students have the tools and the opportunities to succeed. His time at Miami Dade College has been defined by growth and greater academic accreditation. He has truly made a positive difference in the lives of countless individuals, and I commend him for all that he continues to do in support of our college.

I thank the Speaker; I thank the Members who have given me this opportunity, and I urge all Members to vote in favor of this legislation, supporting a fine institution of higher learning and the many wonderful students who will benefit from this expansion.

I thank the gentleman for his time, and I thank my good friend from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for her time as well.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I stand here tonight in honor of Bessie, Ronalee and Russell Galbut, an institution in South Florida. I want to recognize them for their work on behalf of the Hebrew Academy of Miami Beach and for all that they have done to promote the Jewish heritage in my area of South Florida.

The Hebrew Academy of Miami Beach is among the finest institutions, both academically and in terms of philanthropy as well. It is dedicated to educating children regardless of their financial means and to instilling in them the timeless values of Judaism so that they may remain steadfast in their faith.

The Hebrew Academy and the Galbut family have been intertwined for many years. At the young age of 17, Bessie met Hymie, a 19-year-old student at Tulane. Hymie had enlisted in the Navy and would not return for 7 years.

The newly wed Galbuts then moved to Miami Beach, and immediately became active in the Jewish community in our area. They devoted their time to the Jewish Learning Center and to the Jewish Community Center, and played integral roles in the building of the mikvah in the community. Hymie checked the lighting and planted the trees and the flowers with his own hands.

Their home quickly filled with four beautiful children--Robert, David, Aib, and Russell--challenging Bessie to keep the family's roots firmly planted in the principles of the Torah. She and Hymie worked tirelessly to send their four children to the Hebrew Academy.

Years later at the Hebrew Academy, the youngest Galbut, Russell, was educated alongside a young lady named Ronalee Eisenberg. During and after

her time at the academy, Ronalee traveled the world, spending a year in Israel and earning a degree from Boston University, not realizing that what she had been looking for all of her life was right in her own backyard. Shortly after her return to Miami Beach, she married Russell Galbut.

Ronalee and Russell have continued in these time-honored family traditions by assuming roles of leadership in the Jewish community of Miami Beach and by sending their own two children, Marisa and Jenna, to the Hebrew Academy. Both have taken it upon themselves to give of the many blessings that have been bestowed upon them. They have consistently supported various charities and organizations, including the Hebrew homes, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Center, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Three generations later, the Galbut family legacy endures as children, grandchildren and great grandchildren become graduates of the Hebrew Academy. Even the greatest of success cannot compare to the joy and pride of the many fruits produced from the dedication, from the service and from the giving spirit of this loving family. The laborer is worthy of his wages, and the fortuitous life of the Galbut family acts as a testimony of the treasures that abound from a life dedicated toward giving.

The Galbut family, on behalf of all South Floridians and the United States Congress, thank you very much for your life of selfless giving.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following Information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 1109, The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009.

Project Name: Police Department Photography Lab Upgrades for the City of Miami

Amount Funded: $400,000

Account: COPS Law Enforcement Technology

Contact: Pedro G. Hernandez, City Manager, City of Miami

Address: 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33143

Description: The City of Miami Police Department Photo Lab Upgrades Project will upgrade and digitize the City's police department photo lab. Funds will be used to incorporate digital cameras, memory card readers and a digital photographic laboratory system which will replace the antiquated film technology that is currently in use. Funding for photo lab upgrades will facilitate the investigative and prosecutorial efforts of the law enforcement community in the City of Miami, with national crime fighting implications that extend beyond Southern Florida in circumstances when fugitives flee the City to avoid prosecution.

Project Name: Miami Beach After School Gang and Drug Prevention Program

Amount Funded: $200,000

Account: OJP--Bryne Discretionary Grants

Contact: Kevin Crowder, City of Miami Beach

Address: 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Description: Continued After-School and summer programs ensure youth ``growing-up'' within the system. These youth are less likely to entertain outside and detrimental participation in other unsupervised activities, such as

involvement in gangs and/or drugs. Participation in the recently created Teen Intervention Program in North Beach has increased dramatically during the past year, as have the various programmatic offerings by the City. City of Miami Beach local funding is $642,167, or 23% of the program cost. Justification for use of federal taxpayer dollars.

Project Name: Life-Management Skill Intervention Program for At-Risk Youth

Amount Funded: $300,000

Account: OJP--Juvenile Justice

Contact: Susan Benson, ARISE Foundation

Address: 824 U.S. Highway 1, Suite 420, North Palm Beach, Florida 33408

Description: During 2006-07 Florida committed 7,187 juvenile offenders to residential delinquent treatment facilities. The Department of Juvenile Justice wants to increase their life chances according to the Models of Change (Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice). ARISE provides juvenile, justice facilities with specialized staff training and its unique curricula designed specifically for populations reading at approximately a third grade level. With over 260 easy-to- administer ARISE life-management lessons, ARISE materials contain vital information necessary for reducing recidivism. The ARISE program provides both staff training and educational materials for teaching life lessons to incarcerated youth through interactive methods and help develop critical thinking skills needed to break the cycle of violence and crime that would otherwise doom many of these juvenile offenders to tragic lives of gang involvement, crime, drugs, disease and poverty.

Due to inherent problems staff have in dealing with incarcerated high risk youth, ARISE will expand its training program for Juvenile Care and Detention Officers in Florida's Juvenile Justice facilities, by introducing additional training topics such as anger management, non- judgmental listening and conflict resolution. This training will be directed at reducing staff on youth conflict, and severe turnover of staff.

Project Name: City of Coral Gables Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements

Amount Funded: $500,000

Account: EPA-STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

Contact: Alberto Delgado, Department of Public Works, City of Coral Gables

Address: 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, Florida 33144

Description: The project meets the STAG match requirement. Funding would be used to make state-mandated upgrades to the City's wastewater infrastructure.

Project Name: Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements

Amounted Funded: $2,392,000

Account: Corps of Engineers, Construction

Contact: Clyde Burnett, City Manager, City of Marathon

Address: 9805 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050

Description: The Florida Keys are required to meet rigid wastewater and stormwater management restrictions as well as near shore water quality and environmental protection standards.

Project Name: Miami Museum of Science Renewable Energy Research Project

Amount Funded: $713,625

Account: Department of Energy, EERE

Contact: Gillian Thomas, President and CEO, Miami Museum of Science

Address: 3280 S. Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33122

Description: Funding is requested for a research and development program aimed at enhancing understanding by Miami-Dade residents of programs related to alternative energy and energy efficiency technologies, with a special emphasis on Hispanic and Haitian communities.

Project Name: Miami Harbor Channel Dredging

Amount Funded: $478,000

Account: Corps of Engineers, O&M

Contact: Eric Olafson, Assistant Director, Miami-Dade County

Address: 444 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Description: This funding request is for the first phase of implementation, which includes the design, preparation of plans and specifications for bidding. Miami-Dade County is also seeking an additional source of PED funds through utilizing the funds that will be restored to the project, once the Port of Miami reimburses the Army Corps for its share of the costs of the General Reevaluation Report (GRR). The Chief of Engineers has recommended the deepening project to 50-52 feet and Congress has authorized the project (Title I, Water Resources Development Act of 2007).

Project: Intracoastal Waterway, Jacksonville to Miami, Florida

Amount Funded: $4,019,000

Account: Corps of Engineers, O&M

Contact: David Roach, Executive Director, Florida Inland Navigation District

Address: 1314 Marcinski Road, Jupiter, Florida 33477

Description: Funds would be used to dredge the IWW in two locations: (1) Matanzas Inlet (St. Johns County) and in the vicinity of St. Augustine. In addition, funds would be used to (1) restore a Dredged Material Management Area in St. Johns County and (2) construct a Dredged Material Management Area in Indian River County. The organization does not have a local match requirement with the Corps of Engineers.

Project: Miami River Maintenance Dredging Project

Amount Funded: $10,043,000

Account: Corps of Engineers, O&M

Contact: Eric Olafson, Assistant Director, Miami-Dade County

Address: 444 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Description: 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 US 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. The local sponsor has exceeded all match requirements.

Project: Lower Keys Shuttle Bus Facilities

Amount Funded: $950,000

Account: Transportation, Bus and Bus Facilities

Contact: Jim Scholl, City Manager, City of Key West

Address: 525 Angela Street, Key West, Florida 33140

Description: Federal funds will assist the City in its efforts to improve the City's bus facilities. Specifically, funding will provide a modern maintenance facility to assist in improved bus facilities as well as passenger amenities such as waiting areas, bus transfer areas and ticketing areas

Project: Atlantic Greenway Corridor Netowork

Amount Funded: $570,000

Account: Transportation, TCSP

Contact: Kevin Crowder, City of Miami Beach

Address: 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Description: Through the development of the Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network, the City of Miami Beach is creating a regional alternative transportation network which will interconnect key intermodal centers, area business districts, cultural/tourism centers, residential neighborhoods, parking facilities, parks, schools and the beaches. The Network will be comprised of a citywide system of bicycle/ pedestrian accessways, enhanced public transit facilities, expanded bus service and innovative regional parking improvement programs.

Project: Little Venice Road Improvement Project, Phase II

Amount Funded: $95,000

Account: Transportation, TCSP

Contact: Clyde Burnett, City Manager, City of Marathon

Address: 9805 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050

Description: The proposed project includes the installation of drainage and retention structures to minimize the destructive impacts from serious weather events. Additionally, the project proposes the installation of an asphaltic overlay for all road surfaces in the immediate area. This area constitutes 95th Streets to 117th Street south of the highway and connecting cross streets.

Project: Pedestrian Bridges in Coral Gables, Florida

Amount Funded: $142,500

Account: HUD, EDI

Contact: Maria Jimenez, Interim City Manager, City of Coral Gables

Address: 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, Florida 33144

Description: The requested federal funding will be used to build pedestrian bridges next to the Hardee, Granada and Maynada bridges where vehicular traffic has created safety concerns for crossing pedestrians and cyclists. These new bridges will allow for more efficient and safer traffic flow throughout the City. Improved pedestrian safety along busy roadways in the City of Coral Gables will be the benefit of this project.

Project: Barry University Community Health and Minority Medicine Project

Amount Funded: $95,000

Account: DOE-Higher Education

Contact: Ann Paton, VP for Institutional Advancement

Address: 11300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, Florida 33161

Description: Funding will be utilized to expand current lab facilities at Barry University's center for community health.

Project: Jackson Health System Facilities and Equipment

Amount Funded: $190,000

Account: HHS-HRSA

Contact: Jeanette Nunez, VP

Address: 1611 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33136

Description: Funding will be used to upgrade Jackson Health System's information

technology infrastructure. 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 also the primary safety net provider in Miami- Dade County.

Project: Mercy Hospital Equipment Upgrades

Amount Funded: $95,000

Account: HHS-HRSA

Contact: Lois Blume, Grants Coordinator, Mercy Foundation

Address: 3663 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33133

Description: Mercy Hospital in Miami is seeking funding to upgrade equipment in three key healthcare areas: advanced cardiac video imaging technology, cardiac mapping technology, anesthesia machines, and a sterilization machine for surgical equipment.

Project: Miami-Dade College Medical Center Nursing Program Equipment

Amount Funded: $95,000

Account: HHS-HRSA

Contact: Joe Pena, Director of Federal Relations

Address: 300 NW 2nd Avenue, Suite 1402, Miami, Florida 33132

Description: To address a growing demand for healthcare professionals, Miami Dade College (MDC) School of Nursing requires additional programs and advanced training equipment in order to expand their successful nursing program.

Mr. Speaker, to start the discussion on our side of the aisle, I'm honored to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, my colleague, Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who is the co-chair of the House Taiwan Caucus as well as a prime sponsor of this important resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, my colleague, Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart, who is also a sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the ranking member of our Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from California.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support as an original cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 55. This resolution recognizes the Taiwan Relations Act as the cornerstone of the unbreakable relations which exist today between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan.

The Taiwan Relations Act stands out as one of the key pieces of foreign policy legislation passed by Congress in the 20th century.

Congress was prompted to act by the decision of President Jimmy Carter to suddenly cut off, as of January 1, 1979, our historic relations with a traditional ally, and to provide nothing further for its continued security nor defensive needs.

Taiwan has stood with the United States, both during the Second World War and in the Cold War, yet little thought was given to the fate of the then approximately 18 million people living on the island. Is this the way to treat an old friend? The response from the House of Representatives 30 years ago was a resounding ``no.''

On March 28, 1979, the House passed the Taiwan Relations Act by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 339-50. It is this anniversary that we commemorate this coming Saturday and, in so doing, Mr. Speaker, reaffirm our commitment to strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship and our support for the defensive needs of the Taiwanese people.

Thirty years ago Taiwan was put forward as the sacrificial lamb for our own apprehensions, ready to be surrendered to Beijing's unyielding demands. The Taiwan Relations Act put an end to that defeatist way of thinking.

In the three decades since the Taiwan Relations Act, Mr. Speaker, the economic and democratic evolution of Taiwan has been beyond even the most optimistic projections at that time. Taiwan's robust, free-market economy made the island the ninth largest trading partner of the United States in 2007.

Taiwan, as a young democracy with a record of two peaceful transitions of power, is blossoming amidst a sea of Chinese communism. It has become a beacon of hope to all who aspire to democracy in the Chinese cultural world.

Now, more than ever, we must ensure that our robust ties with the people of Taiwan are maintained and even strengthened. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that the people of Taiwan are provided with defensive weapons needed to ensure that no sudden change in the status quo by the use of force undermines their political aspirations. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that Congress is fully consulted on a regular basis on both our overall relations with Taiwan, and our planned future arms sales.

The best means to achieve these goals, Mr. Speaker, is through overwhelming Congressional support for this resolution as a sign of our unwavering recommitment to the Taiwan Relations Act on its 30th anniversary.

Let us send a strong, unequivocal message to Beijing that we are unwavering in our commitment to democracy, to free markets, and to the people of Taiwan. Now more than ever, we must all stand by Taiwan on this important anniversary.

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

Mr. Speaker, to start our discussion, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the ranking member on our Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to my wonderful colleague from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis. It is no surprise he is the cochair of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, and a fine job he does.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe.

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

I am proud to both sponsor and rise today in support of this resolution. This measure, as we have heard from each speaker, expresses our support for the nation of Greece as it celebrates the 188th anniversary of its independence, and it also notes the many very positive aspects of our relationship with that country.

There is truly a kinship between the people of Greece and the United States, one that was born from the shared ideals of democracy. Americans, indeed, owe a great deal to the political philosophy of democracy that was born in ancient Athens so long ago in 500 B.C. It was the Greek city-state of Athens that first created the word ``democracy'' by combining ``demos,'' meaning people, with ``kratos,'' meaning power, and so it became the first state in history to introduce and implement the concept of democracy in its form of government.

As they framed our Constitution in the late 18th century, our founding fathers drew upon the principles and the forms of government that had been created in ancient Greece thousands of years earlier. Soon after that, 45 years after America's Declaration of Independence, Greek freedom fighters looked to the young United States for inspiration as they began their work for independence from Ottoman Turkey in 1821. In fact, at that time, one of those Greek freedom fighters praised George Washington and the United States for being the land of liberty in his poem ``Hymn to Liberty.'' That poem then became a rallying cry in the Greek war for independence, and was later adopted as the national anthem for Greece.

Today, Mr. Speaker, Greece is a strong ally of the United States. It was the only country that fought alongside the United States in every major conflict of the 20th century. The contributions and sacrifices made by Greeks in fighting the Nazis in World War II, in the Battle of Crete and elsewhere, are not forgotten by us today well over 60 years later.

In this new century, Greece has also sought to reinforce stability and peace in her area of the eastern Mediterranean. As evidenced by her position at the crossroads of energy supplies between Asia and Europe and by its efforts to support stability in the region of the Balkans, Greece will play an increasingly important role in its immediate region in the European Union and the trans-Atlantic community of nations.

It is my privilege to have introduced this resolution, Mr. Speaker, recognizing the strong relationship between the United States and Greece and honoring the 188th anniversary of the revolution that led Greece to its freedom. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this resolution.

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the extraordinary life and work of Rodolfo Santayana, a Cuban refugee turned entrepreneurial pioneer who recently had the intersection of SW 8th St. and SW 122nd Ave. in Miami named in his honor.

Mr. Santayana arrived in the United States after fleeing the despotic Castro regime of his beloved Cuba. He was only seventeen, but managed to help provide for his family by holding two jobs as a paperboy and a gas station attendant.

However, it would not take him long to discover his calling in the family business. His father, Rodolfo Santayana, Sr. sold jewelry door- to-door in Cuba and beseeched Rodolfo Jr. to seek out his old customers in Cuba who also found refuge from the tyranny of Castro in South Florida.

After studying jewelry design at Miami's Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, he took on his father's request, opening his own store on the street that now bears his name.

He was highly regarded in South Florida not only for the beauty of his work but also for his ability to honor the Cuban heritage with his jewelry. He incorporated some of the symbols of his lost, but far from forgotten, Cuba: palm trees, ox pulled carts full of sugar cane and Cuban silver coins.

It is a testament to the greatness of our country that a man driven from his home to America with only a suitcase full of hopes could use his talent and drive to forge a remarkable life for himself. Now, he is remembered as one of Miami's most prominent businessman and jewelry artisans, even after his death.

May he be remembered, not only on his street in Miami, but by the entire nation for his beautiful portrayals of a free Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to honor a great constituent of my congressional district, Mr. Dave Lawrence of South Florida, for his upcoming recognition as the American Red Cross 2009 Humanitarian of the Year.

In order to be named Humanitarian of the Year, Mr. Speaker, the International Red Cross requires that a person possess these qualities: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, and unity. Well, anyone who has spent even just a moment with Dave Lawrence can see that he embodies these very qualities. He brings them into every activity of his life and every endeavor that he pursues.

Mr. Lawrence is a graduate of the University of Florida, where his many distinguished academic accomplishments earned him the title of ``Outstanding Journalism Graduate.'' Mr. Lawrence's subsequent career in journalism would take him across our country from a position as editor of the Charlotte Observer to Detroit, where he served as the publisher and executive editor of The Free Press.

In 1989, to our community's great fortune, he settled down in South Florida, where he was the publisher for the Miami Herald for 10 successful years. As a journalist, Dave Lawrence was honored with the First Amendment Award from the Scripps Howard Foundation and the IAPA Commentary Award for the elegance of his writing. Under his leadership the Miami Herald brought home five Pulitzer Prizes in a decade.

In 1999 Mr. Lawrence retired from journalism to pursue another passion. Leaving his distinguished career as a journalist behind him, Dave's altruism would rival even those individuals of the many philanthropic organizations that he has led, such as the United Way and the University of Florida Foundation. This calling was one for which he had already proven himself quite adept with his own five children.

South Florida's Father's Day Council recognized him as their Father of the Year, and the Family Counseling Services honored him; his wife, Roberta; his three daughters; and his two sons with the title ``Family of the Year.''

Dave's calling was to prepare as many children as possible for their education at the earliest possible opportunity. His crusade gathered steam when he led the voters of Miami-Dade County to authorize The Children's Trust, which provides an independent source of revenue devoted solely to the children of South Florida. His success in this campaign earned him two prestigious appointments by Governor Jeb Bush.

As the Chair of both the Florida Partnership for Childhood Readiness and the Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Protection, Dave Lawrence served as the steward of the early education program for Florida's children. From these positions he was able to play a crucial role in the fight to amend the constitution of our great State of Florida. Now, thanks in large part to his efforts, all of the children of our great State of Florida have access to quality pre-kindergarten education so that they may have a proper foundation for learning that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Dave Lawrence, I hope that you know how great you have been to our children, to our South Florida community, and, indeed, to our Nation.

The global economy will continue to grow, and yet our world will become smaller, and the competition in it will be even more fierce. But thanks to the philanthropic efforts of Mr. David Lawrence, the children of Florida will have the head start that they need to stay competitive and ensure that America remains the greatest democratic country in the history of the world.

Dave, we owe you a debt of gratitude, and no one deserves to be honored by the American Red Cross 2009 Humanitarian of the Year award more than you.

Felicidades, mi amigo. Congratulations, my friend.

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

I thank our esteemed chairman of the committee, Mr. Berman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in enthusiastic support of this House resolution because it conveys a continued deep concern of both the Congress and the American people for the plight of the people of Tibet, a concern first demonstrated by our late committee chairman, Tom Lantos. Our chairman, Mr. Berman, continues this human rights legacy. I'm honored to join with my colleague, Congressman Holt, in cosponsoring this important resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the uprising in Tibet against Chinese Communist rule.

The history of the people of Tibet for the past half century has been one of grace under fire and of courage in the face of extreme adversity. Beijing's Communist overseers displayed once again their calloused hostility to the cultural, religious and linguistic rights of the Tibetan people by their harsh and bloody crackdown in Tibet exactly 1 year ago. The iron grip of Beijing, however, cannot silence, cannot repress, cannot extinguish the resilient Buddhist spirit of the people who occupy the land known as the ``Rooftop of the World.''

The forced exile of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his flight into India 50 years ago is a continuing source of profound sorrow for the people of Tibet. This resolution, therefore, Mr. Speaker, also takes note of the warmth and the support with which the government and the people of India have greeted the Dalai Lama and other exiles from Tibet.

Tibet's tragic loss of its spiritual leader, however, has proven to be the world's gain. No steadier voice on the issues of religious freedom and human rights has been heard in the corridors of power than that of the quiet, but determined, voice of the Dalai Lama. He has risen from being a humble refugee to becoming both a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and the conscience of the civilized world.

The Chinese Foreign Minister is in Washington this very week for an official visit, the very week that we commemorate the uprising in Tibet. Just prior to his departure from Beijing to Washington, the Chinese Foreign Minister stated, ``The Dalai side still insists on establishing a so-called greater Tibet on a quarter of China's territory; you call this person a religious figure?''

Mr. Speaker, this resolution can serve as a response to the foreign minister. The U.S. Congress has a message for the Foreign Minister of China's Communist regime, and that is that the Dalai Lama is not only a religious figure, but a person of such renown that he was granted the Congressional Gold Medal. I was honored to serve as one of the sponsors for this legislation awarding the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal during the last Congress.

Our message to the Chinese regime is contained in the forceful language of this resolution calling for the preservation of the religious and human rights of the people of Tibet. The U.S. Government must keep faith with the people of Tibet. We must press the Chinese regime on issues of human rights and religious freedom in Tibet. The U.S. Congress will not fail in our commitment to Tibet and to its people.

Now is the time for all of us to reflect on the enormous resilience of a captive Tibet and its suffering people over the past five decades. Now is the time to call on the Communist leaders in Beijing--sitting behind the walls of their enclosed compound--to hear the cries from the international community for justice in Tibet. Now is the time for our colleagues to reconfirm their support for the Dalai Lama and for his oppressed people.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 4 minutes to my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.

I would like to yield an additional minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield 3 minutes to a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs--and they are all gentle people in South Carolina--the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Inglis.)

To wrap up our side of the aisle on this important resolution, I yield such time as he may consume to the co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Congressional Human Rights Commission, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf).

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of National Women's History Month, and I would like to recognize some of the great women throughout our Nation's history by focusing on my congressional district in South Florida.

These pioneers have fought valiantly for various causes, but they have all helped to lead the exodus of American women from an era of subjugation into one of equality between the genders. In South Florida, we have truly been blessed by the lives and the leadership of some of the great pioneering women of our Nation's history.

I'm talking about women like Roxcy Bolton. Roxcy was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame for forcing police and prosecutors to make rape crime a priority, as well as illustrating to health departments the need for rape treatment centers.

Dr. Ellen Prager is another such woman of greatness in South Florida. Dr. Prager has dedicated 20 years of her life to our ocean. She has had an accomplished career that began as a safety diver and research assistant at an underwater habitat in St. Croix. Now, Dr. Prager is the chief scientist for the Aquarius Reef Base in Key Largo, Florida, where I have had the distinct pleasure of scuba diving with her and her esteemed scientists twice already.

Aquarius is the only operating undersea research laboratory in the world, and it allows Ellen and her fellow scientists to spend as much as 2 consecutive weeks underwater studying the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. From Aquarius, Dr. Prager utilizes a telepresence to educate people around the world about the wonders of our planet's oceans.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was another such pioneering woman. Ms. Douglas began Friends of the Everglades, an advocacy group dedicated to the preservation of the Florida river of grass. Ms. Douglas was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work on behalf of this precious and

delicate ecosystem, which has become engrained in the unique culture of the great State of Florida.

Athalie Range, Mr. Speaker, was another pioneer among the great women of Florida. Ms. Range was the former president of the Liberty City Elementary PTA in 1953. Ms. Range fought to eliminate the deplorable conditions of segregated public schools. She may not have been the only one to notice the disparity between white and black schools, but she was one of the first to do something positive about it. She stood before the all-white school board, which turned out to be no match for her fighting spirit. These segregationist policies, which seemed to be set in stone, were smashed beneath the weight of her mighty will.

In fact, South Florida is blessed with many remarkable women, and our chapter of RESULTS is cultivating distinguished, altruistic women like Betsy Skipp, Gale Neumann, and Kathleen Gordon. These women have devoted their precious time and their ample talents to this amazing organization that advocates solutions to raising the standards of living throughout the globe.

Their role within RESULTS has been to pioneer the use of microenterprise programs to empower even more women to pursue their dreams and achieve greatness of their own. These women are heroines. I admire them, and young girls in South Florida aspire to achieve even a fraction of what they have.

Every day I am thankful that my daughters will have the benefit of walking the road that these courageous women have paved for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the life and the work of Ambassadors Sue and Chuck Cobb for what they have achieved in the life that they have made together. The Cobbs have set a new standard for the great American family as leaders in business, as public servants and as loving parents.

Ambassador Chuck Cobb is an alumnus of Stanford Business School. The greatest prize that he took from Stanford was not the MBA that he earned there; it was Sue, his wonderful and future wife. Ambassador Chuck Cobb's professional life is as successful as it has been diversified. As a businessman, he has served on the borders of nine publicly traded companies as well as numerous private ones. More than 30 master plan communities and even entire towns have been developed under Chuck's leadership. As a public servant, he rose through the ranks of the Department of Commerce where he served as Undersecretary and then as assistant Secretary for President Ronald Reagan. He saw the fruition of his labor with his appointment to the position of Ambassador to Iceland for President George H.W. Bush. The people of Iceland graciously rewarded his work as an ambassador with their highest honor, the Falcon Grand Cross Star.

Ambassador Sue Cobb's journey from Stanford to the position of ambassador was no less exciting. While leading several nonprofits and law firms, she attempted to be the first woman from the United States to climb Mt. Everest, and later wrote the book ``The Edge of Everest: A Woman Challenges the Mountain.'' Following her service as chairman of the Federal Reserve of Miami, Sue Cobb was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica where she served to improve health care, law enforcement and environmental management practices. Sue's work as ambassador was so acknowledged as excellent that our Nation's finest diplomats are honored with the Sue M. Cobb Exemplary Diplomatic Service Award. During her tenure in Jamaica, Ambassador Sue Cobb coordinated the relief efforts to help Jamaica's people after it was ravaged by Hurricane Ivan.

Ambassador Chuck was the cochairman of the committee that secured $9 billion in Federal funds to rebuild my community, South Florida, after Hurricane Andrew.

In addition to their exemplary work in both government and private enterprise, Chuck and Sue have made a home together and have filled it with love for more than five decades. Mr. Speaker, on February 28, they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They have raised two sons, who are distinguished and remarkable people. Christian is an architect with an MBA from Harvard, and Tobin is an investment banker who earned his MBA from NYU. They have blessed the Cobb family with seven beautiful grandchildren.

It is obvious that there is much that we can learn from the lives of the Ambassadors Cobb, but if we could glean a single lesson from the half century that they have spent together, Mr. Speaker, it would be how unbelievably far a man and a woman can go when the faith they have in each other is as unwavering as it is so clearly shown in Ambassadors Sue and Chuck Cobb.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the life and work of Dr. Jeana Brunson. Dr. Brunson was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, a city located on the resplendent coast of the Gulf of Mexico which is best known for being the home of the first and true Mardi Gras in the Americas.

Dr. Brunson would remain in Mobile until she earned her bachelor's degree in studio art from the University of South Alabama. She then moved from her beloved Mobile to the University of Texas in Austin where she earned her certification as a teacher. Her pursuit of academia then took her to Lubbock, Texas, where she would earn her master's degree in museum science from Texas Tech University while also serving as a research assistant for the costume and textile division for the Museum of Texas Tech.

Her work in Lubbock earned her a position of cataloger and curatorial assistant for the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka, Kansas, and then on to the curator for the Camden County Historical Society in Camden, New Jersey.

The position of registrar for the Museum of Science in Tallahassee, Florida, finally brought her to the place which she has been calling home for the past 20 years. She quickly moved up the ranks as she proceeded from registrar to curator to senior curator. During her time as head of research and collections, she earned her Ph.D. in historic costume and textiles. Finally in 2001, she was able to enjoy the fruition of her labor and the realization of her dreams when she became the director and chief curator for the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, Florida.

From this post in Tallahassee, Madam Speaker, she has been able to collect political materials, women's suffrage materials, garments, and assorted other pieces of historical significance for a new exhibit to be produced in 2013 honoring the accomplishments of the women of my home State of Florida.

Among the honorees will be another great woman of Florida and a person whom I have always admired, a constituent of my congressional district but a person who belongs to our entire State and to our Nation, Roxcy Bolton. Roxcy Bolton is a pioneer among Florida's women. She was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame for forcing police and prosecutors to make rape crime a priority as well as illustrating to health departments the need for rape treatment centers. In fact, the rape treatment center in our public hospital in Miami-Dade Florida is named after Roxcy Bolton.

Dr. Brunson also has traveled across the country earning prestigious positions and meritorious accolades for her fine work. Each stop has had its pitfalls and its windfalls, but she has never succumbed to the temptation of acquiescence in the face of adversity. The lessons that the good doctor learned on this long road have been to the benefit of our entire Nation. As the director and chief curator for the Museum of Florida History, Dr. Brunson has become the steward of Floridian culture. She has worked tirelessly to preserve the work of courageous women, like Roxcy Bolton, so their stories can be preserved for the benefit of our next generation.

I pray that we may all learn from the examples set by Dr. Jeana Brunson, that we may never let our passions be eroded by our difficulties, and that we may persevere and never falter in the pursuit of our dreams.

Congratulations, Dr. Brunson.

Madam Speaker, I would like to commend a wonderful organization in my congressional district, the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program. Founded in 1997 by veteran TV journalist, Jennifer Valoppi, and Telemundo President Don Browne, the program has been a pioneer institution for inspiring at-risk young women to achieve their fullest potential through education and job training.

The participants of the Women of Tomorrow program receive mentoring and guidance from highly accomplished professional women in our community. These women share their experiences and techniques for achieving academic and professional success, and their efforts bear fruit, as the high school graduation rate of Women of Tomorrow participants is 90 percent, well over the national average.

Thanks to the Women of Tomorrow organization, under the leadership of its executive director, Bianca Erickson, countless at-risk teenagers are given the encouragement to dream big for the future. Nearly all of the program's high school graduates pursue a college education.

I am grateful to all the individuals who have dedicated their time to this tremendous organization, and I ask that the names of the board of directors be inserted in the Congressional Record: Dr. Diane Walder, Marisa Toccin, Donna Feldman, Jamie Byington, Judge Judith Kreeger, Betty Amos, Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, Don Browne and Jennifer Valoppi.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of House Resolution 123.